Health
Text: Rina Smit Images: Free-extras.com
Exercise daily. Walk with God Great minds discuss ideas; normal minds discuss events; small minds discuss people Every time you turn green with envy, you are ripe for trouble Laughter is life’s shock absorber When God measures a man, He puts the tape around the heart As a man grows older and wiser, he talks less and says more “My son, attend to My Words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh”. Proverbs 4:20-22 We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. (Plato)
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OSTEOPOROSIS OLD MYTHS AND NEW TRENDS
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Text: Dr. Alwyn Carstens Images: free-extras.com
hat we have known and advocated as prophesy about Osteoporosis and the treatment thereof up till now has changed. The results of recent trials (Like the Women’s Health Initiative [WHI]) forced us to have a new look at the management and New Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis. Doctors and particularly GP’s and gynecologists as well as patients, should be aware of this, and adapt their treatments and advice to patients accordingly. OLD MYTHS TO DISCARD:
• Osteoporosis is a disease of women in the menopause, due to declining estrogen levels. • Thus, men do not get osteoporosis, as there are no declining estrogen levels to blame. • As the menopause is often considered as a curse for women, causing a disease like osteoporosis, we must prevent it by upping her estrogen levels from an early age and she needs to take estrogen for the rest of her life. (“Mrs. X you must continue your HRT for ever, lest your bones will break”) • Many doctors still treat osteoporosis with hormones. WHY THIS ARGUMENT? When BMD (Bone Mineral Density) machines became available, we started to test menopausal women’s bone Calcium content and found the bones tend to break easily when her BMD is lower than 2.5 deviations f r o m the norm. (T= -2.5) This is the norm for the diagnosis of Osteoporosis. This set of statistics was derived from many normal Caucasian (white) American women between 20 and 40 years who were tested. There is thus a flaw and inaccuracy in that it is not applicable to men and women of other races. Our Western Medical Science only assumes this to be the norm and we do not know whether it is correct to also apply this to smaller built races like Chinese and Japanese women. It might be that they have much lower BMD for their lightweight bodies, which might be perfectly normal, and without risk for fracture. We only recently started to measure BMD in younger women and men and to our astonishment; we found many young women and men with low BMD. So our dogmas are falling apart. THERE ARE MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN, BEFORE THE MENOPAUSE, WITH OSTEOPOROSIS! OOPS. It couldn’t be. A low estrogen level causes osteoporosis. Or could we be wrong for decades? CORRECT REASONING AND EMERGING TRENDS. You see the human body is a creation of utmost Wisdom. It can adapt automatically to human needs when asked to. The bony skeleton is created to supply rigidity to the soft flesh and muscle for a structure to be upright and to do tasks with strength and stability. The muscles need the bony structure to attach and supply direction to the vectors of movement and action. Importantly, the bones need to carry the weight of the body. When asked to be able to carry weight, or run, the bones will react by packing more calcium and other minerals into the structure for strength and durability. When required to only sit (like in the sedentary modern lifestyle) the wisdom of the body, finds no need for the bones to be so strong and heavy with calcium load and will shed the minerals (i.e. loose BMD.) Thus we often see a dramatic increase in BMD when the person picks up body weight or starts exercising. It is also not only the mineral content of bone (this is what we measure with BMD) that is important, but the honeycomb collagen matrix of bone, which is the strongest type of construction we can find in nature. We humans now even copy this design in aircraft building for strength. However, we cannot measure this with our BMD machines. This is a weak point in our diagnosis of osteoporosis and the risk of fracture. Further, it is wrong reasoning to blame a normal non-disease state like the menopause, for a disease like osteoporosis. It is as if we say that a woman is punished with a disease, because she stops menstruating. When she reaches her menopause at 52years, The Creator forgot that she would get osteoporosis due to her declining estrogen levels!! That is absurd reasoning and does not make sense. There are many other, more important reasons for becoming osteoporotic, more in women than in men: • The maximum BMD and bone strength is built in approx. the first 25 yrs of life. Probably due to a more physically active
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lifestyle in men, and perhaps genetic factors, and better nutrition (boys eat anything and girls are always watching their diet) men develop a higher BMD than women by the age of 25yrs. • When BMD declines in later life (less active lifestyle and cellular ageing), women’s BMD levels more readily reach osteoporotic levels than men’s. This is explained by the graph below.
