Watch out for those Halloween treats! Eating too much black licorice can be bad for your heart, FDA warns

It's been a favourite of children for generations - and some sweet-toothed adults too - but now black licorice comes with a health warning.

The Food and Drug Administration says black licorice can lead to heart arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats, and other health problems when consumed by adults in large quantities.

The FDA issued the warning in its pre-Halloween alert about over-indulgence of candy.

Food experts says that eating two ounces of black licorice every day for two weeks can actually set the heart racing or pounding out of sync in some people.

The cause is the ingredient named glycyrrhizin, which is what gives licorice its sweet flavour.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow is a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine.

He said that glycyrrhizin causes the kidneys to excrete potassium.
Low levels of potassium can make the heart beat dangerously fast or irregular.

Glycyrrhizin also leads to salt and water retention which can be a problem for people with heart failure or high blood pressure, he added.

In certain parts of the world, the chewy stuff is prescribed to treat everything from heartburn to bronchitis to viral infections, msnbc.com reports.

But the FDA alert also noted that there has never been a study proving that licorice can cure anything.

No magic formula: Black licorice is revered in some cultures for its healing properties, but the FDA says there is no evidence it can cure anything

No magic formula: Black licorice is revered in some cultures for its healing properties, but the FDA says there is no evidence it can cure anything

Licorice is a bioactive food, which means it can alter metabolic processes in the body.

Mr Fonarow said that you have to be careful mixing licorice with medications.

He said: 'Licorice can be a problem for people taking diuretics, digoxin and laxatives.'

The combination of the candy with these medications can drive potassium down to dangerously low levels, he added.

Licorice can drive up blood pressure in women taking oral contraceptives because of the potassium effect, previous studies have shown.

While the health risks are more applicable to adults, the FDA says that young and old alike should be careful about how much black licorice they consume at one time.

If you do get an irregular heart rhythm or muscle weakness, 'stop eating it immediately and contact your healthcare provider,' the FDA says.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054860/Eating-black-licorice-bad-heart-FDA-warns.html#ixzz1cHYNe4Hg

The new health ticking timebomb: Young adults who are ‘picture of health’ at risk of clogged arteries

A high proportion of 'apparently healthy' young adults are at risk of clogged arteries, a study shows.

Researchers at the University of Quebec have discovered that a build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of the arteries known as atherosclerosis, is fast becoming a 'ticking timebomb'.

The disorder, which often remains undetected, can eventually lead to serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, or even premature death.

A study has revealed that a build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of the arteries known as atherosclerosis, is fast becoming a 'ticking time bomb'

A study has revealed that a build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of the arteries known as atherosclerosis, is fast becoming a 'ticking time bomb'

Researchers worked with 168 volunteers aged 18-35 for the study.

Those who took part had no known risk factors such as family history of premature heart disease, diabetes, obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Government Data Proves Raw Milk is Safe

Raw Milk Risk Extremely Small Compared to Risk of Other Foods

WASHINGTON, DC June 22, 2011: Data gleaned from U.S. government websites and government-sanctioned reports on foodborne illnesses show that the risk of contracting foodborne illness by consuming raw milk is much smaller than the risk of becoming ill from other foods, according to research by Dr. Ted Beals, MD, appearing in the Summer, 2011 issue of Wise Traditions, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

“At last we have access to the numbers we need to determine the risk of consuming raw milk on a per-person basis,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit nutrition education foundation that provides information on the health benefits of raw, whole milk from pastured cows.

The key figure that permits a calculation of raw milk illnesses on a per-person basis comes from a 2007 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) FoodNet survey, which found that 3.04 percent of the population consumes raw milk, or about 9.4 million people, based on the 2010 census. This number may in fact be larger in 2011 as raw milk is growing in popularity. For example, sales of raw milk increased 25 percent in California in 2010, while sales of pasteurized milk declined 3 percent. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Experts: New Studies Bashing Supplements Are Flawed

Two widely reported studies claiming nutritional supplements may be harmful are based on flawed science and reach unsubstantiated conclusions, top research experts tell Newsmax Health.

