Sunday, January 27, 2008

The problem is simple, but the answer takes willpower...

When I first started doing lectures on Metabolic Complex and why we get fat, I used a statistic that type 2 diabetes has increased 28% in the last 20 years. A few years later, I had to increase that statistic to 32%, and last week, just about 5 years later, I would now have to use 45%. Are you getting this??? We have had a 45% increase in diabetes in just 20 years. The culprit is simple - overly refined foods that contain high glycemic sugars, and a diet to high in grains, breads and cereals. The problem, while simple is very difficult, because we become addicted to sweets and don't give them up, because they are socially accepted. Not only that, but people are often confused by what a high glycemic food, really is. Please take time to read this weeks studies, and click on the links that will help educate you on the way to reverse this terrible trend.

cw


The Statin Scam Marches On...
(NewsTarget) Considering that tens of millions of Americans now take statins to lower cholesterol, the following headline was conspicuously absent from the major media this month: “Statins Found To Turn On Gene That Causes Muscle Damage.” It’s now a fact of science; a new study shows that taking statins destroys your muscle to a greater or lesser degree. And let’s not forget that the heart is a muscle.Place this study juxtaposed to another rather interesting recent finding: the more fit you are the longer you will live – and the two just don’t add up. How can you destroy muscle and be more fit? You can’t. Sure you can drug your cholesterol number lower, but will you be healthier, fit, and live longer?
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Most Effective Weight Loss Diet Revealed...
Scientists at Aberdeen's Rowett Research Institute have shown that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is most effective at reducing hunger and promoting weight loss, at least in the short term. Their work has just been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Healthy, obese men were given two different diets during their stay in the Rowett's specialised Human Nutrition Unit. Both diets had a high protein content (30% of total energy value of the diet) but they differed in the amount of carbohydrate: One diet was low in carbohydrate (4%) and the other contained a moderate amount of carbohydrate (35% total energy value)."Our volunteers found both diets to be equally palatable, but they felt less hungry on the high-protein low-carbohydrate diet compared with the diet which contained high-protein but moderate amounts of carbohydrate," said Dr Alex Johnstone, the Rowett's weight-loss expert who led the study."Weight loss during the two four week study periods was greater on the high-protein low-carbohydrate diet, averaging 6.3 kg per person, compared with 4.3 kg on the moderate carbohydrate diet," said Dr Johnstone.
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Fatty Liver Risk Linked To High Glycemic Index Diet...
(NewsTarget) Eating carbohydrates high on the glycemic index (GI) produced not only fatter mice, but mice with fatty livers according to a recently published study (1). For twenty-five weeks two groups of mice were fed a diet high in carbohydrates. One set had carbohydrates high on the GI while the other group received carbohydrates low on the GI. At the end of the study, both sets of mice weighed about the same, but the group that ate high on the GI had twice as much total body fat, twice as much fat in their blood and twice as much fat around their livers.
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Waistline Growth On High-carb Diets Linked To Liver Gene...
ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2007) — Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin-Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so.
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A Review of Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett...
NewsTarget) SUGAR SHOCK! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life, written by journalist Connie Bennett with Stephen Sinatra MD, is not just another low-carb diet book. In the book, Ms. Bennett explains the addictive nature of sugar and discusses the profound effects this can have on your health. She uses sometimes humorous, sometimes scary anecdotes of how sugar affected her own life to get the point across, but follows these up with scientific explanations that most lay people can understand and quotes from numerous scientists, doctors and other experts. To a person hearing about the evils of sugar for the first time, SUGAR SHOCK! can be frightening but is a real eye-opener. It should make anyone think twice before grabbing that cup of fancy coffee loaded with sugar or the early-afternoon candy bar and soda for a so-called "pick me up".
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Nuts and berries fight metabolic syndrome...
NewsTarget) A number of recent studies have indicated that nuts and berries provide great advantages in averting metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms linked to heightened risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.Preliminary results from a Spanish study involving 9,000 people suggest that a Mediterranean diet leads to improved levels of cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure, all linked to metabolic syndrome. In particular, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of hazelnuts and 7.5 grams of almonds per day appeared to provide a long-term 50 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, more than the Mediterranean diet high in olive oil or the low fat diet. The research was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Herbal Extract Found To Increase Lifespan...
ScienceDaily (Dec. 10, 2007) — The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant indigenous to the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations, according to a University of California, Irvine study. Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea, an herbal supplement long used for its purported stress-relief effects, lived on an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn’t eat the herb.
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Good health to all of you...



Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
President
Forever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
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E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323

" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein








Sunday, January 20, 2008

Protein keeps hunger at bay...

Study explains how protein keeps hunger at bay...
By Julie Steenhuysen
Thu Jan 17, 7:20 PM ET

Diets high in protein may be the best way to keep hunger in check, U.S. researchers said on Thursday in a study that offers insight into how diets work.
They found that protein does the best job at keeping a hunger hormone in check, while carbohydrates and fats may well deserve their current nasty reputation.
The study, which will appear in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, looked at the effectiveness of different nutrients at suppressing ghrelin, a hormone secreted by the stomach that stimulates appetite.
"Suppression of ghrelin is one of the ways that you lose your appetite as you begin to eat and become sated," said Dr. David Cummings of the University of Washington in Seattle, who worked on the study.
The researchers gave 16 people three different beverages, each with varying levels of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. They took blood samples before the first beverage, then every 20 minutes for six hours afterward, measuring ghrelin levels in each sample.
"The interesting findings were that fats suppress ghrelin quite poorly," Cummings said in a telephone interview. They fared the poorest overall.
"Proteins were the best suppressor of ghrelin in terms of the combination of the depth and duration of suppression," he said. "That is truly satisfying because high proteins are essentially common to almost all of the popular diets."
They also found that eating carbohydrates resulted in a strong ghrelin suppression at first, but ghrelin levels rebounded with a vengeance, rising to an even higher level.
Basically, the carbohydrates eventually made people even hungrier than before they had eaten.
Cummings said the findings may aid in future research on the effectiveness of different diets.
And the study likely means that nightly bowl of ice cream is out. "That is a bad idea no matter what," he said.

LOSE BODY FAT THIS YEAR AND NORMALIZE YOUR WEIGHT...
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Developed by Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
A self help program for people who want to take charge of their own weight and health issues.

To follow the program, click the link below...
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Good health to all of you...


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.



Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
President
Forever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cww1951
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Learn how to prevent & treat cancer the right way...

Cancer is the subject for today's blog. Just hearing the word can cause adrenaline to go up in the body. Learning how to prevent, treat and the dietary considerations before and after a diagnosis, can make a huge difference as to the outcome. There is no question, the people who eat the most fruits and vegetables around the world have the lowest cancer levels. There are special fruits and vegetables that have profound cancer killing properties. Here are some things to consider preferably before and after a cancer diagnosis comes to you or a loved one.

cw


After a cancer diagnosis: Crucial questions to consider about chemotherapy vs. naturopathic cancer treatments...
It is widely known that an increasing number of consumers are turning to alternative medicine for treatment for diseases like cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease and so on. What are generally not known are the circumstances under which many consumers make this switch from conventional to alternative medicine.The truth about that is rather surprising and, perhaps, even a bit frustrating because many consumers only switch to alternative medicine after conventional medicine has failed them. That's when many people begin investigating medicinal herbs, acupuncture, or chiropractic care. It is only after they have tried everything with conventional medicine -- drugs, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy -- that they finally realize they are not getting any healthier and need to do something different.
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Why cancer comes back following chemotherapy, radiation or surgery...
One of the most common problems in cancer patients who choose to undergo conventional cancer therapy is recurrence. They might think they have beaten their cancer with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, only to find a few years later that tumors have spread into other tissues -- usually the lungs, brain, or even the reproductive organs. Conventional medicine has not yet caught on to what's happening here, but the reason why this phenomenon occurs is quite simple: Conventional cancer treatments only treat the symptoms of cancer (tumors or growths) and do not actually do anything to help the patient regain a level of health necessary to keep cancer in check.
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Studies show how fruits and veggies reduce cancer...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Just three servings a month of raw broccoli or cabbage can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as 40 percent, researchers reported this week.
Other studies show that dark-colored berries can reduce the risk of cancer too -- adding more evidence to a growing body of research that shows fruits and vegetables, especially richly colored varieties, can reduce the risk of cancer.
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Apple peels contain twelve anti-cancer compounds called "triterpenoids...
(NewsTarget) Apple peels contain as many as a dozen cancer-fighting chemical compounds, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."We found that several compounds have potent anti-proliferative activities against human liver, colon and breast cancer cells, and may be partially responsible for the anti-cancer activities of whole apples," said Rui Hai Liu, an associate professor of food science.The researchers extracted each individual chemical compound found in the peels of 230 pounds of Red Delicious apples. They then tested these compounds individually against cultures of cancer cells in the laboratory. They identified 12 compounds, called triterpenoids, which inhibited the growth of cancer cells or even killed them.
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Cancer's Sweet Tooth...

by Patrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS
From The April 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

During the last 10 years I have worked with more than 500 cancer patients as director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Okla. It puzzles me why the simple concept "sugar feeds cancer" can be so dramatically overlooked as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan.
Of the 4 million cancer patients being treated in America today, hardly any are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat good foods." Most patients I work with arrive with a complete lack of nutritional advice. I believe many cancer patients would have a major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose. By slowing the cancer's growth, patients allow their immune systems and medical debulking therapies -- chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to reduce the bulk of the tumor mass -- to catch up to the disease. Controlling one's blood-glucose levels through diet, supplements, exercise, meditation and prescription drugs when necessary can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. The sound bite -- sugar feeds cancer -- is simple. The explanation is a little more complex.
The 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. The crux of his Nobel thesis was that malignant tumors frequently exhibit an increase in anaerobic glycolysis -- a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct -- compared to normal tissues.1 The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to the liver. This conversion of glucose to lactate generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.2,3 Thus, larger tumors tend to exhibit a more acidic pH.4
This inefficient pathway for energy metabolism yields only 2 moles of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy per mole of glucose, compared to 38 moles of ATP in the complete aerobic oxidation of glucose. By extracting only about 5 percent (2 vs. 38 moles of ATP) of the available energy in the food supply and the body's calorie stores, the cancer is "wasting" energy, and the patient becomes tired and undernourished. This vicious cycle increases body wasting.5 It is one reason why 40 percent of cancer patients die from malnutrition, or cachexia.6
Hence, cancer therapies should encompass regulating blood-glucose levels via diet, supplements, non-oral solutions for cachectic patients who lose their appetite, medication, exercise, gradual weight loss and stress reduction. Professional guidance and patient self-discipline are crucial at this point in the cancer process. The quest is not to eliminate sugars or carbohydrates from the diet but rather to control blood glucose within a narrow range to help starve the cancer and bolster immune function.
The glycemic index is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the digestion and absorption process, which provides a healthier, more gradual infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. Conversely, a high rating means blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. This rapid fluctuation of blood-sugar levels is unhealthy because of the stress it places on the body (see glycemic index chart, p. 166).
Sugar in the Body and DietSugar is a generic term used to identify simple carbohydrates, which includes monosaccharides such as fructose, glucose and galactose; and disaccharides such as maltose and sucrose (white table sugar). Think of these sugars as different-shaped bricks in a wall. When fructose is the primary monosaccharide brick in the wall, the glycemic index registers as healthier, since this simple sugar is slowly absorbed in the gut, then converted to glucose in the liver. This makes for "time-release foods," which offer a more gradual rise and fall in blood-glucose levels. If glucose is the primary monosaccharide brick in the wall, the glycemic index will be higher and less healthy for the individual. As the brick wall is torn apart in digestion, the glucose is pumped across the intestinal wall directly into the bloodstream, rapidly raising blood-glucose levels. In other words, there is a "window of efficacy" for glucose in the blood: levels too low make one feel lethargic and can create clinical hypoglycemia; levels too high start creating the rippling effect of diabetic health problems.
