Archive for June, 2009
NTA
Thursday, June 18th, 2009Baby broccoli ‘controls gut bug’
Thursday, June 18th, 2009Eating a daily portion of broccoli sprouts could help tame the H. pylori bacteria, linked to stomach ulcers and even cancer, research suggests.
The study in Cancer Prevention Research of 50 people in Japan found eating 2.5 ounces of broccoli sprouts each day for two months may confer some protection.
They contain sulforaphane, previously found to act as an antibiotic.
UK experts said while sprouts may have an effect on the bug, they were likely to make “no difference” to cancer risk.
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This small study shows that eating broccoli sprouts might reduce levels of H. pylori infection Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK |
In the study, an international team of scientists gave half the group a daily portion of broccoli sprouts and the rest alfalfa sprouts, which do not contain sulforaphane.
In those who ate broccoli sprouts, levels of a marker of H. pylori in human stools called HpSA was cut by over 40%.
There was no HpSA level change in those who ate alfalfa sprouts.
In people who ate broccoli sprouts, HpSA levels had returned to pre-treatment levels eight weeks after people stopped eating them.
The researchers say this suggests that although the sprouts can dampen down H. pylori, they do not eradicate it.
Sprout smoothies
Dr Jed Fahey, of Johns Hopkins University in the US who led the study, said: “The fact that the levels of infection and inflammation were reduced suggests the likelihood of getting gastritis and ulcers and cancer is probably reduced.”
It was Dr Fahey who discovered the sprouts contained sulforaphane early this decade. He is a co-founder of a company licensed by The Johns Hopkins University to produce broccoli sprouts. A portion of the proceeds is used to help support cancer research.
His team also carried out tests on mice infected with H. pylori, giving them broccoli-sprout smoothies for eight weeks.
The number of H. pylori bacteria in the mice’s stomachs fell significantly - but did not change in infected mice that only drank plain water.
A second group of H. pylori-infected mice were genetically engineered to lack the Nrf2 gene that activates protective enzymes.
They failed to respond in the same way to the sprout-smoothie diet.
Nell Barrie of Cancer Research UK said: “This small study shows that eating broccoli sprouts might reduce levels of H. pylori infection.
“We know that H. pylori is a major risk factor for stomach cancer but only three in a 100 people with the infection will develop the disease, so there are clearly other factors at work.
“This means we can’t conclude that eating broccoli sprouts makes any real difference to the chance of getting stomach cancer. ”
Testimonial for NTA:
Friday, June 12th, 2009NTA has helped me so much. The service is quick and very helpful. The advice and treatments always help. Thanks so much everyone.
Mood enhancing food…
Friday, June 12th, 2009The link between food and behaviour is becoming a widely debated subject. With most of us buying our food from supermarkets, fresh food from local butchers and green grocers is a thing of the past. Nutritionists advise we need to eat 8 portions of fruit and vegetables a day to stay healthy and that we avoid additives as much as possible.
It is now widely accepted that conditions such as ADHD are affected by food additives, but parents may well not know why or how it affects children who do not have this condition.
Essential fatty acids play a major part in the development of children affecting brain function; and a deficiency has an impact on behaviour and can bring about mood swings, problems in concentration and co-ordination. This also causes a low tolerance to Salicylates. These are naturally occurring in plants (vegetables and fruits) and are used in food colourings to a greater intensity. This in turn explains why many people have what we call hyperactive episodes when we eat food with added colourings. The Food Standards Agency have a list of colourings that they advise parents to avoid if they are concerned, we have included foods that also cause problems:
Additives to avoid Foods to avoid
sunset yellow FCF (E110) Oranges
quinoline yellow (E104) Gluten (wheat, corn, barley, rye)
carmoisine (E122) Casein in milk and milk products
allura red (E129) citrus especially oranges
tartrazine (E102) soya
ponceau 4R (E124) eggs
sugar
Food that is fresh and unprocessed is always more desirable than pre packed and frozen foods. We unfortunately live in a very busy world where it is not always possible to cook from fresh everyday but there are some dishes such as stir fry that are in actual fact probably just as quick and more nutritious than the other alternatives. Natural sources of Essential Fatty Acids are contained in oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and oils such as olive, walnut, hemp and coconut which can be rotated in cooking.