Gross abnormalities in the way data was handled in both cases has some in the natural health community questioning whether the skewed results stem from sloppy research, or are part of a continuing government and corporate effort to discredit vitamins and supplements.

The separate, unrelated studies were released early last week and quickly made headlines around the world.


Read more: Experts: New Studies Bashing Supplements Are Flawed
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Teen Night Workers at Risk of MS

Working night shifts as a teenager is not only exhausting; it also significantly increases the chance of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, a Swedish study published Tuesday showed.

"Our analysis revealed a significant association between working (night) shifts at a young age and occurrence of MS," Anna Hedstroem, who headed the team of Karolinska Institute researchers, said in a statement.

For the study, published in the Annals of Neurology, the researchers combed through data from two Swedish population-based studies:


Read more: Teen Night Workers at Risk of MS
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Why High-Fructose Corn Syrup is killing you

Story at-a-glance
  • Fifty percent of all Americans over the age of two consume sugary drinks on a daily basis
  • The metabolic effects of a calorie from fructose are completely different from a calorie from other nutrients, including other sugars, and these metabolic differences explain its devastating health effects
  • Fructose turns into fat much faster and more efficiently than other sugars

By Dr. Mercola

Fructose consumption rates continue to rise worldwide, despite the fact that a growing collection of studies clearly demonstrate that consuming excessive amounts of fructose (primarily in the form of high-fructose corn syrup) is the fastest way to destroy your health.

Half of the U.S. population over the age of two now consumes sugary drinks on a daily basis, and that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Unnecessary calories from fructose-laden drinks and processed foods of all kinds can quickly add several pounds a year to your weight and rob you of your health. Over the last several years, fructose has been revealed as a major culprit or exacerbating factor in:

Elevated blood pressure, and nocturnal hypertension Insulin resistance / Type 2 Diabetes Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Elevated uric acid levels, which can result in gout and/or metabolic syndrome Accelerated progression of chronic kidney disease Intracranial atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries in your skull)
Exacerbated cardiac abnormalities if you're deficient in copper Genotoxic effect on the colon Metastasis in breast cancer patients and pancreatic cancer growth
Tubulointerstitial injury (injury to the tubules and interstitial tissue of your kidney) Obesity and related health problems and diseases Arthritis

A Calorie is Not a Calorie...

Dr. Lustig, a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at UC San Francisco, has been on the forefront of the movement to educate people about the health hazards of sugar, and I highly recommend viewing his presentation, The Trouble with Fructose, above. He's a compelling speaker and does an excellent job of laying down the facts in an easy to understand manner.

One of the primary problems with fructose is that it is isocaloric but not isometabolic, meaning that while you can have the same amount of calories from fructose or any other nutrient, including glucose, the metabolic effect will be entirely different despite the identical calorie count. This explains why calorie counting doesn't work. You simply have to take the quality or source of the calories into account in order to successfully lose weight.

Fructose metabolism is quite different from glucose (dextrose) metabolism in that it places the entire burden on your liver, and this accounts for many of its devastating health effects. Furthermore, people consume fructose in enormous quantities these days, which has made the negative effects that much more profound. Without getting into the very complex biochemistry of carbohydrate metabolism, it is important to have a general understanding of how your body handles these sugars.

Below is a summary of the main differences between glucose and fructose metabolism, which explains why I keep repeating that fructose is by far the worst type of sugar there is:

  • After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.
  • Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is "burned up" immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is turned into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat.
  • The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes.
  • Fructose is the most lipophilic carbohydrate. In other words, fructose converts to activated glycerol (g-3-p), which is directly used to turn FFAs into triglycerides. The more g-3-p you have, the more fat you store. Glucose does not do this.
  • When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Consuming fructose is essentially consuming fat!
  • The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.
  • Glucose suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain's communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.

