A Repost From NaturalNews

Bananas, Raisins and Bran: Let Your Diet Lower Your Blood Pressure

Sunday, April 25, 2010 by: Melanie Grimes, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) High blood pressure afflicts over 74 million Americans. The cause of high blood pressure, or HBP, is not known in many cases, but diet and exercise have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and improve quality of life. Raw fruits and vegetables can help alleviate many of the symptoms of high blood pressure, and specific foods have been shown to have a more dramatic action on reducing blood pressure. Daily exercise is also an important tool in maintaining a healthy heart.

Bananas Lower Blood Pressure
Research has shown that two bananas a day can lower blood pressure. A study conducted in 1997 concluded that 5 bananas a day had the same effect as blood pressure lowering drugs. Research conducted in India in 1999 showed that two bananas a day lowered blood pressure by 10%. Study subjects at the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal ate two bananas a day for one week to achieve this level blood pressure lowering action from the bananas.

Salt Raises Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association suggests a diet with less than 1,500 mg of salt a day. Raw fruits and vegetables contain very low amounts of salt compared to processed or canned foods. When eating canned foods, rinsing the foods can help eliminate some of the salt added in food processing.

Potassium
Foods containing potassium can offset salt intake, as sodium and potassium work together in the body to help lower blood pressure. The daily recommended intake of potassium is 4,700 mg a day. This averages out to about 5 servings of vegetables or fruits each day.

Raisins Lower Blood Pressure
Raisins are a good source of potassium, as well as iron, and provide a nutritious way to lower blood pressure. Raisins contain a quarter of the daily requirement of potassium and low amounts of salt. A serving of raisins has 1,400 mg of potassium and only 50 mg of sodium.

Wheat Bran Contains Fiber and Lowers Blood Pressure
Wheat bran is another excellent source of potassium and a good food to help lower blood pressure. Wheat bran has over 1,100 mg of potassium per serving. Bran also contains fiber and research has shown that fiber lowers blood pressure. Adding fiber to the diet also helps improve digestion, aids elimination, and reduces high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Alcohol Raises Blood Pressure
Research has shown that drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. A study published in the "Journal of Human Hypertension" showed that alcohol consumption raises blood pressure and damages the blood vessel walls as well.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028206_b...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2...
http://www.weightlossforall.com/pot...
http://www.glycemic-index.org/high-...

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A Repost From NaturalNews

How to Manage Stress and Anxiety Naturally

Thursday, April 22, 2010 by: Fleur Hupston, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) Stress is the body's way of dealing with potentially dangerous situations, heightening adrenaline levels and increasing alertness. However, prolonged stress and anxiety can be detrimental to mental and physical health. Understanding stress and anxiety and how to deal with it in a natural way can help to eliminate some of the harmful effects stress has on the body.

Short term stress is normal and contributes to winning the race, studying for an exam, preparing well for a presentation at work or doing well at a job interview. Unfortunately, people these days rush through life at a frenetic pace, cramming more and more into their busy schedules. Many experience more stress every day than their bodies are designed to cope with. Just getting to work during rush hour traffic can be a very stressful experience for a lot of people.

Chronic Stress and Anxiety

Generally stress is the physical reaction to a current situation, while anxiety is the stress experienced due to an event or situation anticipated in the future.

When stress becomes prolonged, it is considered to be chronic. It can affect health, moods, productivity, relationships and quality of life. It is this type of prolonged stress that needs to be managed.

What are Some of the Causes of Stress?

There are a number of major contributors of stress and anxiety. The death of a spouse, divorce, marriage separation, a jail term, the death of a close relative, injury or illness, marriage, being fired from a job, marriage reconciliation and retirement are considered to be among the leading causes of chronic stress.

Effects of Chronic Stress

Many health conditions and problems have been directly linked to chronic stress and anxiety. Some of these effects include obesity, autoimmune diseases, skin conditions such as eczema, heart disease, digestive problems, sleep problems and even general body pain.

How to Reduce and Manage Stress Naturally

Stress is a part of life for most people and cannot be eliminated completely, but it can be managed by a number of natural methods. Some of these natural ways of controlling stress include:

Exercise - exercise will improve overall health and give one a sense of well being by the release of endorphins, thus boosting confidence and lowering stress levels. Regular exercise can also decrease the production of stress hormones and therefore help to better manage stressful situations. Reducing stress through exercise can give one a sense of well being and confidence. The more stress is reduced; the easier it becomes to cope with and eliminate stress.

Relaxation - learning relaxation techniques will help to relax both mind and body, which is essential in the quest for better stress management. Relaxation can lower heart rate and blood pressure and increase blood flow to organs and muscles, allowing an individual to feel more in control of a situation. A visit to a professional to learn relaxation techniques may be necessary, since relaxing can be surprisingly difficult for someone who is always tense and stressed.

