Evening Primrose

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Evening Primrose possesses a high content of the rare gamma linolenic acid (GLA) that appears to produce a host of beneficial effects. GLA is an unsaturated fatty acid that assists in the production of prostaglandins, the hormones necessary for many important bodily functions. GLA helps the body produce energy and forms part of the structural fats that comprise the brain, muscle, bone marrow and cell membranes.

For the promotion of cardiovascular health, the prostaglandins formed by GLA in Evening Primrose are said to have anticoagulating properties that dilate the blood vessels and reduce the blocking of blood vessels by a blood clot, thereby helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In addition, GLA is said to lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, further reducing the possibility of heart disease and stroke. The increased blood circulation properties in Evening Primrose are also thought to be beneficial in cases Raynaud's syndrome.

GLA plays a crucial role in the health of the brain and nervous system, and Evening Primrose has

been recommended as a supportive treatment for multiple sclerosis and other degenerative

diseases. Gamma linolenic acid deficiency is said to be associated with many health problems.

Those with premenstrual syndrome and cyclical breast pain associated with the menstrual cycle, , diabetes, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, eczema and other skin conditions may have a metabolic block that interferes with the body’s ability to make GLA. In preliminary research, supplementation with Evening Primrose has helped people with these conditions.

Certain disorders or diseases may block the body's ability to make gamma linolenic acid (GLA), and

Evening Primrose oil can supplement that deficiency, which in turn should help to ease the conditions that block the conversions in the first place. Some of these ailments include blood sugar problems, chronic inflammatory disorders, nutrient deficiencies and the metabolizing of hydrogenated oils and fats, as well as many other problems that may be helped by better balance of fatty acids in the body; therefore, people with deficiencies would presumably benefit from supplemental GLA intake from Evening Primrose.

Evening Primrose has been used as a traditional supplement for its stimulating effects on the liver, spleen and digestive apparatus and is said to help gastric irritation, irritable bladder, chronic diarrhea and fatty acid problems.

In modern herbal medicine the mucilage in Evening Primrose is used in cough remedies to help inhibit coughing, whooping cough and to help relieve cold symptoms.

Evening Primrose is considered an antispasmodic that helps to alleviate spasmodic asthma and menstrual cramps. In treating female problems, Evening Primrose acts as a natural estrogen promoter and therefore can help to relieve heavy bleeding, headache, breast tenderness and bloating. This is also said to have favorable effects when used for menopausal discomforts, such as hot flashes.

In some studies, Evening Primrose was thought to help treat schizophrenia, depression and premenstrual syndrome, especially when related to mood swings. Research continues into treatments for anorexia nervosa, hyperactivity, alcoholism and chronic anxiety. There is evidence that alcoholics may be deficient in GLA, and a double-blind study suggested that alcohol withdrawal may be facilitated with Evening Primrose supplementation.

Flax Seed Oil

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Flax Seed Oil is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its oil rich seeds. This natural oil (also known as Linseed Oil) is highly recommended for the general well being and whole body nutrition and is considered to be nature's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids that are required for the health of almost all body systems.

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible "fishy" after taste. Sounded good already!

It's important to buy high-quality flax seed oil as it is prone to rancidity. Light and oxygen will slowly breakdown the essential fatty acids. Look for flax seed oil capsules (dark coated soft gels) or oil that is bottled in amber-brown bottles, as these are more resistant to the light and oxygen. Make sure you refrigerate your flax seed oil to help extend its shelf life.

Flax seed oil takes a bit of time to be absorbed into the body before the full beneficial effects begin, ranging anywhere from a few days to as many as six weeks, depending on your overall well-being.


Add Flax Seed to your diet and watch what it will do for you! If you're unsure about trying Flax Seed, contact your physician and ask for more information.

Eczema - Supplements and herbs

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The aggravation and sudden increase in the affects of eczema can be alleviated and relieved to a great extent through the use of many kinds of supplements and supplemental products, these can be used alone or as a secondary agent along with other supplements, and can be combined with conventional drugs and over the counter medications used in the allopathic treatment of the condition. Three to four days is the usual timeframe within which the beneficial effects of supplementation become observable in the patient. To prevent the recurrence of the condition in the long term, use can also be made of some of the supplements on a regular basis.