Interestingly enough, glucose has been found to further accelerate fructose absorption, so when you MIX glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you consumed fructose alone! This is yet another important piece of information for those who want to make a better effort at controlling their weight.

Anyone who still tries to tell you that "sugar is sugar" in an effort to defend high fructose corn syrup is seriously unaware of the current research, which clearly demonstrates that there are major differences in how your body processes these sugars. The bottom line is: fructose leads to increased belly fat, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, along with a long list of associated chronic diseases.

Should Fructose be Government Controlled?

The second video above is another presentation by Dr. Lustig called "How to Have a Sweet Ending," given at the UCSF Center for Obesity, Assessment, Study and Treatment. In it, he lays out his ideas for how to curb the consumption of sugar. ccording to Dr. Lustig, efforts at educating the public have failed, and he believes the government must intervene, and essentially force the people to change their ways. In response, De Coster, writing on LewRockwell states:

"He believes that a massive policy of taxation, regulation, and interdiction, at both a societal and an individual level, is necessary to force the reduction of sugar consumption. He has, in fact, called for a global policy to eradicate sugar addiction. Lustig is not calling for a few misplaced laws, here and there, to protect you from yourself. Rather, he is trying to justify a global crusade against freedom of food choice on the basis that "our toxic environment cannot be changed without government/societal intervention."

Among Lustig's suggested interventions are controls on advertising and marketing, government counter-campaigns (taxpayer-funded, government propaganda), and raising prices via actual price fixing and/or taxation. Moreover, he advocates a policy that mimics the iron law of alcohol policy – reducing the availability of sugar-based products by way of age limits for purchase ("carding kids for Coke"), licensing and zoning controls on sales outlets, and regulating the hours of operation and density of fast food outlets through a series of government-issued permits."

Is government intervention the solution to this problem? What do you think? I'd love to hear what you think on this issue, so please do share your thoughts and ideas in the Vital Votes forum below.

Personally, I have to agree with De Coster that Dr. Lustig's ideas sound a lot like the invocation of the new Food Safety Modernization Act, which stands poised to do far more harm than good. I think there's a real danger in trying to regulate or tax ANY kind of food out of existence. After all, it's not the sugar in and of itself that is toxic—it's the MASSIVE doses that people consume, and honestly... personal responsibility and educated choice needs to enter the picture sooner or later. Your diet, after all, is front and center when it comes to taking control of your health, which is something everyone needs to do if they truly want to live a long and healthy life.

I believe the current situation can change, but enough people need to understand the simple truths of healthy eating and refuse to buy sugar-laden processed foods and pass on the daily sodas. Earlier this year, Dr. David Ludwig, a Harvard-affiliated pediatrician wrote a commentary in JAMA, offering his suggestions on how to turn this disease-producing diet trend around. These are reasonable ideas, but I don't think we can sit around and wait for government to fix this mess. Instead, do what you can to help educate others

His suggestions include:

  • Restructuring agricultural subsidies
  • Regulating the marketing of food to children
  • Adequately funding school lunch programs
  • Using existing and future technologies to allow the food industry to retain profits while producing more healthful products

How to Reverse the Obesity- and Related Chronic Disease Trends

I believe there are two primary dietary recommendations that could make all the difference in the world for most people, leading to a swift reversal in the horrific disease trends we're currently facing:

  1. Severely restricting carbohydrates (sugars, fructose, and grains) in your diet, and
  2. Increasing healthy fat consumption

I recently wrote about this recommendation in-depth, so for more details, please see This Substance Fools Your Metabolism - and Tricks Your Body into Gaining Pounds. If you want to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight long-term, and RADICALLY reduce (and in many cases virtually eliminate) your risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, then get serious about restricting your consumption of fructose to no more than 25 grams per day, with a maximum of 15 grams a day from fresh fruit. If you're already overweight, or have any of these diseases or are at high risk of any of them, then you're probably better off cutting that down to 10-15 grams per day; fruit included.

That's the first step. My nutrition plan lays out the rest in a simple to follow, step-by-step manner. If you haven't taken the time to review it yet, I highly recommend doing so. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. And the information is free.