The 1997 American Diabetes Association blood-glucose standards consider 126 mg glucose/dL blood or greater to be diabetic; 126 mg/dL is impaired glucose tolerance and less than 110 mg/dL is considered normal. Meanwhile, the Paleolithic diet of our ancestors, which consisted of lean meats, vegetables and small amounts of whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruits, is estimated to have generated blood glucose levels between 60 and 90 mg/dL.7 Obviously, today's high-sugar diets are having unhealthy effects as far as blood-sugar is concerned. Excess blood glucose may initiate yeast overgrowth, blood vessel deterioration, heart disease and other health conditions.8
Understanding and using the glycemic index is an important aspect of diet modification for cancer patients. However, there is also evidence that sugars may feed cancer more efficiently than starches (comprised of long chains of simple sugars), making the index slightly misleading. A study of rats fed diets with equal calories from sugars and starches, for example, found the animals on the high-sugar diet developed more cases of breast cancer.9 The glycemic index is a useful tool in guiding the cancer patient toward a healthier diet, but it is not infallible. By using the glycemic index alone, one could be led to thinking a cup of white sugar is healthier than a baked potato. This is because the glycemic index rating of a sugary food may be lower than that of a starchy food. To be safe, I recommend less fruit, more vegetables, and little to no refined sugars in the diet of cancer patients.
What the Literature SaysA mouse model of human breast cancer demonstrated that tumors are sensitive to blood-glucose levels. Sixty-eight mice were injected with an aggressive strain of breast cancer, then fed diets to induce either high blood-sugar (hyperglycemia), normoglycemia or low blood-sugar (hypoglycemia). There was a dose-dependent response in which the lower the blood glucose, the greater the survival rate. After 70 days, 8 of 24 hyperglycemic mice survived compared to 16 of 24 normoglycemic and 19 of 20 hypoglycemic.10 This suggests that regulating sugar intake is key to slowing breast tumor growth (see chart, p. 164).
In a human study, 10 healthy people were assessed for fasting blood-glucose levels and the phagocytic index of neutrophils, which measures immune-cell ability to envelop and destroy invaders such as cancer. Eating 100 g carbohydrates from glucose, sucrose, honey and orange juice all significantly decreased the capacity of neutrophils to engulf bacteria. Starch did not have this effect.11
A four-year study at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in the Netherlands compared 111 biliary tract cancer patients with 480 controls. Cancer risk associated with the intake of sugars, independent of other energy sources, more than doubled for the cancer patients.12 Furthermore, an epidemiological study in 21 modern countries that keep track of morbidity and mortality (Europe, North America, Japan and others) revealed that sugar intake is a strong risk factor that contributes to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women.13
Limiting sugar consumption may not be the only line of defense. In fact, an interesting botanical extract from the avocado plant (Persea americana) is showing promise as a new cancer adjunct. When a purified avocado extract called mannoheptulose was added to a number of tumor cell lines tested in vitro by researchers in the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford University in Britain, they found it inhibited tumor cell glucose uptake by 25 to 75 percent, and it inhibited the enzyme glucokinase responsible for glycolysis. It also inhibited the growth rate of the cultured tumor cell lines. The same researchers gave lab animals a 1.7 mg/g body weight dose of mannoheptulose for five days; it reduced tumors by 65 to 79 percent.14 Based on these studies, there is good reason to believe that avocado extract could help cancer patients by limiting glucose to the tumor cells.