Testimonial for NTA
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009Brilliant service. Brilliant people. Brilliant result
Electro-smog
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009|
Electricity has only been used domestically for about 100 years and in greater quantities since the 1950’s. This has triggered a condition known as ‘Electro-Sensitivity’ (ES). ES sufferers experience adverse effects of EMF (Electro magnetic frequencies) emitted by cordless applications. Mobile phones, Wi-Fi connections and cordless phones all emit higher EMF frequencies than appliances using wires (DECT cordless phones have the same technology as mobile phones and emit pulses of microwave radiation) and for this reason cause more problems. Symptoms include headaches, tiredness, depression, epilepsy, behaviour changes in children, skin complaints and possibly cancer. Most at risk of ES are children, pregnant women and convalescents.
Nobody knows the full extent of the effect this is having on the population, we now have most children using mobile phones, which coincides with an increase in brain and eye cancers. Research has been varied in its results but the fact that it is being researched at all suggests that it is understood that Electro smog is a problem. Prevention is better than cure so the best option is to reduce your exposure. We suggest the following:
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Did you know…That Sun can be good for you?
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009After spending six or more months stuck inside buildings under cover from rain, snow and sleet, you rush out and spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday in the sun. It’s easy to overdo your sun exposure in your quest to finally spend some time outdoors… especially when your skin is lily-white from being inside for months — and not used to the sun.
There are many simple lifestyle changes you can make to radically decrease your risk of sunburn, such as taking a good essential fatty acid supplement, increasing raw vegetables loaded with skin protecting antioxidant phytonutrients and avoiding processed foods and sugars.
Not all sun exposure is bad.
Natural sunlight’s potential to harm you has recently been blown out of proportion and there is no need to completely avoid the sun.
There are 2 types of sunlight and It’s important for you to understand the difference between them.
Consider UVB the ‘good guy’ — UVB helps your skin produce vitamin D.
UVA is considered the ‘bad guy’ because it penetrates your skin more deeply and causes more free radical damage.
UVA rays are quite constant during all the hours of daylight throughout the entire year.
UVB waves are low in morning and evening and high at midday.
So, if you’re out early in the morning or late in the day, you get lots of UVA (bad guy) and not much UVB (good guy).
You can get sunburn on a cloudy day, because you think you don’t need to protect yourself. The UVA rays can break through cloud cover and pollution and do some real damage your skin.
Sun exposure is essential.
As soon as the sun’s ultraviolet rays strike your skin, your body starts producing its own natural vitamin D, in the most active form of vitamin D in existence — calciferol or vitamin D3.
So should you use sunscreen to protect against sunburn?
It is a good idea to steer clear of sunscreens because they interfere with natural vitamin D production, except for when it is impossible to limit full body exposure to sunlight.
Many studies have shown that excess sun exposure that causes sunburn is a well-proven risk factor for melanoma (a very dangerous type of skin cancer). Other studies revealed that people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburn, actually decrease their risk of developing melanoma.
Limiting sun exposure, wearing protective clothing, and using a 100% all-natural, non chemical sunscreen may reduce the risks of skin cancer and other harmful effects of the sun.
Safe sunlight exposure has also been shown to protect against as many as sixteen different types of cancer, including breast, colon, endometrial, oesophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Your body needs a bit of unprotected sun exposure, for all the benefits mentioned earlier.
But if you can’t avoid the following three scenarios:
· You’re forced to be in the direct rays of the sun for a longer time than is safe…
· You must go into intense sunlight without having the opportunity to gradually build up to it…
· You’re in a situation where blocking the sun with strategic clothing or sunshades is impractical…
…use a natural Organic sunscreen to help guard against sunburn.
Green People have a fantastic range of Organic sun care products that are free from harmful ingredients: www.greenpeople.co.uk
Lavera also offer a range of sunscreens that are also natural, find these at www.naturisimo.com .
