E. D. Hirsch
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 A large organ, located on the right side of the abdomen and protected by the lower rib cage, that produces bile and blood proteins, stores vitamins for later release into the bloodstream, removes toxins (including alcohol) from the blood, breaks down old red blood cells, and helps maintain levels of blood sugar in the body. lobotomy (luh-BOT-uh-mee, loh-BOT-uh-mee) A surgical incision into one or more of the nerve masses in the front of the brain. A lobotomy may be performed for the relief of certain mental disorders. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 A person with Alzheimer's disease should take a B-complex supplement that supplies at least 25 milligrams of each of the primary B vitamins twice a day, plus an additional 500 micrograms of vitamin B12 three to four times daily. Although the oral form of B12 is acceptable, injections are more easily assimilated. Ask your doctor about weekly injections of vitamin B^2.
¦ Carnitine assists in the utilization of fats. When fats are digested more efficiently, nerve tissue stays healthier. Carnitine has been shown to have an impact on the attention span and may aid concentration. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Are you taking dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, or products from a health food store?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Do you smoke?
Are your hands constantly immersed in water? Do you frequently wash clothes or dishes?
Do you wear sculptured artificial nails or nail polish or hardener?
Do your hands frequently have contact with oils and other chemicals at work?
Toxic Possibilities If You Answered Yes*
Nonprescription medications may be contaminated with arsenic or thallium. |
| Bathroom
• Install a medicine cabinet with a lock, or move medicines, vitamins, and mouthwashes to a locked closet. Small children can climb onto the sink and open the cabinet.
• Keep all drugs—both prescription and over-the-counter—in child-resistant containers.
• Destroy old medications by pouring them down the drain or toilet. Don't discard medicines in the trash.
• Keep a 1-ounce bottle of syrup of ipecac in the medicine chest to induce vomiting in an emergency (it can be purchased at a pharmacy). Store the product with other medicines in a locked cabinet. |
| Are you taking any dietary supplements or vitamins, or using products sold in health food stores?
Have you recently changed toothpastes?
Do you live in a mobile home? Do you spend a lot of time indoors where there are gas appliances, new carpeting, particle board, or foam insulation?
Do you use oil of peppermint?
Toxic Possibilities If You Answered Yes*
You are inhaling nicotine and tobacco contaminants, such as cadmium, formaldehyde, and cyanide, and absorbing these substances into your body. |
| ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN HEADACHE
Questions to Ask About Your Surroundings and Activities
Toxic Possibilities If You Answered Yes*
What to Do
Are you taking dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, or products sold in health food stores? Do you take herbal or traditional folk medicines?
Are you being treated for acne or osteoporosis?
Historically some of these products contained contaminants, such as cyanide and lead. Long-term use of very high doses of vitamin A (25,000+ IU) and vitamin D (1,000-3,000 IU/kg) daily may also cause headaches. |
| There were no notable differences between the two groups in terms of their diets, use of vitamins or medications, or water supply; what was different was that all of the patients, but only a few of the controls, had taken l-tryptophan.
When the results were in, the researchers found that that difference—the use of l-tryptophan—was clearly related to the development of EMS; the association was statistically significant, making it highly unlikely that it resulted from coincidence.
Box 2.1 ASSESSING PROBABILITY: HOW GOOD WAS THE STUDY? |
| Are you taking dietary supplements, vitamins, homeopathic medicines, or health food products?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Do you garden? Has your house been sprayed for pests? Have you placed any antipest products in your home or sprayed your pets for pests?
Do you clean guns or other metal objects?
If you are using a medicated shampoo too often, you may be exposing yourself to excessive amounts of selenium.
Some of these products might be contaminated with substances such as thallium, arsenic, or selenium. |
E. D. Hirsch
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| A balanced diet must include some fats because, in addition to providing energy for the body, they are necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins. fa Many people consume too much fat in their diet; this imbalance can contribute to various diseases (such as disorders of the heart). Some fats, called saturated fats, have been found to raise the level of cholesterol in the blood, while other fats, called unsaturated fats, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels.
FDA See Food and Drug Administration. |
Mark Bricklin
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 Still other doctors dispense with needles altogether and apply ultrasonic energy along the chosen acupuncture points, while at least one Oriental doctor practicing in the United States—he is also a surgeon—prefers to use a very slender hypodermic needle and inject mild solutions, usually vitamins, into acupuncture points. Then there are "needles of light"—laser beams directed at acupuncture points, a new technique that works for many of the same conditions needles have treated. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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 Sphere: Physical Page: 000 Action rating: Easy
Booster 35: Take Advantage of Antioxidants: vitamins C and E, Beta-carotene, Selenium
Impact ***
Amplifiers Poor eating habits; severely restricted diets; smoking; heavy drinking; getting older; having chronic medical problems (especially digestive disorders)
Antioxidants may not live up to their advance billing as the answer to aging. But their impact on conditions that seem to come with the territory of getting older makes them worth considering for your inclusion in your personal longevity prescription. |
Kathi Keville
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 Besides other sedative compounds, gotu kola contains an abundance of the "anti-stress" B vitamins.
