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The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

It is thought that MS is an autoimmune Disease, that is, a Disease where the immune system attacks body tissues as if they were foreign proteins. What triggers this process in initiating or exacerbating MS is unknown. Food Prescriptions Dr. Roy Swank, professor of neurology at the University of Oregon Medical School, has provided convincing evidence that a diet low in saturated fats, maintained over a long period of time, tends to retard the Disease process of MS and reduce the number of attacks.

This same study also demonstrated that higher nut consumption was associated with a protective effect against heart attacks (both fatal and nonfatal). Other large studies, including the Nurses' Health Study, the Iowa Women's health Study, and the Physicians' Health Study, found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk of heart Disease. Researchers who studied data from the Nurses' Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30 percent reduction in heart Disease risk.

HEALTH BENEFITS The exact location of origin is uncertain, but the cantaloupe may have origi- in patients with heart Disease to keep the blood nated and been cultivated in India, Persia, or thin and relieve angina attacks. Africa in ancient times. The true cantaloupe is a different species of melon that is grown mostly HOW TO SELECT AND STORE in France. This European melon was named The four major signs of a ripe cantaloupe are: after a castle's gardens in Italy.

While moderate consumption of meat and animal products may be health-promoting, there is no question that overconsumption of these foods is spurring a global epidemic of lifestyle diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancers, as well as creating new pressures on land and water resources, contributing to water pollution, and exacerbating global warming. 596 World meat production has surged nearly sixfold since 1950, and per capita meat production stands at 36 kilograms, more than double the 1950 level.

Roy Swank, professor of neurology at the University of Oregon Medical School, has provided convincing evidence that a diet low in saturated fats, maintained over a long period of time, tends to retard the Disease process of MS and reduce the number of attacks.

Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

Meniere's Disease Meniere's Disease is an inner-ear disorder that causes attacks of vertigo, or dizziness, and loss of balance. The vertigo may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and there may be a sense of fullness in the ear. Milder forms of the Disease cause only slight difficulty in concentration, discomfort in the head, and momentary dizzy spells. Severe forms of the Disease cause profound dizziness, ringing in the ears, and, eventually, deafness. Once deafness occurs, attacks of dizziness cease.

In the metaphor of traditional Oriental medicine, cold is an environmental energy that attacks the surface of the body. When the body is under attack of cold, the body will try to defend successive layers of tissues from cold's attack. The next pair of indicators are similarly easy to understand. Excess and deficiency measure the person's degree of vitality and ability to withstand Disease. People with signs of excess react vigorously to Disease, with a state of elevated physiological function. They are susceptible to diseases of excess, such as high blood pressure or insomnia.

As the Disease progresses, it dissolves a protein called collagen in cartilage, the substance that makes up the synovial membrane, and eventually attacks the bone itself. RA is, in effect, a Disease in which the body can turn on the immune system but cannot turn it off. RA can be a complication of many other autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, psoriasis, Reiter's syndrome (an inflammation of the joints and mucous membranes), or Sjogren's syndrome (an inflammation that dries the mucous membranes).

It attacks the tissues that create immune-system components called B cells, which in turn create antibodies that fight Disease. The most likely cause of this Disease is chronic overstimulation of the B cells. These cells are activated by petroleum products and by chemicals used in farming, leatherworking, and woodworking. Since multiple myeloma depletes the body's supply of B cells, one of the main problems in managing the Disease is reduced resistance to infection. People with multiple myeloma are particularly susceptible to infections in the urinary tract, lungs, and sinuses.

Chronic inflammation can occur with repeated attacks of bursitis. Bursitis also can result from chronic inflammation caused by systemic diseases. Autoimmune diseases—such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus— increase the risk of bursitis, as does gout. The immune system's overreaction to allergens or infections can also aggravate the Disease. Herbs treat symptoms of bursitis, but do not substitute for other forms of care. (See under Recommendations, below.) BENEFICIAL HERBS herb form and dosage comments Bromelain1 Tablets.