The allergic reactions engendered in the patient and the subsequent inflammation that occurs can often be countered to a great extent through the use of various supplements that can be consumed by the patient. Some of these supplements may be effective for you and you should give it a shot. The inflammation and the itching sensation in the skin can be alleviated by the use of the essential flaxseed oil and the oil of the evening primrose herb, these are very abundant in substances like essential fatty acids and other compounds that can aid in the revitalization of the skin. The dry skin and consequent itchiness can be reduced through supplementation with the A and E vitamins, as symptoms reduce in intensity, lower the dosage of the vitamin A concurrently. The healing and restoration of the skin is improved by the supplements of the essential mineral zinc, the mineral bolsters the performance of the immune system and effectively aids in the healing process of the skin, the biochemical processing of the essential fatty acids also involves this mineral and it is an essential part of that process. Since an increase in zinc brings around a reduction in the levels of the mineral copper in the body, copper supplements are necessary alongside the supplements of zinc in order to restore the balance of depleted copper in the body. The allergic reaction of the body can also be tempered through the use of extracts of the seeds of grape, these extracts are abound in antioxidant substances called flavonoids, these plant substances play an essential role in cellular processes.

Many external creams have chamomile or licorice extracts as ingredients, these make excellent topical applications for use on the affected areas of the skin, in people with eczema. The direct application of the cream or topical rub onto the lesions on the skin can be very soothing and effective, such lotions also reduce the levels of inflammation on the patient skin and can restore its health.

Eczema Diet

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What is eczema?

The term ‘eczema’ covers a wide range of skin problems, which trouble people at different stages in their lives. It crops up in many different ways, such as in an elderly person with dry red skin around the ankles, a child with weeping red areas on the wrists, or someone whose eyelids have become itchy, red, dry and puffy in reaction to make-up.




Eczema is usually dry, making your skin feel rough, scaly and sometimes thickened. In severe eczema or after a prolonged bout of scratching, the skin becomes wet with colourless fluid, sometimes mixed with blood.

Eczema Diet is based on the logic that the real magic bullets for reversing eczema and gaining health and vitality are in nutritional components found in foods, not pharmaceuticals (chemical, herbal or botanical formulas). We now know scientifically that nutrients found in foods can help prevent nearly all the common degenerative diseases that strike us today. Following this eczema diet can really make a difference for you.

"You have your own individual potential for health," says Udo Erasmus , in his book, Fats that Heal - Fats that Kill .
Erasmus also explains that there are at least four reasons we can rely on ourselves to find a natural cure for eczema through the foods we eat (our diet) and that we are not to expect pharmaceutical drugs or even natural herbal and botanical formulas to accomplish our health goals.

1. Health is a natural state.

Internally, our optimum health possibility is determined by our genetic makeup, which includes complex and sophisticated digestive, absorptive, constructive, maintaining, metabolic, protective, and healing mechanisms. Because individuals differ genetically, optimal health is also somewhat different for each individual.

Externally, health is determined by the natural environment, which provides:

a. the surroundings (setting);
b. the building blocks from which our body is constructed and continuously reconstructed; and
c. toxic substances that can interfere with processes that underlie health and healing (Erasmus, p. 414).


2. Our body is made from foods, water, air, and light energy.

The key to effective primary health care and reversing eczema is found in living as we would live, if we were in an ideal natural setting, where foods are fresh, alive, raw, sun-ripened, locally grown, in season, and pesticide-free. Water is clean. Air is clean. Light is full-spectrum sunlight.

From foods, water and air our body must derive 50+ essential factors to function in a healthy way, factors our bodies cannot make from other substances. These include 20 or 21 minerals; 13 vitamins; 8 to 11 essential amino acids; 2 essential fatty acids; water; air; light; and a source of energy (usually carbohydrates).

Processing removes essential nutrients from foods and may also destroy nutrients or change them into toxic substances. Deficiencies of essential nutrients and toxicity in foods have both been documented in processed foods (Erasmus, p.414).


3. Eczema is a departure from health


A departure from health is a departure from the ideal natural state, internally, externally, or both.


The most common causes of eczema include malnutrition, especially to the skin (deficiency of essential substances or nutrient imbalances) and internal pollution (interfering substances such as pollutants, heavy metals, drugs, metabolic waste products, toxins produced by yeast, and toxins made in our body as a result of allergic reactions).


4. Eczema can be reversed by changing the diet you are eating.

Reversal of eczema caused by malnutrition and internal pollution requires improved nutrition and detoxification.

Nutrition can be improved by the consumption of whole foods, fresh juices, super foods supplements and food concentrates.