Exercise and relaxation should be a regular feature of a busy life. People complain that they just don't have time to go to the gym to exercise or the time to find a quite place in order to relax. What they fail to grasp is that people who exercise and relax are less stressed and probably more productive in the long run. Most companies give their staff a lunch break - use it, not to work, but to exercise and relax.

http://www.health24.com/medical/Con...
http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_...
http://stress.about.com/
http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/st...


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Repost From NaturalNews

Green tea prevents eye disease

Saturday, April 17, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

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(NaturalNews) Recent research out of Hong Kong is indicating that certain substances found in green tea work to penetrate eye tissue and prevent eye disease. Catechins, a type of antioxidant, are one such substance that researchers say helps to prevent ocular degeneration and oxidative stress.

Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the paper presented by the research team from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Hong Kong explains how eye tissues, such as the lens and retina, actually absorb beneficial nutrients and protect the overall eye structure from disease. The paper is one of the first of its kind to illustrate this specific benefit.

The growing list of health benefits that can be derived from consuming green tea is noteworthy. It is chock full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that protect the body against a host of different ailments. Vitamins C and E, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are all present in green tea, happen to provide specific protection to the eyes against diseases like glaucoma.

For the study, scientists fed laboratory rats green tea for a period of time and later dissected and analyzed their eye tissues. They found that significant amounts of catechins had been absorbed into the rats' eyes. The retina absorbed the most gallocatechins while the aqueous humor absorbed the most epigallocatechins.

Prior to the study, researchers had only speculated about potential ocular benefits from drinking green tea. It was unknown whether or not the nutrients in green tea were actually capable of making their way through a person's system, permeating eye tissue, and offering any substantial benefit. The study has verified that green tea's components are, indeed, capable of spreading throughout the body and into the eye, offering up to 20 hours of protection.

The epigallocatechin-3-gallates (EGCG) in green tea have been shown to stop the growth of malignant cancer cells. A study conducted in China revealed that the more green tea a person drinks, the less risk he or she has of developing stomach, esophageal, prostate, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

Green tea's catechins also help to prevent blood clots, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dementia, and they effectively lower bad cholesterol levels.

Research seems to indicate that regular consumption of green tea offers the greatest benefits. As opposed to black tea, green tea is unfermented, which for tea means that it contains the highest level of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.allabouttea.co.uk/tea-ne...

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/f...

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Repost From NaturalNews

Artificial pancreas breakthrough offers solution for health effects of eating artificial food Friday, April 16, 2010 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...)

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(NaturalNews) It's downright amazing: A biomedical engineer at Boston University has developed a so-called "artificial pancreas" that helps diabetics maintain balanced blood sugar levels by monitoring the blood and releasing either insulin or glucagon as needed. Now all those people who eat artificial food advertised through artificial worlds on television can add an artificial pancreas to their artificial health care plan.

The mainstream media is all over this story, but what they're not telling anybody is that for type-2 diabetics, artificially using insulin injections to "balance" blood sugar levels only serves to convert blood sugar into body fat, increasing the obesity of the patient. This is one reason why most diabetics are obese.

The idea of an "artificial pancreas" gives false hope to diabetics by implying that they can replace their "failed" pancreas with a new medical device that will cure them of their diabetes. But that's just flat-out false: The only cure for type-2 diabetes is a radical lifestyle change that involves regular exercise, greatly enhanced nutrition and the elimination of refined carbohydrates and sugars from the diet.

What diabetics need isn't an artificial pancreas but real food to replace their processed, fabricated, factory-produced junk foods and sugary soft drinks. Real food, however, is hard to come by in a society where virtually everything is now artificial: Foods, boobs, lips, snacks, flavoring, food coloring, the television news and much more.

Most of us live in an artificial world, wrapped inside our little cocoons of "pretend health" constructed by drug companies and junk food manufacturers who all somehow manage to claim their products are good for you.

But I have a radical idea: Why not take care of your REAL pancreas? Why not exercise, get some sunshine, choose superfoods instead of junk foods and swear off refined sugars and carbohydrates for life? You were born with the only pancreas you'll ever need, and instead of living your life hooked up to a blood sugar monitor that you have to drag around with you everywhere, wouldn't it be easier to rely on the intelligent organs that already exist in your chest cavity?

