Tag: health

Healing Herbs

Seth Anderson1 Comment

Since I am lucky enough to have an in-house herbalist, I’ve been dosing myself with vitamins and herbs to help my injuries heal. I found this page which echoes most of the same treatment advice. Even if the science is unclear, or incomplete, I’d still take the supplements. At worst, I excrete the excess, without harm. More likely, the herbs/vitamins will reduce my recovery time as they seem to be doing.

This pill is expensive (well, unless you break it down by pill), but surprisingly tasty.


“Naturally Vitamins – Wobenzym N 800 Tablets” (Naturally Vitamins (Marlyn Nutraceuticals))

 


“Solaray – Vitamin C, 90 Capsules, 800 mg” (Solaray)

I prefer non-acidic C so there are no repercussions with digestion.

 


“Solaray – Optizinc, 30 mg, 60 capsules” (Solaray)

 

Proteolytic enzymes, including bromelain, papain, trypsin, and chymotrypsin, may be helpful in healing minor injuries such as sprains and strains because they have anti-inflammatory activity and appear to promote tissue healing.

Several preliminary trials have reported reduced pain and swelling, and/or faster healing in people with a variety of conditions using either bromelain,5 papain from papaya, or a combination of trypsin and chymotrypsin. Double-blind trials have reported faster recovery from athletic injuries, including sprains and strains, and earlier return to activity using eight tablets daily of trypsin/chymotrypsin, four to eight tablets daily of papain, eight tablets of bromelain (single-blind only), or a combination of these enzymes.…

Bromelain is measured in MCUs (milk clotting units) or GDUs (gelatin dissolving units). One GDU equals 1.5 MCU. Strong products contain at least 2,000 MCU (1,333 GDU) per gram (1,000 mg). A supplement containing 500 mg labeled “2,000 MCU per gram” would have 1,000 MCU of activity, because 500 mg is half a gram. Some doctors recommend 3,000 MCU taken three times per day for several days, followed by 2,000 MCU three times per day. Some of the research, however, uses smaller amounts, such as 2,000 MCU taken in divided amounts in the course of a day (500 MCU taken four times per day). Other enzyme preparations, such as trypsin/chymotrypsin, have different measuring units. Recommended use is typically two tablets four times per day on an empty stomach, but as with bromelain, the strength of trypsin/chymotrypsin tablets can vary significantly from product to product.

One controlled trial showed that people who supplement with 3 grams per day L-carnitine for three weeks before engaging in an exercise regimen are less likely to experience muscle soreness.

Antioxidant supplements, including vitamin C and vitamin E, may help prevent exercise-related muscle injuries by neutralizing free radicals produced during strenuous activities. Controlled research, some of it double-blind, has shown that 400-3,000 mg per day of vitamin C may reduce pain and speed up muscle strength recovery after intense exercise. Reductions in blood indicators of muscle damage and free radical activity have also been reported for supplementation with 400-1,200 IU per day of vitamin E in most studies, but no measurable benefits in exercise recovery have been reported. …

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, the “glue” that strengthens connective tissue. Injury, at least when severe, appears to increase vitamin C requirements, and vitamin C deficiency causes delayed healing from injury. Preliminary human studies have suggested that vitamin C supplementation in non-deficient people can speed healing of various types of trauma, including musculoskeletal injuries, but double-blind research has not confirmed these effects for athletic injuries, which included sprains and strains.

Zinc is a component of many enzymes, including some that are needed to repair wounds. Even a mild deficiency of zinc can interfere with optimal recovery from everyday tissue damage as well as from more serious trauma. Trace minerals, such as manganese, copper, and silicon are also known to be important in the biochemistry of tissue healing.

[From Sprains and Strains – [Alternative Medicine]]

(click for the cited research).
Reminds me, I should pick up a pineapple or two, those suckers are high in proteolytic enzymes.

Natural Mug

Circadian Riddems and Spare Tires

Seth Anderson2 Comments

Ahh, now it makes sense why my waist size went from 28 to, umm, something larger.

For some people, packing on unwanted pounds might have more to do with the functioning of their internal body clocks than with willpower.

Researchers from Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare have been studying how a faulty circadian clock, which regulates different parts of the body, including the mechanisms that control sleep and hunger, can damage the metabolism thus raising the risk for obesity and diabetes.

