Heart Attacks and WATER

(Viral post from Facebook)

How many folks do you know who say they don’t want to drink anything before going to bed, because they’ll have to get up during the night?

Something else I didn’t know … I asked my Doctor why people need to urinate so much at night time. Answer from my Cardiac Doctor – Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright (legs swell). When you lie down and the lower body (legs and etc) seeks level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!

I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water…
Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up – helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed – avoids stroke or heart attack

I can also add to this… My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.

1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour “half-life”; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.
2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest, for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar).

Something that we can do to help ourselves – nice to know. Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue.
They work much faster than the tablets. Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It’s about Heart Attacks. There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.

Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards: – Call 911. – Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.- Say “heart attack!” – Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins. Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and …DO NOT LIE DOWN!

A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved!
I have already shared this information. What about you?
Do forward this message. It may save lives!

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Eggs Don’t Cause Heart Attacks — Sugar Does

It’s over. The debate is settled.

It’s sugar, not fat, that causes heart attacks.

Oops. Fifty years of doctors’ advice and government eating guidelines have been wrong. We’ve been told to swap eggs for cereal. But that recommendation is dead wrong. In fact, it’s very likely that this bad advice has killed millions of Americans.

A rigorously done new study shows that those with the highest sugar intake had a four-fold increase in their risk of heart attacks compared to those with the lowest intakes. That’s 400 percent! Just one 20-ounce soda increases your risk of a heart attack by about 30 percent.

This study of more than 40,000 people, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, accounted for all other potential risk factors including total calories, overall diet quality, smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and alcohol.

This follows on the heels of decades of research that has been mostly ignored by the medical establishment and policy makers. In fact, the Institute of Medicine recommends getting no more than 25 percent of your total calories from added sugar. Really? This study showed that your risk of heart attacks doubles if sugar makes up 20 percent of your calories.

Yet more than 70 percent of Americans consume 10 percent of their daily calories from sugar. And about 10 percent of Americans consume one in every four of their calories from sugar.

Failed Dietary Guidelines

U.S. Dietary Guidelines provide no limit for added sugar, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still lists sugar as a “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) substance. That classification lets the food industry add unlimited amounts of sugar to our food. At least the American Heart Association recommends that our daily diet contain no more than 5 percent to 7.5 percent added sugar. Yet most of us are eating a lot more. Most of us don’t know that a serving of tomato sauce has more sugar than a serving of Oreo cookies, or that fruit yogurt has more sugar than a Coke, or that most breakfast cereals — even those made with whole grain — are 75 percent sugar. That’s not breakfast, it’s dessert!

This is a major paradigm shift. For years, we’ve been brainwashed into thinking that fat causes heart attacks and raises cholesterol, and that sugar is harmless except as a source of empty calories. They are not empty calories. As it turns out, sugar calories are deadly calories. Sugar causes heart attacks, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia, and is the leading cause of liver failure in America.

The biggest culprit is sugar-sweetened beverages, including sodas, juices, sports drinks, teas and coffees. They are by far the single biggest source of sugar calories in our diet. In fact, more than 37 percent of our sugar calories come from soda. The average teenage boy consumes 34 teaspoons of sugar a day, or about 544 calories from sugar. Even more troubling, this isn’t just putting kids at risk for heart attacks at some remote later date in their lives. It’s killing them before their 20th birthday.

This new research syncs with decades of data on how sugar causes insulin resistance, high triglycerides, lower HDL (good) cholesterol and dangerous small LDL (bad) cholesterol. It also triggers the inflammation we now know is at the root of heart disease.

And fats, including saturated fats, have been unfairly blamed. With the exception of trans fats, fats are actually protective. This includes omega-3 fats, nuts and olive oil, which was proven to reduce heart attack risk by more than 30 percent in a recent large randomized controlled study.

Here’s the simple fact: Sugar calories are worse than other calories. All calories are not created equal. A recent study of more than 175 countries found that increasing overall calories didn’t increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, but increasing sugar calories did — dramatically.

How to Cure Our Sugar Addiction

America lags far behind the rest of the world in addressing this problem. Mexico, for example, responded after learning that when soda consumption increased to 20 percent of calories for the average citizen, their rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes skyrocketed. Public health officials there researched effective solutions to combat obesity and diabetes from around the world.