Africans consume) is not good for calcium absorption, and should be low in your diet. • Certain drugs taken chronically, are particularly toxic to the bone: diuretics “for my swelling hands and feet”, cortisone “for my hay fever” are commonly misused today. However this does not include “essential for life drugs” like chemotherapy, and
• Men, being breadwinners (traditional), stay more physically active in midlife than women. This could be the other way around in modern city life though! We also do not have BMD statistics in traditional African communities where women are active into late life. (Tending to grandchildren and collecting food, wood, etc.) • We could also be surprised to see high BMD values in older Chinese women, who stay much more active until a late age. • If you become a potato-coach-video-laptop-computergames-addict, you could expect to become osteoporotic. Regular exercise, like mowing your lawn, is essential, concentrating on impact type (weight-bearing) activities like hiking, jogging, tennis etc. • If your meals consist of snacks and fast food with a lack of raw fruit and vegetables and sunshine (low Vitamin D), do not blame the menopause. • The best absorbable calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other essential vitamins necessary for building bone, come from vegetables and fruit and not from pills. • Remember that Vitamin K is very important for calcium distribution to the skeletal bone and this must be taken into consideration when choosing a supplement. Vitamin K is found in the dark green leafy vegetables, especially the cruciferous family. • Animal protein (especially the amounts that we South
heparin that we know cause osteoporosis. We do look out for that by doing regular BMD measurements. • Chronic disease like Rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis and bedridden patients will develop O.P. as a side effect, because of restricted movement and toxic drug treatments. • Lack of sunshine (Vitamin D) and outdoors activities in old age institutions, is a troubling cause of O.P. in old people. NEW TRENDS IN TREATMENT AND PREVENTION: Needless to say, eliminating the above and regular impact type exercise, is the mainstay of management. Prevention starts in the first 25 years of your life. Children and young people must be encouraged to partake in sport. Parents should lay a foundation of a predominantly raw food and vegetable diet and forbid the fast food and high sugar type diet of today. It is remarkable how the BMD increases when a patient starts with regular impact type activity and exercise without pills. Then we have those patients who cannot exercise and in those cases we have to intervene with drugs. These drugs do reduce fracture risk within 6 months, but are not without side effects.
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They suppress the osteoclastic (breaking down of old bone to make space for new bone deposition) process and thus increase bone density albeit temporarily. They have some nasty side effects though. The most common is gastric and esophageal erosion which could be serious, especially in older people whom also suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux. (Hiatus hernia). Long-term (more than 2-3 years) use with these drugs (bisphosphonates) could cause more side effects. Another type of drug is strontium, which is a heavy metal formulation. It comes in the form of sachets with granules to be taken every day. These drugs should be taken on an empty stomach, otherwise they are poorly or not absorbed at all. The absorption is in any case already poor, and the generic substitutions of these drugs, although cheaper, are even worse. Patients opting for the cheaper substitutions should be aware that the BMD response of these might be very disappointing. Again as a last word of warning: Estrogen supplementation is not indicated anymore for the prevention of osteoporosis. Why? The results of the WHI study revealed a particularly negative benefit/side effect ratio of estrogen with long-term use. We cannot try to prevent osteoporotic fractures in women whose fractures occur in later life (70’s +), while exposing her to 3
decades (from 50 to 85yrs) of side effects of estrogen supplementation. The side effects of long-term estrogen supplementation, are significant, especially the tendency for blood clotting (stroke, heart attack and venous embolism). Add to these the increasing risk of Breast Cancer. We do not want to trade a manageable disease like O.P. for a deadly alternative. Read the extract from New Trends in the Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis, which I have quoted below.
