Natural.tv

U.S. is the Fattest Country In The World: The Top Food Offenders That Make Us Fat

Natural.tv — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:31:07 +0000

Well, at least in terms of very developed nations with larger populations. The evidence is all around us and even a brief public outing will confirm it. We are one fat country. We love to eat and all the wrong foods. The problem is more related to what we eat rather than how much we eat. The culprits are not always so obvious either. Gone are the days when it was only fast food that would add to our waistline. Today it’s everyday foods that are suspect.

MRI scan of a morbidly obese 250 pound woman (left) and healthy 120 pound woman right. The areas of pronounced subcutaneous fat are evident on the obese woman. In this upright standing position, notice the subcutaneous fat around the neck, shoulders, arms, chest, waist, thighs, and even calves. Also, notice the repositioning of her shoulder joint and hip joint, pronounced angle of the humerus (arm bone) and angle of femur (thigh bone), and the positioning of knee and ankle joints. Other anomolies include the enlarged heart and greater omentum (fat deposition that hangs down from the stomach in front of the small intestines).

The growing problem of obesity is associated with multiple morbidities, including increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea, and cancer. Obesity promotes disability, decreases productivity, and shortens life span. Although much attention has been focused on diet and exercise, these strategies alone are not effective in preventing obesity and maintaining weight loss.

In fact, there are many experts to this day who continue to fault a lack of exercise as a primary contributor to obesity. “The United States is the fattest country in the world,” said Geoffrey Godbey, professor emeritus of recreation, park and tourism management, Penn State. “The amount of exercise Americans get has become a major concern.”

Godbey and fellow Penn State colleagues are among the thousands of researchers who receive millions in grants reiterating the same message every year to Americans. The failed message of “we don’t exercise enough” does little to improve the outlook on physical activity for the average person. Moreover, it’s not really the major contributor to weight gain, at least not the kind of weight gain we’re seeing in America.

The development of pharmacological approaches for obesity treatment has been dogged by poor efficacy and serious side effects. Although the causes of obesity are very simple, the biology is very complex. So besides lack of physical activity and sleep, let’s focus on the top food offenders responsible for the rise in our girth.

Top Food Offenders

A Harvard study last year in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the quality of your food matters more than its calorie count.

Intuitively, we know that gorging on burgers and French fries and slurping down soda leads to more weight gain than eating fresh fruits, veggies and brown rice. But in the most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind, researchers have figured out exactly how much weight gain is associated with the consumption of certain foods.

Topping the list of culprits are sweetened drinks, fried foods, and any form of potatoes. The biggest cause of weight gain was eating french fries; every extra serving of fries eaten in a day was linked to a gain of more than three pounds, while eating an extra serving of potato chips led to 1.69 pounds. Other diet busters included refined grains (like white rice and white bread).

Some of the worst food offenders (pounds gained for every additional serving per day over four years):

French fries (over three pounds)
Potato chips (1.69 pounds)
Potatoes (1.28 pounds)
Sugar-sweetened drinks (one pound)
Processed meats (0.93 pounds)

The results show us what everyone knows — eating junk food and starchy foods can be bad news for your waistline — but the data are useful for quantifying just how much that extra bag of chips can hurt you, as well as how making the switch to whole healthy foods can help.

However, that isn’t the whole story. Two often overlooked contributors to obesity are food additives and genetically modified foods.

GMO and Food Additives

Many have suggested that these two forms of artificial foods are akin to chemical terrorism in the food supply. Between genetically modified foods, and the toxicity of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners and adulterants, our entire food supply is contaminated.

A study showed that genetically-modified (GM) food is contributing to the obesity epidemic. Researchers found that GM corn fed to mice led to an increase in overall body weight of almost 4%, while also increasing the weight of their livers by up to 11%.

Wheat’s biochemical code causes hormone disruption that is linked to diabetes and obesity.

GM foods have also been shown to causeÂ organ damage,Â sterility, andÂ diabetesÂ in mammals.

So where do we find genetically modified foods? In every processed food that contains corn, soy, wheat and emulsifiers. That makes up about 90% of processed foods. Even babies are not safe. But it doesn’t stop there. Fresh produce is also now GM.

Genetically modified strains of broccoli have been launched in UK supermarkets as a testing ground before they are inevitably introduced into the United States, Canada and Australia.

Biotech companies are now looking to make profits at the expense of health by using genetic engineering to alter the breeding objectives in several countries. An approval application for the food and feed use of LL62 genetically modified rice has been submitted to the EU. It is still undergoing safety evaluations but is expected to pass. This GM rice cultivar was genetically engineered to be resistant to an herbicide.

The genetic code of the apple has been mapped by researchers, paving the way for gene silencing and other manipulations by scientists to continue altering the food supply under the guise of creating healthier fruits.

A University of Arkansas researcher found genetically modified canola growing wild in Dakota — in addition, she found two different GM varieties had interbred to produce a completely new GM canola.

Even chocolate is not safe. With the intention of flooding 70% of the global cocoa supply with genetically modified (GMO) cocoa tree hybrids, a collaboration involving Mars, USDA and IBM is accelerating this process.

Chemical Sweeteners

Chemical sweeteners are another huge problem. A growing number of clinicians and scientists are finding that excitotoxins such as MSG play a critical role in the development of several neurological disorders and specific types of obesity.

The obesity epidemic has only increased since diet foods and beverages gained popularity.

The body has a self-regulating mechanism, a kind of thermostat that measures the amount of energy (or calories) it can obtain from a particular meal. When your body has received enough energy from the food you have eaten, then your mouth, stomach, intestines, and liver send messages to the brain that all energy requirements have been met.

Subsequently, your nervous system secretes hormones that stop your desire for more food. This point of saturation is essential for your wellbeing, for without it you would continuously want to eat and never feel satisfied. If, for instance, during one particular meal, you eat foods that contain only very little energy or at least not enough to fulfill your energy requirements, then your body will tempt you to eat more during the next meal. This way, the body makes up for the loss of energy during the previous meal. The same happens when your digestive ability is low and you are not deriving sufficient energy from the food you eat.

Because artificial sweeteners are low-energy foods and non-physiological, the body deals with them in the same way as described above. It recognizes their complete absence of potential energy and signals “low energy.” As a result, it stimulates the desire for more food. This principle is a well-known and commonly applied practice, both in the food industry and in animal feeding. Animal feeds contain highly concentrated saccharin to stimulate the animal’s appetite so that they eat more frequently and grow fat faster. The same mechanism applies to the human body, including children.

For both humans and animals, aspartame, neotame, sucralose, saccharin, sodium cyclamate and other sweeteners belong to the category of “sweet” food. If you eat artificial sweeteners, the body naturally responds to their sweet taste by secreting insulin. Rather than receiving sugar in the blood as expected, however, it receives a combination of protein compounds.

