Medical marijuana reduces chronic pharmaceutical use, study finds

NaturalNews |

  Medical marijuana may help reduce the use of pharmaceutical drugs among the elderly, providing a safer alternative to drugs that often carry serious side effects, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University. The researchers also found that elderly participants who took medical marijuana achieved not just pain reduction, but also improvement in markers of physical, emotional and cognitive health.

The study was conducted on 19 residents of the Hadarim nursing home in Israel who were between the ages of 69 and 101 and suffered from medical conditions including pain, muscle spasm, tremors and lack of appetite. Participants used medical marijuana (cannabis) in the form of smoke, vapor, oil or powder three times per day. Over the course of a year, participants were monitored for physical improvement and for improvement in quality of life factors such as mood and facility with everyday activities.

Within one year of treatment, 17 of the 19 patients had achieved a healthy weight, with some of the participants experiencing weight gain and the others experiencing weight loss, as needed. Muscle spasms, stiffness, tremors, pain, nightmares, and flashbacks related to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) were significantly reduced among participants, while sleeping hours were significantly increased. Participants also experienced a significant improvement in mood and in communication skills.

Use of pharmaceutical drugs reduced

Notably, participants also significantly reduced their use of pharmaceutical drugs such as antipsychotics, painkillers, mood stabilizers and drugs for Parkinson's disease. After one year of medical marijuana treatment, 72 percent of study participants had reduced their use of

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038883_medical_marijuana_pharmaceuticals_drug_use.html#ixzz2JTx8xKfb

www.newscaller.com

Vaccine court' awards millions to two autistic children damaged by vaccines

NaturalNews |

 Quietly and without much fanfare, the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), or more accurately the congressionally-sanctioned kangaroo court whose sole purpose is to shield the vaccine industry from liability for vaccine injuries, has essentially admitted that vaccines cause autism. As reported by the Huffington Post, two more children who developed autism following routine vaccinations have been awarded millions of dollars to help pay for the lifetime of specialized care they will need to address their injuries.

The first case involves a 10-year-old boy named Ryan from California who quickly regressed into an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) following routine vaccinations he received between 2003 and 2005, and specifically the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Prior to getting vaccinated, Ryan was a perfectly healthy young boy who was actually quite advanced for his age, according to reports. But after getting the MMR vaccine on December 19, 2003, he rather quickly developed an encephalopathy, or serious inflammation, in his brain.

Ryan's family and friends testified before the kangaroo court that the cumulative effect of the boy's receiving multiple vaccines from 2003-2005 caused him to suffer "neuroimmunologically mediated dysfunctions in the form of asthma and ASD," a claim that the federal government eventually admitted to be true several years later. Ryan's family eventually received compensation for his "Vaccine Table Injury," but pertinent details about the case have been sealed, including particulars about whether or not the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agreed with the court's decision.

You can read further details about Ryan's case here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/post2468343_b_2468343.html

Similarly, a young girl named Emily developed a seizure disorder and a form of ASD known as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specific (PDD-NOS) following vaccination with DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), as well as MMR, HiB (haemophilus influenzae type B), and Prevnar (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), at 15 months old. According to Emily's court filing, the young girl developed a fever of 105.7 degrees Fahrenheit following the vaccines, which developed into seizures, shaking episodes, and a measles-type rash.

Initially, the government attempted to deny that Emily's injuries were caused by vaccines. The defendants even tried to deny that Emily was even sick in the first place. But it was eventually determined that young Emily had indeed developed an ASD, and the government agreed to settle the case by awarding Emily's family for her vaccine-induced injuries. In Emily's case, the government never came right out and admitted that vaccines were the cause of her injuries, but its actions in dropping its defense prove that there is no other logical explanation.

Emily's case is spelled out further here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/post2468343_b_2468343.html

Courts have quietly admitted in the past that vaccines cause autism, brain damage

Back in 2008, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims also admitted that vaccines, and particularly those that contain the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal, can cause autism. A young girl, whose identity was sealed for the family's protection, was awarded compensation after a series of vaccines caused her to develop severe autism symptoms, including loss of language skills, no response to verbal direction, and no eye contact, among other things.

