Alternative Health News From Around the World-January 19, 2008

Alternative Health News From Around the World

Alternative Health News January 19, 2008

Using antibiotics in the first year of life may significantly increase a child's risk of contracting asthma by age 7, according to a study conducted by researchers at University of Manitoba and McGill University in Montreal and published in "CHEST," the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

The researchers examined a prescription database that included information on 13,116 children and compared incidence of asthma with a variety of risk factors, including antibiotic use, gender, maternal asthma history, living location, neighborhood income, the presence of pets in the home and the number of siblings at the age of seven.

The study concluded that those who had received antibiotics for the treatment of a non-respiratory tract infection in their first year were twice as likely to suffer from asthma at the age of seven than those who had not. The higher the number of treatments, the higher the child's risk of asthma.

To read the full article, follow this link :

Antibiotics use dramatically raises risk of asthma in infants; pet dogs cut risk by 50 percent by NewsTarget - November 14, 2007

The incidence of people with bowel troubles is on the rise in the western world. Though the afflictions bear several names, it is my belief that all of them are fungus based. Various species of candida, most notably candida albicans, are at the root of these problems. How do they enter into your system? Well, for the most part they’re already there. Like all natural fungi they serve a useful purpose and candida are therefore a natural part of your intestinal flora. Problems arise when these yeast fungi lead to overgrowth as a result of three different triggers: sugary foods, drugs and stress. Compare that to the western lifestyle and you can see why so many people have bowel problems today. It’s a wonder some people don’t have yeast overgrowth!

Yeast bacteria can also enter your system by eating molded bread or being exposed to molds at home or elsewhere. As soon as the environment is favorable to these bacteria they will immediately increase their numbers and colonize their living environment, starting with the intestines and then moving on to other parts of the body by developing spores and traveling through the bloodstream. Antibiotics and other ‘medicines’ are the worst culprits. ‘Antibiotic’ means ‘anti-life’. Antibiotics are designed to kill any bacteria in their path and that includes friendly probiotic gut bacteria who, contrary to candida, are not resistant. Other promoters of yeast overgrowth include cortisone based hormonal drugs (including skin applications) and painkillers. Stress and sugary foods are also detrimental to probiotic gut bacteria.

To read the full article, follow this link :

Fungal Overgrowth Leads To Candida, IBS, And Crohn’s Disease by NewsTarget - November 14, 2007

So many people suffer from allergies to pollens and foods. You step outside on a beautiful day to stop and smell the roses and next thing you know, you are sneezing uncontrollably, eyes are itchy and watery and you run inside to take Claritin or Benadryl. Wouldn't it be nice to just take a particular fiber supplement and make this scenario a thing of the past? In the search for natural food remedies, this study indicates that help may be as close as a box of Japanese noodles made from the root of the Konjac plant. Earlier studies have already suggested this may be helpful in treating metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypercholesteremia, obesity and high blood pressure. The active ingredient is glucomannan, the Western name for the vegetable fiber derived from the tuberous root of the Konjac plant. Studies are now looking at glucomannan to alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and other IgE mediated allergic responses.

To read the full article, follow this link :

Japanese Plant Prevents Seasonal Allergies And Rhinitis by NewsTarget - November 15, 2007

It would seem, according to the journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, that children with diets over 40 grams (1/3 cup) of 'fruity vegetables' such as cucumber, tomato, eggplant, green bean and zucchini, were less likely to suffer with symptoms of childhood asthma.

The study, which was conducted on 460 children in Menorca, Spain from birth to age 6 and 1/2 years, also showed that children who ate 60 or more grams (about 2 ounces) of omega-3 containing fish were less likely to suffer 'atopy' - inherited childhood allergies.

It is believed that due to the high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of the vegetables and fish, these foods produce a protective and healing effect on the bronchial passageways.

To read the full article, follow this link :

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Beans - Raising An Allergy Free Child by NewsTarget - November 18, 2007

The American Institute for Cancer Research has released a 517-page report detailing the CONVENTIONAL medical view of what your main risk factors for developing cancer, and what you can do to reduce your risk.

Among their findings -- after reviewing more than 7,000 large-scale studies over the course of five years -- the Institute is now convinced that excess body weight increases your risk for the following types of cancer:

Colon
Kidney
Pancreas
Esophagus
Uterus, and breast cancer in post-menopausal women

The report also found that there are certain lifestyle changes that will reduce your risk of getting cancer:

Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight
Be physically active as part of everyday life
Limit consumption of "energy-dense foods," foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar. Avoid sugary drinks
Eat mostly foods of plant origin, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans
Limit intake of red meat and avoid ALL processed meat
Limit alcoholic drinks to one per day for women, two per day for men
Limit consumption of salt. Avoid moldy grains or legumes
Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone, without dietary supplement

Sources:

MarketWatch.com November 1, 2007
American Institute for Cancer Research ( Free Full Text Report)

To read the full article, follow this link :

Six Good Eating Habits That Will Help Prevent Cancer by Dr. Mercola - November 20, 2007

Dandruff has been blamed on a multiplicity of causes, including dry skin, oily skin, too much or too little hair washing, diet, stress or hygiene. However, the real cause of dandruff is actually a yeast-like fungus, Malassezia globosa, which lives on your scalp, feeding on skin oils.

Dandruff is shedded skin; dandruff sufferers shed skin much more rapidly than other people. This happens because the fungus uses enzymes called lipases to metabolize the oils, which creates a by-product called oleic acid. The acid penetrates your skin and triggers skin cell shedding.

A team of researchers for Procter & Gamble (manufacturers of Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo) has sequenced the DNA of the fungus and analyzed the lipases it produces. They hope these investigations will eventually lead to new treatments for dandruff.

Sources:

Times Online November 6, 2007

To read the full article, follow this link :

Dandruff is Caused by Scalp Fungus! by Dr. Mercola - November 20, 2007

Long-term use of birth control pills may increase artery buildups in your body that may raise your risk of heart disease, Belgium researchers found.

In a study of 1,300 healthy women between the ages of 35 and 55, there was a 20 percent to 30 percent increased prevalence of plaque for every 10 years of oral contraceptive use.

Though the researchers pointed out that the plaques identified were small and not large enough to block an artery, any plaque is thought to raise your risk of heart disease.

Many of the women in the study had used older, first-generation birth control pills, which had twice the estrogen levels as most oral contraceptives used today.

About 100 million women worldwide currently take birth control pills, and hundreds of millions of women have used them since they were first introduced in 1960.

Sources:

To read the full article, follow this link :

The Deadly Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill by Dr. Mercola - November 22, 2007

A naturally occurring antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables selectively kills leukemia cells without harming healthy cells, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine published their findings online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The findings promise an effective, nontoxic approach to treating leukemia.

"Current treatments for leukemia, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often damage healthy cells and tissues and can produce unwanted side effects for many years afterward. So, there is an intensive search for more targeted therapies for leukemia worldwide," said corresponding author Xiao-Ming Yin, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Yin and his co-workers isolated a naturally modified anthocyanidin, known as cyanidin-3-rutinoside or C-3-R, from black raspberries and observed its effects on human leukemia and lymphoma cell cultures. The researchers found that low doses of C-3-R caused about half of the human leukemia cells to die within 18 hours of treatment. When the dose was more than doubled, all of the leukemia cells died; the research team noted the same response in lymphoma cells.

Yin and his team focused on one of the most common anthocyanidins, which are forms of anthocyanins -- water-soluble flavonoids that give fruits and vegetables their color, and are thought to aid in attracting honeybees to plants. The authors noted that previous studies have demonstrated the antioxidant benefits of anthocyanidins.