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: those with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.Â

Doing its normal job, the pancreas has already prepared a portion of insulin that now floats about in the bloodstream searching for the expected sugar. Since it isn’t found there, the insulin removes some of the blood sugar instead. This effectively lowers your sugar levels. However, since this situation can be life-endangering, your body quickly signals “hunger” which becomes a sudden, strong “craving.” Since foods with artificial sweeteners are not able to meet the demand for an increase in blood sugar, you begin to look for sugary foods.

Instead of saving the calories that are contained in ordinary sugar, you have artificially increased your need and appetite for more sweet food. If you try to satisfy this desire by eating more foods containing artificial sweeteners (without calories), the urge to eat will become even stronger than before and you will start overeating. Researchers have found that the urge to eat more food after ingesting artificial sweeteners in a drink can last up to 90 minutes, even when all blood tests show normal values.

The contributors to obesity are many. The simplistic equation offered to us by public health agencies is not only short-sighted, but irresponsible. If lack of exercise and avoiding “bad” foods (as per government recommendations) was the only problem, we would have a much larger percentage of the population maintaining a healthier weight. Moreover, we would not have such repetitive frequency of fast food restaurants on every corner. The problem stems from what most people don’t know, and not from common knowledge. If we ever start removing chemical toxins and genetically modified foods from the food supply, you will start to see a “real shift” towards health like never before.

John Summerly is nutritionist, herbologist, and homeopathic practitioner. He is a leader in the natural health community and consults athletes, executives and most of all parents of children on the benefits of complementary therapies for health and prevention.

Sources:
scienceblog.com
cosmopolitan.com
unknowncountry.com
nytimes.com
washingtonpost.com
commonhealth.wbur.org

FDA’s Strategies for the Global Marketplace

Natural.tv — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:14:51 +0000

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a new report this week outlining the ways the agency is trying to fulfill its mission globally.

Though the report, titled “Global Engagement Report,” covers the broad swath of FDA-regulated products, including medical devices, drugs and cosmetics, it also details some of the agency’s key food safety initiatives abroad.

“As our world transforms and becomes increasingly globalized, we must come together in new, unprecedented, even unexpected, ways to build a public health safety net for consumers around the world,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

As FDA points out, the agency is charged with regulating products from more than 150 countries, 130,000 importers and 300,000 foreign facilities. Since 2005, food imports have grown year over year by an average of 10 percent.

Around half of the fresh fruits and 20 percent of vegetables Americans consume were grown abroad. The vast majority, 80 percent, of seafood is also imported. It’s hard to overstate the breadth of products and places that FDA must keep tabs on, in one way or another.

“As the volume of imported food increases, so too does the risk that some products will fail to meet FDA standards,” reads the report. “The realities of the global marketplace add substantial challenges to FDA’s ability to protect U.S. consumers. Less stringent regulations in many source countries, complex supply chains, and longer transit times for imported food all introduce a greater opportunity for contamination, spoilage, adulteration, and counterfeiting.”

Of course, the agency cannot reasonably be expected to inspect or test each shipment of food coming into the United States, but the new food safety law can help enforce best practices and measures that help prevent contamination or other problems. As the report notes:

“FDA can only realistically inspect a small percentage (less than 3 percent) of the enormous volume of food products arriving at U.S. ports of entry, making it crucial that the Agency focus on ensuring that food products meet U.S. standards before they reach the United States. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in January 2011, provides FDA with critical authorities to implement a significant new approach for protecting the safety and security of the U.S. food supply–one that promotes a new level of accountability for all entities in the supply chain from farm to fork–regardless of where they are in the world.”

FDA lists a number of strategies it’s employing to help strengthen oversight of imported products, including strengthening international offices and regulatory capacity, harmonizing science-based standards, leveraging knowledge and resources, risk-based monitoring and inspection, and advancing science. For more details on each of these strategies, see the full document here.

The report follows the document the agency put out last year “Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality.”

Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/fda-releases-report-on-global-strategy/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120424

Has Cancer Been Completely Misunderstood?

Natural.tv — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:15:02 +0000

A Failed War On Cancer

Ever since Richard Nixon officially declared a war on cancer in 1971 through the signing of the National Cancer Act,[i] over a hundred billion dollars of taxpayer money has been spent on research and drug development in an attempt to eradicate the disease, with trillions more spent by the cancer patients themselves, but with disappointing results.

Even after four decades of waging full-scale “conventional” (surgery and chemo) and “nuclear” (radiotherapy) war against cancer, one in every four Americans will be diagnosed with the disease within their lifetimes – and this number is projected to grow – unabated — not unlike the process of cancer itself.

Could this colossal failure reflect how profoundly misunderstood the condition is, and misguided are our attempts to prevent and treat it?

The Question That Must Be Answered Anew: What Is Cancer?

Perhaps we need to return back to the fundamental question of ‘What Is Cancer’? After all, until we find an accurate answer to this question, all attempts to ‘prevent’ and ‘treat’ a disease we do not understand are doomed to fail.

For the past half century, the “Mutational Theory” has provided the prevailing explanation for the cause of cancer, where, as the story goes, accumulated mutations within our cells lead a few susceptible ones to “go berserk,” their “insane” and “violent” behavior a result of multiple destructive events to the intelligent code within the cell (DNA) that normally keep them acting in a ‘civilized’ manner relative to the larger multicellular community as a whole (i.e. the body). In this view, these rogue cells replicate incessantly and form a tumor which spreads outward in a cancerous manner (cancer = Greek for “crab”), in many ways simulating the characteristics of an infectious process within the host, until the growths obstruct vital processes, resulting in morbidity and death.

According to this theory, which was heavily influenced by the Darwinian theory of evolution and is sometimes called “Internal Darwinism,” what drives the evolution of the healthy cells into cancerous ones is a process very similar to natural selection, i.e. random mutations beneficial to the survival and reproduction of cancerous cells in a tumor are naturally selected for and conserved, driving them towards malignancy. Damage to the DNA can occur either through inheriting defective DNA sequences (“bad genes” in the family) or exposures to DNA-damaging chemicals (e.g. tobacco) or radiation.

While this view has some explanative value, it can also be quite misleading. For instance, a fundamental tenet of evolution is that random mutations are almost always harmful, resulting in immediate cell death. Cancer cells, however, seem to get quite ‘lucky’ because they appear to thrive on them. Rather than dying like normal cells when faced with random mutations, they exhibit the exact opposite response: they become immortalized, incapable of undergoing the programmed cell death required of healthy cells.

Is randomness and chaos, then, really at the root of the transformation of healthy cells into cancer?

Tumors, after all, express highly organized behaviors, seemingly impossible to induce through strictly random forces such as mutation…

A collection of cancer cells (tumors), for instance, are capable of building their own blood supply (angiogenesis), are able to defend themselves by silencing cancer-suppression genes and activating tumor-promoter genes, secreting corrosive enzymes to move freely throughout the body, alter their metabolism to live in low oxygen, high sugar and acidic environments, and know how to remove their own surface-receptor proteins to escape detection by white blood cells. Could these complex behaviors really be a result of random mutations? And is it possible that random mutations could result in the formation of the same “lucky” set of genetic properties, each and every time a new cancer forms in a human?

