Health Benefits of Garlic

It’s hard to pinpoint an exact number of published studies because the term “studies” can encompass a wide range of research—from in vitro and animal experiments to clinical trials and epidemiological surveys—but here’s a rough overview based on what academic databases reveal according to a search by ChatGPT:

General Garlic Research: A search on major scientific repositories like PubMed using keywords such as “garlic” and “health benefits” tends to return several thousand articles. In broad terms, you might find anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 publications when you include all types of research (preclinical, animal studies, and clinical trials). This vast body of literature reflects garlic’s longstanding use in traditional medicine and its contemporary evaluation as a functional food.

Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) Specific Studies: When you narrow the focus to studies specifically investigating aged garlic extract, the numbers are lower—likely ranging from 200 to 500 studies. This subset generally includes clinical trials, systematic reviews, and mechanistic studies that probe AGE’s effects on cardiovascular health, immune function, and antioxidant activity.

These ballpark figures illustrate not only the depth of research into garlic’s myriad health benefits but also underscore how garlic remains a subject of active scientific interest. Do keep in mind these numbers are in constant flux as new research is published, and the exact figures can vary depending on the search criteria you use in a given database.

Several peer-reviewed studies and comprehensive reviews I’ve chosen have highlighted garlic’s impressive health benefits. Here’s an overview of the key findings from some of these studies:

1. Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Properties:
A review published in Nutrition Research Reviews (2011) explores how garlic’s bioactive sulfur compounds—especially allicin—play a central role in its health benefits. This review details that garlic can inhibit low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, support the body’s antioxidant defenses, and even interfere with processes involved in carcinogenesis. In essence, regular garlic consumption has been linked to improved cardiovascular profiles and a potential reduction in cancer risk.

2. Cardiovascular Health:
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) summarizes several studies that suggest garlic supplementation might modestly lower total and LDL cholesterol levels as well as reduce blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. Although the effects are often modest, these changes support garlic’s role as an adjunct in managing cardiovascular risk factors, emphasizing its part in an overall heart‐healthy diet.

3. Immune System Support and Other Benefits:
In a popular overview article, Healthline details research that has found aged garlic extract (AGE) to be associated with enhanced immune function. Some studies suggest that supplementation with AGE may help reduce the frequency and severity of common colds, possibly due to improved modulation of immune cell activity and reduced inflammation. Alongside immune support, garlic’s low-calorie nutrient profile and antimicrobial properties further compound its role in promoting general wellbeing.

Collectively, these studies provide compelling evidence that garlic is not just a flavorful addition to the diet but a potent natural agent for supporting cardiovascular health, offering antioxidant protection, and enhancing immune function.

References:

1. Cambridge Core – “Garlic in Health and Disease” Nutrition Research Reviews, 2011: A comprehensive review that details garlic’s bioactive compounds and their roles in antioxidant, anticancer, and cardiovascular protective mechanisms.
2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) – “Garlic: Usefulness and Safety“: This resource outlines clinical findings on garlic’s modest benefits in managing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
3. Healthline – “11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic“: This article provides a well-rounded summary of garlic’s benefits, including its effects on immunity, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Industrial Garlic Production vs Organic Methods

Comparing industrial garlic production with sustainable, organic methods reveals striking differences that have far-reaching implications—not just for the environment, but also for consumer health and the overall quality of the garlic.

Soil Health and Nutrient Integrity

Organic Practices:
Organic garlic farming emphasizes building robust soil life through methods like cover cropping, crop rotation, and no-till or no-dig farming. In the local farmer’s approach, cover crops (such as fall rye, crimson clover, and fava beans) not only suppress weeds but also enrich the soil with organic matter and essential nutrients, fostering a thriving community of microorganisms. These practices maintain soil structure and preserve its natural fertility, helping garlic accumulate higher levels of natural bioactive compounds like allicin. Additionally, propagation from bulbils, although slower, plays a crucial role in minimizing disease transfer, thereby ensuring the crop remains healthy and potent¹.

Industrial Methods:
In contrast, industrial garlic production—especially in regions that rely heavily on chemical inputs—often depends on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to boost yields and ensure a uniform product. While this approach can result in large volumes of garlic with a consistent appearance, it tends to degrade soil health over time. Intensive chemical use can disrupt the soil’s microbial balance and reduce organic matter, potentially diminishing the nutritional content and natural flavor profile of garlic. Furthermore, to meet market demands, manufacturers may rely on post-harvest chemical treatments that help extend shelf life, which raises concerns about residual chemicals in the final product².

Nutritional Quality and Bioactive Compounds

Organic Practices:
The symbiotic relationship between organic soil management and crop health is profound. Well-maintained soil nurtures garlic’s capacity to develop high levels of beneficial sulfur compounds. The absence of synthetic chemicals also means that the garlic’s natural defensive and nutritional chemicals are not suppressed, offering consumers a product richer in antioxidants and other phytochemicals. This has been linked to garlic’s reputed benefits for cardiovascular support, immune modulation, and even anticancer properties¹.

Industrial Methods:
Industrial garlic, while perfectly safe to eat under regulated conditions, may face challenges in optimizing the natural synthesis of these bioactive compounds. The heavy reliance on chemicals can stress the plant in ways that lead to lower levels of these naturally occurring compounds. Even under strict food safety regulations, consumers have expressed concerns over the potential residual chemical inputs and the long-term effects of such practices on both human health and environmental sustainability².

Environmental and Economic Impacts

Organic Practices:
Sustainable farming not only champions the health of the crop but also supports environmental stewardship. Practices such as crop rotation and no-till farming help sequester carbon and reduce erosion, contributing to long-term ecosystem resilience and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, local organic garlic production fosters food security and supports local economies, reducing the environmental costs associated with long-distance transportation¹.

Industrial Methods:
Large-scale industrial garlic operations often prioritize speed and yield over sustainability. While this method might fulfill immediate market demands, it can lead to long-term issues such as soil depletion, increased erosion, and contamination of local water sources due to runoff of synthetic chemicals. These environmental costs, although sometimes less visible on the supermarket shelf, can have profound implications for the broader ecosystem and ultimately for public health².

Conclusion
Organically grown garlic benefits from farming practices that promote both soil health and the synthesis of valuable phytochemicals. These methods not only yield a superior product in terms of flavor and nutritional profile but also support long-term environmental sustainability and local economies. Meanwhile, industrial garlic production—predicated on chemical intensification—can compromise soil integrity and reduce the naturally occurring health benefits of garlic.

Knowing the source of your garlic matters. Sustainable practices aren’t just about “green” ideals; they fundamentally affect the nutritional profile and safety of the food on our plates.

References

1. National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). “Garlic: Organic Production” – A comprehensive resource on organic garlic production methods, covering aspects from organic fertility management to the benefits of practices like cover cropping and no-till agriculture.
2. AGDAILY. “Debunking 6 garlic myths: The truth behind imported garlic …” AGDAILY explores common misconceptions around imported garlic and touches on aspects related to chemical use and post-harvest treatments in industrial practices.

Locally Grown Garlic

Great Garlic farming methods stand out as a model of sustainable, health-focused agriculture. Their approach is deeply rooted in practices that build and protect soil health—a critical factor for growing garlic with robust flavor and maximum nutritional benefit. Here’s a breakdown of their key practices and why they matter:

1. Cover Cropping and Crop Rotation
By using a diversified mix of cover crops like fall rye, crimson clover, and fava beans, the farmer is replenishing organic matter and nitrogen in the soil while suppressing weeds and preventing erosion. This practice not only feeds the beneficial fungi and microbial bacteria essential for nutrient cycling but also creates a dynamic ecosystem that reduces the buildup of pathogens. The three-crop rotation, with successive cover crops between each garlic harvest, is a proven method to break disease and virus cycles. In contrast, conventional garlic farming—often dependent on chemical fertilizers and pesticides—can lead to long-term degradation of soil quality and increased risk of contamination.

2. No-Till/No-Dig Farming Practices
The decision to adopt a no-till or no-dig system is particularly notable. Tilling the soil can disrupt and even destroy the beneficial microorganisms that help recycle nutrients and sequester carbon. No-till farming preserves soil structure, enhances water retention, and helps immobilize carbon within the soil—a factor that not only contributes to climate change mitigation but also results in a healthier growing medium for garlic. Numerous studies have highlighted how reducing soil disturbance improves microbial diversity and overall soil health, ultimately leading to higher quality, more nutrient-dense crops.

3. Raising Garlic from Bulbils
An innovative aspect of this farmer’s operation is the use of bulbils rather than relying solely on cloves. While growing from bulbils requires a longer time to maturity—three to five years—it significantly reduces the risk of passing along diseases and viruses common to garlic. This method, although slower, often results in larger and healthier bulbs, as the virus load is minimized from generation to generation. Healthier bulbs likely retain more of the bioactive compounds (such as allicin and other sulfur compounds) that are responsible for garlic’s well-documented health benefits.

4. Comparisons to Conventional Practices
Industrial farming methods in parts of China, for example, often rely heavily on chemical inputs that not only pollute waterways and degrade farmland quality but compromise the purity of the garlic itself. By implementing organic, biodynamic methods, this local farmer avoids these pitfalls, ensuring his garlic is produced in an environment with significantly lower exposure to harmful pollutants. This sustainable approach enhances the nutritional profile of the garlic, making it a superior choice from a health perspective.

Supporting Studies and References:

1. Dialogue Earth on Eco-Farming Practices: An article from Dialogue Earth discusses the detrimental impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in garlic farming areas in China—highlighting the environmental benefits of eco-farming methods similar to those practiced by the local farmer¹.
2. Impact of Water Pollution on Agriculture: Research published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research analyzes the effects of water pollution (stemming largely from heavy chemical use) on agricultural yields and sustainability, indirectly reinforcing the need for more organic practices².
3. Lake Protection and Agricultural Runoff: An article from China Development Brief outlines how traditional garlic farming practices contribute to environmental degradation in regions like Dali, underlining the advantages of locally sourced, sustainably grown garlic⁵.
4. Health Benefits of Garlic: Reviews from sources such as Healthline and Cambridge illustrate the importance of garlic’s bioactive compounds for human health. Maintaining healthy soil practices helps ensure that these compounds are present in their natural potency, free from chemical contamination^3,4.

In conclusion
Great Garlic’s multifaceted approach—spanning cover cropping, crop rotation, no-till practices, and propagation from bulbils—creates an optimal environment for growing garlic that is both healthier for the consumer and more sustainable for the ecosystem. Their methods not only yield a product rich in beneficial nutrients but also avoid the pitfalls of chemical dependence that are prevalent in many large-scale operations abroad. This approach directly contrasts with the industrial practices that are often linked to environmental and health concerns. For more information or to order garlic from the farm you can visit their website and blog @ https://greatgarlic.ca/

References:

1. https://dialogue.earth/en/pollution/10178-garlic-village-experiments-with-eco-farming/
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-020-11079-2
3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic
4. Rana SV, Pal R, Vaiphei K, Sharma SK, Ola RP. Garlic in health and disease. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2011;24(1):60-71. doi:10.1017/S0954422410000338
5. https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/reports/lake-protection-plan-a-raw-deal-for-dali-garlic-farmers/

The post Getting The Best Benefits From Garlic appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

TotalHealth Editors:

Silver Use Institute, Feb 1st, 2025

Is it about time to take care of our own, our own friends, and especially our own families,  the people who we hold most dear to us?  All the science is in place to help us, but it seems like people are struggling to find it and to put aside all the bad and misleading pseudo information that we are constantly being fed.  It is the intent of this article to bring some of that science into the light!