Chagas' Disease is caused by a protozoan known as Trypanosoma cruzi, which attacks muscle tissue in the heart and gastrointestinal tract, as well as skeletal muscles and bone. Pau d'arco offers protection against the parasite without the side effects associated with the drug nifurtimox, which is the standard conventional treatment for Chagas' Disease. These effects can include dermatitis, sterility, nausea and vomiting, nerve damage, and a life-threatening reaction called anaphylactic shock.

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II See book keywords and concepts

Of course, angioplasty does little to treat the small blockages that are most likely to lead to heart attacks. So, upon closer examination, our seemingly beneficent mechanical advances in the field of heart Disease are severely disappointing. Bypass surgery and angioplasty do not address the cause of heart Disease, prevent heart attacks or extend the lives of any but the sickest heart Disease patients. What's going on here? Despite the positive public relations surrounding the past fifty years of heart Disease research, we must ask ourselves: are we winning this war?

Unlike heart Disease, cancer, obesity and Type 2 diabetes, with autoimmune diseases the body systematically attacks itself. The afflicted patient is almost guaranteed to lose. A quarter million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with one of the forty separate autoimmune diseases each year.1'2 Women are 2.7 times more likely to be afflicted than are men. About 3% of Americans (one in every thirty-one people) have an autoimmune Disease, a staggering total of 8.5 million people; some people put the total at as many as 12-13 million people.3 The more common of these diseases are listed in Chart 9.

Bypass surgery and angioplasty do not address the cause of heart Disease, prevent heart attacks or extend the lives of any but the sickest heart Disease patients. What's going on here? Despite the positive public relations surrounding the past fifty years of heart Disease research, we must ask ourselves: are we winning this war? Maybe we should ask ourselves what we might do differently. For example, whatever happened to the dietary lessons learned fifty years ago? Whatever happened to the dietary treatments discovered by Dr. Lester Morrison, as discussed earlier?

First, by definition, each of these diseases involves an immune system that has gone awry in such a way that it attacks "self proteins that look the same as foreign proteins. Second, all the autoimmune diseases that have been studied have been found to be more common at the higher geographic latitudes where there is less constant sunshine.9'10,61 Third, some of these diseases have a tendency to afflict the same people. MS and Type 1 diabetes, for example, have been shown to coexist in the same individuals.

MS patients often pass through episodes of acute attacks while gradually losing their ability to walk or to see. After ten to fifteen years, they often are confined to a wheelchair, and then to a bed for the rest of their lives. About 400,000 people in the U.S. alone have the Disease, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.39 It is a Disease that is initially diagnosed between twenty and forty years of age and strikes women about three times more often than men.

TYPE 1 DIABETES In the case of Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas cells responsible for producing insulin. This devastating, incurable Disease strikes children, creating a painful and difficult experience for young families. What most people don't know, though, is that there is strong evidence that this Disease is linked to diet and, more specifically, to dairy products. The ability of cow's milk protein to initiate Type 1 diabetes12-14 is well documented.

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition Paul Pitchford See book keywords and concepts

According to demographic studies, those who live in areas where polyunsaturated vegetable oils are consumed in quantity, especially in the form of margarines and shortening, actually have more heart attacks and an increase of cancer.44-45 Instead of preventing Disease, as claimed by advertising, these oils seem to make the situation worse. In animal studies, the intake of these oils promotes cancer even more readily than does saturated fat consumption.46-52 Margarine and shortening, furthermore, contain hydrogenated polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

A Dose of Sanity: Mind, Medicine, and Misdiagnosis Sydney Walker III, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Although porphyria's most famous victim was the "Mad King," George III of England, whose attacks of porphyria eventually led to his removal from the throne, the Disease strikes women more often than men. The lab tests I ordered for Nurse M showed the presence of elevated levels of porphyrins in her urine and blood. (The urine is often a distinctive port-wine color in porphyria patients.

In my book, that view is as bad as the misguided psychiatric treatments Szasz rightly attacks. Fad 5. "New Age" Psychiatry As a preface to this section, let me stress that, unlike many doctors, I don't automatically ignore any technique labeled as "alternative medicine." I've traveled to China and learned about acupuncture, which I find highly effective as an anesthetic (although not appropriate or useful in actually treating disease).