Random mutations, no doubt, play a major role in the initiation and promotion of cancer, but are not alone sufficient for a complete explanation. One group of scientists, in fact, have offered a much more compelling explanation. They view multiple mutations causing an unmasking of an ancient survival program within the cell….

Cancer as An Ancient Survival Program Unmasked

A brilliant new theory, introduced by Arizona State University scientist, Paul Davies, and Australian National University scientist, Charles Lineweaver, sheds much needed light on the true nature of cancer. According to Davies:

“Cancer is not a random bunch of selfish rogue cells behaving badly, but a highly-efficient pre-programmed response to stress, honed by a long period of evolution.”

In their seminal paper, titled “Cancer tumors as Metazoa 1.0: tapping genes of ancient ancestors,” Davies and Lineweaver propose that cancer is an evolutionary throw-back, drawing from a genetic ‘tool-kit’ at least a billion years old, and which still lies buried – normally dormant – deep within the genome of our cells. Davies calls this subterranean genetic layer Metazoa 1.0, and it contains pathways and programs that were once indispensable for our ancient cellular predecessors and their early proto-communities to survive in a radically different environment.

Without the highly differentiated cells and specialized organs of higher multicellular/animal life (Metazoa 2.0), cells with the genetics of Metazoa 1.0 would have favored traits that enabled them to survive direct contact with what was a much different and harsher (to us) environment.

For example, 1 billion years ago atmospheric oxygen was exceptionally low, since photosynthesis has not yet evolved to produce an abundant supply. This means that cellular life at that time would have had to learn to thrive in a low or no oxygen environment, which is exactly what cancer cells do, using anaerobic glycolysis for energy instead of oxidative phosphorylation .

Davies and Lineweaver summarize their view as follows

“The genes of cellular cooperation that evolved with multicellularity [animal life] about a billion years ago are the same genes that malfunction to cause cancer. We hypothesize that cancer is an atavistic condition that occurs when genetic or epigenetic malfunction unlocks an ancient ‘toolkit’ of pre-existing adaptations, re-establishing the dominance of an earlier layer of genes that controlled loose-knit colonies of only partially differentiated cells, similar to tumors. The existence of such a toolkit implies that the progress of the neoplasm [cancer] in the host organism differs distinctively from normal Darwinian evolution.”

Instead of viewing the hallmark trait of cancer, namely, incessant proliferation, as a newly evolved trait spurned by random mutations, it would be considered the default state of the cell, having been developed a billion years ago when ‘not dying’ would be the first priority. Remember, this ancestral assemblage of cells would not have had the differentiation of cell type and specialization of tissue associated with higher animals, i.e. skin, hair, claws, etc., with which to protect themselves against the environment.

Damage to the skin in animals, for instance, results in the rapid death and sloughing off these ‘extra’ cells, to be replaced by new healthy ones. A still barely multicellular entity would not have this luxury, and would entrench itself within genetic traits associated with resilience, the ability to resist all manner of environmental assault, and would express a highly ‘selfish’ form of behavior we now consider a fundamental property of cancer.

If cancer is an ancient survival program unmasked, this does not mean that the “Mutation Theory” does not still hold some truth. Genetic damage and mutations do in fact contribute to cancer, but rather than view them as ‘causing’ the complex set of behaviors associated with cancer, they unmask an already existent set of genetic programs [atavism].* For instance, there are over 100 oncogenes known to exist within our DNA and are shared by a vast array of different species including the fruit fly, indicating how ancient (at least 600 million years old) and universal they are (found in most multicellular organisms).

Numerous studies confirm that dinosaurs had tumors. These cancer-promoting genes are normally suppressed by more recently evolved genes (Metazoa 2.0), such as tumor-suppressor genes, but when enough damage to the more recently evolved genetic overlay occurs, the system goes into “Safe Mode” and the older genetic pathways (Metazoa 1.0) are activated once more.

Within the horizon of this new way of thinking, cancer can no longer be viewed as some predestined gene-time bomb setting itself off within us, nor simply a byproduct of cumulative exposures to genotoxic substances, alone. Rather, cancer is an ancient survival response to an increasingly toxic environment, and an increasingly unnatural diet and compromised immune function. These cells have learned to survive the constant abuse, and have flipped into survival mode, which is self-centered, hyper-proliferative (constant self-repair/replication) and aggressive (metastatic), i.e. what does not kill you makes you stronger

Cancer As Something Our Body Does To Survive

Cancer can no longer be viewed as something bad that happens to an intrinsically healthy body. Rather, cancer is something the body actively does in response to an intrinsically unhealthy cellular, bodily and planetary environment. Instead of an expression of bodily deviance, it may be expressive of bodily intelligence, and the capability of our cells to survive in conditions that threaten to destroy cells beyond the critical threshold beyond which survival is impossible.

This perspective also sheds much needed light on the devastating nature of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Tumors contain a broad range of cells, many of which are intrinsically benign (will never become malignant or cause damage to the organism) and some of which keep more malignant populations in check.

The invasive cells are more primordial in their genetic configuration (Metazoa 1.0) due to just how much shock/damage/poisoning they have been made to endure during their life cycles. It is exactly these cells, therefore, that are MOST resistant to the chemo, and less likely to die when exposed to it. The chemotherapy and radiation, therefore, actually kill the very cells that do not represent a threat, and select for more invasive ones.

This explains why at first the introduction of chemotherapy/radiation may cause tumor regression, but the small population that survives (including cancer stem cells) technically comes back even stronger thereafter. In the same way that antibiotics like methicillin spawned the monster that is methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aeureus, which creates a population of bacteria with highly up-regulated multidrug resistance proteins and genes, chemotherapy and radiation CREATE a genetically more resistant population of super-cancers, and often is the reason why the patient dies. Sadly, in these cases the death is blamed on the “chemoresistant” and “radioresistant” cancer and the victim is blamed, if you will, for being killed by the very treatment they were being told they would die much sooner without.

Cancer Is “A Symptom” And Not A “Disease.”

So, instead of a monolithic “disease,” it makes more sense to view cancer as a symptom of cellular and environmental conditions gone awry; in other words, the environment of the cell has become inhospitable to normal cell function, and in order to survive, the cell undergoes profound genetic changes, drawing ancient genetic pathways which we associate with the cancerous personality ( phenotype). This “ecological” view puts the center of focus back on the preventable and treatable causes of the “disease,” rather on some vague and out-dated concept of “defective genes” beyond our ability influence directly.

It also explains how the “disease” process may conceal an inherent logic, if not also healing impulse, insofar as it is an attempt of the body to find balance and survive in inherently unbalanced and dangerous conditions. Fundamentally, we need to shift our thinking away from the view that cancer is something unnatural that happens to us, to one where we see that cancer is something natural our body does to survive unnatural conditions. Change and improve those conditions, and you do more to change cancer than attacking it as if you were fighting a war against an enemy.

