DR. PETER BREGGIN’S NEW WEEKLY TV SHOW

DR. PETER BREGGIN’S NEW WEEKLY TV SHOW: His radio talk show on PRN.FM is now filmed Listen LIVE on prn.fm every Wednesday at 4 pm Watch the TV version every Friday on YouTube   The Dr. Peter Breggin Hour – Nov 27, 2019  On this remarkable radio/TV presentation of the Dr. Peter Breggin Hour, I talk with three outstanding Toronto activists […]

7 Reasons to include arugula in your diet

7 reasons to include arugula in your diet

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arugula-salad(NaturalHealth365) Arugula, also called “rocket” (or roquette) lettuce, is currently the darling of nutritionists and health experts, with scientific studies confirming its health-giving effects. But this peppery, tangy salad green didn’t always enjoy such a wholesome cachet.
Once rumored to be an aphrodisiac, arugula lettuce had such a “spicy” reputation that scandalized monks once banned its cultivation in monasteries during the Middle Ages.  Can you believe that?!
Intriguingly, rocket lettuce does possess a double identity (of sorts). Botanically known as Eruca sativa, arugula is actually classified as a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as superfoods like Brussels sprouts and broccoli. This means it confers the same benefits – and packs the same disease-fighting punch.

Arugula helps to prevent serious eye problems

Studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin, a pair of carotenoids (natural plant pigments) can help prevent age-related macular degeneration – the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65. These two powerful antioxidants are found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables – but dark leafy greens such as spinach and arugula may be the richest sources of all.
Lutein and zeaxanthin actually function as “internal sunglasses” to filter out harmful blue and ultraviolet light rays – and prevent AMD and cataracts.

Rocket lettuce has powerful anticancer and detoxifying effects

Like the other cruciferous vegetables, arugula contains glucosinolates. When crushed or chewed, glucosinolates release cancer-fighting, detoxifying compounds known as isothiocyanates, which activate Phase II detoxification enzymes and help to neutralize toxins and carcinogens.
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In a study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, sulforaphane (a variety of isothiocyanate) induced apoptosis, or programmed cell suicide, in human breast cancer cells.

Eat a salad with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties

Arugula is rich in potent antioxidants, including carotenoids, quercetin and chlorophyll. By reducing oxidative stress and damage, antioxidants help to prevent possible cancer-causing mutations in cell DNA.
Rocket lettuce also supports overall health by promoting the production of glutathione, the body’s most important antioxidant.
In addition, arugula fights inflammation by inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as LOX-2. Many scientists believe that inflammation lies at the root of most major diseases, including cancer, heart disease, IBD and osteoarthritis.
Finally, a study published in Planta Medica attests that arugula also inhibits bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Arugula promotes weight loss and improves digestion

Nutrient-dense yet low in calories, arugula can help maintain healthy weight and even promote weight loss. Its high content of dietary fiber creates a sense of satiety – helping to curb appetite – while its zingy, slightly lemony taste may help satisfy food cravings.
And, arugula even appears capable of improving digestion and absorption of nutrients, while helping to preventconstipation.
In one study, patients with Crohn’s disease were found to tolerate arugula well, in spite of its classification as a cruciferous vegetable (these are sometimes discouraged for people on a low-FODMAP diet for gastrointestinal problems).
The researchers reported that not only was the arugula well tolerated, but it provided the patients with important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Arugula promotes healthy, flexible skin

Believe it or not, arugula can play an important role in a beauty and skincare routine.
In addition to helping to defend against ultraviolet damage to skin (remember its high content of light-filtering lutein and zeaxanthin?) antioxidants in arugula protect the skin’s elasticity and fight the oxidative stress that can create wrinkles.
As if that weren’t enough reason to include arugula in salads –its high content of vitamin C can help promote the production of collagen, essential for healthy skin.

Arugula is high in folate

Bonus for expectant mothers: each cup of arugula leaves contains 19 micrograms of folate, an essential B-vitamin that helps to prevent neural tube defects in infants.