A year prior, a young boy named Bailey was also awarded compensation after suffering a seizure and developing Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following vaccination with MMR. Bailey's family was eventually awarded compensation for the boy's injuries, which the court reluctantly admitted were caused by the vaccine.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/post2468343_b_2468343.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/BANKS_CASE.pdf

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038858_vaccine_court_autistic_children_damaged.html#ixzz2JIWxoLNM

 

www.borganic.org

COPD Treatments | Easy lifestyle changes

NaturalNews

 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is mainly caused by smoking. Subjecting the lungs to cigarette smoke for a prolonged period of time degenerates and damages the healthy cells of lungs and with time, breathing becomes compromised. Much of the COPD treatments are aimed at preventing further damage and making a patient feel better. COPD, most often, is a combination of two conditions: chronic bronchitis, where bronchial tubes that carry air become inflamed and produce a lot of mucus, and emphysema, where tiny air sacs that expand and contract when breathing in and out are damaged, making the person feel short of breath.

Lifestyle changes can reduce COPD symptoms and progression

Lifestyle changes may help ease breathing and reduce episodes of COPD exacerbation in which sudden flare-ups of symptoms occur. Patients can adopt self-rehabilitation COPD treatment programs that help manage the symptoms and prevent its progression. Simple changes in lifestyle coupled with complete avoidance of tobacco smoking can help patients improve quality of life.

Nutritional intervention can help in managing COPD

Nutritional intervention in COPD treatments have many benefits. Fruits and vegetables have shown to have remarkable effects in preventing the progression of COPD. Eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines, flax seeds, salmon, and walnuts also help reduce the risk of COPD or decrease its rate of progression. Too much salt (sodium) should be avoided also. Salt will cause water retention which could affect the ability to breathe. Some fruits such as avocados, melons, and apples, which are effective in treating other ailments, may not be recommended when dealing with COPD. These fruits cause bloating and gas which may lead to breathing problems.

Improve quality of air in the home

Air quality in the home may be poor due to allergens and irritants, which may trigger COPD symptoms. Flare-ups can be avoided by ensuring that good air quality is maintained. Giving up smoking is imperative, along with staying away from second-hand smoke. One of the best natural ways to manage COPD symptoms is to keep the house free from dampness and/or moisture.

Increased moisture content in your home will lead to growth of mildew, bacteria and mold, which can cause infections. Dampness may also trigger allergic conditions of the respiratory system causing breathing problems. Try to keep the bathrooms well ventilated and repair any leaking or dripping faucets. The humidity needs to be controlled by eliminating condensation and moisture. Polluted air needs to be extracted from the house and if there are gas appliances like dryers and water heaters; they need to be connected to a vent that emits smoke outside.

Emotions and feelings will aggravate COPD symptoms

Emotional response has its effects on COPD treatments. Feelings of anxiety may occur when the brain senses that breathing is compromised. This may create panic and could aggravate symptoms of COPD.

Similarly, depression is inherent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and this is because the breathlessness and loss of appetite that may result in weight loss leaves the person with feelings of negativity and loss. Depression may also result in resuming unhealthy habits, such as smoking cigarettes and drinking too much alcohol, causing further deterioration.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/diet-nutrition
http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/managing-at-home
http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/anxiety
http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/depression
http://www.healthline.com/health/copd/sex
http://www.nutritionmd.org

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038771_COPD_symptoms_nutrition.html#ixzz2Ik2H3Czg

Lower your breast cancer risk with carotenoids

NaturalNews|

 According to a recent analysis of international studies, "Circulating Carotenoids and Risk of Breast Cancer: Pooled Analysis of Eight Prospective Studies," women whose diet include high carotenoid intake have a greatly reduced breast cancer risk.

An analysis of eight international studies were pooled by medical researchers and statisticians at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Their study was reported to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in October of 2012.

Eight international studies of carotenoid blood levels totaling over 7,000 women were pooled. Slightly over 3,000 were breast cancer case studies and the other nearly 4,000 were control subjects. They were statistically adjusted to assorted variables.

Significantly high inverse associations were observed with high circulating carotenoid blood levels of alpha and beta carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These can all be found in fresh, organic fruits and vegetables listed later in this article.

Can't resist kicking Komen around some

That's information that you will never get from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the pink ribbon bunch that garners big bucks for their huge salaries, including over a half-million dollars a year for its director with executives receiving an average of a quarter-million dollars annually.

This "foundation" uses fear and bleeding heart guilt to sponsor fund raising events with the promise of a foreseeable cure that Big Pharma and the cancer industry will never deliver.