Related Links:

Take Turmeric to Avoid Pancreatic Cancer that Killed Steve Jobs

The death of Steve Jobs last week added yet another name to the list of celebrities who have died from pancreatic cancer, a stellar group which includes Patrick Swayze, Michael Landon, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jack Benny. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and has the highest mortality rate of all cancers, killing 95 percent of its victims, according to the American Cancer Society.

"It's a dismal, deadly disease," surgical oncologist Dr. Robert Wascher tells Newsmax Health. "But like other forms of cancer, up to 65 percent can be prevented by relatively modest diet and lifestyle changes," says Wascher, author of "A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race."


Read more: Take Turmeric to Avoid Pancreatic Cancer that Killed Steve Jobs
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

When Prostate Testing Does More Harm Than Good

Terry Dyroff's PSA blood test led to a prostate biopsy that didn't find cancer but gave him a life-threatening infection.

In the emergency room several days later, "I didn't sit, I just laid on the floor, I felt so bad," said Dyroff, 65, a retired professor from Silver Spring, Md. "I honestly thought I might be dying."

Donald Weaver was a healthy 74-year-old Kansas farmer until doctors went looking for prostate cancer. A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test led to a biopsy and surgery, then a heart attack, organ failure, and a coma. His grief-stricken wife took him off life support.

"He died of unnecessary preventive medicine," said his nephew, Dr. Jay Siwek, vice chairman of family medicine at Georgetown University. "Blood tests can kill you."


Read more: When Prostate Testing Does More Harm Than Good
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

'Good' cholesterol reduces stroke risk in diabetes patients

Restless legs syndrome may raise high blood pressure risk

Obesity is infectious intestinal disease, scientists say

Obesity is infectious intestinal disease, scientists say. 45510.jpeg"I put on weight even if I look at a piece of cake," some people may often say. They are right. Many obese people find it extremely hard to lose weight. At the same time, a human being with a normal weight may not eat just for one day to lose up to a kilo of his or her weight. Why does it happen like that? Scientists say that the reason for obesity lies in intestines. Does it mean that obesity can be contagious?

Recipes of new magical diets and weight loss pills appear on a regular basis. However, the number of obese people in the world continues to grow. The share of overweight people among the adult population of the planet increased during the recent 12 years from 8.5 in 1997 to 14.5 percent in 2009 - by 6.5 million people. It goes without saying that some reasons that make people gain excessive weight are obvious (redundant nutrition or sedentary lifestyle, etc). However, there are many other important, albeit unknown, theories.

The phenomenon of infectious obesity became known as "infectobesity." The term was coined in 2001 by Indian professor Nikhil V. Dhurandhar.

There are as many as 100 quintillion bacteria living on a human being. Five hundred pairs of various bacteria species live inside the human body. The quantity of bacteria is the largest in the human intestines. One of the main functions of intestinal bacteria is to help the body digest food. The bacteria also protect the body from the intervention of pathogenic microorganisms. The bacteria also help us receive the maximum from the food that we eat. For example, they turn lipids into the nutrients that humans are capable of digesting. MORE>>>>>

Can a dip in the Dead Sea help cure diabetes?

A short dip in the Dead Sea facilitates a drop in blood glucose levels and could improve the medical conditions of diabetics, according to an initial study conducted by researchers from the health sciences faculty of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.
MORE>>>>>

27 Years: No Deaths from Vitamins, 3 Million from Prescription Drugs

Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post

Over the past 27 years — the complete timeframe that the data has been available — there have been 0 deaths as a result of vitamins and over 3 million deaths related to prescription drug use. In fact, going back 54 years there have only been 11 claims of vitamin-related death, all of which provided no substantial evidence to link vitamins to the cause of death. The news comes after a recent statistically analysis found that pharmaceutical drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in the US.

In 2009, drugs exceeded the amount of traffic-related deaths, killing at least 37,485 people nationwide.