Important guiding principle for a healthier body:

It should be kept in mind that the best eczema diet is one where you consume only original foods, or foods modified minimally, instead of consuming isolated or synthetic compounds (single amino acids, single essential fatty acids, vitamins or minerals). From foods, our bodies must derive all 50+ essential nutrients, on a daily basis, to function in a healthy way. Deficiency of any of these essential nutrients can lead to degenerative processes and degenerative diseases such as eczema.

It's difficult to define the impact of a particular nutrient on any specific disease. The reason is that nutrients work together synergistically, not separately, to improve physiological function, reduce disease risk and help the body defend itself against disease producing processes.

For example, it has been scientifically proven through clinical research that individuals with eczema appear to have deficiencies in essential fatty acids. Instead of taking essential fatty acids as individual supplements (i.e., fish oil), it is always better to eat foods high in essential fatty acids. Therefore, we might think of "nutrition" and the "eczema diet" as the consumption of a family of related compounds that work together to enhance the body's ability to function optimally throughout the genetically determined life span of the individual. How healthy an individual becomes depends on what he/she chooses to put into their body every day. A very important concept to reverse eczema is to eat (start eating) your way to better health by following an eczema diet .

For more info, go to http://eczema-natural-healing.com/eczema-diet.html

Eczema and Vitamins

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Antioxidant Vitamins - Protecting the skin from free radical damage

Antiooxidants have a way of helping our bodies cope with the terrible environmental pollution that surrounds us. In addition to the antioxidants our bodies produce, nature provides us with hundreds of antioxidants (phytochemicals) in the foods we eat. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds such as: enzymes, pigments, and hormones that plants create for their own protection and survival. They give plants their color, odor, and taste. Some, like beta-carotene, are well known, but 90 percent of phytochemicals are still unidentified. Beta-carotene is the carotenoid that gives carrots their orange color, but there may be as many as 600 different carotenoids in foods.

Your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables provide you with much of the beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants. However, because we do not know the quality of the soils from which our commercial or organic fruits and vegetables are grown, we cannot guarantee that we are totally protected from free radical damage. This is why it is so important to supplement with antioxidant vitamins.

Antioxidant vitamins are some of the most important supplements for reversing eczema:

Vitamin C and other antioxidants such as vitamin E, A , and D may be able to prevent environmental damage from the activity of free radicals. Anti oxidants stimulate collagen synthesis, improve the skin's texture, and help with proper essential fatty acid metabolism. Antioxidants beta carotene, and vitamins C and E are very important to protect the skin from free radical damage (Hudson, p.148).

Why whole foods are the best antioxidant supplements:

Most people take single antioxidant vitamins, such as Vitamins C, E and Beta Carotene. You are far better off using whole food antioxidants to nourish and protect your skin because whole food antioxidants contain the two types of antioxidants - the nutrients and their natural enzymes (man-made supplements do not).

The antioxidant nutrients (such as vitamins A , C and E) are derived from the diet and have their primary effect while circulating in the blood outside of the cells. The antioxidant enzyme system (super oxide dismutase "SOD", catalase and others found naturally in foods) is produced by the body inside and outside of the cells. This gives the anti oxidant enzyme system a much greater advantage in controlling free radicals because free radical production occurs primarily inside the cell.

One of the best antioxidants on the market today is a supplement made from organically grown wheat sprouts, wild-crafted blue green algae and red sea algae. Three powerful foods are in this one supplement. This supplement is a whole-food full spectrum antioxidant.


The wheat sprouts, wild-crafted blue green algae and red sea algae wholefood antioxidant supplement is the most effective first-line-of-defense against free radicals. It supplies the skin with antioxidant nutrients AND natural enzymes. The effectiveness of this product has been proven through 10 years of animal studies at Indiana State University and Wilkes University.

Being a whole food supplement, the wheat sprouts and algae not only contain the highest amount of antioxidant enzyme activity available today in any antioxidant supplement, but also contain every single co-enzyme factor naturally occurring within the sprouts and algae . This is very important, for as with any nutrient, enzymes do not work alone. The overall synergistic effect of having all of the enzymes together with vitamins and minerals instead of being isolated, as in many man-made antioxidant supplements, is a big reason why the wheat sprouts and algae supplement is able to deliver one million units of total antioxidant enzyme activity!