[i] The National Cancer Act, http://legislative.cancer.gov/history/phsa/1971

*Additional explanation of the cancer-atavism theory

*The concept of cancer-as-atavism can be explained this way: An atavism is an older genetic trait that is no longer used, and therefore suppressed by newly evolved genes. An example is webbed feet. Everyone in the womb has them, but as embryogenesis proceeds genetic sequences kick in that cause them to disappear. This is done through a process of ‘programmed cell death,’ also known as apoptosis. The body simply turns on the apoptosis genes in the tissue associated with webbing between the toes, and those cells peacefully disassemble themselves, resulting in normal web-free hands and feet. Now the interesting thing is that cancer cells ARE cancerous because they DO NOT DIE.

They have either forgotten how to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis), or, have been forced through injury (genetic damage) or environmental pressures (epigenetic changes) to suppress the genes that enable them to die. The cancer cells, in effect, draw from an ancient genetic tool kit which its predecessors over a billion years ago used to survive what was at the time a very harsh environment, and where replicating was a much more preferred trait than dying, and where cells had yet formed highly evolved multicellular communities found within animals.

source: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/has-cancer-been-completely-misunderstood

10 Reasons to Eat Sprouts

Natural.tv — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:47:44 +0000

Sprouts truly are the best locally-grown food, yet not enough people eat or grow them. Considering there many health and environmental benefits, it’s time to consider adding sprouts to your diet. Here are 10 reasons to eat more sprouts:

1. Experts estimate that there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than uncooked fruits and vegetables. Enzymes are special types of proteins that act as catalysts for all your body’s functions. Extracting more vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids from the foods you eat ensures that your body has the nutritional building blocks of life to ensure every process works more effectively.

2. The quality of the protein in the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains improves when it is sprouted. Proteins change during the soaking and sprouting process, improving its nutritional value. The amino acid lysine, for example, which is needed to prevent cold sores and to maintain a healthy immune system increases significantly during the sprouting process.

3. The fiber content of the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains increases substantially. Fiber is critical to weight loss. It not only binds to fats and toxins in our body to escort them out, it ensures that any fat our body breaks down is moved quickly out of the body before it can resorb through the walls of the intestines (which is the main place for nutrient absorption into the blood).

4. Vitamin content increases dramatically. This is especially true of vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E. The vitamin content of some seeds, grains, beans, or nuts increases by up to 20 times the original value within only a few days of sprouting. Research shows that during the sprouting process mung beansprouts (or just beansprouts, as they are often called) increase in vitamin B1 by up to 285 percent, vitamin B2 by up to 515 percent, and niacin by up to 256 percent.

5. Essential fatty acid content increases during the sprouting process. Most of us are deficient in these fat-burning essential fats because they are not common in our diet. Eating more sprouts is an excellent way to get more of these important nutrients.

6. During sprouting, minerals bind to protein in the seed, grain, nut, or bean, making them more useable in the body. This is true of alkaline minerals like calcium, magnesium, and others than help us to balance our body chemistry for weight loss and better health.

7. Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food. When you grow them yourself you are helping the environment and ensuring that you are not getting unwanted pesticides, food additives, and other harmful fat-bolstering chemicals that thwart your weight loss efforts.

8. The energy contained in the seed, grain, nut, or legume is ignited through soaking and sprouting.

9. Sprouts are alkalizing to your body. Many illnesses including cancer have been linked to excess acidity in the body.

10. Sprouts are inexpensive. People frequently use the cost of healthy foods as an excuse for not eating healthy. But, with sprouts being so cheap, there really is no excuse for not eating healthier.

Ashwagandha Proven to be a Potential Cure for Alzheimer’s

Natural.tv — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:50:14 +0000

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disease that eventually leads to complete memory loss and loss of thinking skills, in people over 65 years, has been so far defied a cure.

However, researchers at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) are almost nearing success, as their work on mice with Alzheimer’s disease indicated that Ashwagandha extract can reverse memory loss and could be a promising cure for this disease in humans.

The NBRC Neuroscientist, Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath, tested the semi-purified sample of the root of the herb, extracted at Delhi University on genetically modified mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved two set of mice –a set of middle aged mice and another set of old mice. They were given oral doses of Ashwagandha root extract for 30 days, and monitored.

After one month, the scientists noticed a reduction in the amount of amyloid plaques (Beta Amyloid is the main component of amyloid plaques), the deposits usually found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. The animals also showed improvement in cognitive abilities.

Initially, the mice with Alzheimer’s were neither able to learn, nor retain the learning. However, following 20 days of Ashwagandha treatment, there was a difference, and after 30 days, they began to behave normally, Ravindranath said.

In fact, Ashwagandha does not work directly on the brain. It improved a protein in the liver, which is thrown out in the blood, and acts like a sponge by pulling out the amyloid from the brain.

The Natural Products Laboratory at the Delhi University is continuing to study a series of extractions from the root of the Ashwagandha plant, in their laboratories.

Ashwagandha, also known as Winter Cherry, is a herb used in ayurvedic treatments since ancient times, and is considered a wonder herb in Ayurvedic medical system. Ashwagandha is specifically used in treating a wide range of conditions including arthritis, respiratory disorders, insomnia, anxiety, inflammation, cough, bronchitis, nervous disorders, gynaecological problems, infertility, impotence, degenerative symptoms, juvenile mal-development and growth, depression, weak digestion, fluid retention caused by low body metabolism, and other immune-compromised diseases.

Source: http://www.ayurvedictalk.com/ashwagandha-proven-to-be-a-potential-cure-for-alzheimers/2027/

Monsanto’s 5 Most Dubious Contributions To Planet Earth

Natural.tv — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:45:26 +0000

Oh, Monsanto, you sly dog. You keep trying to make us believe you are “committed to sustainable agriculture” with your canny advertisements on American Public Media, even as you force-feed farmers your lab-grown Frankenseeds that expire every year (which are, let’s be honest, opposite of sustainable).

But we shouldn’t be surprised by the mixed message, should we? After all, you’ve been doing this for decades. With long-running corporate sponsorships, like Disney’s Tomorrowland, building reserves of goodwill as you spray us with DDT, it’s clear you’re entitled to send out products into the world with nary an environmental or health concern—just as long as you spend a bit of that hard-earned cash convincing us otherwise.

On that note, let’s take a quick look at some of the biotech giant’s most dubious contributions to society over their past century in business.

1. Saccharin

Monsanto burst onto the scene in 1901 with the artificial sweetener saccharin, which it sold to Coca-Cola and canned food companies as a sugar replacement.But as early as 1907, the health effects of the sweetener were being questioned by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists.

“Everyone who ate that sweet [canned] corn was deceived,” said Harvey Wiley, the first commissioner of the FDA. “He thought he was eating sugar, when in point of fact he was eating a coal tar product totally devoid of food value and extremely injurious to health.”

After enjoying decades of unfettered consumption, the sweetener was slapped with a warning label in the ’70s when it was found to cause cancer in lab rats.