Cervical cancer virus fuels oral cancer type, too

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prolonged sore throat once was considered a cancer worry mainly for smokers and drinkers. Today there's another risk: A sexually transmitted virus is fueling a rise in oral cancer.

The HPV virus is best known for causing cervical cancer. But it can cause cancer in the upper throat, too, and a new study says HPV-positive tumors now account for a majority of these cases of what is called oropharyngeal cancer.

If that trend continues, that type of oral cancer will become the nation's main HPV-related cancer within the decade, surpassing cervical cancer, researchers from Ohio State University and the National Cancer Institute report Monday. More>>>>>>>

The 5 Most Important Supplements

SOURCE: Yahoo Shine

I usually take a fistful of nutritional supplements every day. In fact, most people are speechless when they see my daily regimen.

I also travel with them — putting each day’s allotment into plastic bags and stuffing them in my suitcase.

But I recently left the States for a four-week medical mission in Tibet and my gear was limited to 50 pounds. So there won’t be room for my usual supplement supply.

So I’ve had to decide…

“If I could only take five supplements, what would they be?”

I only had room for five supplements per day, so they had to be the really important ones.

So here they are. By the way… these are also the ones I recommend you begin with if you’re just starting out — or the ones you can cut back to if you need to save money. Anyway, here goes…

1. A high-quality multi-vitamin

Topping the list is an excellent quality multi-vitamin. This is essential because a multi “fills in the blanks” of your diet (no matter how good it is), so you’re not running dangerously low on the essential nutrients your body needs for optimal functioning.

Be sure to avoid the TV-advertised one-a-days you find in your local drugstore. These are nearly worthless because their ingredients are based on the “bare minimum” official Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), now upgraded to the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI).

The RDA evolved from the old Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) set by the government. This means the nutrients in most of the popular multis contain the minimum doses necessary to prevent nutritional -deficiency diseases, such as scurvy (vitamin C), beriberi (vitamin B1), and others. This certainly is not how to guarantee optimal health.

These mainstream multis are notoriously feeble. For example, Consumer Reports recently concluded that Centrum is the worst vitamin for seniors in its class. (There goes that advertising revenue!)

Consumer Reports also found that The Vitamin Shoppe’s One Daily failed to dissolve in a simulated stomach environment, while containing less vitamin A than its label claims.

You can avoid this pitfall by sticking to high-quality, bioavailable multivitamins that are reasonably priced and lab-tested. One of my favorites is Ultimate Daily Support from Real Advantage, formulated by Dr. William Campbell Douglass. It’s a terrific multi that contains a broad list of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and enzymes that easily are absorbed and quickly bioavailable. This is the multinourishing my body in Tibet.

Another top-notch product is Forward Multi-Nutrient , formulated by Dr. Julian Whitaker, a friend and associate I’ve known for almost 20 years. Julian is a pioneer in the orthomolecular field and alternative medicine and has done so much to legitimize natural healing. He’s also a living legend who was mentored by Dr. Linus Pauling.

2. A quality omega-3 supplement

Fish oil is today’s bestselling supplement — and with good reason. The EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in omega-3 fish oil have profoundly positive effects on human health.

DHA slows your liver’s production of undesirable triglycerides, making it extremely protective against heart disease and diabetes.

In addition, fish oil is incredibly effective at reducing inflammation. It accomplishes this by triggering the release of prostaglandins (natural substances that regulate immunity, inflammation, blood clotting, brain function, plus a host of other essential functions).

There’s not enough room here to list all the healing effects of omega-3. The highlights include: Healing blood vessel walls … keeping the blood thin (thus minimizing clotting) flowing smoothly … lowering blood pressure … stabilizing blood sugar … and brightening your mood.

The American Heart Association recommends a daily dose of 500-1,000 mg of DHA and EPA from fish oil to reduce heart disease — but I think this is a paltry dose. I prefer to take 6,000 to 9,000 iu daily in three equal doses — and find this really helps my arthritis.