Other Antioxidants to consider in your nutritional supplementation program:

Grape seed and grape skin antioxidant supplement. This is a great antioxidant supplement combining grape seed and grape skin extracts with camu camu fruit, acerola, wild-crafted blue green algae, Japanese knotweed and rose hips. The active components of grapes are very effective at scavenging free radicals and preventing their formation.

This supplement contains one hundred percent of the recommended daily intake of both vitamin C and vitamin E.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). In any healing process CoQ10 is an essential supplement because it assists the body's cells in converting nutrients into energy. This antioxidant supplement has the ability to manipulate oxygen. It can add or take away oxygen for a given biochemical combination, moving oxygen into or out of the mitochondria. It can actually increase oxygen levels when necessary, and reduce them if they threaten to reach toxic levels. This is part of its role as an antioxidant.

This antioxidant supplement has a remarkable combination of organic flaxseed oil providing a rich source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, wild-crafted blue green algae, mechanically extracted carotenoids from red beta algae, fennel, rosemary, cinnamon, and ginger.

A summary of the anti-oxidant supplements you need to protect your skin:

Sprouts and Algae

Grape Seed and Grape Skin Antioxidant

Coenzyme Q10

(It is recommended that you start with one antioxidant at a time).

Other supplements needed for treatment of eczema:

Amino and Fatty Acids
Acidophilus

for more info, go to http://eczema-natural-healing.com/vitamins-and-eczema.htm

Gout ~ Food

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Foods and Other Things to Avoid

*Meat: organ meats, offal, meat extracts, veal, bacon, sweetbreads, meat gravies and broths, consumme/bullion

*Poultry: turkey, goose

*Seafood: salmon, mackerel, trout, cod, herring, sardines, anchovies, mussels, crab, shrimp

*Vegetables: peas, beans, lentils, asparagus, mushrooms, cooked spinach, rhubarb, cauliflower

* Yeast products: baked goods, beer

* Alcohol - it increases the production of uric acid and inhibits its excretion by the kidneys

* Coffee - it accelerates the breakdown of protein into uric acid

* All fried foods - they cause a depletion of vitamin E, which can cause uric acid to rise

* Cream and ice cream

* Rich desserts

* Spices

* Pastries

* Simple sugars, simple carbohydrates and saturated fats - they increase your body's production of uric acid and impair your kidneys' ability to get rid of it. Eliminate fructose (found in food and drinks, like sodas)

* White flour

* Aspirin can raise uric acid levels. If you need to use pain killers, only use ones with ibuprofen.

* Oatmeal

* Whole grains

* Caffeine - it impairs kidney function, which is needed to get uric acid out of the body.


Supplements

Low-purine diets are low in vitamins B, E and other antioxidants, so supplementation will be necessary to prevent damage from free radicals that can intensify gouty problems.

B complex One to three 50 mg tablets of the complete B complex daily, plus 500 mg of pantothenic acid (B5) in divided doses to assist the body's conversion of uric acid into harmless compounds.

Bromelain 500 mg twice daily as an anti-inflammatory.

Fish oil Take 2 grams of fish oil capsules 2x a day to reduce the chances of gouty inflammation.

L-glutamine 500 mg four times daily on an empty stomach - is an antacid.

L-glutathione 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach - increases renal cleansing of uric acid.

L-glycine 500 mg four times daily between meals - acts as an antacid.

L-methionine 250 mg twice daily on an empty stomach - detoxifies purines.

Magnesium citrate 400 mg three times a day - an anti-spasmodic to relieve pain.

Shark cartilage used on a daily basis of 3-6 capsules/day can make the pain disappear and allow you to eat previously forbidden foods within one week without experiancing pain in the affected joint. After approximately one month of continuous use, you may stop taking the cartilage until the pain reoccurs. At this point you will probably only need to take the cartilage (3-6 capsules) for a week or two. You may continue this on/off cycle as needed. Your uric acid level may return to normal, but even if it doesn't, the pain will go away.

Tissue salts ~ To prevent the formation of uric acid crystals, take two tablets of 6X Silicea three times a day. During a gout attack, increase the dosage to three tablets and add an equal amount of Nat. Phos. and Nat. Sulph.

Vitamin C 1,000 mg per hour at the very outset of a gout attack, then reduce to 500-3,000 mg daily for maintenance. Vitamin C helps lower serum uric acid levels.

Vitamin E Low-purine diets are low in vitamin E and fried foods deplete it, so supplementation will be necessary as a deficiency can contribute to the formation of excess uric acid. Begin with 100 IU of natural vitamin E, and slowly increase to 6-800 IU daily.