Education

Humans & Preventative Healthcare; Beyond Vitamin Supplements

Preventative healthcare.  It is vitally important, but unfortunately something that most of us do not take advantage of in our daily lives.  It is a philosophy that doesn’t just pertain to our own health and lives, but really is applicable to almost everything.  In many cases, we do more in regards to ‘preventative maintenance’ for our cars, or yard or even our computers than what we do for ourself.  Why is that?  Either way, it is something that needs to change not only just for ourselves, but for also for the others in our lives.

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Healthy Blood Pressure Naturally

According to the American Heart Association, 1 out of every 3 adults has high blood pressure, with statistics increasing with age.  Of those people, 75% are under treatment to manage the condition, while only 52% have it controlled, at least in the short term.  Men tend to have a higher prevalence of high blood pressure up through the age of 55, but at that time, the prevalence between men and women is equal. Women begin to show a higher tendency towards high blood pressure, surpassing men, starting at the age of 64.  Hypertension was listed as the primary cause of death in over 61,000 Americans in 2009, and listed as a contributing cause of death in over 348,000 in that same year.(1) Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of mortality with high cholesterol being a contributing factor.  Considering the rise in incidence and projections for the future, something must be done.

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Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid); The Common Cold to Cancer

Vitamin C is a substance that we are all familiar with and often the first fruit acknowledged is the orange.  In the days of pirates and ocean voyages for extended periods of time, the ship crew would often succumb to a disease called Scurvy, which is due to a vitamin C deficiency.  In later voyages, in order to prevent the disease, ships were often readily stocked with various fruits in order to maintain adequate intake by the crew.  Despite the low recommended levels for daily consumption to prevent Scurvy, this vitamin poses much potential for overall health and possible disease prevention.  The concept of ingesting larger doses on a daily basis was explored by many physicians in the past with one notable individual being a chemist by the name of Linus Pauling.

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Biochemical Individuality and Impact on Health

Over the years of my clinical research revolving around herbs and phytonutrients, I have become quite fond of the writings of several past researchers including the chemist Linus Pauling.  It is interesting to me to read and often re-read their thoughts and opinions regarding certain health conditions and proposals for therapies.  Often, despite the research being perceived as outdated, their conclusions still hold true and their predictions or insight startling at times.  It is neat to see that some of the observations that I have discovered are in fact similar if not identical to theirs, regardless of the time difference.

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Role of Inflammation in Arthritic and Rheumatic Conditions

Inflammation is an ongoing problem in today’s society, impacting people, pets and horses.  When the word is mentioned, we often think of the 5 cardinal signs which include pain, redness, heat, swelling and loss of function, however we need to realize that in the case of chronic diseases, this is not always the scenario.  Inflammation is broken up into two main categories; acute and chronic.  In most instances, those typical signs are associated with acute inflammation, but for purposes of our discussion, we will be focusing more on the insiduous or chronic inflammation and the impact on joint degeneration and pain.

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The Cost of Human Supplementation

We are humans and thus, in many instances our diets are flawed and low in many nutrients that are involved in daily cellular processes and immune function.  Science has shown that several nutrients are not only good for overall health, but can be protective against many clinical diseases including cardiovascular problems and even cancer.  The fact is that many foods are rich in many antioxidants, phytochemicals and nutrients that can protect us, enhance us, reduce pain and inflammation and just make us feel better.  Reality is that unfortunately, many of us fill our bodies with the improper foods and nutrients to in some cases sustain life, but our bodies continue to keep plugging along from one day to the next.  However, on the same line, many of us also contend with many diseases or clinical problems, whether if they are life threatening or just perceived as a nuisance, they are still there and could be impacted positively through diet modifications and correct supplementation.  The biggest complaint that I hear regarding this approach is overall monthly cost of dietary supplementation or changing the diet, but in reality, we pay one way or the other.  Either we change our lifestyle, consume the right foods or we end up paying higher medical costs, prescription fees or a reduced quality of life overall.  We do have a choice, but often we forget that fact.

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Radioprotective Effects of Curcumin & Prostate Cancer

A Pilot Clinical Trial of Radioprotective Effects of Curcumin Supplementation in Patients with Prostate Cancer
 
Abstract (Hejazi, J. et al. J Cancer Sci Ther, Volume 5(10) 320-324 (2013) – 320)
Background: Patients with prostate cancer who accede to radiation therapy usually experience several side effects and these toxicities are sometimes dose limiting. Some previous in vitro and in vivo studies have proposed a radioprotective role for curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric.

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Curcumin and Rheumatoid Arthritis

A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Abstract (Chandran B., Goel A., Phytothera. Res 2012) Curcumin is known to possess potent antiinflammatory and antiarthritic properties. This pilot clinical study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of curcumin alone, and in combination with diclofenac sodium in patients with active rheumatoid

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Cardiovascular Disease and Inflammation

Cardiovascular disease seems to be rampant in today’s society ranging, increasing the incidence of heart attacks, strokes and poor peripheral blood circulation.  In the later cases, we may more commonly associate conditions such as restless leg syndrome, variations in limb temperature and even impotence.  The question is regarding what is the underlying cause with these conditions and are we managing them correctly? 

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