The key interventions they implemented included taxing soda, banning junk food television advertising, and eliminating processed foods, junk food and sugar-sweetened beverages from schools. More than 15 countries have targeted sugar-sweetened beverages by taxing them — a strategy that’s proven successful.

Another effective strategy is revamping food labeling to make it clear if a food is good, should be consumed with caution, or is bad for you. In the United States, even someone with a Ph.D. in nutrition has trouble deciphering food labels. How can the average person be expected to know?

Recent and mounting scientific evidence clearly proves that sugar — and flour, which raises blood sugar even more than table sugar — is biologically addictive. In fact, it’s as much as eight times more addictive than cocaine.

The average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of flour a year. It’s imperative that we revamp our outdated and dangerous national dietary guidelines. And we need clear strategies and medical programs to help people understand and address the health risks and addictive nature of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

That’s how we can reverse this tsunami of obesity and chronic disease that is robbing us of our health and crippling our economy.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD

In my new book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, which will be released on February 25, I provide an easy, step-by-step plan to rid yourself of sugar addiction and reverse your risk of heart attacks. To download a sneak preview of this book, go to www.10daydetox.com and pre-order the book on Amazon

Mark Hyman, MD is a practicing physician, founder of The UltraWellness Center, a six-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him onLinkedIn, watch his videos on YouTube, become a fan on Facebook, and subscribe to his newsletter.

Follow Mark Hyman, MD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/markhymanmd

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Sugar. Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds

* Study shows fructose used differently from glucose

* Findings challenge common wisdom about sugars

Aug 2 (Reuters) – Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that challenges the common wisdom that all sugars are the same.

Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways, the team at the University of California Los Angeles found.

They said their finding, published in the journal Cancer Research, may help explain other studies that have linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.

“These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation,” Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote.

“They have major significance for cancer patients given dietary refined fructose consumption, and indicate that efforts to reduce refined fructose intake or inhibit fructose-mediated actions may disrupt cancer growth.”

Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods.

Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy.

Too much sugar of any kind not only adds pounds, but is also a key culprit in diabetes, heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Several states, including New York and California, have weighed a tax on sweetened soft drinks to defray the cost of treating obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The American Beverage Association, whose members include Coca-Cola (KO.N) and Kraft Foods KFT.N have strongly, and successfully, opposed efforts to tax soda.

The industry has also argued that sugar is sugar.

Heaney said his team found otherwise. They grew pancreatic cancer cells in lab dishes and fed them both glucose and fructose.

Tumor cells thrive on sugar but they used the fructose to proliferate. “Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different,” Heaney’s team wrote.

“I think this paper has a lot of public health implications. Hopefully, at the federal level there will be some effort to step back on the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our diets,” Heaney said in a statement.

Now the team hopes to develop a drug that might stop tumor cells from making use of fructose.

U.S. consumption of high fructose corn syrup went up 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, researchers reported in 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/02/cancer-fructose-idAFN0210830520100802

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ACID – pH imBalance

One of the major causes of an imbalanced system is the food in our pantries and refrigerators. The amount of processed and refined foods we consume has continued to increase over the last several decades including foods treated with preservatives, chemicals, pesticides and hormones. Not only are the chemicals creating havoc and toxicity in our systems, but the continual consumption of the processed and refined foods are also throwing off the delicate pH balance of our bodies.

pH Levels (Potential Hydrogen Levels)

The pH level is one of the most important balance systems of the body. The pH level is a measure of acidity or alkalinity, on a scale of zero to fourteen, with zero being most acid, fourteen being most alkaline and seven being mid-range. You may have seen shampoos advertised as pH balanced. These are shampoos designed to match the pH level of the hair. The pH levels of our bodies vary from one organ or system to the next. For example, the stomach pH is much more acid than the intestinal pH because the stomach needs an acid environment (hydrochloric acid) to break down food for digestion. Whereas, the flora (good bacteria) of the intestine need a more alkaline environment to assimilate and process the nutrients from the foods digested by the stomach.