Suanzaorentang, a Chinese formula used to treat depression, also improves sleep. It contains licorice, zizyphi seed, ligustrum, poria and bunge root. In a study conducted in 1985, people with insomnia who took this formula 30 minutes before bedtime found that they slept much better. Symptoms resulting from lack of sleep also improved significantly: People reported far fewer heart palpitations and stiff necks, less nervousness and less lower back pain. |
| Results of studies conducted in China led researchers to conclude that this herb enhances the utilization of oxygen in the liver and also that it contains small amounts of nutrients important to women: vitamins B2, B6 and E, pantothenic acid, choline and zinc. Since don quai can increase uterine bleeding, avoid it if you are pregnant or have heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis or uterine fibroids, unless a knowledgeable herb practitioner gives it to you as part of a formula. |
| Along with your herbal therapy, vitamins A, C and the B-complex can be extremely helpful.
While Nancy's story attests to the power of herbs, do not get discouraged if you try them and you do not experience Nancy's success. Herbs sometimes work quickly, sometimes not. Another friend of mine, Dora, was given three weeks to seif-treat cervical dysplasia that had nearly reached stage four. She was diligent about taking sitz baths and applying castor oil packs and taking an herbal tincture similar to the tea recipe given below. She even made her own herbal suppositories. |
| I find that a combination of herbs with vitamins is usually in order. This combination produces faster results than just using the herbs by themselves. Rose hips, which are high in vitamin C and will thus help detoxify irritating allergens, and pantothenic acid (100 to 200 milligrams daily) will help support your adrenal glands. You might also try taking herbs for the immune system and for the liver, nervous system and sinus congestion. For example, since hay fever and sinus congestion go hand in hand, I have added both elder and peppermint to the following formula. |
| Several vitamins are stored in your liver. And as if your liver is not busy enough, it also manufactures antibodies for the immune system, produces agents that allow blood to clot when you get cut, and even helps control blood sugar levels.
Liver problems are easy to shrug off at first because the typical symptoms tend to be the last things you would think of being related to your liver. Headaches, irritability, fatigue, aches and pains, indigestion, bloating, constipation, hormonal imbalances, PMS and menstrual irregularities are just a few examples. |
Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich
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 Mineral oil, which lubricates the stool, thus facilitating evacuation, has the disadvantage of causing embarrassing leakage; continued use also cuts down on absorption of vitamins.
All laxatives, no matter how they work, are taking ovet a job that the body should be doing. Don't delude youtself that you're doing something "natural" by taking an hetbal laxative. All laxatives, whether herbal or synthetic, cause a "lazy" bowel and are habit forming. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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 But we should fret if we are not getting enough folate or vitamins B6 and BI2, which keep homocysteine levels in check. People who drink high amounts of alcohol or have a poor intake of folate-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, orange juice, or whole grains may not be able to process homocysteine well, and therefore may be at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.24
What Should Your Homocysteine Levels Be?
Fortunately, following the Okinawa Program gives you ample levels of folate. The Lancet reported in 1997 that Okinawans have among the lowest homocysteine levels in the world. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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| Sphere: Physical Page: 000 Action rating: Easy
(once you've decided that this is the way you want to go)
Booster 34: Take a Multivitamin
Impact
Amplifiers Poor eating habits; severely restricted diets; smoking; heavy drinking; getting older; having chronic medical problems (especially digestive disorders)
To remain vital and energetic both physically and mentally, you need the right vitamins and minerals in the right measure. If your daily diet doesn't supply them, taking a daily multivitamin can help. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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 Infusion: Infusion is the process used to extract labile constituents such as vitamins, enzymes and volatile oils from plant materials, usually the aerial parts consisting of flowers and leaves.
Liniment: A liniment is a medicinal preparation in an oily, soapy, or alcoholic vehicle, topically used on the skin as a counter-irritant or anodyne.
Liquid Extract or Tincture: A liquid extract or tincture refers to a method of preserving herbs in a base of water and alcohol, making it convenient to dispense and consume. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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| Does your diet lack fiber and certain vitamins? Fall short of the crucial five to seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables? Overdo fats, calories, and proteins derived from meat and poultry? Up to one-third of all cancer deaths are nutrition-related.