Natural Treatment for Eczema in children
Friday, June 5th, 2009What is eczema?
Eczema is defined as a “superficial inflammation of the skin”, it’s characterised by redness and irritation, (the term eczema literally means to boil over). We often see small blisters that can weep and/or become crusted. In the most severe cases the skin may scale, thicken or discolour.
Atopic eczema is the most common form found in children and is associated with a family history of allergy, (mainly eczema, hay-fever or asthma). Mainly atopic eczema is seen in the folds of the elbows and knees.
90% of children with eczema will be symptom free by the age of 10. Almost 50% of children with eczema go on to develop hay-fever or asthma, the most severe the eczema, the more likely the asthma is to appear. Eczema has a strong hereditary component and if both the parents had it, then the child has a 60% chance of developing it.
Conventional treatment is usually based on use of corticosteroids, which can effectively clear the skin symptoms but also leads to an increased risk of infection or sudden spreading of skin symptoms if an infection is already present. There are a number of applications, which combine corticosteroid, and antibacterial or anti-fungal agents, but these have a high risk of allergic reaction.
Natural treatment combines:
- Nutritional advice to ensure all nutrients are being taken in and absorbed effectively.
- Testing for any food and chemical sensitivities.
- Homeopathic treatment based on the individual symptoms of each patient.
- Nutrient support from natural food tinctures and powders.
Testimonial for Osteopathy
Friday, June 5th, 2009My 11 year old daughter was suffering from aching arms and legs, headaches and digestive problems when we had a consultation with Becky at Osteohealthcare. After just 2 treatments she is much better and I feel totally confident that she will soon be 100% symptom free. The service we have received has been professional, friendly and caring. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Osteohealthcare to anyone.
Complementary therapies for back pain should be on NHS, says NICE
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009From
May 27, 2009
Millions of patients with chronic back pain should be offered a choice of complementary therapies on the NHS despite conflicting evidence about their effectiveness, the health watchdog says today.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with lower back pain should be prescribed a course of acupuncture, exercise classes or some form of manual therapy or massage if their symptoms persist for six weeks or more.
It is the first time that the institute has officially recommended complementary therapies for use on the NHS in England and Wales.
Experts criticised the guidance and said that evidence showed the therapies were no more effective than a “theatrical placebo”. In studies patients have reported that their back pain diminished when they had a “dummy” form of acupuncture carried out with toothpicks on their skin.
Peter Littlejohns, the institute’s clinical and public health director, said that the beneficial effect of the therapies was “sufficiently robust” to recommend them over less cost-effective procedures such as X-rays or injections into the spine. “As with many interventions the underlying process of how acupuncture works is still not completely clear, but I think the evidence still shows that on balance patients do better,” he said.
More than 2.5 million people consult their GPs about back pain and related disability each year and the NHS spends more than £1.6 billion treating the condition. Of this, roughly a third is related to the use of private therapists such as osteopaths.
NICE said that implementation of the guidance will cost the NHS only £77,000 a year, in part owing to savings that could be made by dropping tests and treatments that have no proven clinical benefit.
Backache is the cause of one in six days off work and about one in three Britons will suffer from it during their lifetime. The guidance relates to people suffering from persistent non-specific lower back pain — defined as having symptoms for at least six weeks but less than a year. Where suitable, patients should be eligible for up to 12 weeks of tailored exercise, nine sessions of spinal manipulation or ten sessions of acupuncture. X-rays, ultrasounds and MRI scans should not be used to investigate causes of back pain except in certain circumstances, the guidance states.
It also recommends ending the use of electrical machines such as TENS units to relieve back pain and the use of therapeutic substances injected into the back.
Martin Underwood, a GP in Coventry and chairman of the committee that drew up the NICE guidance, said that the advice marked a “sea change” in the way that back pain was managed by the NHS but admitted that access to complementary therapies was “patchy”.
Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said that there was a shortage of qualified physiotherapists who could offer prompt treatment. “GPs see patients with backache every day of the week, many of whom would benefit and avoid long-term pain if treated quickly enough. It’s nice to be able to offer patients an alternative to strong painkillers.”