Since cancer cells derive most of their energy from anaerobic glycolysis, Joseph Gold, M.D., director of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Cancer Research Institute and former U.S. Air Force research physician, surmised that a chemical called hydrazine sulfate, used in rocket fuel, could inhibit the excessive gluconeogenesis (making sugar from amino acids) that occurs in cachectic cancer patients. Gold's work demonstrated hydrazine sulfate's ability to slow and reverse cachexia in advanced cancer patients. A placebo-controlled trial followed 101 cancer patients taking either 6 mg hydrazine sulfate three times/day or placebo. After one month, 83 percent of hydrazine sulfate patients increased their weight, compared to 53 percent on placebo.15 A similar study by the same principal researchers, partly funded by the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., followed 65 patients. Those who took hydrazine sulfate and were in good physical condition before the study began lived an average of 17 weeks longer.16
In 1990, I called the major cancer hospitals in the country looking for some information on the crucial role of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in cancer patients. Some 40 percent of cancer patients die from cachexia.5 Yet many starving cancer patients are offered either no nutritional support or the standard TPN solution developed for intensive care units. The solution provides 70 percent of the calories going into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. All too often, I believe, these high-glucose solutions for cachectic cancer patients do not help as much as would TPN solutions with lower levels of glucose and higher levels of amino acids and lipids. These solutions would allow the patient to build strength and would not feed the tumor.17
The medical establishment may be missing the connection between sugar and its role in tumorigenesis. Consider the million-dollar positive emission tomography device, or PET scan, regarded as one of the ultimate cancer-detection tools. PET scans use radioactively labeled glucose to detect sugar-hungry tumor cells. PET scans are used to plot the progress of cancer patients and to assess whether present protocols are effective.18
In Europe, the "sugar feeds cancer" concept is so well accepted that oncologists, or cancer doctors, use the Systemic Cancer Multistep Therapy (SCMT) protocol. Conceived by Manfred von Ardenne in Germany in 1965, SCMT entails injecting patients with glucose to increase blood-glucose concentrations. This lowers pH values in cancer tissues via lactic acid formation. In turn, this intensifies the thermal sensitivity of the malignant tumors and also induces rapid growth of the cancer. Patients are then given whole-body hyperthermia (42 C core temperature) to further stress the cancer cells, followed by chemotherapy or radiation.19 SCMT was tested on 103 patients with metastasized cancer or recurrent primary tumors in a clinical phase-I study at the Von Ardenne Institute of Applied Medical Research in Dresden, Germany. Five-year survival rates in SCMT-treated patients increased by 25 to 50 percent, and the complete rate of tumor regression increased by 30 to 50 percent.20 The protocol induces rapid growth of the cancer, then treats the tumor with toxic therapies for a dramatic improvement in outcome.
The irrefutable role of glucose in the growth and metastasis of cancer cells can enhance many therapies. Some of these include diets designed with the glycemic index in mind to regulate increases in blood glucose, hence selectively starving the cancer cells; low-glucose TPN solutions; avocado extract to inhibit glucose uptake in cancer cells; hydrazine sulfate to inhibit gluconeogenesis in cancer cells; and SCMT.
A female patient in her 50s, with lung cancer, came to our clinic, having been given a death sentence by her Florida oncologist. She was cooperative and understood the connection between nutrition and cancer. She changed her diet considerably, leaving out 90 percent of the sugar she used to eat. She found that wheat bread and oat cereal now had their own wild sweetness, even without added sugar. With appropriately restrained medical therapy -- including high-dose radiation targeted to tumor sites and fractionated chemotherapy, a technique that distributes the normal one large weekly chemo dose into a 60-hour infusion lasting days -- a good attitude and an optimal nutrition program, she beat her terminal lung cancer. I saw her the other day, five years later and still disease-free, probably looking better than the doctor who told her there was no hope.
Patrick Quillin, Ph.D., R.D., C.N.S., is director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Okla., and author of Beating Cancer With Nutrition (Nutrition Times Press, 1998).