Introduction

Contrary to current thought, keeping our people safe and healthy may not be all that difficult to do if we actually embrace the science!  In the last few decades, we have all been hit with a host of new and deadly viruses.  Every year or two, a new one hits.  Those would include viruses like HIV, SARS, EBOLA, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and Covid just to name a few, and there are many more on that list.  Over the past few years, we have had to endure masks, staying home, losing jobs, closing business, food and medical shortages etc. etc.  Worse of all we have had to attend, or not be able to attend, the funerals of many of our friends and family.   The people who have died, possibly unnecessarily, have affected us all in one way or another.   On January 30, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) with an official death toll of 171. By December 31, 2020, this figure stood at 1,813,188. Yet preliminary estimates suggest the total number of global deaths attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was at least 3 million, representing 1.2 million more deaths than officially reported (1). As of April 13, 2024, the death toll had reportedly reached 7,010,681.  It doesn’t stop there, currently there are 704,753,890 confirmed cases in 229 countries and territories (2). So how do we protect our people?

Background on Nano Silver

In the mouths of two or three witnesses truth is established, right?  How about from the mouths of over a hundred or five hundred scientists?  How about a thousand scientists in just one publication (3)?  How about millions of people over 1000’s of years?  Silver has been used for at least six millennia to prevent microbial infections. “It has been effective against almost all organisms tested and has been used to treat numerous infections and noninfectious conditions, sometimes with striking success” (4).  Around 400 BC, the “father of modern medicine”, Hippocrates, wrote of using silver to improve wound care, and during the intervening years silver has been featured in a wide range of writings, most of which highlight its capabilities with particular regard to limiting inflammation and infection. . (5)  There are now hundreds and hundreds of peer-reviewed, published medical studies on the medicinal use of nano silver for lifechanging things like: wound care, bio tissue engineering, antimicrobial action including antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungus, mold, and deadly strains of virus.  There are even more than 60 peer-reviewed and published studies on the use of nano silver to help eliminate numerous different types of cancer. (3)

 Prevention

What many people may not know is that a virus can build up in your body for days before you even know you have an infection.  Also important to know is that you can actually spread a viral infection to other people before you know you have it, and before you start feeling sick.  So prevention is a key component to staying healthy.  Prevention is always easier than treatment, so what can we do to prevent a deadly viral infection? A great answer to that question was published on August 19, 2021. It was published by 11 scientists from 8 different institutions located in 3 different countries.  The study incorporated 231 frontline health workers treating Covid patients in hospitals.  The medical personnel were split into two groups.  There were 117 of the people that just followed their regular prevention protocols as directed by their hospitals.  They were the control group.  The second group of 114 medical people added the use of nano silver to their daily prevention routines.

To quote the scientists directly,

“We present a prospective randomized study of 231 participants that was carried out for 9 weeks (during the declaration of a pandemic). The “experimental” group was instructed to do mouthwash and nose rinse with the AgNPs (nano silver) solution; the “control” group was instructed to do mouthwashes and nose rinse in a conventional way. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly lower in the “experimental” group (two participants of 114, 1.8%) compared to the “control” group (thirty-three participants of 117, 28.2%), with an 84.8% efficiency. We conclude that the mouth and nasal rinse with AgNPs helps in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health personnel who are exposed to patients diagnosed with COVID-19”. (6)

If you could cut your chance of getting infected by a deadly virus from more than 28% to just 1.8% simply by gargling and rinsing out your sinuses with nano silver daily, who wouldn’t do that?  With the use of just a little nano silver, the medical professionals had a 15X less chance of getting covid, all while being directly exposed to infected people!  A person could easily help a child, or an elderly person rinse out their sinuses daily just by the use of a simple nasal sprayer or a nebulizer.  It is an easy way to help people, and to give them an affordable, safe, and effective first line of defense to keep them healthy!

A second validation of the potential effect of just washing out your sinuses came from an Indian government lab, where in testing they found that a nano-silver liquid could kill or neutralize about 50 % of the contained SARS CoV2 virus within just the first 15 minutes of contact time, at a concentration of merely 10 parts per million nano silver.  Slightly higher concentrations of nano silver worked even better.  This study also proves nano silver has a direct effect on the elimination of the deadly virus. (7)

So, what do I do if I get it?

A great answer to that question was published in December of 2022 by eight scientists from six major Universities and hospitals in Canada and the US.  The Universities who participated were the University of Florida, University of Tennessee, and the University of Alberta, all outstanding institutions.  They tested the ability of nano silver to eliminate infections in the lungs and sinuses in both humans and animals, using a nebulizer to get the nano silver into the lungs.

They tested two different viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.  In their own words they found:

“Nano silver solutions demonstrated pH-dependent antimicrobial efficacy; reduced infection and inflammation without evidence of lung toxicity in the rat model; and inactivated HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Pneumonia patients had rapidly reduced pulmonary symptoms, recovering pre-illness respiratory function. Fungal sinusitis-related inflammation decreased immediately with infection clearance within 21 days. Non hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experienced rapid symptom remission”.(8)

In other words, they found that nebulizing the nano silver quickly eliminated the lung infections (killed or neutralized the viruses), reduced the inflammation, and was non-toxic or had no negative effect.  The nano silver helped heal the patients, whether they were animals or humans.  They found that the patients quickly regained their normal lung function, some within just hours.  The study again proves the value of using nano silver as a great first line of defense against active viral infections.

What About Other Deadly Virus?

There are many viruses for which medicine has no established treatment.  Nano silver is one of the best, if not the very best antiviral agent that exists.  It is a very broad spectrum natural antiviral remedy!  The ability of nano silver to kill or neutralize virus and reduce the inflammation associated with the virus, all without causing negative side effects is a very big deal!  There are many different problem viruses, and many different diseases caused by those viruses. Numerous peer-reviewed and published studies from literally hundreds of scientists and doctors from all around the world that have tested nano silver against about any virus you could name.  Some of those tests combined the use of nano silver with other antiviral agents for enhanced action, and some used the nano silver as the only form of treatment.  Either way, the only thing that actually matters is that nano silver has been proven to work.  That published and tested viral list would include virus such as: Adenovirus, HIV1, HIV2, Influenza A (H7N2), MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, EBOLA, Bird Flu (H5N1), Swine Flu, H1N1, Covid 19, Monkey pox, Hepatitis B & C, HPV, Noroviruses, West Nile, RSV, ZIKA, Rift Valley Fever, HSV1 & 2, Poliovirus, Chikungunya virus, and Dengue virus, to list just a few! (3)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13) There is no question about nano silver’s ability to help treat viral infections.  The question is whether or not the powers that be will let it be used to help treat people or whether or not people will be willing to study and treat themselves and their loved ones.

How Does Nano Silver Eliminate Virus?

That question was answered in detail by eight scientists from Texas A&M and Winthrop Universities.  The study was published on the 31st of July 2023 and was made available by the US Government (US NIH) (13).  While the answer is not simple to understand, we feel it is important to add in this info for those who need or wish to know.  The study states:

“In these studies, AgNPs were found to bind specifically or nonspecifically to proteins in the envelope of virions and thereby deactivate them (virucidal activity). These target proteins are mainly responsible for the viral interaction with host cells. During the pre-viral entry into host cells, AgNPs competitively attach to the cells and lyse the membrane of the virions (antiviral activity). In the case of the post-viral entry, AgNPs mainly inhibit the viral fusion with the cell membrane, and in several cases interfered with the stages of the viral replication cycle such as the synthesis of viral RNA (antiviral activity).”

In simpler words, the nano particles were found to attach to the virus and kill them.  Also, the nano silver could kill the virus both before and after they connected or attached to a cell to infect it.   That means the nano silver could act as both a preventive and also as a treatment after infection.  This was also proven in the studies listed in the first few sections of this paper on both prevention and treatment.

Is Nano Silver Safe To Use Daily?

In one published human ingestion study, completed as an FDA registered IND study (Investigational New Drug), it was found that Nano silver caused no negative action on any system of the body.  It was found that both a concentration of 10 ppm and a 32 ppm (parts per million) liquid nano silver, drunk at a level of 1 ounce daily, had no negative effect on any system of the body.  It was also found that the nano silver washed completely out of the body within 24 hours, with no measurable residual, meaning none remained inside! (14) So even if someone drank it at a high volume it was proven safe for human use.  Additionally, the US EPA has established the fact that silver causes no negative effects when used at low levels, saying, “Silver is of low acute dermal toxicity, is not an eye or skin irritant and is not a skin sensitizer”.(15)  One world-acclaimed scientist named Rustum Roy (nominated for the Noble Prize 23 times) stated, “It is extraordinary that no major effort has been made to confirm and expand on the role of metallic silver in human health—especially in light of its huge advantage in lack of side effects.”(16)   In simpler words, nano silver has been proven safe for use both inside and outside the body and that fact has been well established by a number of US government agencies as well as  hundreds of scientists all around the world.(3)

The safety of ingesting nano silver was also proven in two other published human clinical trials.  One trial on the treatment of malaria, which was reported to the US Congress at their request in 2005, tested 56 humans between the ages of 1-90 years of age.  No other medication was used with the nano silver to treat the malaria patients.  Those people infected with malaria were drinking an ounce of nano silver daily divided into three doses (TID).  No negative effects were reported at all.  All 56 human subjects reportedly fully recovered from the malaria within an average of 3.43 days, walking out of the hospitals within 5 days. (17)(18)  In another published study, a group of people with AIDS was given two ounces daily of nano silver, split into three doses for a period of 4 months.  No other medication was used.  No negative side effects were reported at all.  It was also reported that the AIDS patients measured an average white cell increase of 39.54% over the 4-month period of treatment. It effectively helped to rebuild their entire immune system.  Also reported was the fact that the AIDS patients were able to achieve an average weight gain of over 17 pounds during the study, another remarkable and important discovery/achievement (19).

Where to Get It? 

In our research, one of the top new suppliers of nano silver products is a company called SilverCeuticals.  SilverCeuticals is led by a team of doctors that have more than a combined 120 years of experience working in the nano silver industry.  The CEO, Dr Keith Moeller, ND, has co-authored many papers, textbooks, and other publications on silver.  A number of those are peer-reviewed and published in leading wound care, science, and health journals. After working with the US Military to help solve medical problems for soldiers in the field, he was awarded an honorary position as a member of the US Special Operations Medical Association, a designation he is proud to hold. He accompanied his father, standing before the US Congress, at their request, to testify about the use of nano-silver to treat malaria and other humanitarian problems.

He and his team have already engineered a number of new and innovative nano silver products and have been busy getting them approved by different governments.  Their primary focus has been on wound care and disinfection.  They have also proven expertise in the formulation of cosmetics and supplements that don’t need FDA approval.  They have recently engineered a serum that Health Canada has already approved to treat, among other conditions, both acne and eczema, one of the first of its kind.  They have also just achieved a new Canadian registration as an antimicrobial lubricant.  With another partner, they have amassed an ongoing clinical trial in oral care that touts more than 55,000 procedures to date, with heal rates of half the normal time and zero secondary infections.  Their products are available from a variety of sources including doctor’s offices, medical distributors, and amazon, as well as directly from their website. (20)

Conclusion

Silver has been used for thousands of years as both a preventative and treatment for various diseases and human problems.  Newly published scientific papers from over a thousand scientists all over the world have proven nano silver to be an effective and safe antiviral agent.  Nano silver is easily able to eliminate a broad spectrum of deadly viruses.  It has been proven safe as an effective preventative, able to help medical professionals have 15 times less chance of getting a deadly viral infection.  At the same time, other published studies from multiple US Universities have proven nano silver as an effective treatment for Covid 19 and other respiratory infections, in both animals and humans.  It is about time we embrace the science and utilize nano silver to help provide a first line of protection to our friends, and especially our own families!