[From Researchers: Faulty body clock may lead to obesity, diabetes — chicagotribune.com]

snip

So far, 32 epidemiological studies have shown an association between inadequate sleep and higher body-mass index, a measure of overweight, said Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. Van Cauter studies the effect of circadian rhythms on the endocrine system.

Van Cauter and her colleagues have published two studies examining the effects of short-term sleep restriction in young, healthy, lean adults. They found that individuals experienced different levels of hunger and satiety, depending on how much sleep they got.

“Leptin, an important hormone regulating appetite, is disturbed by sleep deprivation and no longer determines caloric need accurately,” Van Cauter said.

In one study, sleep-deprived subjects were asked to rate their hunger for certain foods. Not only were they hungrier, they had a higher appetite for starchy, sweet and other high-carbohydrate foods.

“They did not have a need for food based on their energy expenditure, but they nevertheless felt more hunger,” Van Cauter said.

On a related target, we have started using a device that is supposed to re-calibrate one’s circadian rhythms using the blue light part of the spectrum.


“Philips GoLite P1 Blue Spectrum Light Therapy Device” (Philips Respironics)

Winter blues got you down? Boost your mood, energy, and sleep with a blue-spectrum light therapy device from Apollo Health. For years the world’s leading light therapy researchers and doctors have known that full-spectrum, 10,000 lux light boxes can be very effective at treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other circadian rhythm related mood disorders. But there is something new in store for light therapy: blue spectrum. If you or a loved one is affected by these type of disorders, the Apollo Health GoLite P1 Blue Spectrum Light Therapy Device may help easy your suffering and improve your life.

Widely acclaimed as the best-selling, most-recommended manufacturer of 10,000 lux light therapy boxes, Apollo Health has taken a technological step forward with the GoLite P1. Recently, researchers have discovered that a very specific range of blue light is, in fact, the most effective color (wavelength) in treating these disorders. After years of research, Apollo has released this patent-pending product that delivers only the most effective blue spectrum light. Utilizing only the most effective wavelengths, the GoLite P1 provides a more convenient treatment, and fewer side effects than traditional 10,000 lux full-spectrum light therapy devices.

The patent-pending Bluewave technology is the result of 10 years of research with medical universities and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Although other companies may tout the benefits of this new research, only Apollo Health participated in the actual trials. In fact, Apollo is the only company to produce lights that provide 100 percent of the effective blue light spectrum. Bluewave is the most important because it provides a higher effective response than most full spectrum light at one-tenth the intensity of a regular 10,000 lux light therapy device. This means light therapy is not only convenient, but easier on the eyes with fewer side effects. Because Bluewave is so effective, all of the Apollo Health Britewave products have also been upgraded with the new technology. It is clear: Bluewave is the light therapy technology of the future.

Apollo Health recommends keeping the GoLite P1 at 20-22 inches from your face. Once you are comfortable with using the device, you’ll be ready to take advantage of the GoLite P1’s fully programmable interface and advanced features. This light therapy device is equipped with an adjustable treatment timer with an automatic shut-down, a protective flip cover, long-lasting eye-safe LEDs, and an anti-glare diffuser lens. After you’ve established your personalized treatment schedule, the GoLite P1 will remember your personal settings. For your convenience, the GoLite P1 has a built-in clock and a backlit digital LCD display. And as the world’s smallest light therapy device, the GoLite P1 weights less than one pound. This device is UL, CUL, and CE safety listed, EMF-free, UV-free, and comes equipped with a two-year limited warranty.

There’s also a version with a battery, which might find its way to our office soon. We have definitely noticed a positive difference in our moods and energy since using the light. I read the paper and drink coffee, and don’t even really notice that it is on.


“Apollo Health GoLite M2 Blue Spectrum Light Therapy Device” (Apollo Health)

More Plastic Water Bottle Blues

Seth Anderson0 comment

Do Not Attempt This At Home

That’s it, I’m sticking with beer, wine and Jameson’s from now on…..

Alina Tugend writes:

The type of plastic bottle that typically holds water, soda and juice is made from polyethylene terephthalate, a petroleum-based material also known as PET that is labeled No. 1.

The trouble with reusing those plastic bottles is that each time they are washed and refilled they become a little more scratched and crinkly, which can lead them to degrade. That can cause a trace metal called antimony to leach out, said Frederick S. vom Saal, a professor of biology at the University of Missouri who has studied plastics for years.