…

The body has a hierarchy of priorities for survival. Second only to breathing and sustaining our heartbeat, the most important metabolic function that our bodies perform is maintaining a specific pH. The most important pH level that the body must regulate is the blood’s pH level. The body’s blood pH level must be maintained at 7.4 (slightly alkaline). If it varies more than a point, death can result from a coma or a seizure. In order to maintain the blood’s critical pH balance, the body will compromise less important functions. Once the electrolyte reserves become depleted, the body begins to rob these electrolytes from the various organs and systems of the body to maintain the blood’s pH level. This is where the imbalance begins. The following are examples of altered pH levels and the resulting imbalanced internal body system:

If the bowels and intestines are robbed of electrolyte minerals, the pH level becomes altered. This creates an imbalance in the bacterial environment, which can leave the bowels and intestines open to pathogens (including candida and parasites), irritations and disturbances. Have you ever heard of irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut syndrome?

Also, when the body becomes depleted of organic sodium (an essential electrolyte mineral, not table salt), the body may not be able to manufacture enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This can create an imbalanced digestive system, where foods are not being digested properly.

These imbalances can be aggravated further because our body systems will generally deplete electrolytes from the weakest areas first. So if someone already has a weakened body system, the further depletion of electrolyte minerals will cause a greater imbalance and more dysfunction. When our bodies become too depleted, overall functioning becomes weakened, affecting the immune system and the body’s ability to fight off bacterial and viral infections.

BALANCING ACID/ALKALINE FOODS

The current typical Western diet is largely composed of acid-forming foods (proteins, cereals, sugars). Alkaline-producing foods such as vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities. Stimulants like tobacco, coffee, tea, and alcohol are also extremely acidifying. Stress, and physical activity (both insufficient or excessive amounts) also cause acidification.

Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, comprising 70% of the body. The body therefore contains a wide range of solutions, which may be more or less acid. pH (potential of Hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution – the ratio between positively charged ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The pH of any solution is the measure of its hydrogen-ion concentration. The higher the pH reading, the more alkaline and oxygen rich the fluid is. The lower the pH reading, the more acidic and oxygen deprived the fluid is. The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic.

Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 – 7.45). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. If blood pH moves below 6.8 or above 7.8, cells stop functioning and the body dies. The body therefore continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur.

An imbalanced diet high in acidic-producing foods such as animal protein, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods puts pressure on the body’s regulating systems to maintain pH neutrality. The extra buffering required can deplete the body of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, making the person prone to chronic and degenerative disease. Minerals are borrowed from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage–a condition that may go undetected for years.

Health Problems Caused by Acidosis

Research shows that unless the body’s pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. So no matter what means you choose to take care of your health, it won’t be effective until the pH level is balanced. If your body’s pH is not balanced, for example, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Your body pH affects everything.

Acidosis will decrease the body’s ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it’s ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it’s ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

An acidic pH can occur from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur. Acidosis can cause such problems as:

Cardiovascular damage.
Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
Bladder conditions.
Kidney stones.
Immune deficiency.
Acceleration of free radical damage.
Hormonal problems.
Premature aging.
Osteoporosis and joint pain.
Aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
Low energy and chronic fatigue.
Slow digestion and elimination.
Yeast/fungal overgrowth.
Lack of energy and fatigue.
Lower body temperature.
Tendency to get infections.
Loss of drive, joy, and enthusiasm.
Depressive tendencies.
Easily stressed.
Pale complexion.
Headaches.
Inflammation of the corneas and eyelids.
Loose and painful teeth.
Inflamed, sensitive gums.
Mouth and stomach ulcers.
Cracks at the corners of the lips.
Excess stomach acid.
Gastritis.
Nails are thin and split easily.
Hair looks dull, has split ends, and falls out.
Dry skin.
Skin easily irritated.
Leg cramps and spasms.
http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html
GLYCEMIC INDEX
http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/glycemic_index.html

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Guyabano “The Natural Cancer Cell Killer”

Fights Cancer Cells, Lowers Blood Pressure, Lowers Blood Sugar level, Increases Immune System & more!

Source:  http://guyabano.com/

The Guyabano tree, its fruit, leaves, stem, bark is a natural cancer cell killer.