They promote early detection by guiding women into mammograms that even mainstream medicine considers faulty at best. (http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/articles/Komen_Deception_BMJ.jpg)

Komen doesn't endorse or support free thermography sessions. Thermography reads tissue and organ temperature differences without using radiation or exerting pressure on the breasts. It has been developed to the point of recognizing pre-tumorous conditions in tissues before they fully develop fully into tumors.

If they were really concerned about early breast cancer detection being a life saver, they would promote thermography. Could be they don't because Komen owns stock in companies that manufacture mammogram equipment. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

They also obtain sponsors whose products, which are often carcinogenic, get cheap advertising and positive PR profiles by donating 10 percent of their sales from a specified period to Koman.

Now, Komen even has a Miss America contest contender, Alyn Rose, as a spokeswoman for them. Rose is committed to having both of her breasts surgically removed as a preventative measure because she thinks she's genetically predisposed to breast cancer. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

Less drastic measures for everyone else

Exposing bare skin to sunshine or UVB tanning beds for at least 20 minutes, three or four times a week and/or adding vitamin D3 supplements may furnish enough vitamin D to help prevent cancer of any kind. Vitamin C supplements will offer protection as well.

Minimize sugar intake. Cancer cells thrive on it. But don't use artificial sweeteners. They are carcinogenic. So are most commercial cosmetic products and commercial household cleansers, even detergents. There are natural products from which to choose at health food stores as well as some Target stores.

Details of fresh, organic produce that provide the carotenoids listed in the study can be found here: (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=116). Zeaxanthin is available as a supplement.

If you are concerned about early detection, request a hand manipulation tumor search or use thermography instead of radiation emitting mammograms.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/40515

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org

Exposed: 10 Factos about the Breast Cancer Insustry ... by Mike Adams http://www.naturalnews.com/024536_cancer_women_breast.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038751_breast_cancer_carotenoids_risk.html#ixzz2IYxhreYV

Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?

By Mayo Clinic staff |

Once found only in health food stores, organic food is now a regular feature at most supermarkets. And that's created a bit of a dilemma in the produce aisle. On one hand, you have a conventionally grown apple. On the other, you have one that's organic. Both apples are firm, shiny and red. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol. Which should you choose?
Conventionally grown produce generally costs less, but is organic food safer or more nutritious? Get the facts before you shop.

Conventional vs. organic farming

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray synthetic insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Spray pesticides from natural sources; use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use synthetic herbicides to manage weeds.	Use environmentally-generated plant-killing compounds; rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

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Antibiotics are proven ineffective for coughs: Try Chinese medicine and herbs instead

NaturalNews |

Antibiotic effectiveness has been reduced because of over-prescribing
“Using the antibiotic amoxicillin to treat respiratory infections in patients not suspected of having pneumonia is not likely to help and could be harmful,” Little said.
“Overuse of antibiotics, dominated by primary care prescribing, particularly when they are ineffective, can lead to the development of resistance and have side effects like diarrhea, rash and vomiting,” Little continued. “Our results show that people get better on their own. But given that a small number of patients will benefit from antibiotics the challenge remains to identify these individuals.”
Earlier research into whether antibiotics were actually beneficial in the treatment of chest infections that included symptoms of weakness, high fever, shortness of breath, fatigue and coughing, produced conflicting conclusions, especially in older adults where chest infections have the potential of causing additional complications.

Researchers randomly assigned and divided patients into two groups – one that received an antibiotic for their cough and one that received a placebo – three times daily for seven days.
The study found little measurable difference in the severity and duration of symptoms that were reported from each patient group. Similar findings occurred in older patients as well – those who were aged 60 or older, a demographic that accounted for one-third of the entire study population.
Additionally, those who took antibiotics reported having more side effects, including nausea, rash and diarrhea, compared to those taking the placebo.
The study is particularly important, given the growing human resistance to antibiotics being seen all around the globe.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to treating mild forms of chest infections and cough, and it’s a treatment that has been around for centuries.
“Traditional Chinese medicine is especially effective in the treatment of coughs because of its careful differentiation of the various types,” write Bill Schoenbart and Ellen Shefi for Discovery Health.
For instance, they note, coughs due to heat produce a sticky phlegm that’s difficult to expectorate, so it is treated with cooling, moistening herbs and acupuncture directed at specific points on the body which clear heat from the lungs.