References

1) https://www.who.int/data/stories/the-true-death-toll-of-covid-19-estimating-global-excess-mortality

2) https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/

3)  An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine; Accepted: 20 November 2020; Published: 23 November 2020  An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine

4) History of the Medical Use of Silver, US National Library of Medicine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19566416/ June 10, 2009

5) https://www.silverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SilverInMedicine.pdf

6) Evaluation of silver nanoparticles for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health workers: In vitro and in vivo,   PLOS ONE HTTPs://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256401 August 19, 2021

7) Centre For Cellular and Molecular Biology, November 3, 2020.  Hyderabad, India – Viridis Bio Pharma – SARS CoV2

8) Nadworny PL, et al, Treatment of infection and inflammation associated with COVID-19, multi-drug resistant pneumonia and fungal sinusitis by nebulizing a nanosilver solution. Nanomedicine: NBM 2023;48:102654, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2023.102654

9) Silver Nanoparticles as Potential Antiviral Agents, Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 2034. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13122034

10) A Preliminary Assessment of Silver Nanoparticle Inhibition of Monkey Plaque Formation, Nano Perspectives – Open Access – Published: 09 April 2008

11) ) Effect of Prophylactic Treatment with ASAP-AGX-32 and ASAP Solutions on an Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Mice,  https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effect-of-Prophylactic-Treatment-with-ASAP-AGX-32-A-Pedersen-Sidwell/3de85a153d9b22ddc876aa11e0417935cf14a065

12)Swine Flu Influenza Type A/H1N1 Protection for Health Care  Practitioners and Their Patient Posted in Longevity and Age Management, Dietary Supplementation, Drug Trends, Healthcare and Information, Immune System, Infectious Disease,  Inflammation, Medications, Healthcare and Public Policy, Swine Flu on Thu August 13, 2009

13 Nanosilver: An Old Antibacterial Agent with Great Promise in the Fight against Antibiotic Resistance https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/8/1264 Published online 2023 Jul 31.

14) PubMed.gov 23811290  In vivo human time-exposure study of orally dosed commercial silver nanoparticles

15) EPA Registration Eligibility Document (RED) For Silver

16) Ultradilute Ag-Aquasols with extraordinary bactericidal properties: the role of the system Ag-O-H2O   Rustum Roy, M. Richard Hoover, A.S. Bhalla, Tania Slawecki, Sandwip Dey, Wei Cao, Jing Li, S. Bhaskar

17) US Congressional Testimony of Dr. William Moeller on the use of nano silver to treat Malaria at Congressional request https://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa20915.000/hfa20915_0f.htm

18) Silver Sol Completely Removes Malaria Parasites from the Blood of Humans Subjects Infected bwith Malaria in an Average of Five Days: A review of Jour Randomized, Multi-Centered Clinical Studikes Performed in Africa September 1010 https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/211377/Silver%20Sol%20Malaria%20The%20Indian%20Practitioner.pdf

19) Effect of Prophylactic Treatment with ASAP-AGX-32 and ASAP Solutions on an Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Mice (The HIV Study is the Editors Note at the front of the publication)

20) Silverceuticals.com

The post It’s About Time We Take Care of Our Own! appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

• How a concussion or more properly termed, traumatic brain injury (TBI), affects your brain
• Your body’s natural defense against TBI
• How CBD reinforces this defense and can help heal TBI

What is TBI?
We’re hearing a lot more about traumatic brain injury in recent years, with increasing diagnoses among many prominent figures from military combat veterans to figures in such high impact sports as football and boxing. There has also been attention focused on child and teen sports, where the injuries can be even more damaging to their more vulnerable bodies. Fortunately, TBI is being taken a lot more seriously now than ever before.

In TBI, the head is impacted by an external force that causes the brain to swell within the confines of the skull, thus decreasing blood flow, and causing other chemical changes that adversely affect brain function. In many instances, the brain fully recovers. Far too often, however, patients are left with lasting issues such as memory problems, depression, motor impairment, anxiety, migraines, vision problems, trouble processing, and much more.

Standard Medical Treatment of TBI
The biomedical standard of care for TBI consists of these doctor’s orders:

• Rest in a dark room
• Don’t spend time in front of screens
• Lay off the books, the job, the studying
• Don’t do excessive thinking

This, in addition to surgery and occupational therapy for more severe cases, is about all doctors have to offer those with a traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as concussion. Then, it’s a game of watch and wait. The brain is left to heal largely without any specific therapies to support the body’s natural healing processes.

Functional Medical Treatment of TBI
In contrast, those of us who use an integrative or functional medicine approach which focuses on treating underlying issues, have found that there is a better way to treat TBI. There are a number of anti-inflammatory herbs, such as curcumin, that help heal the brain. There are modalities, like hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT), which rescue brain cells by enhancing the flow of blood and oxygen. Then there is neurofeedback to train the brain in forming new pathways. Add in acupuncture, an ancient but still powerful treatment for TBI. All these treatments already take us beyond the mainstream standard of care.

A treatment that is (too slowly) gaining more mainstream acceptance are orally administered omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the inflammation and thus, lessen the swelling in the brain. You can read more about this in When Brain Collide, written by my colleague, Dr. Michael Lewis. His omega protocol, in which patients take a mega-dose of fish oil over the course of a few weeks, has had remarkable results. It has restored brain function in many including bringing people out of coma. Some years ago, my friend JJ Virgin’s son, Grant, had a devastating head injury, and I saw personally how high doses of fish oil was instrumental in bringing him back. This was even covered by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on a special on the topic for CNN.

CBD for TBI
Now we have a new modality: the administration of CBD for brain repair. Like many of us, Dr. Lewis is not only enthusiastic about its use, but fortunately is using his platform as a recognized TBI expert to educate the public and doctors alike about the benefits of adding CBD to the protocol.

The proof? Animal studies have demonstrated that cannabinoids can not only reduce the acute effects of TBI, mitigating neurological damage, but can also help with the secondary effects, including those frustrating cognitive deficits that can linger after even after a “minor” TBI.

The Science
CBD takes us from “There’s nothing we can do,” to “We definitely can help you!” How does this happen? Here is some of the science behind the phenomenon.

First of all, as mentioned, TBI causes the brain to swell and induce a potentially toxic level of activity of the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate. This can lead to varying amounts of cell death in significant portions of the brain. Inflammatory compounds and free radicals are also released, creating oxidative stress. These acute effects of TBI can lead to a host of secondary effects, potentially killing off more brain cells, weakening the blood brain barrier, and contributing some of the hallmark symptoms of TBI like brain fog, mood disruption, and sleep problems.

In my blog on the endocannabinoid system, you know that the ECS, the bodily system controlled by cannabinoids, is responsible for relaxing your body and returning it to balance in times of stress. It is also your body’s natural defense against TBI.

The ECS has two main receptors: CB1 and CB2. When activated, CB1 decreases excitatory glutamate activity. Excessive glutamate is toxic to brain cells, and the ECS has evolved to fight against it.

CB2, on the other hand, when activated revs up the immune response. It helps repair cells and promotes the creation of new neurons. This directly combats brain damage caused by cell death. Notably, CBD also preserves memory by preventing neuronal loss in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.

Brain Damaged Mice and CBD
In one study, researchers inflicted a TBI on mice genetically engineered to lack either CB1 or CB2 receptors. Their injuries were more severe compared to those of mice that had both receptors. Moreover, studies have shown that after a TBI, ECS activity increases to enact healing.

Another study showed that after a head injury was inflicted on a group of mice; when half of them were untreated and the other half received a single dose of plant derived endocannabinoid called 2-AG, there was a definite difference in outcome. The mice who received treatment improved in cognitive function, motor function and every parameter examined, even months later—a remarkable success. Of course, in a lab setting the scientists had the advantage of being able to administer the dose of 2-AG shortly after brain injury, so while it proved the point, it may be harder to do this in everyday head injuries.

CBD works best if administered in the “window of opportunity,” the critical moments after a brain injury, in which intervention can actually prevent brain damage. Typically, this window is a matter of minutes, 10 minutes, maybe an hour. CBD widens this window of opportunity. It works best up to 12 hours after an injury.

However, even if you had a brain injury, months or even years ago, CBD can still help by reducing brain inflammation and treating the secondary effects mentioned above, just not as well as if treated at the time. As long as you have symptoms from a TBI, CBD can have a positive effect.

How does it work?
CBD is what’s called a “promiscuous compound,” i.e., a chemical that binds to a variety of different receptors. That means CBD not only binds to the receptors of the ECS, but other receptors such as the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A and the PPAR-gamma nuclear receptor. These two receptors, when activated, protect the essential blood brain barrier which can be damaged during TBI. The blood brain barrier is a network of blood vessels and cells meant to keep unwanted substances out of the brain. It’s exceedingly difficult to pass through, and any weakening of it can allow otherwise unwanted substances to enter the brain. This can lead to inflammation and other brain conditions.

Serotonin, as you may know, is a major regulator of mood, and is the purported target of popular antidepressant medications, the SSRIs. CBD is known to boost mood not only through its impact on serotonin, but also dopamine, the pleasure or “reward” neurotransmitter, and GABA, the calming neurotransmitter. Thus, CBD can ease the depression and anxiety that can be so troublesome for those recovering from TBI.

More Brain Benefits
And it doesn’t stop with mood. CBD can also improve memory and lift brain fog. As mentioned, CBD can promote neuron growth in the hippocampus. It also regulates acetylcholine, which boosts memory and mental acuity.

One more huge benefit is the effect of CBD on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It acts in the area of the limbic system, the seat of emotions, to help “forget” the fearful emotions associated with the traumatic event. This is important since PTSD is difficult to treat successfully by conventional means. There are specific trauma treatments such as EMDR, somatic experience, tapping and more, and they all work well, but even better in conjunction with CBD.

With all of its healing ability, CBD has yet become a standard treatment for brain injury. We hope that with more studies on its use, and simply, more experience by the public and the medical profession, it will become better accepted.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait for researchers to construct the perfect clinical trial in order to start using CBD.

Choose a full spectrum hemp oil extract which delivers the remedy as nature intended, with other cannabinoids and terpenes, so you get the best effect possible, known as the “entourage effect.”

How to Take CBD
Start out with a small dose and increase gradually, using your own response as a guide. Typical doses are 25–100 mg daily in divided doses 1–3 times daily. Doses are quite individual, based on your unique ECS activity.

Interactions with medications:
Even though CBD has a good safety profile, if you are taking medication, you should check with your doctor before trying it. Both CBD and most pharmaceuticals are detoxified by the liver’s cytochrome P450 enzyme system. As a result, certain medications, including chemotherapy agents, anti-epilepsy drugs, and the blood thinner coumadin may be affected. In some cases, you just have to have the drug dose decreased. For a list of potential drugs that may interact with CBD, see this link: https://cbdorigin.com/cbd-drug-interactions/ The fact is, though, we have found that doses under 100 mg a day generally do not interfere with medications.

Adjunctive Care
In addition to taking CBD, take large doses of omega-3 oils. I also agree with the conventional wisdom to rest your brain until medically cleared to become more active. You can enhance this rest with meditation and breathing exercises as well as good nutrition. Steer clear of all processed foods and sugar, and eat a plant-based diet that is also high in healthy omega-3 fats in such foods as avocados and wild caught (or sustainably raised farmed) salmon.