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What were the conclusions of the WHI study regarding osteoporosis prevention and hormone replacement? I quote here Dr.Rossouw who was the chief Safety Officer of the WHI study. Dr. Rossouw: “For osteoporosis prevention [with] estrogen and estrogen plus progestin, the FDA advises that the need for treatment must be clearly established, and that other treatments must first be carefully considered. In other words, hormones are no longer a first-line treatment for the prevention of osteoporosis. By the way, the name Estrogen Replacement Therapy is a misnomer. How do you replace something that was not intended to be present in high levels after the menopause? The medical profession’s attempt (for 70 yrs now), to improve on the women’s Creational physiology, by manipulating her hormones, has failed dismally. Thousands of women died in this experiment. In spite of trial results, many doctors still persist with outdated dogmas they were taught in Medical School.” In conclusion, women should not be afraid that they would develop osteoporosis due to not taking HRT. This is a threat by Pharmaceutical Companies and often echoed by doctors, which is unsubstantiated. Getting Osteoporosis because they stop menstruating does not punish women. There are other, more important factors involved. REFERENCES EMERGING TRENDS IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS: MEDICOGRAPHIA, VOL 28, No. 1, 2006 23. The need for long-term treatments in order to achieve clinically meaningful benefits 2 decades lat¬er, when the risk of fracture becomes high, con¬trasts with two recent observations. The duration of hormone therapy in clinical practice is much shorter: it has been estimated that only about 10% of American women continue treatment for more than 1 year. In addition, the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study indicate a benefitside effect ratio that is particularly negative the longer the duration and the older the age of the pa¬tients! As a consequence of these obvious contra¬dictions, the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) decided to modify the label of hormone replacement therapy, deleting the indication of prevention and treatment of os¬teoporosis. These various considerations have sug¬gested that interventions might be more optimally targeted in later life, perhaps with the use of non- hormonal treatment modalities. The risk of osteo¬porosis might still be considered when deciding on the appropriateness of initiating hormonal therapy at the menopause, but only as an additional reason to the main aim of relieving menopausal symptoms. Gynecologists should become aware of this new philosophy and redesign their approach to osteo¬porosis prevention. Dr Alwyn Carstens is a physician with special interest in Women’s Health and specifically Breast Health. He practices as a diagnostic Radiologist at The Eastleigh Breast Care Centre in Pretoria. Together with a specialist team, his mission is to provide First World breast cancer treatment and to empower women to take part in decision- making. He has now spent 35 years of his life in the art of Medicine.
Many of these topics are discussed in more detail on his website at www.breastcare.co.za
Defining Fibromyalgia T
Text: Joan van Rensburg Images: Michael Maherry
he medical terminology “fibromyalgia” is considered a syndrome, rather than a disease. Fibromyalgia has become recognised as the second, or the third, most rheumatic complaint seen by physicians! It affects literally millions of people from all walks of life. Its former name was fibrositis, which meant inflammation of the muscles and soft tissue. However, recent studies ultimately found no inflammation, or nerve injury.
A syndrome is a collection of symptoms, or characteristics, that constitute a disorder. The most distinctive feature of fibromyalgia that differentiates from similar conditions is the evidence of certain “tender points”. There are 18 tender points which seem to cluster around the neck, shoulders, chest, elbows, knees, and hips. Other major symptoms are muscle aches, chest pain, stiffness, fatigue, PMT in women, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, sleep disturbances, dryness of eyes and mouth, intolerance to extremes in temperature, tension, anxiety, depression, dermatographia and adrenal exhaustion. Mal-absorption problems with Candida are also common in people with this syndrome. The Role of Stress An insight that has come to be keenly appreciated in recent years and that has particular relevance to the fibromyalgia syndrome, is that the body-mind environment are truly inseparably companions. The way we handle stress and view our circumstances has a direct influence on our physical bodies.