A scientific research published in the Journal of Natural Products in 1996, stated that a certain compound from the seed is selectively cytotoxic to colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) in which it was 10,000 times the potency of Adriamycin (the commonly used chemotherapy drug).

Protect your immune system and avoid deadly infections. Feel stronger and healthier throughout the course of the treatment. Boost your energy and improve your outlook on life.

The source of this information is just as stunning.

Extracts from the tree were shown to: Effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer.

What’s more, unlike chemotherapy, laboratory tests shows that the compound extracted from the Guyabano tree selectively hunts down and kills only cancer cells. It does not harm healthy cells! Various parts of the tree–including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds–have been used for centuries by medicine men and native Indians in South America to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis.

The results showed that Guyabano’s “leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and destroying malignant cells.

In many independent laboratory tests has proven that Guyabano to be a potent cancer killer.

The most significant part of the report is that Guyabano (Annona Muricata) was shown to selectively target the cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. Unlike chemotherapy, which indiscriminately targets all actively reproducing cells (such as stomach and hair cells), causing the often devastating side effects of nausea and hair loss in cancer patients.

A study at Purdue University found that the leaves from the Guyabano tree killed cancer cells among six human cell lines and were especially effective against prostate, pancreatic and lung cancers.

GUYABANO RESEARCH

For a long time the fruit, leaves and bark from the tropical Guyabano tree have been used as a natural medicine for many illnesses. And now it also seems to be a natural cancer cell killer.

The Guyabano Tree

The Guyabano tree (latin name: Annona muricata) is a low-branching and bushy but slender tree, which can reach a height of 7.5-9 m. The large evergreen leaves are smooth and glossy and have a dark green upper surface. The fruits are usually oval or heart-shaped and 10-30 cm long and up to 15 cm in width. The skin of the fruit is leathery and covered with curved, soft, pliable spines. When the tips of these spines can break off easily, then the fruit is ripe enough to eat. The inside of the fruit is cream-colored and is divided into segments. Closely-packed segments are seedless and other segments have a single oval, smooth, hard black seed. One piece of large fruit can contain a dozen to 200 seeds or even more.

It tastes slightly acidic and it is used as food in different ways. For example you can spoon the flesh out or make sherbets and drinks out of it. From the leaves you can make tea.

The Guyabano tree is a tropical tree found in the warmest tropical areas in North and South America, in the Amazon and in Asia.

Natural Medicine

The bark, leaves, fruit, roots, and fruit seeds of the Guyabano tree know a long history of many medicinal uses.

–     The fruit and juice is used against worms and parasites, to cool down fevers, to increase mother’s milk after childbirth. It can also be used for diarrhea or inflammation in the bowels as a drying agent.

–  The seeds can be crushed and then used against internal or external parasites, head lice, and worms.

–     The leaves are used as a sedative and a soporific (inducer of sleep) in the West Indies and Peruvian Andes when drank as a tea. This infusion is also used to relief pain or for antispasmodic purposes. For liver problems a leaf tea is used in the Brazilian Amazon.

–         The roots and bark can be of aid for diabetes, but can also be used as a sedative.

As you can see there are many uses of the Guyabano tree. These are just a few ways how the Guyabano tree can be of aid in your health. Next to all of these uses, it now also seems to help against cancer. Research has found many biologically active compounds in the Guyabano tree, and one of these compounds is able to destroy cancer cells.

The Cure for Cancer Lies in a Tree

The Guyabano tree consists of many chemicals, but what makes the Guyabano tree special is that this tree contains a natural compound named ‘acetogenins’. Research has found that this compound can slow the growth of tumor cells and be toxic to tumor cells without harming healthy cells. Especially the latter is a problem of recent anticancer drugs. Chemotherapy kills growing cells, bad (the cancer cells) and good (the healthy cells). The best cure for cancer is a product that can target only the cancer cells. And this is just exactly what the natural compound found in the Guyabano tree does.

The tree produces these ‘acetogenins’ in the leaves, stem and bark. What you can do is drink the extracts of the tree and this will help you fight against cancer.