Other integrative supportive measures include neurofeedback, low level laser, PEMF, hyperbaric oxygen, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and acupuncture. The bottom line here is that while we still have a lot to learn, there are increasing resources for treating this serious condition. Most exciting right now is the promise of CBD or more properly, Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Extract for treating TBI.

The post CBD And Traumatic Brain Injury appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Echinacea
Echinaceais an herb best known for its benefits in the treatment of the common cold, although it has other benefits as well. First of all, there are three species of Echinacea commonly used in herbal medicine: Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida (of these, the first two are most popular). The aerial (above ground) parts of the herb and the root contain the medicinal components. These include phenolics, caffeic acid esters (e.g., echinacosides), flavonoids, alkylamides, volatile oils, polysaccharides, polyacetylenes.¹

Echinacea is an immune stimulant/supporter. It is excellent in helping to prevent and treat colds and influenza. Research reveals that Echinacea supports the immune system by activating white blood cells (lymphocytes and macrophages).² Echinacea also increases the production of interferon, an immune component, which is important in responding to viral infections.³

Several double-blind, clinical studies have confirmed Echinacea‘s effectiveness in treating colds and flu.^4,5,6,7 However, some research suggests that Echinacea may be more effective if used at the onset of these conditions.^8,9 One study involving 238 subjects confirmed that Echinacea was safe and effective in producing a rapid improvement of cold symptoms. In the subgroup of patients who started therapy at an early phase of their cold, the effectiveness of Echinacea was most prominent.¹⁰ In a similar study, 246 subjects with a cold were treated with Echinacea preparations or a placebo. Those treated with the Echinacea preparations experienced a reduction of symptoms, significantly more effective than the placebo. The researchers concluded that the Echinacea preparations “represent a low risk and effective alternative to the standard symptomatic medicines in the acute treatment of common cold.”¹¹

In a meta-analysis of 14 studies¹², researchers found that taking Echinacea cut the risk of catching the common cold by 58 percent, and if subjects already had a cold it decreased the duration by 1.4 days. In one of the studies, Echinacea taken in combination with vitamin C reduced cold incidence by 86 percent, and when the herbal was used alone the incidence of cold was reduced by 65 percent. The bottom line is that when used appropriately, Echinacea is effective in preventing and treating the common cold.

Besides colds and flu, Germany’s Commission E Monographs (an internationally authoritative source of credible information on the use of herbs for various disorders) indicates that among Echinacea’s uses, this herb can be used to treat chronic infections of the respiratory tract.¹³ Other current and evidence based uses of Echinacea include, but are not limited to: Vaginal candidiasis, ear, urinary and sinus infections, allergies, herpes, cystitis, bronchitis, prostatitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis.¹⁴

A good dosage range for Echinacea extract is 200-400 mg with 4 percent total phenolics (including cichoric acid, chlorogenic acid, captaric acid) and/or 4 percent echinacoside, three to five times daily for acute infection.¹⁵ Some sources have suggested that Echinacea should not be used with drugs intended to suppress the immune system, but such suggestions are speculative and lack clinical documentation.¹⁶

Shiitake & AHCC

For thousands of years, mushrooms have been used as both food and medicine in various cultures. One of those mushrooms, Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)¹⁷, is currently used for promoting healthy immune function¹⁸, healthy liver function¹⁹ and modulating the unwanted growth of mutated stomach²⁰ and pancreas cells21, and has been validated in scientific literature for these purposes.

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) is an extract derived from Shiitake, as well as other species of Basidiomycete family of mushrooms. AHCC is a mixture of polysaccharides, amino acids, lipids, and minerals. Oligosaccharides make up about 74 percent of AHCC.²² Like its predecessor, AHCC has antioxidant effects, and is thought to act as a biological response modifier. It seems to promote the activity of natural killer (NK) cells in patients with unwanted growth of mutated cells. In animal models, it also seems to protect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage, promote healthy blood glucose levels within a normal range, and decrease apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death) of the thymus.²³

AHCC demonstrated early clinical promise in promoting healthy immune response.²⁴ This was shown in animal research where AHCC helped restore immune response that had been negatively affected by trauma, infection, and food deprivation.²⁵ In humans, the effect of AHCC on immune response was investigated by measuring the number and function of circulating dendritic cells (DCs), a type of immune cell, in healthy volunteers. Twenty-one healthy volunteers were randomized to receive placebo or AHCC for four weeks. The results were that the AHCC group had a significantly higher number of total DCs compared to when they first started the study, and compared to the control subjects. Other types of immune cells were also significantly increased in the AHCC group compared to controls.²⁶

The effects of AHCC in a clinical setting were examined in patients who had surgery for the undesirable growth of mutated liver cells. A total of 269 patients participated in the study, with 113 receiving AHCC. The results were that the AHCC group had a significantly longer period of no recurrence of mutated liver cells, and an increased overall survival rate when compared to the control group.²⁷

A prospective cohort study was performed with 44 patients with undesirable growth of mutated liver cells. All of the patients underwent supportive care. Survival time, quality of life, clinical and immunological parameters related to liver function, cellular immunity, and patient status were determined. Of the 44 patients, 34 and 10 received AHCC and placebo (control) orally, respectively. Patients in the AHCC treated-group had a significantly prolonged survival when compared to the control group, and quality of life in terms of mental stability, general physical health status, and ability to have normal activities were significantly improved after three months of AHCC treatment.²⁸

In a safety study, high doses (9 grams) of AHCC were given to healthy subjects in a liquid form. The results were that AHCC caused no significant abnormality in laboratory parameters, and the adverse effects were minimal with the high dose being tolerated by 85 percent of the subjects.²⁹ Research has not demonstrated adverse effects at the lower doses typically used.

In a study AHCC was examined for potential drug interactions with chemotherapy agents. The results were that AHCC does have the potential for drug-drug interactions involving chemotherapy agents such as doxorubicin or ondansetron, which are metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP450 2D6. However, the overall data suggest that AHCC would be safe to administer with most other chemotherapy agents that are not metabolized via the CYP450 2D6 pathway.³⁰

References:

1. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K (eds.). The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin TX: American Botanical Council; 2003:88-96.
2. See DM, Broumand N, Sahl L, Tilles JG. In vitro effects of Echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. Immunpharmacol 1997;35:229-35.
3. Leuttig B, Steinmuller C, Gifford GE, et al. Macrophage activation by the polysaccharide arabinogalactan isolated from plant cell cultures of Echinacea purpurea. J Natl Cancer Inst 1989;81:669-75.
4. Melchart D, Linde K, Worku F, et al. Immunomodulation with Echinacea-a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Phytomedicine 1994;1:245-54.
5. Dorn M, Knick E, Lewith G. Placebo-controlled, double-blind study of Echinacea pallida redix in upper respiratory tract infections. Comp Ther Med 1997;5:40-2.
6. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K (eds.). The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin TX: American Botanical Council; 2003:88-96.
7. Brinkeborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Phytomedicine 1999; 6(1):1 6.
8. Melchart D, Walther E, Linde K, et al. Echinacea root extracts for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Arch Fam Med 1998;7:541-5.
9. Grimm W, Müller HH. A randomized controlled trial of the effect of fluid extract of Echinacea purpurea on the incidence and severity of colds and respiratory tract infections. Am J Med 1999;106:138-43.
10. Henneicke von Zepelin H, Hentschel C, Schnitker J, et al. Efficacy and safety of a fixed combination phytomedicine in the treatment of the common cold (acute viral respiratory tract infection): results of a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, multicentre study. Curr Med Res Opin 1999; 15(3):214 27.
11. Brinkeborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial. Phytomedicine 1999; 6(1):1 6.
12. Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, Coleman CI. Evaluation of Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2007; (7)7:473-480.
13. Blumenthal M (ed), et al. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines / CD version. Austin, Texas:American Botanical Council; 1998.
14. Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Edinburgh;Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
15. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K (eds.). The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin TX: American Botanical Council; 2003:88-96.
16. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K (eds.). The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin TX: American Botanical Council; 2003:88-96.
17. Jones K. Shiitake: The Healing Mushroom. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1995.
18. Chang R. Functional properties of edible mushrooms. Nutr Rev 1996;54(11 Pt 2):S91-3.
19. Jones K. Shiitake” A major medicinal mushroom. Alt Compl Ther 1998;4:53-9.
20. Taguchi I. Clinical efficacy of lentinan on patients with stomach cancer: End point results of a four-year follow-up survey. Cancer Detect Prevent Suppl 1987;1:333-49.
21. Matsuoka H, Seo Y, Wakasugi H, et al. Lentinan potentiates immunity and prolongs survival time of some patients. Anticancer Res 1997;17:2751-6.
22. Ye SF, Ichimura K, Wakame K, Ohe M. Suppressive effects of Active Hexose Correlated Compound on the increased activity of hepatic and renal ornithine decarboxylase induced by oxidative stress. Life Sci 2003;74:593-602.
23. Ye SF, Ichimura K, Wakame K, Ohe M. Suppressive effects of Active Hexose Correlated Compound on the increased activity of hepatic and renal ornithine decarboxylase induced by oxidative stress. Life Sci 2003;74:593-602.
24. Kidd PM. The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment. Altern Med Rev 2000;5(1):4-27.
25. Aviles H, O’Donnell P, Sun B, Sonnenfeld G. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection in a mouse model of surgical wound infection. Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2006;7(6):527-35.
26. Terakawa N, Matsui Y, Satoi S, et al. Immunological effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutr Cancer 2008;60(5):643-51.
27. Matsui Y, Uhara J, Satoi S, et al. Improved prognosis of postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma patients when treated with functional foods: a prospective cohort study. J Hepatol 2002;37(1):78-86.
28. Cowawintaweewat S, Manoromana S, Sriplung H, Khuhaprema T, Tongtawe P, Tapchaisri P, Chaicumpa W. Prognostic improvement of patients with advanced liver cancer after active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) treatment. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol 2006;24(1):33-45.
29. Spierings EL, Fujii H, Sun B, Walshe T. A Phase I study of the safety of the nutritional supplement, active hexose correlated compound, AHCC, in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 2007;53(6):536-9.
30. Mach CM, Fugii H, Wakame K, Smith J. Evaluation of active hexose correlated compound hepatic metabolism and potential for drug interactions with chemotherapy agents. J Soc Integr Oncol 2008;6(3):105-9.

The post Echinacea & Shiitake for Immune Health appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

There’s no question that CBD edibles have made self-administering CBD easier. Does the ease of self-administration with the edibles translate to faster absorption? Can CBD gummies get you instant relief?

How Does CBD Work?
Cannabidiol or CBD is one of the active compounds found in hemp, which is a strain of the cannabis sativa plant family. Although marijuana does contain trace amounts of CBD, this compound is most abundant in industrial hemp. Early research into CBD have suggested that it has various potential medical applications. Studies indicate that CBD may be a viable treatment and therapeutic option for a wide range of medical conditions including anxiety and sleep¹, chronic pain², and more.

Many have been using CBD for the treatment and management of various health issues. Despite this, however, data on the exact mechanism of action of CBD is limited. CBD belongs to a group of compounds called cannabinoids and such compounds trigger reactions in the body by attaching to receptors. The body itself produces its own cannabinoids, which can also attach to its cannabinoid receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors³.