There’s just one problem. The huge demand for fish oil is wreaking havoc on marine life. Overfishing is depleting fish stocks and the oceans are on the brink of crisis.

Even oils extracted from krill (tiny, omega-3-rich crustaceans) are troublesome. That’s because krill are at the bottom of the ocean’s food chain — and larger fish depend upon them for life. Harvesting krill deprives all fish of their main food supply.

This is why I prefer to get my omega-3 from marine phytoplankton (also known as “micro algae”) these days.

Phytoplankton is the plant-based omega-3 food source that supplies krill and other fish with EPA and DHA. Raised in large, land-based tanks, phytoplankton is free of mercury contaminants, heavy metals, and ocean pollution. Its good stuff — and you’re not depriving fish of their food supply.

3. Co-enzyme Q-10

CoQ-10 (also known as ubiquinol) is a nutrient produced by the “energy factories” in your cells called mitochondria. Taking a CoQ-10 supplement boosts the way your cells produce and use energy. It also helps your body burn fat … improves cholesterol ratios … boosts your physical energy levels … and improves thyroid and pancreas functions.

By the way, statins — the widely — (or is it “wildly”?) prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs — actually deplete your body’s natural CoQ-10. Statins block production of cholesterol in the liver, where CoQ-10 is also manufactured. Without sufficient CoQ-10, statins can cause liver damage … irregular heartbeat … muscle weakness … leg cramps … heart attack and stroke (the two potentially fatal conditions that statins are supposed to prevent).

Other medications also can limit your body’s production of CoQ-10, including: Diabetes drugs … antidepressants … female hormone replacement therapy … and blood pressure meds. If you take any of these, you definitely need to supplement with CoQ-10.

When shopping, labels may read “CoQ-10” or “Coenzyme Q-10”, but the more active form will be labeled “QH” or “ubiquinol.” This is a stronger form of CoQ-10, though purchasing that version isn’t essential, especially if price is an issue. Take 100 mg two or three times twice per day, because your body can’t metabolize higher doses.

4. Magnesium citrate

You’ve been hearing about calcium and bone health forever — but did you know that magnesium and calcium are like conjoined twins? Calcium can’t even be absorbed unless magnesium is present. Without it, calcium is much less effective in maintaining your bones and regulating your nerve and muscle tone.

In fact, new research shows that Americans need far more magnesium than the current RDI — and that you should really be consuming twice as much magnesium as calcium for optimal health.

Magnesium may be the most important mineral you can take because it’s a key player in 300 essential bodily functions, and is used by all of your organs. It activates enzymes … powers your energy … and helps your body absorb vitamin D, potassium, and zinc.

The majority of Americans are magnesium-deficient due to the low-quality, processed foods in the typical American diet. Produce grown in mineral-depleted soil won’t provide much magnesium, either.

If you have blood sugar issues, you should know that magnesium helps regulate blood sugar and insulin activity. In addition, magnesium’s ability to relax muscles and nerves makes it one of your best allies in the battle against anxiety … hypertension … restless leg syndrome … sleep disorders … and abnormal heart rhythm.

Consuming magnesium supplements can be challenging, as they tend to be large and difficult to digest. That’s why I like Natural Calm , a fruit-flavored magnesium powder that mixes easily in water. I take it in the evening because of its relaxing effect. Start with a low dose, because it can loosen your stools (not necessarily a bad thing if constipation is a problem). Another alternative is a topically-applied magnesium chloride liquid spray that’s absorbed through the skin, which won’t affect your bowels.

5. Sunshine vitamin D

This is rapidly becoming the miracle vitamin of our time. Every week, it seems, there’s a new finding about D’s marvelous benefits. Most Americans are badly deficient in vitamin D because doctors consider the sun our enemy — and your skin converts solar rays into this essential vitamin.

Numerous studies show that this amazing vitamin is protective against all cancers (even skin cancer and melanoma!) … strengthens bones … prevents and even heals diabetes … protects against heart disease … lowers blood pressure … reverses depression … and elevates mood.