Mainstream medicine, you see, thinks it's so smart when they develop an artificial heart, lung, kidney or pancreas. And yet none of these function with anything that comes close to the intelligence and complexity of the organs you were born with. Take care of the organs given to you by Mother Nature and you won't have to live the rest of your life connected to medical machines that are billed by the hour.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention that your own pancreas works for free? Unlike with an expensive medical device, you don't have to pay any money to use your own pancreas. But you do have to pay attention to your diet, your exercise and other health and lifestyle choices.

By the way, in terms of clarifying the tone of this story, I do recognize that there are a relatively small number of people who suffer from type-1 diabetes through no fault of their own. For them, an artificial pancreas might be a lifesaving technology. But for the vast majority of diabetics, the root cause is lifestyle choices that can be revised and improved through conscious health. For them, the promise of an artificial pancreas is just an empty promise that will never cure their diabetes.

Instead, it will only have them living out the rest of their lives tethered to a machine that pumps them full of blood sugar hormones.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...


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Repost From Email by sis Pia Go Olano

Ancient folks seem to be way ahead of modern technology. Who knows, it surely can't hurt!!!

Who knows...there are things out there that we just do not know about, but what can it hurt? Besides Asparagus tastes good!
Asparagus -- Who knew ?
I personally like asparagus and can't see how this could hurt.


My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style asparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3 lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week. Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3 months.

THE ARTICLE: Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article, entitled, Asparagus for cancer 'printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979. I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health or over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project We have accumulated a number of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples:

Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.

Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared.. He is back at his regular business routine.

Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of materia medica', edited in1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates! We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy.


For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives. Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening.


Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent.' Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink. As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer.


Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth.. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and in acting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

Repost from the email of sis Pia Go Olano

Repost From NaturalNews

Chocolate lowers blood pressure and slashes risk of heart disease

Tuesday, April 06, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer

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(NaturalNews) As NaturalNews reported previously, Canadian scientists have found that consuming chocolate regularly significantly reduces the odds of having a stroke (http://www.naturalnews.com/028278_c...). Now other researchers have just published a study in the European Heart Journal providing even more evidence that chocolate -- especially the dark variety -- benefits the cardiovascular system. In fact, eating just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Researchers at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany, reached this conclusion after following 19,357 people between the ages of 35 and 65 for at least ten years and studying the research participants' chocolate consumption. The results? Research subjects who ate the most chocolate (on average, about 7.5 grams a day) had lower blood pressure. What's more, the risk of chocolate lovers having a heart attack or stroke was dramatically lowered, too.

"People who ate the most amount of chocolate were at a 39% lower risk than those with the lowest chocolate intakes," Dr Brian Buijsse, the nutritional epidemiologist who led the research, said in a press statement. "To put it in terms of absolute risk, if people in the group eating the least amount of chocolate (of whom 219 per 10,000 had a heart attack or stroke) increased their chocolate intake by six grams a day, 85 fewer heart attacks and strokes per 10,000 people could be expected to occur over a period of about ten years."

So what is it about chocolate that has such as profound impact on cardiovascular health? At first glance, chocolate's documented ability to lower blood pressure would appear to be the key. And, in fact, the scientists found lowered blood pressure due to chocolate consumption at the start of the study did explain for about 12% of the reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. But they think something else is going on in the bodies of regular chocolate eaters, too, that accounts for the enormous drop in their heart attack risk.

One possibility, the researchers noted, is that phytochemicals known as flavanols that are abundant in cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate) somehow protect the cardiovascular system. Because dark chocolate contains more cocoa -- and, therefore, more flavanols -- that would explain why dark chocolate has more health benefits than other varieties of chocolate.

"Flavanols appear to be the substances in cocoa that are responsible for improving the bioavailability of nitric oxide from the cells that line the inner wall of blood vessels -- vascular endothelial cells," Dr Buijsse explained. "Nitric oxide is a gas that, once released, causes the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels to relax and widen; this may contribute to lower blood pressure. Nitric oxide also improves platelet function, making the blood less sticky, and makes the vascular endothelium less attractive for white blood cells to attach and stick around."

Does this mean it's a good idea to grab a chocolate flavored candy bar and scarf it down every day? Not at all. Commercial candy is made with refined sugar, often contains artificial flavorings and other non-healthy ingredients, and is loaded with calories. Instead, consider adding small amounts of plain dark chocolate to your daily diet.

"Basic science has demonstrated quite convincingly that dark chocolate particularly, with a cocoa content of at least 70%, reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular and platelet function. However, before you rush to add dark chocolate to your diet, be aware that 100g of dark chocolate contains roughly 500 calories. As such, you may want to subtract an equivalent amount of calories, by cutting back on other foods, to avoid weight gain," noted Frank Ruschitzka, Professor of Cardiology and Director of Heart Failure/Transplantation at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, in a statement to the media.

For more information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...
http://www.naturalnews.com/chocolat..