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder—that is, a Disease in which the immune system goes haywire and the body mistakenly attacks its own cells. SLE, a very serious form of lupus, is potentially fatal; but although it can't yet be cured, it can be managed with appropriate therapy. The life expectancy of SLE patients has increased greatly over the past few decades because cases are being diagnosed earlier, allowing for prompt treatment—particularly treatment of the kidney problems SLE often causes.

But the culprit that was directly to blame for her cyclical attacks of paranoia and despondency was not the Nazis, but typhus. During World War II, typhus ran rampant in most concentration camps, killing thousands and infecting thousands more who survived. Many of the survivors now suffer from a well-known syndrome known as "recrudescent rickettsial infection," or Brill-Zinsser Disease. The agent that causes the disorder, Rickettsia prowazekii, is transmitted to humans by lice.

While he may be suffering from some unavoidable disorder, it's equally likely that his panic attacks originally stemmed from caffeinism (from his excessive coffee drinking), or hyperinsulinism (from his bad diet and overconsumption of alcohol). His anxiety and dizziness may be symptoms of inner-ear problems, which can be brought on by cardiovascular disease—something Bob's smoking and bad diet could have caused. His weight and his sedentary lifestyle aren't doing his brain any good, either. Virtually any vice that's bad for the body is bad for the brain.

Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes See book keywords and concepts

Stress suppresses immunity by increasing levels of Cortisol and inhibits one's resistance to various forms of bacterial, fungal, or viral attacks. Medical science has known for a long time that a strong immune system is a leading factor in fighting illness and Disease. There is much evidence that adaptogens act to stimulate the immune system and bring about increased resistance through a nonspecific self-regulating process. Adaptogens work to increase natural or innate immunity and provide vital support to the immune system.

Allergic to the Twentieth Century: The Explosion in Environmental Allergies--From Sick Buildings to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Peter Radetsky See book keywords and concepts

Any theory of Disease so bold as to suggest that depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or fatigue might be caused by chemical exposures should expect less than enthusiastic reception." And there is the overwhelming influence of the pharmaceutical companies, the fragrance companies, the chemical companies, the very industrial basis of the developed world. The DuPont slogan — "Better Living Through Chemistry" — might just as well characterize this country's economy.

Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

Infections (including tuberculosis and HIV), certain cancers, panic attacks, an overactive thyroid gland, menopause, Parkinson's Disease, and a number of other conditions could be responsible.642 There are also some medications that can trigger embarrassing perspiration.

They are extraordinarily effective at lowering bad LDL cholesterol, and they do prevent heart attacks and strokes and save lives. They also carry more risks than many physicians and patients have realized. (More about that shortly.) No, what really worries us about physicians' focus on cholesterol is that they may ignore other things that also contribute to heart Disease. It's as if the conductor of a symphony orchestra were focusing only on the percussion section. Listening to a concert that featured just cymbals and drums would not be a very enjoyable experience.

The researchers had expected that women who adopted the more virtuous low-fat, high-veggie diet would be protected from heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. But despite the large number of women participating, the differences in the results of the two groups were not statistically significant.434 For cardiovascular Disease, the investigators found a trend favoring survival in women who ate the least amount of saturated fat and trans fatty acids (and the most vegetables).

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that make insulin. Since insulin is crucial for glucose to get into the cells from the bloodstream, the type 1 diabetic must get insulin from somewhere else. Usually, this means injections, often several times a day. (Inhaled insulin may offer another option.) This Disease has also been termed insulin-dependent diabetes, which is descriptive, or juvenile diabetes, which is not very helpful.

In many cases of hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and undermines its ability to produce thyroid hormone. Like diabetes, this may be considered an autoimmune Disease. Environmental exposure to chemicals like perchlorate,650'651 found in rocket fuel, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)652'653 and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs),654 both used as flame retar-dants, may have an impact on the developing thyroid gland.