Chemical Compound

What everyone would like is to make these acetogenins in big quantities, to help everyone. However, the natural ‘acetogenins’ are very complex in structure and is not easily to make by chemists. To make it easier to produce large amounts of this medicine, research has been done to find the active parts of the compound against cancer. If the active parts can be found, the medicine would be easier to produce and be more available to everyone. Unfortunately, scientists have not been able to find the active parts of the Guyabano tree.

Until then, you can turn to the natural acetogenins and drink the tea, juice or use the supplements.

How does it work?

Oberlies et al (1995) researched the capability of acetogenins to block, or inhibit, the cell growth of tumor cells. They tested this on several cell types in vitro; cancerous cells from mice and humans as well as non-cancerous cells from the intestinal tract of rats. Results showed that the more acetogenins was added with the cancerous cells, the more the cell growth was blocked. In addition, the non-cancerous healthy cells were not affected by the acetogenins and the cell growth was not blocked. These findings can indicate that acetogenins can selectively block the cell growth of tumor cells, while the healthy cells remain unaffected with minimal toxicity by this compound.

In breast cancer the cancer gene ‘epidermal growth factor receptor’ (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed.  Therefore, this cancer gene is a possible target for breast cancer therapy. A study by Dai et al (2011) used a Guyabano fruit extract and the extract inhibited or blocked the expression of the EGFR gene and this resulted in an inhibition of 32% of the growth of breast cancer cells. The non-cancerous breast cells were not affected by the fruit extract.

In 1997 Oberlies et al researched the ability of the acetogenins to block the cell growth of specific tumor cells, adriamycin resistant human mammary adenocarcinoma cells. These breast tumor cells are resistant to treatment with adriamycin, vincristine and vinblastine. All three are anti-tumor drugs. Because these tumor cells can not be treated with the drugs, the tumor is called multidrug resistant (MDR). The research group used various acetogenins derived from the Guyabano. The ones with a specific structure (a stereochemistry of threo-trans-threo-trans-erythro) were the most potent acetogenin and had 250 times the potency of adriamycin. This indicates that acetogenins may have a chemotherapeutical potential, also against MDR tumors.

Not only a “cancer cell killer”

Besides being helpful to fight against cancer, Guyabano can also help with other conditions and diseases.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder where the patient remains to have high blood sugar levels because the body is not able to produce insulin (type 1 diabetes), or the (pancreatic) cells in the body does not react to the produced insulin (type 2 diabetes).Adeyemi et al (2010) studied the effects of the extracts of Guyabano on diabetes mellitus. Thirty rats were divided in three groups; a control group, a group of rats with induced diabetes and a group of rats with induced diabetes and treatment of Guyabano extracts. After the treatment the pancreatic cells were examined and the group treated with Guyabano resulted in more pancreatic cells compared to the untreated group. These results suggest that Guyabano may help in the regeneration of pancreatic cells, and therefore in the treatment against diabetes.

The same research group of Adeyemi et al (2008) also did a study where they examined the effects of Guyabano extracts on the blood sugar levels of induces diabetic rats. Results showed that the rats with induced diabetes had an average blood sugar level of 21.64 mmol. The rats with induced diabetes and which were treated with Guyabano extracts showed an average blood sugar level of 4.22 mmol. This is a decrease in elevated blood sugar levels of five times. The Guyabano extracts shows in this study again that it can be useful for patients with diabetes.

A different research group, Adewole et al (2008), treated induced diabetic rats with Guyabano extracts and examined the tissues involved with diabetes. Results show, as well as the research group mentioned above, that Guyabano extracts led to a decrease in elevated blood sugar. Additionally, they found that Guyabano may also have protective and beneficial effects on the tissues involved with diabetes.

Pain and Inflammation

In animal models the effects of Guyabano extracts were investigated regarding to pain and inflammation. After giving oral doses of Guyabano extracts to mice, Vieira de Sousa et al (2010) recorded the reaction time of the mice on a hot plate. The mice which received the Guyabano extracts showed an increase in reaction time compared to the control mice. This means that it took longer for the Guyabano treated mice to feel the hot plate, and that the Guyabano can help reduce pain or reduce sensitivity to painful stimuli.