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Severe emotional stress can cause the number of free radicals to rise significantly, creating oxidative stress. This is one of the reasons why people often get sick when they have experienced
muscle strain, fatigue, worries, injury, etc. A natural, holistic approach will be beneficial in addressing the root of the problem. Emphasis needs to be put on treating the “whole” person. The acronym RETRAIN (implying to retrain both body and mind) can be used to address fibromyalgia. These suggestions, together with regular vacations, or get aways, and a positive, happy outlook on life will go a long way towards Improving your quality of life. R E T
chronic, prolonged stress. There are functional links between our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems and these are all influenced by major life stresses. Often the target organs in a stressful situation are the muscles and resulting symptoms are muscle tension and pain. Sleep Patterns Dysfunction of the Hypothalamus can affect sleep. Sleep deprivation can result in immune suppression, contributing to infection (including yeast overgrowth in the gut). Dr. Harvey Moldofsky, a Canadian researcher noted that the quality of sleep in people with fibromyalgia was poor. Sleep can be divided into 4 different stages. Dr. Bennet from the University of Oregon found that this can also result in a growth hormone deficiency. Growth hormones are responsible for many of the repair processes that go on in our muscles and the rest of our body. This repair function normally occurs during deep sleep. Adapting your lifestyle Each person will have an individual case history; all will be paved with obstacles to good health. There are many diverse factors that play a role in the syndrome – adverse external and internal stress,
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R A I N
Rest and relaxation Gentle exercise and stretching Therapeutic muscle training (includes massage, application of heat or cold, physiotherapy) Response to stress Antioxidants Involvement Nutrition
DIETARY GUIDELINES Cellular Nutrition Cellular nutrition is simply providing all nutrients to the cell at optimal levels. Allergy and Food Sensitivities The human intestinal tract is a very complex mechanism, designed to extract from ingested foods those nutrients which will best serve the welfare of our body, however good digestion is crucial. Many food sensitivities resolve when one treats underlying yeast overgrowth, parasitic infections, and under active adrenal glands. Every case of digestive tract disturbance and yeast infections may benefit by eliminating gluten containing foods from the diet. Toxins from putrefying foods from yeasts can be systematically absorbed into the blood circulation and produce adverse
symptoms in other parts of the body. Some of the more common foods contributing to allergies and food intolerances are: Gluten, dairy, peanuts, yeast, cocoa, citrus fruits, shellfish, and some food additives. Supplementation A recent report written to the US Senate stated: “Most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies, which cannot be remedied until the depleted soils from which our foods come are brought into proper mineral balance.” For this very reason supplementation is necessary. Since World War 2 more than 60 000 new chemicals have been introduced to our environment each year. Herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides are used daily in our foods. When you provide all the nutrients at optimal levels, your body receives all the health benefits nutritional supplementation provides. In so doing you enhance your immune and antioxidant defense system and help decrease the risk of developing serious diseases. Antioxidants Free radicals are the enemy and the allies are the antioxidants.
Glucochrom (contains chromium which is critical to the metabolism of glucose and the action of insulin. Studies have shown that 90% of the American population has a chromium deficiency.) Herbal Fiberblend (fibre helps to stabilise blood sugar levels). Increased Energy Barley Life Bee Pollen Endocrine Function Barley Life for growth hormone stimulation Barley Life (kelp) for thyroid function Adrenal Function: Renewed Balance, Herbal Fiberblend (liquorice) Circulatory Disorders Cellsparc 360 (contains Co-enzyme Q10 which is a nutrient used as an energy source by the muscles), Ginkgosense (Gingko has been shown to lessen tissue damage, decrease mental fatigue and elevate mood in people prone to depression). Depression / Anxiety Renewed Balance Composure Ginkgosense Digestion Prepzymes Flora Food (for Candida) Joint Pain / Inflammation Frame Essentials (contains glucosamine. In 1999 a randomised clinical trial was reported at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. This study showed that glucosamine not only reduced the pain and inflammation of arthritis, but actually stopped the deterioration of the cartilage.)
They are found in vegetables and fruit and are substances that have the ability to give up an electron to a free radical and balance out the unpaired electron, thereby neutralizing it. Free radicals are caused by excessive stress, pollution (air, water and food), ultraviolet light, cigarette smoke, excessive exercise and drugs. Everyone will benefit by supplementing with antioxidants and if your health is compromised it is even more important. •
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Proancynol 2000 (contains Grape seed extract, N-Acetylcystein, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Lycopene, Selenium, and Green Tea) Barley Life (contains Superoxide Dismutase) Ginkosense Cellsparc 360 (contains Co-Enzyme Q10) Just Carrots (contains Beta Carotene).
For Stress Herbal Fiberblend Composure Renewed Balance Glocochrom Barley Life (Barley Life helps clear out excess lactic acid which can cause muscles to ache).
Fatigue Liquorice, found in Herbal Fiberblend Barley Life Cellsparc 360 Bee Pollen Sleep Disorders Melatonin Renewed Balance Barley Life Composure Redibeets Essential Fatty Acids Cellsparc 360 Aimega Approximately 40% of our calories in the typical western diet come from fat, and most of this is the bad saturated fat. The essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 & 9) are crucial to our health and help combat inflammation. Omega 3 is the most important and is only found in flaxseed and fish oil. Our bodies turn Omega-3 fatty acids into prostaglandins that are primarily antiinflammatory. If you have an underactive thyroid, dry skin, eyes or hair, these symptoms may suggest AFA deficiency.