Arugula has a stellar nutritional profile

No surprises here: arugula is low in calories (with a scanty 5 per cup), low in fat, free of cholesterol and rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. It contains hefty amounts of vitamins A, C, and E, along with vitamin K (at 21.7 mcg per cup) – which is essential for the maintenance of bones and can help to prevent osteoporosis.
It also supplies calcium – important for strong bones and teeth – and magnesium, which supports healthy blood pressure.

Give recipes some “zing” with zesty arugula

Use rocket lettuce instead of – or even with – similar tangy greens such as watercress, basil and parsley.  Salads, wraps and sandwiches are all suitable partners for arugula – and will benefit from the fresh, zippy flavor.
Remember: Rocket lettuce should be consumed raw or very lightly steamed to preserve its valuable phytochemicals.  And, of course, you can increase the already-substantial health benefits of a smoothie to “warp drive” by tossing in a handful of organic arugula.
Feel free to borrow this recipe from NaturalHealth365:
Simply blend cold water with some ice, a half-cup of organic frozen blueberries, half of a ripe avocado, a tablespoon of almond butter, and half a frozen banana. Add the arugula and enjoy.
To make a truly flavorful pesto using rocket lettuce, lightly brown one-half cup of unsalted raw walnut halves, then use a food processor to roughly chop the walnuts, along with 2 cups of fresh organic rocket lettuce leaves and a clove or two of peeled garlic.
Drizzle in one-half cup of extra virgin olive oil during the chopping process, then stir in a little grated raw cheese (if you like)  and add sea salt to taste.
Sources for this article include:

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Psyllium Seeds Fight GERD

Psyllium Seeds Fight GERD

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If you're struggling with heartburn, constipation or other uncomfortable symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), adding fiber to your diet, in the form of psyllium seed, may help
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an incredibly common digestive disorder characterized by heartburn and acid reflux -- the phenomenon when stomach acid flows back into your esophagus. Some evidence suggests 40% of Americans may struggle with GERD, while 40% experience heartburn once a month and up to 10% have heartburn every day.[1]
GERD can be severe, leading to lasting complications like teeth erosion andrespiratory problems. Problems with swallowing and chest and abdominal pain may also occur, and even in mild cases resulting bad breath can be a problem.
While it's possible to have GERD without heartburn, this burning sensation in your chest is one of the most common symptoms of GERD -- one that can range from mildly annoying to severely painful. Fortunately, natural treatments exist to treat GERD, and one -- psyllium seed -- works even better than commonly used medications.
Psyllium Seed Treats GERD Better Than Drugs
The drug omeprazole (brand name Prilosec OTC), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), is often used to treat heartburn and other GERD symptoms, as it helps to reduce acid in your stomach.
However, excess stomach acid is not the cause of GERD, and PPIs are associated with serious side effects, including infection, overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, malnutrition and bone problems.[2] Further, one-third of people do not respond to PPI treatment and even among those that do, recurrence is common.
Researchers from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran compared the effects of psyllium seed on GERD with those of omeprazole, in patients with constipation. Chronic constipation is often seen alongside GERD, and suffering from both conditions may increase GERD symptoms and inhibit response to drug treatments.