Additionally, the same research group treated mice with swollen paws with Guyabano extracts. When paws are swollen, there is an excess of fluid in the paws and there is indication that there is inflammation in the paws. At a site of inflammation, immune cells (leukocytes) migrate or move to this site. This treatment resulted in a smaller volume of paws and a reduction of immune cell migration. From this there can be concluded that Guyabano extracts can also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Antibacterial Effect

Vieira et al (2010) investigated the antibacterial effects of Guyabano extracts on bacteria. They found that Guyabano extracts worked against the following bacteria: Staphylococcus Aureus and Vibrio Cholerae. S. Aureus is a bacterium which can lie on the skin and cause skin infections (such as pimples), or more life threatening diseases like pneumonia. Cholerea is a bacterium which causes cholera. The symptoms of cholera are diarrhea and vomiting.

Guyabano and Blood Pressure

Animal studies have shown that Guyabano can have hypotensive activities, which means that it can result in an abnormal low blood pressure. Guyabano can also be used as a vasodilator (widening of the blood vessels, resulting in a lower blood pressure). Caution should therefore be taken when using Guyabano, especially when you have a low blood pressure, or if you take antihypertensive drugs (blood pressure lowering drugs).

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor when it comes to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Guyabano may be helpful to reduce the blood pressure. In the West-Indies a research group investigated this on rats. All rats had a normal blood pressure and Guyabano was administered to the animals. Chukwuemeka et al. found that the blood pressure in these rats reduced significantly in a dose-dependent way.¹

This may indicate that Guyabano can also reduce the blood pressure in humans. However, this has not been researched yet. All research at this moment on Guyabano is done on cell lines (in vitro) or on animals.

Guyabano may be useful to treat a high blood pressure, but take caution when you have a normal blood pressure. A blood pressure which is too low (hypotension) is not healthy and can even be dangerous.

References

–         Technical data report

–         Morton, J. 1987. Soursop. p. 75-80. In: fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, Fl.

–     Oberlies, NH, Jones JL, Corbett TH, Fotopoulous SS, McLaughlin JL (1995) Tumor cell growth inhibition by several Annonaceous acetogenins, in an in vitro disk diffusion assay. Cancer Lett, 96: 55.62.

–     Yuman Dai,Shelly Hogan, Eva Schmelz, Young Ju, Corene Canning, Kequan Zhou. Selective Growth Inhibition of Human Breast Cancer Cells by Graviola Fruit Extract In Vitro and In Vivo Involving Downregulation of EGFR Expression, Nutrition and Cancer, 63(5), 795–801

–     Adeyemi, D et al. Histomorphological and morphometric studies of the pancreatic islet cells of diabetic rats treated with extracts of Annona Muricata. , Via Medica, 69(2), 92-100

–         Vieira de Sousa et al (2010), Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of annona muricata L. Leaves in animal models. International journal of molecular sciences, 11, 2067-2078

–     Vieira et al (2010), Antibacterial effect of Moringa oleifera and annona muricata against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. Sao Paulo, 52(3), 129-32

–         J. Agric Food Chem. 2006 Dec 13;54(25):9329-39.

Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry extracts inhibit growth and stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro.

–         Seeram NP, Adams LS, Zhang Y, Lee R, Sand D, Scheuller HS, Herber D.

Green Tea: Potential Health Benefits

–        raig Schneider, MD, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine

–        Tiffany Segre, MD, Gorham Family Medicine, Gorham, Maine

–         Am Fam Physician. 2009 Apr 1;79(7):591-594

–     Vitamins C and E: beneficial effects from a mechanistic perspective, Traber et al (2011), free radical biology & medicine 51, 1000-1013

–         Selenium and health, M. Rayman (2012), the lancet, 11, 61452-9

–      ¹Chukwuemeka et al, 2012, Possible mechanisms of action of the hypotensive effect of Annona muricata (soursop) in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats, Pharmaceutical Biology, 50(11): 1436-1441

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/guyabano.fruit/info

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Guyabano belongs to the family of Annonaceae, (A. muricata L.). The flesh of the fruit consist of a white edible pulp that is high in carbohydrates and considerable amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Potassium and dietary fiber. Guyabano is low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium. No only is guyabano a good health food, it also taste delicious. The tree and fruit is known in various names: Guyabano in Filipino, Soursop in English, Graviola in Brazil, and Guanabana in Spanish.