Whenever you can, spend 10-20 minutes sunbathing — without sunscreen. (Your body transforms sunshine into all the vitamin D it needs.) If your access to sunlight is limited by season or geographic location, take 2,000-5,000 iu of a good quality vitamin D supplement daily. (The elderly and African-Americans need higher doses.) Official recommendations call for a scant 600 iu, which is far too low. Just make sure you purchase vitamin D3 (not D2) because the D3 form is 87% more potent than vitamin D2.

No more “supplement overwhelm”

Taking these five supplements should cover all the important bases and provide your body with optimal nutrition (provided you’re eating a healthy diet).

Now I’d like to hear from you. Do you have a favorite supplement that I’ve missed? Do you have a story about how a particular supplement or herbal remedy turned your health around?

Please share whatever’s on your mind about nutritional supplements here so we can all benefit from your experience.

Ten Foods That Will Improve Your Mood

There are lots of foods that bring a smile to my face—cookies, veggie burritos, and peanut butter oatmeal (trust me, it’s delicious) are just a few. But it turns out some foods don’t just please the palate; they stimulate the brain and make us physically happy, too. When we need a little pick-me-up, we should skip the cookies (as yummy as they are, the sugar rush destabilizes our moods) and seek out these foods instead.


Spinach
This leafy green is loaded with the B vitamin folate, which has been linked to depression when levels are too low. B vitamins help the brain produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and behavior.


Turkey
Turkey’s full of tryptophan, an amino acid that the body uses to create mood-regulating serotonin and melatonin. Since our bodies don’t produce tryptophan naturally, we must get it from food sources. For a non-poultry vehicle for the amino acid, try pineapple, cottage cheese, or lobster.


Walnuts
Researchers at the Massachusetts based McLean Hospital found that rats’ moods improved when given an injection of omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts and ground flaxseeds (they have to be ground for the body to absorb the nutrients) are the best non-animal source of omega-3s.


Milk/Non-Dairy Milk
Milk products and vitamin-fortified non-dairy products (soy milk, almond milk, etc.) are rich in vitamin D, which can increase serotonin production and has been linked to reducing depression in some people. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that vitamin D alleviated some depressive symptoms.


Soy
Like turkey, soy products such as tofu and edamame have high levels of tryptophan. Soybeans also rank low on the glycemic index, meaning they don’t spike energy levels too quickly and won’t cause a mood crash later.


Salmon
If you’re not a vegetarian, the best way to get a good dose of omega-3s into your diet is through salmon. Not a fan of salmon? Tuna and herring boast a decent amount of the fatty acids as well.


Beans
Protein- and fiber-filled legumes like black beans and lentils are also packed with iron, an essential mineral that combats lethargy and gives us energy.


Chocolate
Few people would frown after popping a square of chocolate into their mouths, but it’s not just because it tastes so good—chocolate causes the brain to release endorphins and can boost serotonin levels and it contains compounds, like phenylethylamine, that act as mild stimulants. However, plain old milk chocolate won’t do; opt for 70 percent dark chocolate to ensure maximum health benefits.


Carbohydrates
Foods rich in carbohydrates also affect serotonin levels in the body, but simple carbs—those with white flour as the primary ingredient—increase insulin production so rapidly that the feel-good vibes we get after ingesting them quickly turn into grumpiness. Stick to whole grains like oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, all of which contain B vitamins as well.


Bananas
Besides being a potassium powerhouse, eating bananas adds a hefty amount of tryptophan to our diets. In a study at Oxford University, researchers found that women recovering from depression who were deficient in tryptophan had a higher chance of regressing back to depressive states. Bananas are a great source of iron, too.


What makes certain foods mood-elevating seems based on whether they contain essential ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids, tryptophan, vitamin D, or B vitamins. Unfortunately, what we crave when we’re depressed usually isn’t flaxseeds or salmon. Our cravings are usually in the form of French fries and donuts, foods that comfort us briefly but make us feel even more sluggish and moody afterward. But if we learn to reach for these mood-boosting foods instead, maybe we can banish the blues before they even start.