"Therefore, it is expected that treatment of constipation can lead to treatment of refractory GERD," the researchers noted, which is why they focused on psyllium seed, a natural fiber known for its laxative effects. For the study 132 people received either omeprazole or psyllium seed twice a day for two months.
Both treatments led to similar improvements; 89.2% of those in the psyllium seed group improved compared to 94% of those in the omeprazole group. However, the difference in recurrence among the groups was striking -- while only 24.1% of those taking psyllium seed had a recurrence of GERD symptoms, 69.8% of those in the omeprazole group had their symptoms return.
As such, psyllium seed was the clear winner, with researchers noting, "The results showed that treatment of functional constipation by Psyllium seed in patients with GERD leads to improvement of GERD and its recurrences in comparison with omeprazole."[3]
Fiber-Rich Diet Improves GERD Symptoms
A similar study looked into the use of psyllium seed to increase dietary fiber intake in people with GERD. Thirty-six people with GERD and low dietary fiber intake (defined as less than 20 grams of fiber a day for the study's purposes) had their diets supplemented with psyllium (5 grams, three times a day) for 10 days.[4]
Significant improvements resulted in heartburn frequency and GERD episodes by the end of the study. While 93.3% of participants suffered from heartburn at the start of the study, this declined to 40% at the end of the study period.
Lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure, a hallmark of GERD, also increased after the fiber-rich diet. According to the researchers, the study is among the first to show that increasing dietary fiber via psyllium may be useful for this facet of GERD, noting:
"The ability of dietary fibers to bind nitric oxide contained in food may diminish its negative effect on lower esophageal sphincter pressure.
Our study is the first prospective trial demonstrating that increasing dietary fiber intake results in an increase of minimal esophageal resting pressure, a decrease in the number of gastroesophageal refluxes, and a decrease in heartburn episodes per week in patients with non-erosive GERD."[5]
Psyllium as a Medicinal Plant
Psyllium seed has been used in traditional Persian medicine since ancient times. The mucilage, or gluey substance, produced by the seeds leads to an increase in the wave-like movements, or peristalsis, of the bowel, while also increasing moisture of the stool, helping to increase both the frequency and volume of bowel movements.[6]
Beyond this, psyllium may favorably alter the microbiota in your intestines, as some microbes may use oligosaccharides from psyllium as an energy source. This means psyllium may have prebiotic potential, helping to support the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut, while also boosting production of short-chain fatty acids that improve the health of your colon.[7]
So while traditionally psyllium has been viewed as an excellent tool for improving constipation, it's now known that it may benefit a number of health conditions, including:[8]
On GreenMedInfo's database page on psyllium, you can find 24 diseases that have been researched in relation to psyllium seed, along with its 18 potential pharmacological actions, which include antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and carminative (flatulence relieving) actions, among others.
Psyllium seed is easy to find at health food stores and can be safely used as a dietary supplement by most people. Be sure to consume it along with plenty of pure water, which makes it easier to swallow.
If you're struggling with GERD symptoms, adding psyllium seed to your daily diet is a simple step to potentially relieve heartburn, constipation and related symptoms -- but it's far from the only natural tool available. At least 30 other natural substances may also help to calm this common condition.