A subsequent three-decade effort by Monsanto to reverse the decision finally won out in 2001. After all, how could a product derived from coal tar not be safe for consumption?

2. Polystyrene

By the ’40s, Monsanto had moved on to oil-based plastics, including polystyrene foam (also known as styrofoam).

As most of us are aware by now, polystyrene foam is an environmental disaster. Not only is there nothing out there that biodegrades it, it breaks off into tiny pieces that choke animals, harm marine life, and release cancer-causing benzene into the environment for a thousand years or more.

“Polystyrene foam products rely on nonrenewable sources for production, are nearly indestructible and leave a legacy of pollution on our urban and natural environments,” said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin in 2007. “If McDonald’s could see the light and phase out polystyrene foam more than a decade ago, it’s about time San Francisco got with the program.”

Despite the ovewhelming evidence against it, the noxious containers are still pervasive elsewhere around the country. Amazingly, they were even voted to be reintroduced into House cafeterias by Republicans earlier this year.

3. Agent Orange

First developed as an herbicide and defoliant, Agent Orange was used infamously as a military weapon by the U.S. Army during Vietnam to remove the dense foliage of the jungle canopy.

In the process, they dumped over 12 million gallons of the potent chemical cocktail—described by Yale biologist Arthur Galston as “perhaps the most toxic molecule ever synthesized by man”—over towns, farms, and water supplies during a nine-year period.

“When [military scientists] initiated the herbicide program in the 1960s, we were aware of the potential for damage due to dioxin contamination in the herbicide. . .,” said Dr. James R. Clary, a former government scientist with the Chemical Weapons Branch. “However, because the material was to be used on the ‘enemy,’ none of us were overly concerned.”

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that lack of concern led to 4.8 million exposures to the herbicide, along with 400,000 deaths and disfigurements and 500,000 babies born with birth defects.

4. Bovine Growth Hormone

Did you know the United States is the only developed nation that permits the sale of milk from cows given artificial growth hormones?

With the lone exception of Brazil, the rest of the developed world—including all 27 countries of the European Union, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia—has banned growth hormone use in milk destined for human consumption.

Why all the lact-haters? Milk derived from hormone-injected cows shows higher levels of cancer-causing hormones and lower nutritional value, leading even the most stubborn U.S. courts to rule in favor of separate labels for hormone-free milk.

“The milk we drink today is quite unlike the milk our ancestors were drinking without apparent harm for 2,000 years,” said Harvard scientist Ganmaa Davaasambuu. “The milk we drink today may not be nature’s perfect food.”

According to the Center for Food Safety, thanks to increased consumer demand (and certain movies), approximately 60 percent of milk in the U.S. is rBST-free today.

5. Genetically-Modified Seeds

Not content to do mere incidental damage to the environment, Monsanto decided to get to the root of the matter in the ’80s: seeds.

But with much fuss being made over the company’s aggressive scare tactics and rampant mass-patenting, the biotech giant has, true to form, fought back with a multimillion-dollar marketing and advertising campaign featuring smiling children and making outlandish claims that “biotech foods could help end world hunger.”

“Unless I’m missing something,” wrote Michael Pollan in The New York Times Magazine, “the aim of this audacious new advertising campaign is to impale people like me—well-off first-worlders dubious about genetically engineered food—on the horns of a moral dilemma…If we don’t get over our queasiness about eating genetically modified food, kids in the Third World will go blind.”

What’s clear is that no matter what its justification, Monsanto is a) never giving away all these seeds for free; and b) rendering them sterile so that farmers need to re-up every year, making it difficult to believe that the company could possibly have the planet’s best intentions at heart.

“By peddling suicide seeds, the biotechnology multinationals will lock the world’s poorest farmers into a new form of genetic serfdom,” says Emma Must of the World Development Movement. “Currently 80 percent of crops in developing countries are grown using farm-saved seed.”

“Being unable to save seeds from sterile crops could mean the difference between surviving and going under.”

Monsanto’s History (Wiki)

Monsanto was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1901, by John Francis Queeny, a 30-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. He funded the start-up with his own money and capital from a soft drink distributor, and gave the company his wife’s maiden name. His father in law was Emmanuel Mendes de Monsanto, wealthy financier of a sugar company active in Vieques, Puerto Rico and based in St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. The company’s first product was the artificial sweetener saccharin, which it sold to the Coca-Cola Company. It also introduced caffeine and vanillin to Coca-Cola, and became one of that company’s main suppliers.

In 1919, Monsanto established its presence in Europe by entering into a partnership with Graesser’s Chemical Works at Cefn Mawr near Ruabon, Wales to produce vanillin, salicylic acid, aspirin and later rubber.

In its third decade, the 1920s, Monsanto expanded into basic industrial chemicals like sulfuric acid, and the decade ended with Queeny’s son Edgar Monsanto Queeny taking over the company in 1928.

The 1940s saw Monsanto become a leading manufacturer of plastics, including polystyrene, and synthetic fibers. Since then, it has remained one of the top 10 US chemical companies. Other major products have included the herbicides 2,4,5-T, DDT, and Agent Orange used primarily during the Vietnam War as a defoliant agent (later found to be contaminated during manufacture with highly carcinogenic dioxin), the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet), bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone (BST)), and PCBs. Also in this decade, Monsanto operated the Dayton Project, and later Mound Laboratories in Miamisburg, Ohio, for the Manhattan Project, the development of the first nuclear weapons and, after 1947, the Atomic Energy Commission.

By Oliver Lee

takepart.com

Pomegranates: The New Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Natural.tv — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:10:06 +0000

Modern women at midlife have many options when it comes to dealing with those nasty menopausal symptoms like mood swings, depression, bone loss, and fluctuating estrogen levels. But their most surprising source of natural relief may come from an ancient food: the juicy pomegranate.

Pomegranates have been cultivated for over 4,000 years. Our word pomegranate dates back to around 750 B.C. and comes from the Latin “Punicum malum” meaning “Phoenician apple.” Today the fruit is often called a “Chinese apple.”

Despite its frequent comparison to an apple, the pomegranate bears a striking resemblance to the female ovary. It is not too surprising, then, that it served as a symbol of fertility for the Zoroastrians and other ancient cultures.

Fruits in general are defined as “the developed ovary of a seed plant” but in the case of the pomegranate fruit, the physical resemblance to a human female ovary is striking. Looking at a cross section of each reveals how similar are the containers for the pomegranate’s seeds and the ovary’s eggs.

But the pomegranate’s resemblance to the female ovary goes beyond its physical similarities. The fruit also provides the same estrogens as the female ovary – estradiol, estrone and estriol.

What does this mean for a menopausal woman? It may very well mean relief from depressive moods and a lower risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer and heart disease.

Bone Loss Reversed

In a 2004 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, rats who had their ovaries removed suffered accelerated bone loss, a typical symptom of menopause. When they were fed an extract of pomegranate juice and seeds for just 2 weeks, however, their bone mineral loss reverted to normal rates.

