If you are looking to heal yourself, explore these lesser known, but effective non-toxic medicinal approaches.

Poplar tree leaf bud extract could fight skin aging

Antioxidants are popular anti-aging ingredients in skin creams, and now scientists are reporting a new source of these healthful substances — leaf buds of poplar trees. Their study appears in the ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Xavier Vitrac and colleagues note that there’s a long history of using poplar buds to treat various health problems, such as colds, sinusitis, sunburn and arthritis. A substance found in beehives that is made from poplar buds (called propolis) also appears to have similar disease-fighting benefits. Propolis’ effects seem to be due to poplar bud compounds, but very little is known about these substances. To see whether poplar buds are a good source of antioxidants for skin creams, the researchers decided to test an extract from the buds.

The group found that poplar bud extract had moderate antioxidant activity, and it demonstrated anti-aging effects on cells in the laboratory. “The collective antioxidant properties and transcriptional effect of this extract suggest potential anti-aging properties which could be utilized in cosmetic and nutraceutical formulations,” the scientists say.

Practicing evidence based homeopathy

Evidence based practice (EBP) revolves around improved patient outcomes. Health professionals use the best evidence possible to make clinical decisions for individual patients. It involves complex and conscientious decision making based on the available evidence, and also on patient characteristics, situations, and preferences.

EBP recognizes that health care is individualized and ever changing. Finally, I would say EBP is the formalization of the care process based on requirements of individual patient. This individualization is practiced by homeopathic physicians for the last 200 years.

Homeopathy is a system of therapeutics founded in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann on the principle that “like cures like”. Homeopathy, since its inception, has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses based on individualisation or in a way EBP. Hahnemann was the first person who advocated this strongly. (more…)

Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells.

Frenkel M, Mishra BM, Sen S, Yang P, Pawlus A, Vence L, Leblanc A, Cohen L, Banerji P, Banerji P.

Integrative Medicine Program-Unit 145, Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. frenkelm@netvision.net.il

The use of ultra-diluted natural products in the management of disease and treatment of cancer has generated a lot of interest and controversy. We conducted an in vitro study to determine if products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines. We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins, including downregulation of phosphorylated Rb and upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27, which were likely responsible for the cell cycle delay/arrest as well as induction of the apoptotic cascade that manifested in the activation of caspase 7 and cleavage of PARP in the treated cells. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in-depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.

Amy Lansky has written an insightful article to address some of these concerns, here is a link.

Also why do we need (allow) these individuals to decide if we want access to medical freedom, choices and options in our health care? Medical freedom is a necessity, not an option.

September 18, 2009-In a small “proof of principle” study, stroke researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Illinois have found that a simple, one-minute eye movement exam performed at the bedside worked better than an MRI to distinguish new strokes from other less serious disorders in patients complaining of dizziness, nausea and spinning sensations.

Results of the study of 101 patients , who were already at higher than normal risk of stroke because of factors including high blood pressure or high cholesterol, were published online ahead of print on Sept. 17 in Stroke. The patients were all seen at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill.

The project, spearheaded by a Johns Hopkins neurologist in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Illinois in Peoria, found that the quick, extremely low-cost exam caught more strokes than the current gold standard of MRI, suggesting that if further research on broader populations confirms these results, physicians may have a way to improve care and avoid the high costs of MRI in some cases.

“The idea that a bedside exam could outperform a modern neuroimaging test such as MRI is something that most people had given up for dead, but we’ve shown it’s possible,” says David E. Newman-Toker, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dizziness is a common medical problem, Newman-Toker says, responsible for 2.6 million emergency room visits annually in the United States. While the vast majority of dizziness complaints are caused by benign inner-ear balance problems, about 4 percent are signals of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, a condition that often warns of impending stroke in the coming days or weeks). Because more than half of patients with dizziness who are experiencing strokes show none of the classic stroke symptoms — one-sided weakness, numbness, or speech problems — emergency room physicians are estimated to misdiagnose at least a third of them, losing the chance for quick and effective treatment.

“We know that time is brain, so when patients having a stroke are sent home erroneously, the consequences can be really serious, including death or permanent disability,” says Jorge C. Kattah, M.D., chairman of neurology at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, who co-led the study.

The study of eye movement tests was suggested by previous research showing that people experiencing a stroke have eye-movement alterations that correlate with stroke-damage to various brain areas and that these are distinct from eye-movement alterations seen with benign ear diseases. Some patients, for example, can’t immediately adjust their eye position if their heads are quickly turned to the side, or they experience jerky eye movements as they try to focus on a doctor’s finger when looking to either side.

Newman-Toker and his colleagues at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria wondered whether testing eye movements in dizzy patients might help them sort out which ones were having a stroke from those with other problems.