References
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

Medicinal Mushrooms Cuts Herpes Suffering Time in Half

Medicinal Mushrooms Cut Herpes Suffering Time in Half

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The herpes virus afflicts millions of people worldwide, causing painful blister-like sores that are often embarrassing. There is no known cure, and medications have a long list of potential side effects and a "take it forever" prescription. Did you know that there is a clinically proven, natural way to provide relief that is growing right under your feet?
Mushrooms, both wild and cultivated, have been prized for their medicinal value for more than 2,000 years. A staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ganoderma lucidum or lingzhi mushroom, commonly called reishi, are among the rarest and most prized of therapeutic, edible fungi.
Deemed by ancient healers as the "mushroom of immortality," reishis are large, dark mushrooms with a shiny, slick surface and "woody" texture, which is unsurprising, considering that they grow on old, hardwood trees. In order to meet culinary and medicinal demands for this valued mushroom, reishis are now actively cultivated in different varieties, using wood chips and logs as growing mediums.
One potential benefit of supplementing with this superfood is its proven ability to ease the painful symptoms from recurrent herpes simplex viral infections.
Herpes: A Global Epidemic
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3.7 billion people (nearly 70% of adults worldwide under age 50) are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).[1] Often referred to as "oral herpes," this type generally presents with lesions known as "cold sores" on or around the mouth. HSV-1 is mainly transmitted via oral-to-oral contact but can also cause genital herpes via oral-to-genital contact.
An estimated 417 million people from this same group (around 11% of adults under 50 worldwide) have HSV type 2 infections (HSV-2), or genital herpes.[2] Both types of herpes are considered lifelong infections with no known cure.
While most herpes infections are asymptomatic, for some sufferers, outbreaks are severe and can recur frequently. Symptoms include painful blisters at the site of infection, open ulcerations that burn and weep, and chronic itching. Non-physical symptoms can be acute, including shame and a desire for physical isolation due to social stigma surrounding infection.
Mushrooms Speed Relief of Herpes Symptoms
With no known cures and few effective treatments, scientists are focused on finding ways to help sufferers manage this often-debilitating condition more effectively. It was to this end that researchers at the Toyodo Hijikata Clinic and Kansai Medical University in Osaka, Japan, conducted a clinical experiment on medicinal mushrooms' ability to improve recovery time for patients suffering from outbreaks due to HSV-2.
Published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicinethe paper details the attempt to reduce the amount of time needed for patients afflicted by genital herpes outbreaks to return to an asymptomatic state using an herbal mixture comprised primarily of reishi-type mushrooms.
A total of 28 adults participated in this clinical study. These individuals had experienced recurrent herpes outbreaks for more than one year and had received standard outpatient care at other medical facilities without improvement.
The treatment mixture, a combination of two, powdered reishi-type mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum, Elfuinga applanata) and other traditional herbal remedies such as water chestnut and tropical almond, was administered to test subjects, while the control group received no treatment.
According to published results, the difference was dramatic: the mushroom and herb mixture provided "…fast, effective relief from symptoms of recurrent herpes (genitalis and labialis)." Herpes genitalis sufferers experienced a decrease in symptomatic time of more than 50% compared to the control group, with an average 4.9 days to recovery from pain and associated symptoms, while the group receiving no treatment required 10.9 days before relief was experienced.
Similarly, the time required to obtain relief from herpes labialis was nearly eight days without treatment but only four days when patients received the herbal supplement.
Effective Relief From Herpes Pain
A similar study provides reliable confirmation of the power of mushrooms to inhibit the pain associated with herpes outbreaks. Herpes zoster is another type of herpetic infection caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox.
Also called "shingles," herpes zoster is characterized by ulcerative lesions on the skin forming a painful rash-type cluster of blisters that can be slow to heal. Current conventional treatment protocols include oral antiviral medications, as well as pain medications to provide relief from these outbreaks.
The 2005 study, a pilot clinical trial, was published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine.[3] Researchers provided a hot water extract of herbs containing Ganoderma lucidum, aka reishi mushroom, to five patients suffering from shingles. According to published results, pain relief was experienced within a few days of intake, with near-complete pain relief by day 10 of administration of the herbal extract.
Relief was experienced by patients of all ages (from 17 to 74 years) and in all outbreak locations (head, legs and lower body). Patients responded quickly to treatment and after more than one year of follow-up examinations, no patient had developed post-herpetic neuralgia, a lingering pain that is the most common after-effect of shingles.
Are Mushrooms a Prescription for Long Life?
Reishi mushrooms have been widely studied in modern medical research, with many of their traditional therapeutic powers confirmed.
Known for their ability to boost the circulatory and immune systems, people supplement with reishi mushrooms for health conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and to improve cardiovascular health, among other documented benefits. Some of the properties attributed to reishis include their ability to:
Mushrooms as Nutritional Medicine
Mushrooms are often considered a vegetable but are in fact a type of edible fungus. Rich in seleniumniacinpotassiumvitamins D and B3, as well as copper and iron, mushrooms are potent antioxidants that activate the immune system, eradicate dangerous free radicals and ensure proper functioning of nerves and muscles.
While eating reishi mushrooms is less common due to their tough, woody texture and bitter taste, this healing powerhouse is widely available as a tea and in both liquid and powdered extract formulas.
Red reishis have the longest history of medicinal use and have been shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of health conditions. Unlike other mushrooms, only the reishi (Lingzhi) has triterpenes (ganoderic acid), an important compound that gives them their bitter taste and is widely believed to be responsible for reishi's amazing pharmacological effects.
Finally, mushrooms have a beneficial effect on the all-important microbiome, contributing a prebiotic effect by encouraging proliferation of healthy gut bacteria, resulting in better digestion, anti-aging effects and improved metabolic processes, including potential weight loss.[4] This effect is attributed to the cobweb-like mycelium that make up the mushrooms' structure, and connects mushroom clusters underground via a network of intelligent signaling pathways.
Explore the many healing effects of medicinal mushrooms and take advantage of Mother Nature's infinite healing intelligence.GreenMedInfo has an in-depth database of nutritional-medical research. Find out more by exploring the 138 abstracts reishi mushrooms and their miraculous healing potential.

References
[2] IBID
[3] Am J Chin Med. 2005;33(4):517-23.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.