Mood Improvement

The same Japanese researchers in the 2004 study also found that the rats given pomegranate extract measured lower levels of depression indicators. Based on their results the authors found it conceivable that pomegranate would be clinically effective for women exhibiting a depressive state.

Heart Health

The rate of death from coronary heart disease in women after menopause is 2 to 3 times that of women the same age before menopause. Here again, pomegranates provide proven healing benefits:

Lowers Cholesterol – A 2000 study found that pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants which prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidizing and leading to atherosclerosis.
Lower blood pressure – A small 2004 clinical study by Israeli researchers concluded that drinking one glass a day of pomegranate juice may lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol oxidation, and reversed the plaque buildup in their carotid arteries by up to 29%.
Blood clotting – One study in the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that pomegranate juice slows down platelet aggregation and thins blood, preventing clotting.
Improves coronary heart disease – Several different studies have found that cardiovascular health is improved with the use of pomegranate juice since it reduces plaque, increases nitric oxide, and may prevent plaque from building in the arteries in some patients.
Increases oxygen flow - A 2007 study showed that drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months increased oxygen flow to the heart muscle in coronary patients.

Breast Cancer

Lab studies have shown pomegranate anthocyanidins (sugarless plant pigments), flavonoids, and oils exert anticancer effects against breast tumors.

Although some women worry that foods with estrogenic properties may increase the risk of breast cancer, that isn’t the case. In fact, pomegranate is a natural adaptogen, increasing levels of estrogen when the body is low but blocking stronger estrogens when levels are too high. This innate intelligence to adapt its function to the body’s needs is an incredible benefit that natural foods have over pharmaceuticals.

In fact, pomegranate extract was compared to the drugs Tamoxifen and Estradiol in a 2011 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The researchers suggested that the pomegranate extract may potentially prevent estrogen dependent breast cancers.

How do pomegranates work their magic?

An 8 ounce glass of pomegranate juice contains about 40% of the RDA of vitamin C, and also is rich in vitamins A and E and folic acid.

The pomegranate fruit contains antioxidants called phytochemicals, which protect plants from harmful elements in the environment. These same phytochemicals when ingested protect the cells in our body. The juice has been found to contain higher levels of antioxidants than most other fruit juices, including cranberry or blueberry, and more even than red wine or green tea.

Drink the juice or eat the seeds (yes, they are edible) to reap the benefits of this menopause miracle.

For additional information on the healing properties of pomegranate, visit GreenMedInfo’s extensive pomegranate resource page which lists over 80 researched health conditions.

Source: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/pomegranates-new-natural-hormone-replacement-therapy?utm_source=www.GreenMedInfo.com&utm_campaign=501f0446b1-Greenmedinfo&utm_medium=email

How To Read Barcodes on Food Labels – Can You Really Check What Country Your Food Comes From?

Natural.tv — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:50:54 +0000

Can you determine the origin (country) of a product from the barcode ?

Bar codes are something most of us never think about. If you look in your fridge or pantry right now, you will find that just about every package you see has a bar code printed on it. In fact, nearly every item that you buy in a grocery shop, supermarket or superstore has a bar code on it somewhere.

Bar codes were first used commercially in 1966, but it was soon realised that there would have to be a common standard. By 1970, the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code (UGPIC) was written by a company called Logicon Inc. The standard was further improved and led to the Universal Product Code (UPC) symbol set. To this very day, this standard is used in the United States and Canada . In June of 1974, the first UPC scanner was installed at a Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio, and the first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s Gum.

The Universal Product Code was the first bar code symbology widely adopted. Its birth is usually set at 3 April 1973, when the grocery industry formally established UPC as the standard bar code symbology for product marking. Foreign interest in UPC led to the adoption of the EAN (European Article Numbering) code format, similar to UPC, in December 1976.

Currently, the United States and Canada use UPC bar codes as their standard for retail labelling, whereas the rest of the world uses EAN. Since January 1, 2005 all retail scanning systems in the USA must be able to accept the EAN-13 symbol as well as the standard UPC-A. This change will eliminate the need for manufacturers who export goods to the US and Canada to double-label their products.

The first 2 (sometimes 3) digits, which are called the “flag”, indicate in what country the bar code was issued. This “flag” does not tell you, however, in what country the product was produced, but rather where the bar code itself was registered. So, for example, a product manufactured in China and sold in France could have an EAN-13 bar code identifying it as a “French” product.

The country codes used are :

CODE	COUNTRY
00-13	USA & Canada
20-29	reserved for local use (shops/supermarkets)
30-37	France
380	Bulgaria
383	Slovenia
385	Croatia
387	Bosnia-Herzegovina
400-440	Germany
45	Japan
46	Russian Federation
471	Taiwan
474	Estonia
475	Latvia
476	Azerbaijan
477	Lithuania
478	Uzbekistan
479	Sri Lanka
480	Philippines
481	Belarus
482	Ukraine
484	Moldova
485	Armenia
486	Georgia
487	Kazakhstan
489	Hong Kong
49	Japan
50	UK
520	Greece
528	Lebanon
529	Cyprus
531	Macedonia
535	Malta
539	Ireland
54	Belgium & Luxembourg
560	Portugal
569	Iceland
57	Denmark
590	Poland
594	Romania
599	Hungary
600-601	South Africa
609	Mauritius
611	Morocco
613	Algeria
619	Tunisia
621	Syria
622	Egypt
624	Libya
625	Jordan
626	Iran
627	Kuwait
628	Saudi Arabia
629	United Arab Emirates
64	Finland
690-692	China
70	Norway
729	Israel
73	Sweden
740	Guatemala
741	El Salvador
742	Honduras
743	Nicaragua
744	Costa Rica
745	Panama
746	Dominican Republic
750	Mexico
759	Venezuela
76	Switzerland
770	Colombia
773	Uruguay
775	Peru
777	Bolivia
779	Argentina
780	Chile
784	Paraguay
785	Peru
786	Ecuador
789	Brazil
80-83	Italy
84	Spain
850	Cuba
858	Slovakia
859	Czech Republic
860	Serbia & Montenegro
869	Turkey
87	Netherlands
880	South Korea
885	Thailand
888	Singapore
890	India
893	Vietnam
899	Indonesia
90 -91	Austria
93	Australia
94	New Zealand
955	Malaysia
958	Macau
977	ISSN (International Standard Serial Number for periodicals)
978	ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
979	ISMN (International Standard Music Number)

More information and sources :

http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp121.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/barcodes.htm

Saffron: Ancient Healing Powers Confirmed by Science

Natural.tv — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:18:47 +0000

Clearly there is something magical about the Crocus sativus flower, from which the spice saffron is derived. If its striking beauty does not immediately cast a spell on its beholder, often it simply takes experiencing the spice to fall into full enchantment with it. While saffron is exceptionally expensive, because it takes approximately 150 flowers to yield just 1,000 mg (0.035 oz) of dry saffron threads, and costs approximately $1,000 a pound, it does not take much to have an effect. Its uniqueness is also illustrated by the fact that it shuns mechanization, requiring of its would-be possessors that it be painstakingly harvested by hand , as no doubt has been done for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. Because each Crocus sativus flower bears no more than four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas from which the spice is derived, at most only 12 stigma are produced by each, which yields the equivalent of 30 mg (0.011 oz) of fresh saffron or 7 mg (0.00025 oz) dried.