Good health to all of you...


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
President
Forever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cww1951
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323
" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Protecting and improving your eyes from computer strain...

Age-related cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy are among the leading causes for loss of vision. This is especially the case when you use the computer a lot. As with many degenerative conditions, the best approach is a course of prevention, combined with nutrients shown in numerous clinical studies to support healthy vision. A number of nutrients have been extensively studied for their ability to treat a wide variety of vision-related conditions by preventing the damage caused by free radical activity and by enhancing the delivery of blood and oxygen to the retina to help repair tissues.

Introducing - Orthomolecular Formulations Computer Eyes

Bilberry Extract
Bilberry extract contains anthocyanosides, potent antioxidants that assist in maintaining the integrity of collagen structures in the eyes reducing leakage of fine capillaries in the retina. Bilberry pigment helps produce visual purple, an important chemical that helps convert light into electrical signals for the brain. Bilberry has traditionally been recommended for reducing eyestrain and improving night vision due to its ability to enhance vision in low light conditions often encountered by pilots and military personnel. Bilberry also reduces general eyestrain, which makes it particularly beneficial for students, computer operators, and anyone who must use their eyes for long periods without rest.
Promotes optimal night vision*
Protects against eye strain*
Scavenges free radicals that cause premature aging and cellular damage*
Relieves “computer” eyes*
Improves vascular integrity*
May reduce eye tissue damage*


Grape Seed Extract
Has been shown to slow progression of macular degeneration and cataracts. Grape seed extract improves blood flow in the eye's tiny vessels, where certain eye diseases can cause blockages and impairments that result in vision damage. Cataracts are an example. The extract's antioxidant powers are of particular value in warding off the free-radical damage so frequently cited as the leading cause of macular degeneration.
People who stare at computer monitors for extended periods may benefit from taking grape seed extract. The findings of one recent study indicate that 300 mg, taken daily, will ease eyestrain and enhance perception of contrast after just 60 days.

Quercetin
Quercetin is a plant phytochemical (flavonoid) similar to, and in some ways, more powerful than vitamin C. Quercetin prevents the vascular damage caused by LDL oxidation, shields the eye against free radicals, modulates nitric oxide production and prevents collagen breakdown.


Taurine
Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that stabilizes membranes, protects against free radicals, and is an ocular housekeeper, helping the macrophages in the retina eliminate debris from the photoreceptor cells. Taurine is necessary for the chemical reactions that produce normal vision, and deficiencies are associated with retinal degeneration. Besides protecting the retina, taurine may help prevent and possibly reverse age-related cataracts. When taurine is deficient, physicians often observe retinal decline. In one study of patients with primary open angle glaucoma (OAG) the fluid discharge efficacy almost doubled after treatment with taurine. In addition, taurine counterbalances excessive levels of glutamate and excitatory neurotransmitters and protects ocular tissue against oxidative stress and ischemia.


Lipoic Acid
A broad range of free radicals are rendered helpless by lipoic acid, a fat- and water-soluble antioxidant. Lipoic acid has been shown to prevent cataracts and diabetic nerve damage by eliminating oxidative stress, improving glucose utilization, and increasing blood flow to the nerves. In addition, lipoic acid recycles dietary antioxidants like vitamin E and raises glutathione levels. In one group of 45 patients with OAG, visual function and liquid drainage improved in approximately 50 percent of the subjects taking lipoic acid in comparison to controls.


Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is a potent free radical scavenger that supports healthy vision by preventing free radical damage commonly seen in eye diseases such as macular degeneration. A number of experimental studies suggest that ginkgo extracts are potentially useful for treating retinal damage induced by a variety of disorders. When German scientists tested ginkgo’s protective effects on the retinas of twenty-five older people they found that the herb dramatically improved vision in all subjects after only four weeks of treatment. According to the researchers, ginkgo caused a “significant increase in retinal sensitivity.”

If you are having troubles with your eyes due to heavy computer use, try Computer Eyes.

Good health to all of you...


Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a health care professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
President
Forever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cww1951
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323
" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Want to stay younger, and protect against chronic diseases... Get more sun & vitamin D...

Vitamin D is all over the news lately. Experts are recommending at least 1000 IU's and optimally 2000 IU's per day, as well as getting more sunshine. Take a moment and read these articles and make sure you are taking a multi that has increased it's levels of vitamin D3 to at least 1000 IU's. cw


Vitamin D helps slow ageing...
Healthy levels of vitamin D may help to slow the ageing process and protect against age-related diseases, a team of British scientists has found. The claim follows a study of more than 2,000 women which found that those with the lowest vitamin D levels showed the greatest signs of biological ageing. Dr Richards, whose study was published yesterday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. This could help explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing-related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. What's interesting is that there's a huge body of evidence that shows sunshine ages your skin - but it also increases your vitamin D levels. So, like many times in medicine, we find there's a trade-off."
MORE