þ Are you currently being exposed to carcinogens such as radon or asbestos in your home, workplace, or neighborhood?
þ Are you physically inactive? Sedentary lifestyles make you one and a half times more likely to develop colon or breast cancer.
þ Have you taken estrogen in menopause (as hormone replacement therapy)? |
| Perhaps you took up jogging ten years ago and stuck with it, or read up on herb teas and vitamins and now supplement your diet with them. Maybe you quit smoking or never started, bought a car with airbags, or joined a support group to help you cope with the stress of caring for your elderly in-law. Longevity may not have been your prime objective, but it is often the payback for these healthful choices.
Longevity is also what we lose when we make choices and adopt behaviors that threaten our health or safety. |
| Once considered so expendable—and inedible—that we started processing foods to get rid of it, fiber is now believed to be at least as important as most vitamins and minerals when it comes to maintaining good health. Found only in food from plants, dietary fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, is valuable for keeping diabetics'blood sugar levels stable and reducing the risk of heart disease by lowering serum cholesterol. The best sources are peas, beans of all kinds, oats, barley, apples, oranges, and carrots. |
| Booster 34: Take a Multivitamin
Booster 35: Take Advantage of Antioxidants: vitamins C and E, Beta-carotene, Selenium
þ I am exposed to significant amounts of secondhand smoke.
Booster 1: Stay Away from Tobacco
Booster 68: Ensure Job Safety
Booster 75: Nurture Your Home
Booster 76: Reduce Air Pollution, Radon, and Indoor Toxins
þ I do not consume five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Booster 5: Eat More Fruits and Veggies-Five to Seven Servings per Day Booster 22: Screen for colon and rectal cancer
þ When I am on a boat I do not wear a life preserver. |
Christopher Hobbs
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 Button mushrooms do contain significant amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals, but when one considers the possible carcinogenic effect of their chronic consumption, and the possible trace amounts of malathion that may be present, it is probably wise to eat them no more than 2-3 times weekly in moderate amounts.
Calvatia Cigantea (Batsch:Pers.) Lloyd, C. spp.
Giant Puffball, Ma Bo
Some authors say that the large fruiting body of this fungus is the largest of all fungi (Mcllvaine and Macadam, 1973), though Arora disputes this (Arora, 1994). It has been recorded that specimens of C. |
| Gray has alkaloids, sterols, amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements similar to those found in C. sinensis (Guo et al, 1990).
C. capitata (Fr.) Link growing on Elaphomyces is reported by the ethnomycologist Singer (1958) "to be collected as a remedy for various diseases." Traces of an indole alkaloid were also found in this species according to Tyler (Tyler, 1994; Wasson, 1961).
Procurement
Though expensive, cordyceps can be purchased in bulk through Chinese herb dealers. It is also a component of a number of tableted formulas, of both Asian and western origin. |
| It contains large quantities of vitamins and minerals in a readily assimilable form, as well as substances (such as polysaccharides) that the body can use to rebuild a weakened immune system. This recipe also provides a great opportunity to try some of the mushrooms mentioned in this book. Try adding shiitake, turkey tail, common poria (such as Oxyporus corticola (Fr.) Ryv.), Cordyceps, or any sweet-tasting polypores, such as Fomitopsis pinicola, available in your local area. |
Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich
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| In addition to a well-balanced diet, one or more of the following supplements and vitamins may help:
Brewer's yeast is a generally good supplement. Start with one-half teaspoon per day, gradually increase to two to three tablespoons per day. Too much yeast at first may cause discomfort due to excessive intestinal gas formation.
Vitamin E protects tissues and apparently reduces the oxygen requirement. Take 800 units once a day, starting three days before the expected period. |
Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
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 Antioxidant vitamins provide some of the cancer-fighting prowess of fruits and vegetables, but phytochemicals play just as big a role. We are now learning that the same chemicals that protect plants from viruses, bacteria, and fungi protect us from cancer. For example, people who drink green tea, which contains a phytochemical called "epigallocatechin gallate," have a lower risk of liver, lung, skin, esophageal, and urinary cancer. |
Frances Darragh and Louise Darragh Law
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 Build up child's immunity quickly with plenty of vitamins A and
C.
WHAT TO DO—EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS
Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, or Teatree act as antiseptics and can be applied mixed or separately (3 drops to 3 tsp. of Olive or Soya oil) dabbed on the area.
HOMEOPATHIC
Hepar Sulph 30c: Sores are common and skin always seems unhealthy.
Pyrogenium 30c: Poison-looking wounds—injury becomes swollen and discolored. Silica 30c: Every injury tends to develop pus, and swollen glands often appear.
It is important to build up the child's natural immunity. |
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