CB1 receptors, which are found mostly in the brain, are responsible for the body’s movement and coordination, for pain, mood, logical thinking and a number of other functions. The other cannabinoid receptor, CB2, regulates the body’s inflammatory and pain reactions. It was initially thought that CBD attaches to these two receptors to trigger positive responses. However, recent studies suggest that CBD actually encourages the body to produce its own cannabinoids and then attach to the CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Benefits of Supplementing with CBD

Once the body’s own cannabinoids are produced and subsequently attaches to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, it results in the following benefits.

Better circulation. Experts have observed that CBD has the ability to relax the veins in a phenomenon called vasodilation⁴. This allows the blood to circulate freely around the body, which in turn has a number of other health benefits. Vasodilation relieves some of the stress from the heart, thus may be effective in preventing certain heart conditions. The vasodilating properties of CBD may also help mitigate the effects of hypertension.

Pain management and anti-inflammatory properties. Many users of CBD swear by its ability to relieve chronic pain and relieve inflammation. Studies are still underway to fully understand how CBD does the job, but many are already enjoying its benefits, particularly those who would rather go with a natural product that does not cause stress the liver.

Mood regulation. Other users of CBD take regular doses to help mitigate and manage their anxiety and depression. Studies are also underway to determine the extent and long term effects of CBD’s anxiolytic properties.

Can CBD Gummies Give You Quick Relief?
The simple answer is yes however people will react differently. CBD has been observed to be highly bioavailable and that it crosses the blood-barrier easily. Some studies are being conducted to see if it is possible for CBD to serve as transport for certain drugs to be absorbed into the system faster and more efficiently. Once you pop a CBD gummy into your mouth, your saliva and chewing action will start breaking it down. While chewing, some of the CBD will be instantly absorbed via the mucous membranes inside the mouth. More of the CBD in the gummies will be absorbed quickly once it hits the intestines as the stomach enzymes further breaks down the gummies.

Consuming CBD in general, whether in the form of tinctures or edibles, can give you quick results. The real question should be, what is the right CBD dose for your needs and how often should you self-administer throughout the day. This is of course, a subject for another discussion.

References:

1. Scott Shannon, MD,corresponding author Nicole Lewis, ND, Heather Lee, PA-C, and Shannon Hughes, PhD. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series Perm J. 2019; 23: 18-041. Published online 2019 Jan 7. doi: 10.7812/TPP/18-041
2. Jan M Schilling, Chloe G Hughes, Mark S Wallace, Michelle Sexton, Miroslav Backonja, and Tobias Moeller-Bertram Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Survey of Patients’ Perspectives and Attitudes J Pain Res. 2021; 14: 1241–1250. Published online 2021 May 5. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S278718
3. K Mackie Mechanisms of CB1 receptor signaling: endocannabinoid modulation of synaptic strength Int J Obes 30 (Suppl 1), S19–S23 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803273
5. P. Pacher, S. Bátkai, and G. Kunos Cardiovascular Pharmacology of Cannabinoids Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2005; (168): 599–625. doi: 10.1007/3-540-26573-2_20

The post Can CBD Gummies Provide Quick Relief for Chronic Pain and Inflammation? appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Hemp Extract is effective for conditions as diverse as pain, inflammation, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infections from multi-drug resistant bacteria, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalance, and loss of bone density, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and even addictive cravings. In fact, over 40 different health issues have shown to benefit from the use for Hemp Extract.

There are now, literally, hundreds of Hemp Extract products available in the marketplace. But the burning question is always, “How do I know which ones are really the best?”

Caveat Emptor—Buyer Beware!
Before you dive into the Hemp Extract world, it is important to become a savvy consumer. There are some important facts you need to know about the growing, processing and formulation of Hemp Extract products.

The following seven guidelines will help you to choose the best Hemp Extract formulations.

1. Where and how is the hemp grown?
Until recently, the hemp plant was sourced from Europe because it was illegal to grow hemp in the United States. But there are now new federal regulations allowing US farmers to grow agricultural hemp. Hemp is now becoming a popular crop, which is widely grown through the country.

Some hemp farms grow crops on soils that have been previously contaminated with pesticides and herbicide, or actively use such chemicals in their farming practices.

To avoid chemical contamination, you always want to choose products made with organically grown plants from verified organic farms. Be sure that the label clearly states that it is organic.

2. Which parts of the hemp plant are they using?
Labels can be very confusing, if not downright deceiving. This is especially true when it comes to Hemp Extract formulas.

Often products will include hemp seeds or hempseed oil as major ingredients. Hemp oil or Hempseed oil that is pressed from the seeds is considered a food source. They have many beneficial nutrients such essential fatty acids, fiber, protein, and vitamin E. But, since they are pressed from only the seeds, they do not have the therapeutic effects found in Hemp Extract.

Hemp seeds are cheap. For less than $8 you can buy a pound of hemp seeds. It is very misleading when the products described as “all natural” and “100% Hemp” are mostly ineffective hemp seed oil.

Hemp Extract comes from the leaves, the stalk, and the flower of the plant. Only the Hemp Extract has proven therapeutic effects. Therefore, you want to carefully read the ingredients label to make sure you are getting Hemp Extract, rather than hemp oil.

3. Are you getting an isolate or a full-spectrum CBD hemp extract?
For many years it was believed there was a greater therapeutic effect if specific components were isolated from the rest of the whole plant. However, this theory was debunked after being researched at the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem in 2015.

Full spectrum hemp extract contains dozens of compounds that can be extracted from the hemp plant. As it turns out, full spectrum Hemp Extract has a faster and more powerful effect than the isolate version.

4. How is the hemp processed?
It’s important to make sure you know the process used when buying Hemp Extract. The quality of the final product is directly related to the quality of the plant material and the quality of the extraction process.

The best extraction method is called supercritical CO2 extraction. It uses carbon dioxide under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to isolate, preserve, and maintain the purity of the medicinal oil. This process requires expensive equipment, but the end product is safe, potent and free of chlorophyll.

This process extracts the valuable oil without damaging its properties or introducing poisonous chemicals. The goal is to have a clean and potent version of the Hemp Extract. Other extraction methods either use toxic solvents or the process creates an end product that has a very unpleasant taste and, most importantly, is inefficiently absorbed. When choosing a Hemp Extract product, always check to be sure the CO2 extraction method was used.

5. Are you getting the highest potency hemp oil?
One of the key features of an effective Hemp Extract product is its bioavailability. That means, how much of the active ingredients actually get to the cell. Unfortunately, the majority of Hemp Extract products in the market only have 3–6 percent bioavailability.

Also, many Hemp Extract products dilute the hemp extract with high amounts of hemp seed oil or coconut oil. So while there is slight nutritional value to these oils, they certainly do not deliver the health benefits of a potent Hemp Extract formula. Also, check the milligrams of Hemp Extract that are found in each serving. The effectiveness of a Hemp Extract product is determined not just by the amount of Hemp Extract it contains but also the kind of delivery system used.

6. What is the most effective and absorbable delivery system for CBD hemp oil?
Bioavailability is the proportion of the active ingredients that are absorbed and utilized by the body. If adequate amounts of the active ingredients do not get absorbed into the bloodstream and then on to the receptor sites on the cells, there will be very little therapeutic effect.

No matter how beneficial a medicinal substance may be, if it is not bioavailable, it is useless. The higher the bioavailability, the more effective the product will be. Bioavailability of Hemp Extract products varies greatly depending on the type of delivery system, e.g. capsule, spray, vaporized, etc.

There is a big difference between merely ingesting a substance such as Hemp Extract and efficiently absorbing its active ingredients. When nutrients and beneficial plant phytochemicals enter the body, they have certain requirements before they can be readily absorbed and utilized by the cells. The digestive process can destroy as much as 90 percent of the bioactive nutrients in Hemp Extract. Hemp Extract formulas have their own particular challenge when it comes to efficient absorption.

Hemp oil, in its natural form, is dense, sticky oil. Getting any oil-based substance to pass through a cell wall is a challenge, as the absorption rate can be greatly reduced. This means that very little of the active ingredients can be absorbed by the cells. So, you may need to take a higher dose in order to benefit, or the formula may not be absorbed at all.

Liposomes are by far, the best delivery system for optimal absorption. Liposomes are tiny hollow spheres that have the ability to carry both water-soluble and fat-soluble compounds very efficiently through the body and into cell membranes. You can also think of them as very small, Nano-sized packets that are the delivery system allowing for rapid absorption of nutrients into the cell.

Liposomes protect the nutrients as they pass through the stomach and are delivered into the small intestine. Liposomes are effective because they are able to increase nutrient solubility and improve nutrient bioavailability, and they are also very stable within the body.

At present, liposomes are the most bioavailable way to deliver nutrients into the cells.

The reason liposomes are so effective is that they can be absorbed very quickly through a cell wall, either orally or topically. They enhance the effectiveness of Hemp Extract due to this super-efficient delivery method. By attaching to hemp oil molecules and transporting them to their destination, liposomes are a perfect delivery solution for achieving rapid results. Liposomal technology allows the Hemp Extract to be absorbed 15 times more efficiently than the capsule or liquid oil delivery methods.

7. Is the CBD hemp oil free of THC and contaminants?
Hemp extract manufacturers are not required by law to have their products tested by independent third-party labs. However, the reputable manufacturers pay for this testing at multiple stages of processing.

As a consumer, you may be most interested in two test results. One, the test for contaminants and other is the test for THC, the psychoactive molecule sometimes present in Hemp Extracts. Check on the manufacturer’s website for the certificate of analysis.

It is important to know that a Hemp Extract product must have less than .3 percent of THC in order to be legally sold as Hemp Extract. Many Hemp Extract products are formulated with no THC present, at all.

On a Personal Note
The growing interest in Hemp Extract is well deserved. It is a healing plant that can alleviate so much suffering. It is also safe for children and even your pets. And considered safe with no known side effects.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am always searching for the very best products to recommend to my patients. For the past year, I have been researching all aspects of the Hemp Extract story. After sorting through the confusing world of Hemp Extract products, I found one exceptional company called OptiVida Health. After speaking with the formulator and investigating their manufacturing practices, I was convinced they were heads and shoulders about the rest.

Why? For the following reasons:

1. They use US certified organic hemp.
2. They are third party certified for purity.
3. They have a high potency product at an affordable price.
4. Their products contain no THC (0%), the psychoactive molecule.
5. They use super critical CO2 extraction.
6. Their delivery system is a verified, liposomal technology that increases bioavailability.

It is the last point that I want to linger on a little longer. One of the key features of an effective Hemp Extract product is its bioavailability. That means, how much of the active ingredients actually get to the cell before being eliminated from the body. As previously mentioned, the majority of Hemp Extract products only have 3–6 percent bioavailable. That means that you don’t absorb much of the active ingredients.

On the other hand, OptiVida Hemp products are formulated by Emek Blair, Ph.D., of Valimenta Labs, with an organic liposomal delivery system, which has a proven bioavailability of 15 times better absorption than all the other forms of delivery i.e., capsules, tinctures, vaping, etc. Increased bioavailability means that you not only get better results but also you need to take less.

Check out more at optividahealth.com

Join the Hemp Health Revolution
I trust that you are ready to join the Hemp Health Revolution. You now have the guidelines to ensure that you can find the very best products. Everyone, of all ages, can benefit from taking Hemp Extract, when needed. We truly live in an exciting time when the healing gifts of nature are so readily available to us.

This extraordinary plant has returned to help us on our path to optimal health and wellbeing.

The post How To Choose The Most Effective CBD Hemp Extracts appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

CBD’s effect on skin goes beyond its anti-inflammatory effects, and is not only helpful in treatment but prevention as well.