[snip]

But perhaps a better alternative — in terms of health and the environment — is to use the hard plastic bottles made with polycarbonate plastic, often known by the brand Nalgene. It has the numeral 7 stamped at the bottom and is the same type of material used to make some baby bottles, the lining of tin cans and other products. I have some of those around the house. They are just too big to fit into our car cup holders so I retired them to the basement.

Time to dig them out?

Not quite. Environmental groups and some scientists have raised concern that such plastic can leach bisphenol A, an endocrine-disrupting chemical.

[Click to read more of The (Possible) Perils of Being Thirsty While Being Green – New York Times]

Which plastic bottle to use then? Can’t always count on having the


“Sigg Samurai Spirit Water Bottle” (Sigg)

“If I was to use plastic, I would stay with No. 2 and No. 5,” Professor vom Saal said. No. 2 is high-density polyethylene; No. 5 is polypropylene. Both are used in margarine tubs and yogurt containers for example.

But, he warned, do not heat anything in any type of plastic in the microwave.

If you do use these hard No. 7 plastic bottles, the Green Guide, published by the National Geographic Society, advises you to avoid washing them in a dishwasher or with harsh detergent to limit wear and tear.

Mad Cow Disease

Seth Anderson0 comment

A few things being done on the war on meat-related terrorism:

a comic by R.J. Matson from a few years ago (click to embiggen)

Mushrooms Back in the Lab

Seth Anderson1 Comment

If we didn’t have such a large number of idiots running our country, this would have happened decades ago.

Standard disclaimer: drugs like psilocybin (or THC, salvia, et alia) are not for everyone and not for every circumstance. Eating a handful of mushrooms is not like having a martini in a hotel bar. Just isn’t. However, there are certain places and people who can certainly benefit from the experience.

Shroom as Big As Your Head

Mushrooms take a trip back to the lab – Los Angeles Times : Resting on a hospital bed beneath a tie-dyed wall hanging, Pamela Sakuda felt a tingling sensation. Then bright colors started shimmering in her head.

She had been depressed since being diagnosed with colon cancer two years earlier, but as the experimental drug took hold, she felt the sadness sweep away from her, leaving in its wake an overpowering sense of connection to loved ones, followed by an inner calm.

“It was like an epiphany,” said Sakuda, 59, recalling the 2005 drug treatment.

Sakuda, a Long Beach software developer, was under the influence of the hallucinogen psilocybin, which she took during a UCLA study exploring the therapeutic effects of the active compound in “magic” mushrooms. Although illegal for general use, the drug has been approved for medical experiments such as this one.

Scientists suspect the hallucinogen, whose use dates back to ancient Mexico, may have properties that could improve treatments for some psychological conditions and forms of physical pain.

The medical journal Neurology in June reported on more than 20 cases in which mushroom ingestion prevented or stopped cluster headaches, a rare neurological disorder, more reliably than prescription pharmaceuticals.

In July, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore reported that mushrooms could instill a sense of spirituality and connection, a finding that scientists said could lead to treatments for patients suffering from mental anguish or addiction.

The research has been driven in part by the success of mood-altering pharmaceuticals, such as the antidepressant Prozac, which work on the same brain chemicals and pathways.

also standard media bullshit added:

Deaths have been linked to mushroom intoxication. A Ventura County teen was killed by a car two years ago as she wandered naked across the 101 Freeway after eating mushrooms.

umm, this sounds more like death by automobile, actually. If the teen was taking the mushrooms in a better setting, they wouldn’t be wandering in a freeway. Kids shouldn’t use drugs at all, but don’t really know the entire details of this accident. Maybe the teen also had a dozen shots of tequila?

to continue:

The drug “takes your thoughts through a prism and turns them around,” Sakuda said.

Her drug trip left her with a sense of peace — a serenity she hadn’t felt since her diagnosis.

“It was like rebooting a computer,” she said.


Forty years ago, the study of hallucinogens in therapy was a mainstream endeavor. The Swiss drug company Sandoz provided pharmaceutical-grade tablets of psilocybin and various researchers explored its use as a treatment for depression and other psychological problems.

Used for centuries during spiritual ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians in southern Mexico, mushrooms helped fuel the counterculture of the 1960s. Author Carlos Castaneda, while a graduate student at UCLA, wrote of his “magical time” with a Mexican shaman who introduced him to mushrooms and other hallucinogens.