Vitamin D deficiency accelerates aging in the elderly...
by David Gutierrez (NewsTarget)
Insufficient intake of vitamin D may lead to decreased physical strength, increased muscle weakness and increased risk of disability in older women and men, according to a new study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.Because vitamin D deficiency is widespread, the researchers have suggested that increasing vitamin D intake may help older adults decrease their risk of disability and maintain better muscle strength and physical performance.Researchers measured the serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D for 976 adults over the age of 64. They also took measures of grip strength -- which is a good predictor of the risk of future disability -- and physical performance.Twenty-nine percent of the women and 14 percent of the men participating were found to be vitamin D deficient, as measured by their blood levels. Compared to the participants with normal vitamin D levels, these people scored 5 to 10 percent lower on measures of grip strength and physical performance. This correlation was found to be independent of other factors, including the participant's activity level, mental function, weight and overall health.
MORE


Sunshine seen as weapon against cancer...
The benefits of sun exposure are highlighted in two new studies which suggest moderate amounts of sunlight may outweigh the risks of skin cancer, especially for people in colder climates, and that a lack of vitamin D is linked to heart disease.
Norwegian and US researchers found survival rates in people with major internal cancers such as bowel, lung and breast cancer were higher for those from countries in southern latitudes, such as Australia, who produced more vitamin D.
“The skin cancer risk is there but the health benefits from some sun exposure is far larger than the risk,” leader of the study Johan Moan, from the Institute for Cancer Research in Oslo, said. “What we find is that modest sun exposure gives enormous vitamin D benefits.”
MORE


Low vitamin D levels linked to increased heart disease risk...
By Stephen Daniells
08/01/2008 - Low levels of vitamin D could increase the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack, heart failure or stroke by 62 per cent, suggests a new study from the US.
And the outlook could be even worse for those with high blood pressure and low blood levels of vitamin with a doubling of the risk, report researchers in the journal Circulation - the Journal of the American Heart Association. Interest in vitamin D has been increasing in recent months with an increasing number of studies linking the vitamin to protection against osteoporosis and certain cancers. There is also evidence that a higher intake of vitamin D may be helpful in preventing and treating high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Vitamin D deficiency doubles heart disease risk ...
Moderate vitamin D deficiency nearly doubles the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure over a mean of 5.4 years in patients with high blood pressure, according to media reports Tuesday quoting Harvard researchers. Research indicated that those with low vitamin D levels had about a 60 percent higher risk of a cardiovascular event like heart attack, heart failure or stroke compared to those with higher levels, even with well-known cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure taken into account.
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WOMEN'S BASIC +

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NSI Vitamin D-3 (as cholecalciferol) -- 2,000 IU - 300 Capsules


Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
PresidentForever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cww1951
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323
" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking wewere at when we created them."- Albert Einstein

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Thanks for a great 2007 and lets be healthier in 2008...

Just wanted to thank everyone for a great 2007...
I will continue in 2008 to formulate great nutraceuticals from my new venture
Orthomolecular Formulations, make available to you other quality products with discounted prices, from reputable companies like NSI/VITACOST and provide the latest in health news and commentary. Last year you were among the first to know that vitamin K can remove calcium deposites from soft tissues and put that calcium into the bones where it belongs. If you did autopsies for a living, then you would know how important that is as most people die from complications due to calcium going where it does not belong.

You also learned that a combination of green tea extract, C and Lysine can stop abnormal tissue growth in it's tracks. We taught you the importance of uping your vitamin D levels way before the media picked it up and it's importance in cancer prevention. We taught you why you should use rye instead of wheat, potatoes or oats. These are just a few things I remembered sending you, and there will be many more coming to you this year as well.

Please continue to order NSI/VITACOST products using my link to the right of my
home page.

Are you listening??? Information and application is what separates the wise from the foolish.

Good health to all of you in 2008...

cw

Christopher Wiechert, C.N.C.
PresidentForever Changes, Inc.
Website: http://www.cwiechert.com/
Health Blogger: http://www.cwiechert.blogspot.com/
Orthomolecular Formulations: www.cwiechert.com/Orthomolecularformulations.html
Disclaimer: http://www.cwiechert.com/disclaimer.html
E-Mail: cww@cwiechert.com
Toll Free Number: 800-803-3323

" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking wewere at when we created them."- Albert Einstein