Dr. Phillip Blair, MD, Ret. COL spoke on this topic at the recent Cannabis World Conference and Business Exposition in Los Angeles. An international consultant on medical uses of CBD, Dr. Blair geared this presentation to the effects CBD can have on such conditions as acne, psoriasis, and even skin cancer. This was the inspiration for this article.

How Does It Work?
Benefits of CBD for the skin include the following mechanisms:

• Neuro-regulation
• Immune modulation—includes decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF, IL1 and IL6 and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines IL4 and IL10
• Effects on hunger, stress, and sex hormones
• Ability to restore balance to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

What is Cannabidiol?
Cannabidiol (pronounced Can’na-bi-die’-ol) is a derivative of the cannabis or hemp plant that contains a number of beneficial natural chemicals such as cannabinoids and terpenes, providing a synergistic or “entourage effect.” This means that when added together, the effects are not simply additive, but create a more potent effect overall.

Over-the-counter cannabidiol, legal in all 50 states, contains less than .3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In states where licensed, plants and their derivatives that contain more than .3 percent THC require a medical license and are purchased at a dispensary. That is a changing requirement, though, beyond the scope of this article. THC is the chemical in the plant that has direct mind- and mood-altering effects; i.e., it gets you high. Non-THC CBD also can have positive effects on mind and mood, but without the “high” effect.

Cannabidiol and the Skin
Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to have positive effects on a variety of skin conditions, its mechanism of action going beyond the commonly accepted anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. The most common modes of administration for skin care are orally and topically. Conditions treated include acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, wound healing, and aging skin.

The Endocannabinoid System and Acne
Acne is generally a result of overactive sebaceous glands. The body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) which plays a key role in the regulation of sebum production¹ responds to both endocannabinoids (made naturally in our body) and phytocannabinoids (found in the cannabis plant). Balancing the ECS is key here.

CBD works three different ways to regulate a sebaceous cell:

• Stops inflammatory lipids like arachidonic acid
• Stops the extra production of the cell types in sebaceous cells that lead to overproduction of sebaceous material
• Provides an anti-inflammatory effect²

There are other factors, too, which facilitate acne beyond the sebocyte factor. One is the over-production of testosterone which induces lipid synthesis, with excessive secretion and cell growth. CBD was shown to inhibit this lipid syntheses.2 Another factor is the overgrowth of bacteria called Propionibacterium. CBD has been shown to exhibit antibacterial properties and potentially inhibit its growth.^2,3

Eczema
Eczema is a common skin condition characterized by a red, itchy rash, most commonly appearing on the face, back of the knees, wrists, hands, or feet, but may affect other areas as well. Eczema affects about 10 percent to 20 percent of infants and about 3 percent of adults and children in the US.

Newer research indicates that that skin conditions like eczema and acne develop when there is an imbalance in the ECS,⁴ and suggests that the cannabinoids can help repair this imbalance by interacting with cannabinoid receptors. One study of 2500 patients with eczema experienced significant reductions in redness, scaling, itching, chafing, and thickening after regular topical use of a cannabinoid-containing cream. This study also resulted in 38.3 percent of the patients experiencing a complete resolution of itching symptoms.⁵

Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder which includes pathological overproduction of skin cells. The cytokine, Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is known to be largely responsible for psoriasis. CBD reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and IL-6 and increases the production of an anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10.⁶ This is a great boon to psoriasis sufferers, who have had to cover up with clothing, or take strong and expensive medications. They can now use a product that not only treats their unsightly rash, but has side benefits instead of side effects.

Skin Cancer
Many studies show promising results of cannabis on cancer cells. One study found that activating the cannabinoid receptors induced cell death in tumorigenic epidermal cells, while the non-cancerous epidermal cells remained unaffected.⁷ Dr. Blair discussed his experience with a 50-year-old man with recurring basal cell cancer. He had the cancer removed and covered the area with CBD under a band-aid. The patient experienced complete healing at two months with no signs of recurrence.

Wound Healing
There is considerable anecdotal evidence related to cannabis and wound healing. A few studies suggest that activation of the endocannabinoid system plays a role in this process.⁸ Dr. Blair showed some before and after photos of a patient with a wound on his arm, showing significant healing within 12 weeks.

Anti-aging Skin Care
There are an increasing number of CBD-containing skin care products, owing largely to its anti-inflammatory effects, which can counter the effects of aging.

Dosing and Application
For skin conditions, CBD can be taken orally, in capsules, gel caps or tinctures, or topically, as a cream or oil. Dosing should start at 15 mg of CBD twice a day orally, adjusting the dose upward as needed. It not unusual to go up to 60 mg. For a location-specific condition like eczema or skin cancer, you can apply the topical cannabis directly on the affected area. For nonspecific topical application, CBD oil can be applied to the back and covered with a band-aid as protection. Any improvements are typically seen in about two weeks after the first dose.

A number of troublesome and heretofore difficult to treat skin conditions have been resolved successfully with its use. And this is just one of a growing wave of uses of CBD.

We thank Dr. Phillip Blair for supplying both the inspiration and a portion of the material for this article.

References:

1. Dobrosi N, et al. Endocannabinoids enhance lipid synthesis and apoptosis of human sebocytes via cannabinoid receptor-2-mediated signaling. FASEB J. 2008;22(10):3685¡V95.
2. Olah A, et al. Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and anti-inflammatory effects on human sebocytes. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2014;124(9): 3713¡V24
3. Kozela E, et al. Cannabinoids Decrease the Th17 Inflammatory Autoimmune Phenotype. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. 2013;8(5): 1265¡V76
4. Appendino G, et al. Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study. J Nat Prod. 2008;71(8):1427¡V30.
5. Eberlein, B., Eicke, C., Reinhardt, H.W., and Ring, J. (2008, January). Adjuvant treatment of atopic eczema: assessment of an emollient containing Npalmitoylethanolamine (ATOPA study). Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology: JEADV, 22(1), 73¡V82.
6. Biro, T., Toth, B.I., Hasko, G., Paus, R., and Pacher, P. (2009). The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: novel perspectives and therapeutic opportunities. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 30(8), 411¡V20.
7. M. Llanos Casanova, et al. Inhibition of Skin Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in Vivo by Activation of Cannabinoid receptors. JCI. 2003;111(1): 43¡V50.
8. Ramot Y, Sugawara K, Zakany N, Toth BI, Biro T, Paus R. (2013) A novel control of human keratin expression: cannabinoid receptor 1-mediated signaling down-regulates the expression of keratins K6 and K16 in human keratinocytes in vitro and in situ. PeerJ 1:e40 https://peerj.com/articles/40/

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Modern studies and human observations have validated many medicinal effects of garlic and its potential to help lower the risk of various ailments, including colon cancer. The cancer preventive mechanisms of garlic, shown largely through research using Kyolic^TM Aged Garlic Extract® (AGE), an odorless supplement made from organic garlic by Wakunaga of America, are largely due to potent antioxidants, a high content of organosulfur compounds, an ability to stimulate immunological responsiveness, detoxify carcinogens, inhibit inflammation and prevent mutations that may lead to cancer.

Epidemiological Studies
Several population studies have found an association between a high intake of garlic and a reduced risk of certain cancers, including stomach and colon cancer. An analysis of the results of these studies, showed, that the higher the amount of garlic consumed, the lower the risk of stomach and colon cancer.

The “Iowa Women’s Study”1 is a large prospective study investigating whether diet and other risk factors are related to cancer incidence in older women. Results of the study showed a strong association between garlic consumption and colon cancer risk. There was a 50 percent lower risk of colon cancer in women who consumed the highest amounts of garlic, compared to those consuming a low level.

Several population studies conducted in China and Italy also showed repeatedly that consumption of allium vegetables, onions and especially garlic was associated with a reduced risk of stomach and colon cancer, sometimes as low as 50 percent.

The Nature of Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer is the third leading cause of deaths in the United States. It is a multistage disease that is initiated by a series of mutations in DNA that give rise to adenomatous polyps, of a benign nature, that may progress to full blown cancer. Colon cancer can have hereditary components, and is found in families, but external factors including environmental factors, lifestyle and diet play important role in the development of the disease.

Colon cancer develops slowly, over a period of 10 to 15 years; though people over 50 are most prone to getting the disease, colon cancer can develop at any age. The disease usually begins as a non-cancerous polyp that can progress with time into cancer, screening by colonoscopy is effective in lowering the cancer risk and increasing the chance for cure, by detecting and removing emerging adenomatous polyps. Cancer screening by colonoscopy is recommended starting at the age of 50, though people with a family history of the disease may begin at an earlier age and be tested more often.

Diet and Lifestyle in Prevention
While screening is important in reducing risk, diet and lifestyle are critical in supporting the body’s natural defenses, helping prevent the onset and growth of polyps and blocking their subsequent development into colon cancer.

Leading a physically active life, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and reduced levels of alcohol are important aspects of prevention; as diet goes, a diet rich in plant food, low levels of red meat and intake of milk products that contain calcium and vitamin D are some of the recommendations by the American Cancer Society.

Among the plant foods that have been associated with lowering the risk of colon cancer, garlic ranks as a highly effective protector. In some people a high consumption of fresh garlic may cause gastrointestinal adverse effects; such occurrences and the fact that the odor of garlic lingers on the skin and breath, prevents many from taking advantage of its health effects. Many have therefore turned to the odorless supplement Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), as an effective way to seek protection against colon cancer. Currently, with over 700 scientific and medical publications showing the wide range of AGE health benefits, this odorless garlic supplement is the most researched and popular garlic supplement.

AGE a Natural Protectant against Colon Cancer
Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), is produced by the Wakunaga Company from organically grown garlic, using a process of aging and extraction, at room temperature, for 20 months. Harsh volatile garlic components, such as allicin, are converted by this process to stable compounds, such as S-allyl cysteine, S-allyl mercaptocysteine and others. S-allyl cysteine is the major water-soluble organosulfur compound in AGE; it is a highly bioavailable and is used to standardize AGE, assuring quality control. The high quality control of AGE insures consistent efficacy in helping sustain consumer health, remaining the choice garlic preparation in clinical studies and research on the health effects of a garlic. AGE lacks harsh or toxic compounds, and can be ingested safely for years, for its health effects.

The wide range of AGE¡¦s anticancer actions has been reported in studies using model systems. Findings show that AGE and its organosulfur constituents inhibited colon cancer in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, AGE stimulated colon and liver glutathione S-transferases, enzymes assist in detoxifying carcinogens. Other studies have shown that AGE and its compounds with their high antioxidant action show anti-carcinogenic actions by scavenging toxic reactive oxygen species, unstable molecules that are waste products in metabolism, which have the ability to trigger cancer-mutations in DNA. Other effects of AGE found experimentally, were an inhibition of the binding of carcinogens to DNA, detoxifying carcinogens, blocking the proliferation of colon cancer cells and killing them by apoptosis, a mechanism of programmed cell death.
Human Studies

While epidemiological studies have shown the efficacy of garlic in lowering colon cancer risk, and experimental models found AGE and its components, largely water soluble S-ally cysteine and S-allyl-mercaptocysteine have anti-carcinogenic effects, the protective action of AGE and its efficacy in lowering the risk of colon cancer in humans had to be established by a clinical study.

To determine a potential protection against colon cancer in humans, Tanaka2 and colleagues carried out a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial, using high intake of AGE (AGE 2.4 ml/day) as an active treatment and low-dose AGE (AGE 0.16 ml/day) as a control.

