Scientists in the United States on Sunday offered a molecular-level explanation for how a Chinese herbal medicine used for more than 2,000 years tackles fever and eases malaria.
The herb is an extract of the root of a flowering plant called blue evergreen hydrangea, known in Chinese as chang shan and in Latin as Dichroa febrifuga Lour.
Chang shan’s use dates back to the Han dynasty of 206 BC to 220 AD, according to ancient documents recording Chinese oral traditions. (more…)
Among thoughtful and informed medical providers and public alike, there is an ongoing transition toward recognizing adverse health effects from grains as being common and normal rather than rare and abnormal. Not all medical providers, of course, support this change in perspective and some are downright hostile toward it. Likewise, a segment of the public seems to be irritated by the gluten free trend and consider it just a silly fad.
Yet, if medicine is to be science based, no credible medical provider can dismiss the possibility that a large proportion of the U.S. (and possibly world) population may be sensitive to certain molecules present in most grains. Similarly, those that belittle the gluten free movement as a fad might, in fact, be an unknowing victim of grain sensitivity.
Celiac disease may have been described by the ancient physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia in the first century CE. It was not until the 1940′s, however, that the Dutch physician Willem Karel Dicke connected the disease to wheat as a result of the Dutch famine of 1944, in which wheat was scarce and those suffering from the disease seemed to dramatically improve. Since that time, modern medicine has narrowly defined the disease as an autoimmune disease resulting from the ingestion of gliadin, a component of wheat gluten. (more…)
In conventional medicine autoimmune disease is a chronic life-long health condition that is considered to be incurable. This is what we are led to believe. However, a new discovery in the field of autoimmunity gives not only hope but opens new treatment opportunities.
During last decades different models such as molecular mimicry, “bystander effect” and viral persistence were proposed as possible mechanisms that initiate the overreaction of the immune system and lead to an autoimmune disease.
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Through poor food choices, environmental toxins or genetic disposition, the gut can develop lesions that leak toxins into the bloodstream. This opens the door to a host of dysfunctional autoimmune conditions, systemic candida infections and neurological disorders. Dr. Campbell-McBride, who specializes in neurology and human nutrition, recognizes the crucial role a well functioning digestive system plays in physical and mental health. Using the GAPS protocol, she has witnessed full recoveries from autism to irritable bowel syndrome to food allergies. (more…)
 Rheumatoid Arthritisand Nightshade Vegetables by Jeffrey Dach MD Susan, a Young Woman with Rheumatoid Arthritis Susan, a 46 year old female retired nurse arrived in my office with a chief complaint of joint pain, involving the hands. Susan was post menopausal, and had been taking prednisone (a synthetic steroid) for her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Susan’s blood test panel was positive for rheumatoid factor. Above left: The Tomato is a Nightshade Vegetable, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The pain in her fingers is so severe, Susan finds it helpful to immerse her hands in a bucket of ice water in the middle of the night. Physical examination shows swollen inflamed joints of the fingers (DIP and PIP joints). Susan brought in Xrays of her hands which showed synovial erosions along the margins of the affected joints. (more…) |
Curcumin is the yellow pigment derived from the spice turmeric. Fine quality dietary supplements standardize curcumin for the amount of curcuminoids, the primary biologically active ingredient. It is widely researched as an anti-inflammatory nutrient1 with cancer risk reduction properties2. A number of new studies demonstrate how curcumin can reduce the inflammation associated with obesity and in so doing simultaneously improve joint health. (more…)
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is believed to be an incurable auto-immune disease, affecting primarily the tissue around the body’s joints, especially those of the hands and wrists. The disease can also affect other bodily tissue including organs. Redness, swelling, inflammation, and extreme joint pain characterize the rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, with long term results being severe joint damage and deformity. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are periodic, with lengthy episodes alternating with times of total remission. Conventional treatment is aimed at management of joint pain and prevention against additional deformity. There are a number of home and folk remedies that alleviate RA symptoms, day and night, to encourage a better quality of life. (more…)
As cardiovascular disease continues to take the lives of millions of unsuspecting individuals worldwide, a continual stream of scientific evidence is emerging to show that many who suffer from this illness could be spared by relatively simple dietary and lifestyle interventions. Prior studies have shown that low vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP)) status are the root cause behind most inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and diabetes and new research indicates that vitamin B6 and B12 deficiencies are linked to cognitive decline and depression. (more…)
Want a shock? Go get tested for heavy metals. Your jaw will drop when you see the results.
I know, because I see the reactions in my own clinic every single day.
The reality is, nearly everyone has way too much lead, mercury, arsenic, and other toxic heavy metals inside them — and these metals are a major cause of supposedly incurable conditions.
I say “supposedly” because I often can cure or improve them, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know to get started on your own cure in a moment.
First, a new study confirms the role of toxic heavy metals in autoimmune disease — especially among women battling disorders such as thyroid disease, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lupus. (more…)