Blood Sugar
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References: Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain, Leon Chaitow PhD Rheumatism, Geoffrey Littlejohn MD Chronic Muscle Pain Syndrome, Paul Davidson MD Adrenal Fatigue, James L Wilson PhD Can a Gluten-Free Diet Help? Lloyd Rosenveld MD From Fatigue to Fantastic, James Teitelbaum MD What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know about Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You, Ray D Strand MD Contact: Joan van Rensburg is a nutritional and lifestyle coach with a practice at the Eastleigh Medical Centre in Pretoria. Drawing from a wealth of experience she has assisted numerous individuals and families on the road to better health. She may be contacted at: joan.partner@gmail.com or Tel: +27 12 9980025 (w) or +27 72267 8160 (cell)
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God’s Pharmacy O
Text: Herman Uys Images: morquefil.com
Part 4
OLIVES (Olea europea)
Olive trees date as far back as 3500 B.C. and have been used for food and medicinal purposes for ages. Olive oil is a very powerful remedy for high cholesterol. Olives contain high amounts of vitamin E, which promotes female fertility. It keeps muscles supple and healthy, and lubricates the joints. For dandruff and an itching scalp, even for skin cancer, rub olive oil into the scalp. Leave overnight. If olive oil is used regularly, it fights aging, and lowers the possibility of heart ailments e.g. heart attacks, anginas etc. Olive oil is used for fish-and mushroom poisoning.
CASTOR OIL PLANT
Apply castor oil to the scalp and massage it in before you shampoo. This prevents hair loss, and promotes hair growth. It also fights ringworms and scabies. Take 2 parts castor oil and 1 part vinegar, mix and warm. Apply this lukewarm, morning and night. Castor oil also works on swollen, sore glands and also for a stiff neck. Add 10 drops of lavender oil, and two squirts of rosemary oil to a cup of castor oil. Soak a cloth in the oil, wring, and place in a hot oven, in a shallow dish. Press it to the throat as warm as you can stand it. Keep it pressed to the throat with a light stretch bandage overnight. Castor oil is a fantastic remedy for sore feet. Heat a few castor oil leaves in hot water, bind them around the feet with a hot towel, and climb into bed. Finely crushed, warm leaves work miracles on warts. Apply to moles and skin blemishes, every day, and they’ll disappear.
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CHICORY Chicory tea is rich in vitamins and minerals, and treats jaundice, anaemia, poor eyesight, infertility, and any liver ailment. Boil the leaves and flowers until soft, and drink the tincture. You’ll have an excellent remedy against inflammation, boils and septic wounds. CITRON GRASS This is a fantastic herb, with wonderful properties. Break off a leaf or two and chew. It has a definite calming effect, and works well on the entire digestive tract. It relieves tension. Brew the leaves the way you would with normal tea, and drink, hot or cold, with a touch of honey. Its lemon scent is delicious and refreshing. COMFREY Comfrey is a dynamic herb for the treatment of leg fractures. Fresh leaves can be bound to the fracture to accelerate cell regeneration in the bone. Symphytum is a comfrey concentrate that can be taken daily to promote bone density, and repair soft bone tissue and jawbones. Comfrey treats tuberculosis, lung infections, burn wounds, bruises and gout. Finely chop the roots and brew in boiling water for 20 minutes. Don’t drink more than 2 glasses per day and discontinue after 5 days. CORIANDER Drink a coriander tincture, it stimulates the metabolism and relieves rheumatism. Chew the seed to assist digestion. Coriander oil can be added to rheumatism balm. Wrap up the affected area over overnight. It also relieves cramps caused by other medication. DANDELION Dandelion tincture serves as a wonderful liver tonic and also a liver and blood cleanser. It also strengthens tooth enamel. Apply the milky juice of the dandelion on warts and blisters, to remove them. Dilute well with water, and apply around red and swollen eyes. EVENING PRIMROSE This plant is an excellent remedy for heart ailments. It treats: Psoriasis; stomach irritations; high cholesterol; sclerosis; high blood pressure; chest ailments. It’s also an excellent anti-cancer oil. Rev. Herman Uys grew up in a small town, Bethlehem, in the Free State, South Africa. He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1984 with a BA and BD degree, and a diploma in theology. His interest in the field of natural healing took him on a road of intense study in this subject. His book: ‘God’s Pharmacy’ was birthed in 2003, as a spontaneous overflow, and as a result of public demand.
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