The study enrolled 51 patients who were diagnosed with adenomatous polyps. Investigators assigned the patients randomly to two groups, after removing adenomas that were larger than 5 mm in diameter. Using colonoscopy, the investigators determined the number and size of adenomas before the patients began the intake of AGE (0 months) and at six and twelve months after intake. There were thirty-seven patients who completed the study; 19 in the active group, receiving AGE and 18 in the control group, receiving placebo.

The investigators found that in the control group the number of adenomas increased in linear fashion from the beginning of the study (baseline point); by contrast, in the group taking the high dose of AGE the size and number of adenomas were significantly suppressed, after the 12 months of treatment. These findings showed that the intake of Kyolic AGE has the potential to protect humans against colon cancer, by preventing the progression of precancerous colon adenomas into colon cancer.

The clinical study, showing AGE as a supplement with potential preventive effects against human colon cancer, adds to the results of several epidemiological studies showing a reduction of colon cancer by high garlic consumption.

At this point, with overwhelming evidence of garlic protection against colon cancer, it should be noted that a recent single prospective study from Harvard Medical School3, did not find a protective effect by the intake of fresh garlic. The study did not include AGE.

To possibly understand the discrepancy in results, it should be realized that the findings of efficacy by AGE in inhibiting the growth of precancerous adenomas and potentially inhibiting colon cancer, is partly due to the high standardization of its active ingredients. This is in contrast to fresh garlic cloves that cannot be standardized in the same way.

Depending on the conditions of their cultivation, garlic bulbs may contain up to 33 different lipid- and water-soluble organosulfur compounds, with varying inhibitory effects on colon cancer, as shown in laboratory studies.

In a prospective study, unknown are the number of bulbs (that means the dose of garlic components), that would be required for human intake to have an inhibitory effect on colon cancer. Food preparation methods are known to affect the potency of sulfur compounds in garlic. For example, microwave heating and oven cooking block the anti-cancer activity of some compounds in the fresh garlic. The Harvard study had no biomarkers that reflected the actual active garlic component in the human body.

By contrast, AGE is prepared at room temperature, with no heating in the process of its production, preserving its anticancer activity; in addition, S-allyl cysteine, the most prevalent organosulfur compound in AGE, has been shown experimentally to have a 98 percent bioavailability; this means it can be used potentially as a marker to reflect the intake of Aged Garlic Extract components.

References:

Steinmetz KA, KushiLH, Bostick RM, et al Vegetables, fruit and colon cancer in the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Am J. Epidemio. 1994: 139:1-13.
Tanaka S, Haruma K, Yoshihara M, Kajiyama G, Kira K, et al. Aged garlic extract has potential suppressive effect on colorectal adenomas in humans. J Nutr. 2006; 136:821S-826S.
Meng S, Zhang X, Giovannucci EL, et al No association between garlic intake and risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol. In Press; On line Dec 12 2012.

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As the healing arts grows, it is important to remember that there are four key domains in healing:

1. Biochemistry. This includes herbals, nutrition and medications.
2. Structural. Including areas such as manipulation, surgery, breathing, exercise, and ergonomics.
3. Biophysics. For example, Acupuncture, Chakra work, Yoga, and NAET.
4. Mind-Body-Spirit. Understanding how the body is a metaphor for what is occurring at a deeper level. For most illnesses, including anxiety and even cancer, complete healing is unlikely to occur unless this is also attended to.

You will find that healing occurs best when all four of these areas are addressed. No individual healer is likely to have complete expertise in all of these areas. As our new healthcare system evolves, and the current one heads to extinction, it is good to see health practitioners from diverse backgrounds communicating and working together more.

So let’s look at how a Comprehensive Medicine approach works when addressing anxiety and stress. I will focus predominantly on mind-body and biochemical aspects, as these are where my expertise is.

Treating Mind-Body Issues
Stress is not inherently good or bad. In fact, stress can be used to force flowers to bloom, and this analogy applies to people as well. The problem is when stress becomes chronic, and is no longer enjoyable. This then contributes to chronic elevation of the stress hormone cortisol, directly triggering anxiety. As the excessive stress becomes chronic, cortisol levels then go too low—ironically also triggering anxiety by causing recurrent bouts of low blood sugar.

A simple way to tell if stress is healthy? Simply check in to see how it feels. If it feels good, it is healthy. What is enjoyable can vary markedly from person to person. For example I enjoyed the stress of skydiving, while for my wife it would feel awful.

A Novel Treatment
The key stress antidote? Check in to see how things feel. This is so important, that I am being purposely redundant. Learn to say NO to things that feel bad. Leave your brain out of it. Our brain is the product of our societal and family training. It simply feeds back to us what we were taught that we should do to make others happy. Our feelings, on the other hand, tap into our own personal authenticity. So choose to focus on, and do, those things that feel good. Once you’ve determined what feels good, then your mind can figure out how to make it happen.

And yes, it is OK to simply choose to focus on what feels good in life, without being in constant battle mode against things you don’t like. Like food choices at a buffet, we don’t have to protest for the removal of those foods we don’t choose to eat. Simply ignore them and pick those things you like. You will find that the rest will soon stop appearing in your life. This is part of how I suspect “free will” works. Our focus is like the remote control on our TV. What we focus on keeps showing up on our screen. This is why our constant “Wars on…” just seem to create more of what we are attacking.

Is it truly OK to do what feels good? Some will make the argument that “Heroin feels good, and perhaps also smacking that person who makes me angry over the head with a two-by-four.” This is why we add two caveats:

1. Don’t hurt others.
2. Ask yourself “How is that working out for me?”

Doing this, people will find their anxiety is often coming from their choosing what they think they should do over what feels good (i.e. doing what others want, instead of what is authentic to them). Notice if you are constantly feeling, “I should do this, or I should do that.” This is euphemistically called “Shoulding on yourself.” I invite you to change that toxic behavior.

If hyperventilation is present, one will usually have buried feelings that are bubbling to the surface during periods of relative calm. Counseling to help them learn to feel their feelings helps over time. Also, as panic attacks often leave people feeling like they are going to die, understanding that the symptoms are not dangerous helps. Simply being told this may not be enough to reassure you though. You can confirm hyperventilation is the cause by breathing rapidly for up to 30–60 seconds and seeing how it amplifies your symptoms. Unfortunately, this can also precipitate a full-blown panic attack, so be forewarned, and pick a safe time and place to do this test!

My e-book, “Three Steps to Happiness—Healing through Joy,” can help guide you through the mind-body healing process.

Balance The Biochemistry
Begin with ruling out and treating overt issues, including:

1. Overactive thyroid. Consider this if your Free T4 thyroid test is even in the upper 20th percentile of the normal range.
2. Low progesterone (women). Progesterone is like our body’s natural Valium. Consider this if anxiety is worse around menses and ovulation.
3. Low testosterone (men). Consider if testosterone levels are in the lower quarter of the normal range.
4. Adrenal fatigue—caused by drops in blood sugar. A key tip-off? Irritability and anxiety that triggers sugar cravings and improves after eating.

Also optimize nutrient status, especially magnesium and B vitamins. Instead of blood testing, which is of questionable value here, I simply recommend (for most people—whether or not they have anxiety) a high potency multi powder called the Energy Revitalization System (by Enzymatic Therapy). With this, one drink replaces well over 35 pills, optimizing levels of most nutrients. Also have the person decrease sugar and caffeine intake to see if this helps.

Herbals can also be very helpful. For example, there is a unique extract, which can be as effective as Xanax, but is very safe. This special extract stimulates one of the most abundant neuroreceptors in the body, the cannabinoid receptors. Many of you may recognize this as the marijuana receptor, and in fact many people use cannabis to self-medicate for their anxiety. But what if you could get the benefits without the sedation and side effects?

The good news is that now you can. Recent research showed that a special extract of the roots of the narrow leafed coneflower (Echinacea angustifoliae) was more effective than the tranquilizer Librium, with none of the side effects. It also worked quickly, with effects building with continued use. This is not the same component used for immune enhancement, and isn’t found at needed levels in standard Echinacea. It is available though as AnxioCalm (by EuroPharma—20 mg per tablet).

Let’s look at a few studies of this unique extract.
A study published in the March 2012 issue of Phytotherapy Research included 33 volunteers. All experienced anxiety, assessed using the validated State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The extract decreased STAI scores within three days, an effect that remained stable for the duration of the treatment (seven days) and for the two weeks that followed treatment. There were no dropouts and no side effects.

Another study looked at higher dosages (40 mg 2 x day) in a multi-center, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II study involving 26 volunteers diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Over a three week period, the number of severely anxious patients (HADS-A scores larger than 11) decreased from 11 to zero!

So I begin with two tablets of AnxioCalm 2x day for severe anxiety. After three weeks, the dose can often be dropped to one 20 mg tablet twice a day. It can also simply be used as needed, and serves as an excellent sleep aid.

Other helpful herbals include valerian, passion flower, hops, theanine, and lemon balm. These can be found in a combination called the “Revitalizing Sleep Formula,” which helps anxiety during the day and sleep at night. I personally use both AnxioCalm and the Revitalizing Sleep Formula at night to ensure 8–9 hours of deep sleep.

The smell of lavender oil is also calming, and a small drop on the upper lip, or even having a lavender bouquet in one’s room, can be helpful.

Structural And Biophysics
Simply going for regular walks in the sunshine, and doing yoga, tai chi, and meditation can be very helpful. A technique called centering can help people feel that they are in the calm “eye of the cyclone” when panic attacks hit. In addition, it is helpful to explore a technique called Butyko breathing, which can be very helpful for anxiety and hyperventilation.

For PTSD or old emotional traumas, a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can give near miraculous benefits in as little as 20 minutes (see EFT.Mercola.com). It may seem odd, but try it and you’ll be amazed. Releasing old traumas through a simple “trembling” technique is also helpful, and the person can do it on their own. It is easy and simple instructions can be found in the book Waking the Tiger.

By having the entire healing arts toolkit available, and not just using the “medical hammer,” anxiety can now be effectively treated!

The post A Practical Guide to Treating Stress and Anxiety appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

SYNERGY
Synergism—the combined effects of two or more components is greater than the sum of the effects of the individual components acting alone

Many years ago, I was involved in the development of patentable forms of grape seed extract and their proanthocyanidin active components. We were exploring, among other things, how plant compounds work together with traditional antioxidant vitamins to provide protection that is superior to that of vitamins alone. People whose diet is rich in fruits and vegetables consume not only antioxidant vitamins, but also various polyphenols. Our starting point was that many of the benefits derived from eating such diets may be the result of synergism between the plant polyphenols and the better-known vitamin antioxidants. Plant polyphenols in this consideration were active antioxidant compounds, such as those found in tea, wine and grape juice. Overwhelming evidence supports the belief that excessive oxidation and free radical damage is linked to various disease states and even to aging. Yet studies in both animals and humans in which diets have been supplemented with antioxidant vitamins for long periods of time have yielded ambiguous results.

At the 219th American Chemical Society National Meeting held in San Francisco on March 26–30, 2000 researchers associated with the company Polyphenolics presented studies that supported supplementing the diet with special plant-derived nutrients and consuming more whole fruits and vegetables. One of our associates pointed out that antioxidant vitamins are present in the human body at levels typically twenty to several hundred times the level of plant polyphenols. This is one reason that so much less research has focused on the antioxidant vitamins in foods and relatively little research has been done on the antioxidant roles of the other compounds present. By 2000, however, it already was becoming clear that these non-vitamin plant antioxidants have an impact on the antioxidant status of the body that is much beyond their representation in the blood and tissues. For instance, at the conference it was explained that an extract from grape seeds given to human volunteers led to a much greater increase in the antioxidant capacity of the subjects’ blood than was theoretically possible based on the compound alone. This was a finding that called for explanation. A second set of tests helped to clarify the result of the first––the same grape seed extract demonstrated significant synergism when tested in vitro with the antioxidant vitamins C and E, either alone or in combination.