About the Guyabano

The heart shaped / oblong Guyabano fruit has a dark green, leatherly abd soike-like skin that measures from 8 to 12 inches long and can weigh up to 2.5 kilos. The creamy and delectable flesh contains from 60 to 100 black-brown seed that are indigestible and non-edible. The Guyabano tree is relatively small. It usually grows from 8 feet to less than 20 feet high and is sensitive to very cold temperatures. The Guyabano tree requires a lot of water, warmth and humidity and is usually grown in the tropics. It is cultivated commercially in Central & South America, West Africa, Asia and South Florida in limited numbers.

Products made from Guyabano tree

Aside from being eaten raw, the guyabano fruit is processed into candies, tarts, shakes, ice-cream, sherbets, beverages. The leaves are made into tea and the leaves and stem are made into Guyabano vitamins and supplements.

Medicinal Uses of Guyabano

Guyabano has been used as folkloric herbal medicine in many regions thought the world. It is considered to be antispasmodic, sudorific and emetic. A decoction (boiling in water) of guyabano leaves is used to kill bedbugs and head lice.

To reduce fever, a decoction of leaves can be taken internally or the leaves added to bathing water also has the same effect. The crushed fresh leaves are also applied on skin eruptions for faster healing. A poultice of young guyabano leaves is applied on the skin to alleviate rheumatism and other skin infections like eczema. Applied during the healing of wounds, this can result in less or no skin scars. The decoction can also be used as a wet compress on swollen feet and other inflammations.

The juice of the fruit is taken orally as a herbal remedy for urethritis, haematuria and liver ailments.

Studies are underway by leading medical institutes, universities and pharmaceutical companies of the healing properties of guyabano against cancers. Initial findings show that certain compounds and chemicals extracted from guyabano leaves, seeds, fruit and bark appear to kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells remain unaffected.

Other uses of Guyabano

Pulverizing the guyabano seeds and mixing it with soap & water is used as effective spray against caterpillars, armyworms and leafhoppers on plants.

The guyabano leaves are believed to have a tranquilizing and sedative properties. In the Netherlands Antilles, the leaves are placed inside pillows or placed on top of the mattress to induce a good night’s sleep.

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Guyabano Nutritional Value* Per 100g of edible portion
Calories	65
Protein	1.0 g
Fat	0.95g
Carbohydrates	16.5g
Fiber	3.2 g
Ash	58g
Calcium	10.3 mg
Phosphorus	26.9 mg
Potassium	270 mg
Iron	0.64 mg
Vitamin A	2 IU
Vitamin C	28.5 mg
Thiamine	0.10 mg
Riboflavin	0.06 mg
Niacin	1.3 mg
Tryptophan	11 mg
Methionine	8 mg
Lysine	60 mg

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20 Health Benefits of Turmeric (Carcumin) | | Naturally Reverse Cancer and other Diseases

20 Health Benefits of Turmeric

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye. The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.

Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:

1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.  [Tumeric can also kill the most aggressive form of brain tumor cancer and has cured pancreatic cancer.]

3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.

4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.

7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.

13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.

14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.

16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.

17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form. It is available in pill form in most health food stores, usually in 250-500mg capsules. Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it’s fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a nice flavor and gives the egg salad a rich yellow hue. Contraindications: Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though turmeric is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as turmeric can be a uterine stimulant.  

Sources: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html

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Below is video series about healing foods and superfoods and how they empower your body to heal itself. Presented by Jeff Primack, founder of Supreme Science Qigong Center and author of Conquering ANY Disease. For more information visit http://www.Qigong.com 

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More info: http://www.thepeopleschemist.com Award winning drug chemist Shane Ellison dicusses using turmeric as a first line of defense against cancer on the Creative Living Show with host Sheryl Borden. Traditional chemotherapy is compared to natural cancer cures. Curcumin’s power to correct cell signaling messages and induce suicide of rogue cancer cells is explained.

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Andreas talks about how using Turmeric (haldi) can help prevent and even cure cancer, it is used in Indian cooking and is yellow in color.  To know more about Andreas, please visit http://www.ener-chi.com .  To read the entire interview transcript click here: http://wp.me/p1Rv6p-gT 

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