By comparison, “cough due to cold is accompanied by chills and copious mucus; it is treated with warming, drying herbs and the application of moxibustion,” a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb, they wrote.

Here are two more treatment options for cough:
– Treating a dryness cough caused by wind: Usually contracted due to overexposure to a dry environment, symptoms are a dry, non-productive cough accompanied by a sore throat with a ticklish sensation. The focus is to repel the dryness; a typical formula includes Sang Xing Tang (pronounced sahng shing tahng), which helps moisten the lungs and repel the “dryness pernicious influence,” Schoenbart and Shefi said. The treatment should be accompanied by a diet of soups and plenty of liquids, and follow-up treatment should include American ginseng daily for two weeks.
– General acupuncture therapy: Acupuncture therapy in general is an ideal way to treat coughs from a number of causes. “Needling a point on the Conception Vessel meridian (an extra meridian) just above the sternum can quickly calm a cough and assist breathing. Moxa therapy is used typically in the cold, damp type of cough, since there is a need for warmth in that pattern,” Schoenbart and Shefi wrote.
Most Americans tend to use over-the-counter elixirs to treat coughs, but many of them prove ineffective. Chinese therapies can help.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20767470
http://health.howstuffworks.com
http://www.activeherb.com/cough/
http://www.fda.gov

Learn more By J. D. Heyes

www.newscaller.com

How to prevent gallstones with everyday foods | Organic Foods

Newscaller.com |

Hoping to avoid gallstones while doing nothing to actually prevent them from forming is like hoping your car will not run out of fuel while never visiting a gas station. If you are serious about preventing gallstones, in other words, it is important to regularly feed your body the nutrients it needs to maintain a clean, well-functioning gallbladder. Here are some useful tips for preventing gallstones with everyday foods:

1) Juice fresh fruits and vegetables daily. The gallbladder is designed to work in conjunction with the liver to digest food and eliminate toxins. But when one or both of these vital organs gets clogged up due to poor nutrition or toxic buildup, cholesterol can crystallize with calcium to form gallstones. At this point, it becomes much more difficult to break these stones down and prevent them from further complicating your health.
Juicing fresh, alkalizing fruits and vegetables, however, can help quell inflammation and enzymatically detoxify both your liver and gallbladder on a regular basis. Raw, unfiltered apple juice, which is rich in pectin, will help soften and disintegrate any existing gallstones, as well as prevent new ones from forming. Lemons, celery, tomatoes, and beets are also excellent additions to any daily juicing regimen.
If you suffer from existing gallbladder pain, the following juicing recipe may be helpful in eliminating that pain, and any gallstones you might already have:
http://www.gallbladderattack.com/beetrecipe.shtml#beetrecipe

2) Make sure you are eating enough healthy fats. Though some experts encourage gallbladder patients to avoid fats altogether, especially when they have already had gallbladder surgery, certain fats are actually helpful in warding off potential and existing gallstones. Olive oil is often included in many gallbladder detoxification regimens, for instance, and healthy saturated fats from coconut oil and grass-fed animal products actually help synergize the assimilation of important nutrients from other foods that are responsible for maintaining a clean liver and gallbladder.
Just be sure to avoid toxic fats such as soybean and canola oil, which come from a class of fats that are a primary cause of disease-causing inflammation. Chronic inflammation, as we have covered before, is responsible for causing high cholesterol, as vegetable-based and hydrogenated oils are dangerously high in omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3 fatty acids. By taking more omega-3-rich fish oils and eating only animal fats that come from hormone-free, pasture-based animals, you can help naturally lower your cholesterol and take a significant toxic burden off your vital organs (http://www.naturalnews.com).

3) Supplement with either sunflower or non-GMO soy lecithin. One of the easiest and quickest ways to dissolve gallstones is to supplement with lecithin derived from either sunflower or non-GMO (genetically-modified organism) soy. As it turns out, lecithin, a fatty substance made of choline and inositol, is a primary component of cell membranes, and requires high amounts of bile to digest. When it enters the liver after ingestion, lecithin is dissolved into this bile, and in the process hardened gallstones are also dissolved.
“A low lecithin concentration in the bile may be a causative factor for many individuals with gallstones,” writes Michael T. Murray, N.D., in his book Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition, Volume 2. “Studies have shown that taking as little as 100 mg (milligrams) of lecithin three times per day will increase the concentration of lecithin in the bile, while larger doses (up to 10 g) produce even greater increases.”

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