Saffron has been documented to have been used as a versatile medicine since ancient times. In 2004 researchers studying 3,500 year old frescoes at Thera, a Greek island in the Aegean, found depictions of a goddess presiding over the manufacturer and use of a drug from the saffron flower. [i] Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that 50,000 year-old depictions of prehistoric places in northwest Iran contained saffron-based pigments, indicating the human relationship with saffron is as old as time itself.[ii]

A Minoan goddess supervising saffron use

Saffron’s chemistry expresses otherworldly complexity. It contains over 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds – a biochemical symphony that ensures its mystery will never fully be plumbed, at least insofar as it great medicinal power remains refractory to the reductionist gaze of modern pharmacology. What power might that be?

While recent mainstream coverage of saffron weight loss promoting properties (via appetite suppression) on the Dr. Oz show has caused quite a surge of renewed interest in this exotic spice, saffron has far more to offer than that. It may, in fact, hold promise for serious neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease…

A 22-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial of saffron in the management of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease published in 2010, showed 15 mg twice a day was as effective as donepezil (Aricept) at 5 mg twice a day, with significantly less vomiting as a side effect. Another 16-week, randomized and placebo-controlled trial also published in 2010, showed that 15 mg of saffron twice per day was both safe and effective in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

The petals of the Crocus sativus plant have also been shown nearly equipotent to Prozac (fluoxetine) as a treatment for depression. According to a study published in the journal Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry in 2007, 15 mg of Crocus sativus petals were as effective as 10 mg of Prozac in treating mild to moderate depression, putting 25% of the participants into full remission. Another depression study published 2004 showed that saffron, at 30 mg a day, was as effective as the drug imipramine, at 100 mg a day, in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Other experimentally confirmed, potential medicinal properties of Saffron are:

Anxiety Disorders	Asthenozoospermia (low sperm)	Cardiac Hypertrophy
Chemotherapy-Induced Liver Toxicity	Colorectal Cancer	Diabetic Neuropathy
Dysmenorrhea (irregular menstrual cycles)	Erectile Dysfunction	Hypertension
Inflammation	Liver Cancer	Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Multiple Sclerosis	Opiate Addiction/Withdrawal	Pancreatic Cancer
Psoriasis	Respiratory Disease	Wound Healing

Saffron has been shown to modulate at least 22 biological pathways through the following pharmacological actions:

Anti-anxiety	Anti-inflammatory	Anticarcinogenic
Antidepressive	Antimutagenic	Antioxidant
Antiproliferative	Aphrodisiac	Apoptotic
Bronchodilator	Calcium Channel Blocker	Cardioprotective
Chemopreventive	Chremotherapeutic	Cyclooxygenase inhibitor
Excitatory Amino Acid Agonist	Hypnotics and Sedatives	Hypotensive
Neuroprotective	Prostaglandin Antagonists	Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibitor

A note of caution is due with saffron, as any plant with such a great many modes of action and high biological activity at exceedingly low quantities, should be used with caution. In very small amounts, an herb like saffron may nudge a system into balance, or in a direction that the user may experience as a positive shift — for example, as occurs when saffron is used in a dish as a spice, or consumed as a tea. However, in higher “pharmacological dosages,” especially when mixed with over-the-counter and prescribed drugs, there is a risk of doing serious harm. Therefore please be careful, and consult a medical herbalist and/or physician whenever possible before using more than culinary doses of saffron.

Source: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/ancient-saffron-magical-healing-powers-confirmed-science

160 Uses for Coconut Oil

Natural.tv — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:03:19 +0000

Coconut Oil – An Overview

Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. I use it for EVERYTHING. Literally. I buy it in 5 gallon increments and keep it all over my house. I even have some in the car. So here is a little information to inspire you to check out this amazing oil!

Coconut Oil Is:

Anti-bacterial (kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum diseases, and other bacterial infections)
Anti-carcinogenic (coconut oil has antimicrobial properties so it effectively prevents the spread of cancer cells and enhances the immune system)
Anti-fungal (kills fungi and yeast that lead to infection)
Anti-inflammatory (appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.)
Anti-microbial/Infection Fighting (the medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother’s milk, and they have extraordinary antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. About half of coconut oil consists of lauric acid. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes.)
An Antioxidant (protects against free-radical formation and damage)
Anti-parasitic (fights to rid the body of tapeworms, lice and other parasites)
Anti-protozoa (kills giardia, a common protozoan infection of the gut)
Anti-retroviral (kills HIV and HLTV-1)
Anti-viral (kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other viruses)
Infection fighting
Has no harmful for discomforting side effects
Known to improve nutrient absorption (easily digestible; makes vitamins and minerals more available to the body)
Nontoxic to humans and animals

Daily Dosage:

Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready. (Starting at 12 months of age, I gave my daughter one teaspoon per day and she weighed about 16 pounds at that time.)

Weight in pounds/kilograms	Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+	4
150+ /68+	3 1/2
125+ / 57+	3
100+/ 45+	2 1/2
75+ / 34+	2
50+ / 23+	1 1/2
25+ / 11+	1

Type of Coconut Oil to Use:

Virgin (unrefined) coconut oil tastes and smells coconutty and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor. You can use it for anything but it will impart a coconut taste (mild) and odor (pleasant in my book)! Unrefined coconut oil retains the most nutritional value and is superior to refined oil.
Expeller pressed (refined) coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell or taste. It is still outstanding to use but does lose some of it’s health properties during the refining process.
Food grade should always be used.

160 Uses for Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil for Personal Hygiene/Body

1. Age Spots (also known as liver spots) – applying coconut oil directly to the age spot will help it fade.

2. After Shave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores. Great for razor burn!

3. Baldness – apply three times a day to affected area of hair loss. Coconut oil supports cell regeneration.

4. Birth Marks – can be used after a laser removal treatment to aid in healing. Can also be applied after an apple cider vinegar treatment to help support and aid the fading process.

5. Body Scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.

6. Bruises – applied directly to the bruise, coconut oil enhances the healing process by reducing swelling and redness.

7. Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.

8. Burns – apply to burn site immediately and continue applying until healed. Will reduce the chances of permanent scarring and promotes healing.

9. Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!

10. Cradle Cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.

11. Dandruff – coconut oil soaks into the scalp moisturizing dry skin and relieves symptoms of dandruff. It also helps to control oil secretion from the scalp, another leading cause of dandruff.

12. Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!

13. Diaper Salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.

14. Exfoliator – coconut oil mixed with sugar or sea salt is a very nourishing and effective exfoliator and safe to use all over the body.

15. Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.

16. Face Wash/ Soap – mix equal parts coconut oil with olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil and castor oil and use in place of soap when washing your face. Wet face, rub oil in and leave on for two minutes, rinse and pat dry. One teaspoon should be adequate.

17. Hair conditioner/ Deep Treatment – use as a leave-in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.

18. Hair Gel/ Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).

19. Healing - when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.

20. Lubricant – it is an all-natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!

21. Makeup Remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!

22. Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!

23. Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.

24. Mole Remover – when applied after an apple cider vinegar compress for several weeks, moles have been known to “slide off” or just disappear.

25. Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.

26. Oily Skin Fix – prone to oily skin or an oily T-zone? Use a pea sized amount underneath makeup or alone to reduce the appearance of oil.

27. Pre Shampoo Treatment for Hair – rub a little into scalp and hair before shampooing. This is especially useful for those with course or frizzy hair.

28. Pre-Shave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.

29. Skin Problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

30. Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.

31. Sun Burn Relief – rub liberal amounts of coconut oil into the affected area.

32. Sunscreen – see my post on natural sunscreen for more detailed information.

33. Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.

34. Tattoo Healing and Moisturizer – continued use of coconut oil on tattoos will help keep the pigment from fading. Used on new tattoos, coconut will hasten the healing process and decrease the chance of infection.

35. Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.

36. Wrinkle Prevention and Wrinkle Reducer – rubbing coconut oil on winkles and sagging skin helps strengthen the connective tissues to bring back that youthful look!

Coconut Oil for General Health and Wellness

37. Breastfeeding – for breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich the milk supply.

38. Bones and Teeth – coconut oil aids in the absorption of calcium and magnesium leading to better development of bones and teeth.

39. Digestion - the saturated fats in coconut oil help control parasites and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.

40. Energy Boost – coconut oil boosts energy and endurance making it a great supplement for athletes as well as those needed a quick pick me up.

41. Fitness - coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat while increasing muscle.

42. Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose making it great for both diabetics and non-diabetic.

43. Lung Function – increases the fluidity of cell surfaces.

44. Nausea – rub some coconut oil on the inside for the wrist and forearm to calm an upset stomach.

45. Nose bleeds – coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme heat and extreme cold. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.

46. Oil pulling with coconut oil offers a two for one health benefit!

47. Stress Relief – relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.

48. Vitamin and nutrient absorption

49. Weight loss - the saturated fats contribute to weight loss and controlling cravings. Also increases metabolic rate.

Coconut Oil for Health Problems (when taken internally it is known for aiding, preventing, relieving or even curing these health issues)

50. Acid reflux/indigestion aid if taken after a meal

51. Adrenal fatigue

52. Allergies (seasonal hay fever)

53. Alzheimer’s/Dementia

54. Asthma, even in children

55. Autism

56. Bowel function

57. Bronchial Infections

58. Cancer (has been shown to prevent colon and breast cancer in laboratory tests)

59. Candida Albicans

60. Cholesterol – improves HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) to LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol

61. Chronic Fatigue

62. Crohns Disease and resulting inflammation

63. Circulation/feeling cold all the time

64. Colds and Flus

65. Constipation

66. Cystic Fibrosis

67. Depression

68. Diabetes – helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings

69. Dysentery

70. Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, but some don’t

71. Edema

72. Energy boost

73. Epilepsy (known to reduce epileptic seizures)

74. Fever Support

75. Flaky, Dry Skin

76. Gallbladder disease and pain

77. Gas

78. H. pylori

79. Head Lice

80. Heart Disease (protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis)

81. Hemorrhoids (can applied externally or internally twice a day)

82. HIV

83. Hot Flashes

84. Hyperthyroidism

85. Immune System Builder

86. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

87. Jaundice

88. Kidney Disease

89. Kidney Stones (aids in dissolving them)

90. Liver Disease

91. Lung Disease

92. Malnutrition

93. Mental Clarity

94. Menstruation Relief regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow

95. Migraines (with regular use)

96. Mononucleosis

97. Osteoporosis

98. Pancreatitis

99. Parasites

100. Periodontal Disease and tooth decay

101. Prostate Enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia)

102. Rickets

103. Skin problems

104. Scurvy

105. Stomach Ulcers

106. Toenail fungus

107. Thrush

108. Thyroid Function (regulates an overactive or underactive thyroid)

109. Ulcerative Colitis

110. Underactive thyroid gland – results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal after ingesting coconut oil daily

111. Urinary Tract Infections (Bladder Infections)

Coconut Oil and Health Problems (when applied topically it is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing these health issues)

112. Acne

113. Allergies/Hay Fever – rub a little inside the nostrils for quick relief. The pollen will cling to the oil.

114. Athletes foot

115. Back pain/sore muscles

116. Boils and cysts

117. Canker sores

118. Cellulite

119. Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.

120. Decongestant – rub coconut oil on the chest and under the nose when congested from a cold or allergies

121. Ear infection – place a few drops inside the ear twice daily for relief from pain. Also fights the infection itself.

122. Genital Warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)

123. Gum Disease and Gingivitis (use as a toothpaste or rub directly on gums)

124.Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)

125.Hives (reduces the itch and swelling

126. Pink eye (applied around and in the eye)

127. Ringworm

128. Toothache

129. Warts

Coconut Oil and Cooking

130. Butter Substitute – use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing butter in recipes with coconut oil.

131. Nutritional Supplement – melt and add to smoothies.

132. Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in its solid form for greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.

133. Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.

Coconut Oil and Pets/Animals

Check with your veterinarian but the recommended dosage for animals is 1/4 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight twice daily.

134. Aids healing of digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis

135. Aids in arthritis or ligament problems

136. Aids in elimination of hairballs and coughing

137. Applied topically, promotes the healing of cuts, wounds, hot spots, dry skin and hair, bites and stings

138. Clears up skin conditions such as eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis, and itchy skin

139. Disinfects cuts and promotes wound healing

140. Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.

141. Helps prevent or control diabetes

142. Helps sedentary dogs feel energetic

143. Helps reduce weight, increases energy

144. Improves digestion and nutrient absorption

145. Makes coats become sleek and glossy, and deodorizes doggy odor

146. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) have been shown to improve brain energy metabolism and decrease the amyloid protein buildup that results in brain lesions in older dogs.

147. Prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections, including candida

148. Reduces allergic reactions and improves skin health

149. Reduces or eliminates bad breath in dogs

150. Regulates and balance insulin and promotes normal thyroid function

Other Uses for Coconut Oil

151. Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!

152. Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.

153. Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with DEET! Tons safer too.

154. Moisturizing and cleaning leather products

155. Oiling wood cutting boards and wood bowls

156. Polishing Bronze – all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.

157. Polish Furniture – coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.

158. Seasoning animal hide drums

159. Seasoning cookware

160. Soap making – coconut oil can be used as one of the fats in soap.

source: http://wakeup-world.com/2012/03/02/160-uses-for-coconut-oil/