In 1970, Congress made it illegal to posses hallucinogens, including psilocybin and LSD, by classifying them as Schedule I, meaning they had no legitimate medical use.

“All research was shut down,” said UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Charles S. Grob.

In the late 1990s, regulators began approving experiments again, sparked by discoveries in neuroscience that illuminated the biochemical basis of mood and consciousness. The advances focused on the complex role of the brain chemical serotonin — a neurotransmitter that passes signals between cells.

Spread throughout the brain are a variety of receptors that respond to serotonin. In some instances, a flow of serotonin can alter moods, such as depression, euphoria, anxiety and aggression. The chemical is also believed to be involved with nausea, body temperature and appetite control.

Many hallucinogens, including psilocybin, mimic the action of serotonin on various receptors. When the drugs circulate in the brain, they can amplify, distort and cross signals. Sounds have colors, and motions become out-of-body experiences.

The drugs can trigger emotionally charged states and potentially dangerous behavior. Even the most optimistic psychedelic researchers acknowledge that at best psilocybin will become a special-purpose drug administered under tight supervision because reactions vary.

In addition to the sensory effects, hallucinogens create mental states in which patients become unusually open to suggestion, Grob said.

He wanted to test whether that ability could be used to alleviate the suffering of terminal cancer patients overcome with a sense of hopelessness.

Grob modeled his study after one conducted at Spring Grove Medical Center, a psychiatric hospital near Baltimore.

The Spring Grove patients took LSD. Grob is using psilocybin, which is shorter-acting and considered somewhat less risky. The drug is produced in small quantities under special Drug Enforcement Administration permits.

Grob has given the drug to seven terminally ill cancer patients.

In Sakuda’s case, weeks of counseling planted a desire to overcome her fears and sense of isolation. Since her diagnosis, she had avoided friends and kept her feelings bottled up.

The experiment took place in a comfortable hospital room, under the close watch of a medical team. She wore eyeshades and headphones with soft music playing.

Sakuda recalled sensing her husband’s sadness over her illness and feeling a burden lifted from her.

“It is not logical. It comes to you like that,” she said.

Sakuda died Nov. 10. Her husband, Norbert Litzinger, feels that the drug made a difference. “There was a rebirth around her and it didn’t stop.”

The power of the drug extends beyond psychological effects. Dr. John Halpern and colleagues at McLean Hospital in Boston have been looking at the ability of magic mushrooms to treat cluster headaches, which affect about 1 million Americans, mostly men.

The pain can be so severe that they are known as “suicide” headaches, occurring like clockwork at the same time each day, or the same month each year. No treatment has been shown to extend remissions from pain.

Halpern examined medical records of 48 patients who had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms and reported in Neurology that the majority of them found partial or complete relief from cluster attacks.

He speculated that the drug acts on the thalamus, a brain region populated with serotonin receptors. A clinical trial is needed to establish whether the mushrooms really work, Halpern said.

“These are not people you’d expect from the drug culture,” he said. “They are lawyers, teachers, business owners. They have a painful and debilitating condition, and found meaningful relief.”

Those who have used hallucinegenic mushrooms in the U.S. to ease their headaches are all lawbreakers.

They have become part of a new mushroom underground. Many of its denizens are like Bob Wold — a 53-year-old maintenance worker and Little League coach who had never taken hallucinogenic drugs before. He knew they could be dangerous.

Wold, who lives near Chicago, said his headaches felt like an ice pick being jammed through his eye. Once, they made him drive his fist through a plaster wall at home. Another time he pounded his head against the shower tiles so hard some of them cracked.

Seeking help, Wold stumbled across a website for cluster headache sufferers touting hallucinogenic mushrooms.

A man he met on the Internet mailed Wold 20 dried brown mushrooms. The recipe called for a very light tea, not strong enough to cause hallucinations.

After that, Wold started growing his own mushrooms.

Wold has formed an organization to fund research aimed at developing a pharmaceutical version of psilocybin.

But at home, he must make sure his crop is well hidden from his young grandchildren.

Former Washington lobbyist Stuart Miller, 49, described his secret life as a mushroom user as “bizarre.”

Miller had frequent cluster headaches and carried capsules containing ground mushrooms everywhere. As he passed through security daily on Capitol Hill, or made his way through an airport, Miller worried that a search would uncover the capsules “and my career would be gone.”

He was never caught. He has moved to Mexico to care for an aging parent.

Magic mushrooms grow wild in a nearby field.

H/T