To establish a quantitative baseline for the antioxidant power of each of the compounds, tests used the standard cupric ion generation of oxidation to look at the impact of combining our grape seed extract (Vixox Gold™) with vitamins C and E to gauge the synergy of the combinations. Vitamin C, vitamin E and grape seed extract were each tested individually to determine their effects at several concentrations. These baselines were added to yield the “Sum of Individual Inhibitions” which then was compared with the “Actual Inhibitions When Tested Together.” The Actual Inhibitions minus the Sum of Individual Inhibitions times 100 yielded the percent of Synergism. This series of in vitro tests thus allowed the investigator to elegantly demonstrate the concentrations of maximal synergism amongst the three antioxidants. Strong synergism was shown for Vinox Gold™ plus vitamin C, for Vinox Gold™ plus vitamin E, and, finally, for Vinox Gold™ plus vitamin C and vitamin E.

Synergisms in the ranges shown above are good examples of why it is that consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is so much more successful in terms of health than eating a diet based on refined carbohydrates, protein and fats. Refining the “big three” macronutrients and then “adding back” nutrients/ micronutrients loses the benefits of the plant compounds that otherwise are present in the original sources of carbohydrates and in partially refined oils, such as olive and sesame oils. The antioxidant vitamins are important, but they commonly provide their full potential benefits only when combined with various plant factors.

BEYOND SYNERGISM
Synergism is important, yet there are other arguably much more important factors that cannot be reduced to the concept of synergism. In another paper presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, Chithan Kandaswami of the State University of New York at Buffalo indicated that grape seed extract acts in ways other than as an antioxidant. The flavonoids found in grape seed along with chemically similar compounds found in other plants act to reduce the signals received by certain cell receptors involved in inflammation and tumor growth and to activate additional signals. Antioxidants commonly are found to help to reduce inflammation, but in this case the protective effect is different from an antioxidant benefit. When researchers attempt to elucidate mechanisms of action, compounds found in foods and herbs often exhibit signaling roles in the body with difficult to define effects and unknown active pathways.

To illustrate this, let’s take a simple example with implications that upend many supposedly established conclusions and vast amounts of research into the relation between nutrition and cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats, such as butterfat, long have been damned based mostly on marker studies as being atherogenic because such fats raise plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In 2015, it has become apparent that recommendations against saturated fats that have been in place since 1977 never had conclusive support from randomized controlled trials and that there is a case to be made that total cholesterol and, to some extent, even LDL-C, within a wide range actually are inversely related to total mortality! ^1,2,3,4,5 This means that longevity studies based on endpoints (did the subjects live longer or not) routinely have found that in old age higher, not lower, levels of total and even LDL-C within a certain range are associated with better health and longer life. The reader may well ask, “How can so much have been wrong for so long?” One answer is that models based on interventions with pure substances often leave out actual dietary practices and suggest that foods which, in fact, are healthful instead are detrimental to health. Case in point, butterfat.

In 1993, one of the most important researchers exploring the health effects of fats in the diet, FA Kummerow, published an animal study using a model (swine) that is an almost perfect stand-in for humans in terms of lipids and cardiovascular disease to test the effects of consumption of margarine and butter on plasma lipids levels as different amounts of magnesium were consumed. The findings were telling regarding nutrient interactions. From the abstract:

Plasma lipids obtained from swine which had been fed butter or margarine at two dietary magnesium (Mg) levels indicated that the level of dietary Mg was more significant to plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than was the presence of butter or margarine [i.e., omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids].…

Studies in which the influences of dietary fats on plasma cholesterol were first noted were carried out on liquid diets deficient in Mg. Mg, a cofactor in the enzymes involved in desaturation of saturated fatty acids, is also necessary in desaturation of linoleic to arachidonic acid.

⁶ [Emphasis added.]

In other words, simply adding magnesium to the diet dramatically changed the effect of saturated fat on plasma lipids levels compared to polyunsaturated fat. Interestingly, butterfat, such as is found in full fat dairy, actually protects against diabetes and perhaps other components of the metabolic syndrome.⁷ The addition of magnesium in this example is not a form of synergy in the usual sense defined above. Instead, it is an instance of how in the diet the entourage effect often plays out.

THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT
Many herbalists long have held that in some cases plants yield better results than the natural products isolated from them, a type of “herbal synergism.” However, synergy in the simple sense introduced above involves the total of a particular benefit or effect being greater than the sum of its parts. This is illustrated by the example of delivering together blends of antioxidants whose antioxidant effects, through whatever combination of mechanisms, exceed the sum of their individual capacities as antioxidants. But what do we call the concept if one or more of the components exert no antioxidant effects of their own, may otherwise seemingly even be inert, yet magnify the outcome, reduce side effects and introduce new and unexpected benefits?

Increasingly in the scientific literature, this is called the entourage effect.⁸ Not surprisingly, the concept emerged with regard to herbs rather than standard pharmaceuticals because it does not lend itself readily to standard testing methodologies which depend upon “one cause, one effect” reasoning and testing. Nevertheless, examples of the entourage effect continuously are in evidence.

A good illustration of the superiority of a complex herbal extract versus “guaranteed potency” based on the ever greater purification of a single ingredient is Ma huang, a plant source of natural ephedra. Starting in the early 1990s and continuing for more than a dozen years, the combination of ephedra and caffeine was popular as a dieting aid because the mixture worked. Despite this fact, ephedra and its sources were banned due to fears of increased hypertension in vulnerable individuals. In the marketplace, relatively high dose extracts from plant sources were not economic beyond concentrations of six percent of the active alkaloid and this led to the widespread use of synthetic sources. Curiously, seriously elevated blood pressure was not normal with the plant source at reasonable levels of intake whereas elevated blood pressure was fairly typical with the synthetic. Why the difference? The answer lay with the entourage effect—in Ma huang there are a number of compounds that lower blood pressure and otherwise modulate the pressor effect of ephedra thus making the plant source far safer than the synthetic pharmaceutical source of ephedra.

Similar cases are found throughout herbalism. The important compound adenosine cannot be successfully supplemented in pure form by mouth, yet is bioavailable as a component of bears’/wild garlic.⁹ Likewise, the phytosterols beta-sitosterol and its glucoside in combination show significantly greater efficacy than the individual sterols at the same concentration, which is to say beta-sitosterol requires the presence of its typical form found in plants in order to be maximally active.¹⁰

A great current example of the entourage effect is cannabis in both its medical and recreational uses. Different strains of the plant that otherwise are analyzed as possessing essentially identical amounts of the “active” ingredients are reported by many or even most users as leading to quite different experiences. The reason is that the plant is the source of 60 or more cannabinoids alone, not just the famous THC and CBD, along with a host of non-cannabinoid compounds, such as terpenes. These differing combinations of compounds can activate or block binding to brain receptor sites and produce a variety of other regulatory effects.

These findings have wide-ranging implications, such as for the use of medical marijuana for cancer. For instance, cannabinoids typically have been used in experimental treatments just like other drugs to block one or another pathway or receptor site based on the genetic mutation theory of tumor development and growth. However, that model, which is the basis of most chemo- and related therapies, recently has taken quite a few hard nocks as it has become increasing apparent that cancers, like other cells and tissues in the body, depend upon epigenetics as much as or more than genetics.^11,12

Epigenetics, according to one definition, refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes “on” or “off.” These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells “read” genes.¹³

In epigenetic models of disease, targeting multiple pathways and influencing indirect as well as direct mechanisms is more effective than focusing on a single point.

A PRINCIPLE IN TRADITIONAL HERBAL FORMULATION

The entourage effect as a concept very recently has been harnessed by scientists at Harvard and several Central European universities to cover ways of visualizing the relationships between biological pathways.¹⁴An argument can be made a number of sophisticated traditional medical systems, such as those of the Tibetans and the Chinese, long have employed this type of modeling. Indeed, neither of these systems nor the related Indian Ayurvedic system traditionally used single herbs in treatments. As one recent compendium describes the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Chinese herbs are not used singly in treatment, but in combinations known as herbal formulas….Since a [sic] herbal combination has obvious advantages in treatment, the relationships between the herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been carefully studied and certain types of relationship are identified. They are called the seven relations between herbs, e.g. mutual accentuation, mutual enhancement, mutual counteraction, mutual suppression, mutual antagonism, mutual incompatibility and single effect. Some of these are very useful in treatment, but some are harmful and therefore must be avoided.¹⁵

There are other ways of describing principles of formulation, such as major ingredients, directing ingredients, various modifying ingredients, etc., but the ideas are similar.

To illustrate these points, we can return to a Chinese formula that has been mentioned before in these pages, the fermented herb mixture known as Tai Li Wang. Also referred to as a mulberry and sea-buckthorn beverage concentrate to reflect its two most prominent ingredients, Tai Li Wang is suggested for individuals under stress, including mental and physical stress, those recovering from surgery or illness, requiring a large nutritional boost, individuals suffering gastrointestinal problems, and those looking for an anti-aging tonic. Other ingredients include black sesame, black plum, goji, Buddha’s hand, Chinese white olive, fu ling, chrysanthemum and jujube. Fermentation creates further complex components not found in the original herbs. The herbal tradition maintains that Tai Li Wang improves energy, supports the liver and kidney functions, increases blood components and supports their roles, is detoxifying, improves digestion and digestive functions (including being useful in both constipation and diarrhea), and is calming, including aiding sleep. In short, the formula is strengthening and balancing to the metabolism.

These effects refer to the entire formula and the components individually are generally mild in action. However, even mild herbs have limits. Take, for instance, Buddha’s hand. This is a mild herb related to citron that calms the liver and regulates certain types of energy. It is not used by itself if the physiologic system has been depleted due to diarrhea. Similarly, chrysanthemum typically is mild with the properties of cooling and calming, yet it should be used in moderation by those who have a weak digestive system or have diarrhea. The other herbs in the formula balance these constraints and in practice Tai Li Wang serves to normalize bowel function just as it serves to support immune function without causing inflammation and it promotes greater energy without being overly stimulating or depleting as is caffeine. In general, Tai Li Wang is a complex mixture of herbs consumed at really quite low levels as individual components, meaning that its benefits cannot be explained by the quantity of any one component, yet taken together these ingredients magnify the outcome, reduce side effects and introduce new and unexpected benefits.

CONCLUSION
As noted above, herbalists long have held that in some cases plants yield better results than the natural products isolated from them, a type of “herbal synergism.” One of the dangers of the modern “guaranteed potency herbs” and similar approaches to supplements is that the “guaranteed potency” that originally was meant to insure that the whole extraction was done properly has been deformed to reproduce the pharmaceutical model of pure substances and, as one consequence, leaving out important compounds found in the herbs and in the extracts as originally produced. Single compound and herbs can be combined for synergistic effects, to be sure, but it is easy to lose sight of the benefits, sometimes not at all minor, of the other compounds present in the herbs that may not constitute the active ingredients per se, yet are important for determining how the so-called active ingredients affect the body. This is the entourage effect. It is important in evaluating individual herbs and their extracts. Properly understood, it also can be understood as an organizing principle for a number of traditional medical systems, such as those of the Tibetans and the Chinese.

References

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