SOURCE: RefreshingNews

Cancer Feeds on Fructose, America’s Number One Source of Calories

Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post

High-fructose corn syrup is the primary source of calories in the United States. In addition to containing mercury, a known carcinogen, cancer cells actually feed on high-fructose corn syrup after it is metabolized by the liver. A new study, published in the Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, examined the link between refined sugar and cancer. The results add further evidence to the reports of many health experts and scientific studies that have drawn the connection between excess sugar consumption and the development of cancer.

The researchers highlighted the numerous ways in which fructose directly contributes to cancer risk and other health problems, including:
  • DNA damage
  • Inflammation
  • Altered cellular metabolism
  • Increased production of free radicals

God's Dietary Laws

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN:

Abolished in the New Testament?

READERS: The purpose of this article is not to condemn or insult those who hold to the standard Christian teaching that God�s dietary laws are abolished under the New Covenant. The purpose of the article is to examine the New Testament passages which are commonly quoted in support of this teaching, and to show that these passages do not really teach what most Christians think they teach.

The Bible tells us that there was a distinction between clean and unclean animals for at least a thousand years before the Torah was given to Moses. This distinction between clean and unclean animals is mentioned in Gen. 7:2 and 8:20, in the account of Noah�s Flood. Genesis does not tell us which animals were clean and which were unclean, but it is obvious that Noah knew the difference.

About a thousand years later, when the Torah was given to Moses, God went into great detail and listed which animals were clean (kosher; fit for human consumption) and which were unclean (non kosher; not fit for human consumption). The entire 11th chapter of Leviticus is devoted to this subject. A shorter version of the list is repeated in Deuteronomy 14.

Orthodox Jews take these commandments literally, and do not eat pork, shellfish, or any of the other forbidden meats. Christians, on the other hand, feel that there is nothing wrong with eating these things. Many Christians (and doctors and nutritionists, too) will admit that people would be a lot healthier if they followed God�s dietary laws, and a small number of Christians actually do make an effort to avoid meat from unclean animals. But the great majority of Christians do not view the dietary laws as Divine commandments which ought to be obeyed.

A number of arguments have been put forth to support the standard Christian position. Probably the oldest argument is drawn from the Second Century Epistle of Barnabas. The writer spiritualizes the dietary laws, and says that the various unclean animals represent different types of behavior in which a Christian should not engage. While there may be alegitimate analogy here (Christians shouldn�t behave like pigs, etc.), the analogy fails to prove that God does not want His people to take the commandments literally and abstain from these meats.

Of course the most common argument against the validity of the dietary laws is the claim that God abolished them in the New Testament. This claim is often coupled with the idea that God originally gave the dietary laws because people didn�t have refrigeration in Old Testament times. I�ve got news for you. People didn�t have refrigeration in New Testament times, either. If God�s dietary commandments had anything at all to do with the absence of refrigeration, He wouldn�t have "abolished" them until about a hundred years ago, when refrigeration was invented.

There are six New Testament passages which can give the impression that God did, indeed, abolish the dietary commandments which He established in the Old Testament. However, a close look at these passages reveals that they really prove no such thing. The only way a person can use any of these passages to "prove" the nullifying of the dietary laws is to: 1) ignore the context of the passage; 2) ignore the historical background of the passage; 3) ignore what the rest of the Bible says about the subject; 4) ignore the implications and logical conclusions of this theological position.

Before we look at the six New Testament passages, let us consider two important questions:

1) Were the dietary laws, as written in the Bible, man-made traditions, or were they commandments of God? Bible-believers must admit that these were commandments which God expected His people to obey;

2) Did the Son of God teach His disciples to disobey the commandments of God? Some might think this is a ridiculous question, yet this is exactly what some Christians actually believe Jesus did in Matt. 15, the first passage we will look at.More

Realted:

A List of Clean Fish (Edible according to God)

PAUL AND UNCLEAN MEATS