Although Prempro had been expected to protect women from heart attacks and strokes, the results showed that women taking this HRT were nearly 30 percent more likely to develop coronary heart Disease and twice as likely to come down with a pulmonary embolism, a dangerous blood clot in the lung.730 None of this has much bearing, though, on the use of hormones to treat hot flashes. The risks are primarily for women who take Prempro or other forms of estrogen and progesterone for extended periods of time.

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

While both synthetic and natural estrogens may pose significant health risks, including increased risk of cancer, gallbladder Disease, and thromboembolic Disease (strokes, heart attacks, etc.), phytoestrogens have not been associated with these side effects. In fact, experimental studies with animals have demonstrated that phytoestrogens are extremely effective in inhibiting mammary tumors, not only because they occupy estrogen receptors, but also via other unrelated anticancer mechanisms.

Yohimbine can induce anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations in some individuals. Other side effects include elevations in blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, headache, and skin flushing. Yohimbine should not be used by women, individuals who have kidney Disease, and individuals with psychological disturbances. Because of the yohimbine content of yohimbe bark, the FDA classifies yohimbe as an unsafe herb.14 I think there is some validity to this classification. Nevertheless, it is available over the counter without a prescription.

Dietary Amines Foods such as chocolate, cheese, beer, and wine precipitate migraine attacks in many people. This is because they contain histamine and/or other compounds that can trigger migraines in sensitive individuals by causing blood vessels to expand.30-32 Red wine is much more likely than white wine to cause a headache because it contains twenty to two hundred times as much histamine and because it stimulates the release of vasoactive compounds by platelets.8'29,33 Red wine is also much higher in flavonoids—the antioxidant components shown to help prevent heart Disease.

Roy Swank, Professor of Neurology at the University of Oregon Medical School, has provided convincing evidence that a diet low in saturated fats, maintained over a long period of time, tends to retard the Disease process and reduce the number of attacks. • Supplementation with sources of the omega-6 essential fatty acid linoleic acid for the treatment of MS has been investigated in at least three double-blind trials. • Natural alpha-interferon therapy is showing promising results. sponse to free-radical exposure, lipid peroxides are formed.

Roy Swank, Professor of Neurology at the University of Oregon Medical School, has provided convincing evidence that a diet low in saturated fats, maintained over a long period of time, tends to retard the Disease process of MS and reduce the number of attacks.917 Swank began successfully treating patients with his lowfat diet in 1948. Dr.

Consuming one-half pound of fresh or canned cherries per day has been found effective in lowering uric acid levels and preventing attacks of gout. Chronic hemolytic anemia Cytotoxic drugs Psoriasis Increased synthesis Increased breakdown of purines Fructose ingestion or infusion Exercise KIDNEY Decreased kidney clearance of uric acid (primary) Intrinsic kidney Disease Decreased kidney clearance of uric acid (secondary) Functional impairment of kidney function Drug-induced (e.g., thiazides, salicylates, etc.) Increased lactic acid (e.g.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

This comes about when the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissue of the adrenal glands, destroying them. It may be associated with other autoimmune diseases that affect other endocrine glands. The most common of these is hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). Addison's Disease that coexists with hypothyroidism is known as Schmidt's syndrome. Less commonly, Addison's Disease occurs together with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, another autoimmune Disease, or insufficiencies of the parathyroid glands and/or gonads, or with pernicious anemia.

It can be relatively benign, with only a few minor attacks spread over decades, or it can be rapidly and completely disabling. Most commonly, it progresses slowly, disappearing for periods of time but returning intermittently, often in progressively more severe attacks. The underlying cause of MS is not known, but it is widely believed to be an autoimmune Disease in which white blood cells attack the myelin sheaths as if they were a foreign substance. Stress and malnutrition, whether from poor absorption or poor diet, often precede the onset of the Disease.

A guide to some of the language doctors use in talking about cardiovascular Disease and heart attacks appears on page 305. This is not a definitive list, but it may provide a handy reference guide for major terms and tests for heart attacks. Q| It is highly recommended that at least one person in every household receive thorough training in CPR. Q A technique known as thermography can be used to test for the presence of atherosclerosis by detecting fluctuations in the temperature of the arteries.

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