All of the patients in the current study were seen after complaining of severe dizziness that had lasted for several hours continuously, and all had at least one risk factor for stroke. The researchers selected them to increase the chance that they would find strokes in this population. None of the patients had a history of previous dizzy spells and more than half sought care at the Peoria medical center’s ER, though some were inpatients at the hospital or were transferred from other area hospitals.

The researchers gave each patient an exam comprised of three eye-movement tests: looking for inability to keep the eyes stable as patients heads were rotated rapidly to either side, looking for jerkiness as patients tracked a doctor’s finger to look right and left, and checking eye position to see if one eye was higher than the other. Each patient then received an early MRI, the highest-quality neuroimaging test available to confirm stroke in dizzy patients. Patients with eye tests suggesting stroke but without stroke on the first MRI scan underwent a repeat scan.

In the end, 69 patients were diagnosed with stroke and 25 with inner-ear conditions. The remainder had other neurological problems. Using only the three eye-movement tests, the researchers had correctly diagnosed all of the strokes and 24 of 25 with inner-ear conditions. By contrast, initial MRI scans were falsely negative in eight of the 69 stroke patients, who were later correctly diagnosed with follow-up MRIs.

Though the researchers emphasize the need to verify their results in a larger and more general population of patients with dizziness, Newman-Toker says the initial findings are “incredibly promising.” If they hold true, he adds, testing eye movements could have several advantages over MRI beyond reliable diagnostics. For example, while the wait time for an MRI can be several hours or more, physicians can perform all three eye-movement tests in a minute or less. Also, the eye-movement tests are “basically free,” compared to $1000 or more for an MRI, Newman-Toker says.

“In an era where cost containment is butting up against issues of quality in health care delivery, there’s tremendous potential for bedside approaches like ours that could reduce costs while improving quality at the same time,” says Newman-Toker.

For more information, go here

Is there a role for complementary therapy in the management of leukemia?
Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009 Sep;9(9):1241-9
Patients with leukemia often seek additional treatments not prescribed by their oncologist in an effort to improve their cancer treatment outcome or to manage symptoms.

Complementary therapies are used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments to decrease symptoms and side effects associated with cancer or cancer treatment, and to improve patients’ overall quality of life. Complementary therapies are distinct from so-called ‘alternative’ therapies, which are unproven, ineffective and may postpone or interfere with mainstream cancer treatment. Complementary therapies are pleasant, inexpensive, nonpharmacologic and effective. For patients with leukemia, the complementary therapies that are always appropriate include mind-body interventions, such as self-hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery and breath awareness. Massage and reflexology (foot massage) decrease symptoms with effects lasting at least 2 days following treatment. Acupuncture is very beneficial for symptom management without adverse consequences. Physical fitness with regular exercise and healthy dietary habits can significantly decrease side effects of cancer treatments and may prolong survival. Botanical extracts and vitamin supplements may interfere with active cancer treatments, and should be discussed with the oncologist or pharmacist before use.

Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, NY 10021, USA.

First you have to locate a trained, qualified homeopath. Homeopathic care is not licensed in the US and most states do not oversee the practice. Search national organizations such as the North American Society of Homeopaths or the Council for Homeopathic Certification. Both are sources of qualified homeopaths. A certification is not a license or a recommendation. What it demonstrates is a certain amount of education, training and the ability to meet certain requirements. However, there are excellent homeopaths who may choose not to be included in a directory. Ask family and friends if they know of someone. Check for local workshops given by a practitioner.

At the minimum you want a homeopath who has undertaken training at a school run by homeopaths. It is even better if the school had a training clinic whereby there was mentoring. In the final selection, just like any health practitioner make sure there is appropriate rapport between you. Ask questions. Check to see if they have training in other therapies. What kind of success have they experienced?

Healing is a process and it happens on many levels. You have to allow yourself time for it to develop and manifest. It can be rapid or it may take more time, especially if someone is beset with deep seated or multiple ailments. Homeopathy has been helping people for centuries.

The company however had to close due to the economic downturn. I hope that other people will explore this model. We can make holistic medicine and therapies much more widely available to those who want them and to those who would choose them if they were on the menu. Places like this make what is called integrative medicine a much more feasible reality.

Check out the site, the link will probably go inactive at some point.

Help for High Blood Pressure

Enter the Polypill.  Researchers want to create a pill a 3 in one that can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure in one.  article here
Truth is it has been created or should I say they have been. When we eat whole foods, contained therein is a synergistic blend of vitamins, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, solar and lunar energy and maybe even (hopefully) love from the gardener. We cannot get this from a pill.

Run This Way

Instead of running from nature, run to nature. Nurture yourself with learning how to live in balance. It’s free. It’s the healthiest choice for yourself and the planet. Give it a try. Polypill? Try basking in the sun, or hugging a dear friend, cook yourself a meal with a big dose of love in it…you’ll be glad you did, for benefits no Polypill could ever provide.

At Continuum Wellness we offer homeopathic care and wellness coaching to promote wholeness, health and well-being.