http://www.naturalnews.com/028342_seizures_Chinese_medicine.html

By Stephen Daniells, 22-Feb-2010

The antioxidant compounds present in green tea and associated with a myriad of health benefits can penetrate the tissue of the eye and potentially protect against common eye diseases, says a new study.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong report that catechins from tea could be detected in significant amounts in various eye structures. According to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the retina of rats absorbed the highest levels of gallocatechin, while the aqueous humor tended to absorb epigallocatechin.

Furthermore, the potential beneficial effects of green tea catechins in reducing harmful oxidative stress were sustained for up to 20 hours.

Eyes on the market

A report from Frost & Sullivan last year stated that the global market for eye health ingredients was dominated by antioxidants, including lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin and bilberry.

The demand for such products is increasing as consumers turn to nutrition to protect against blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.

The global human nutrition market for lutein is predicted to reach $125m within three years, said F&S, with growth underpinned by rising demand for eye health supplements from the aging US population, increasing healthcare costs, more research efforts backing ingredient benefits, and improvements in technology for methods of ingredient extraction, said the report.

“Although many antioxidants have been studied in the eye, to the best of our knowledge this is the first paper to show distribution of individual catechins after ingestion of green tea extract and to evaluate their in vivo antioxidative effects in various parts of the mammalian eye,” wrote t he researchers behind the new study.

Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.

Study details

Chi Pui Pang and colleagues fed laboratory rats green tea and subsequently analysed the eye tissues. Catechins were indeed observed in the eye tissues, say the researchers.

“Many studies on the antioxidative effect of green tea focused on EGCG,” report the researchers. “However, in this study, we found its tissue level was not high. Gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, and epicatechin, on the other hand, substained high levels in many compartments.

“Although these compounds have a reducing power similar to or lower than that of EGCG, use of a mixture, such as green tea extract, was better than use of a single catechin because of lower cost and synergic effects on antioxidation and bioavailability,” they added.

“Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress,” concluded the researchers.

The green tea extracts, Sunphenon DCF-1, were donated by Taiyo Kagaku Co. Ltd.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume 58, Issue 3, Pages 1523–1534, doi: 10.1021/jf9032602
“Green Tea Catechins and Their Oxidative Protection in the Rat Eye”
Authors: K.O. Chu, K.P. Chan, C.C. Wang, C.Y. Chu, W.Y. Li, K.W. Choy, M.S. Rogers, C.P. Pang

Article from www.acupuncture.com

By Sophia Tang

Are you really healthy? What are the health indexes in Chinese medicine system?

Chinese medicine sees our body as a reflection of this universe and sees the material world as consisting of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. In the human body, each organ is attributed to one of these five elements. Each of the five elements has a supporting and controlling relationship with each other. Chinese medicine also treats the human body as a network system. This network system is constructed of 12 major meridians or channels that connect directly to 365 major acupuncture points. Everything in our body is connected with those meridian channels including the organs such as liver, heart, spleen, lung, kidney, gall bladder, intestines, etc. Different types of energy such as Qi, blood, essence (Jing), and body fluids flow through our meridian channels and nourish the whole body system including all our organs. If the flowing of each meridian channel is vibrated at its optimal frequency without any disturbance and blockage, every organ has a harmonious supporting and controlling relationship with each other, and there is no deficient or excess energy within our body, we should be healthy.

Because Chinese medicine physiology is based on a type of theory that is totally different from Western medicine, it stands to reason that the health indexes based on Chinese medicine are also completely difference from Western medicine.

I will give you an example. If a person is always feeling chilled along with cold hands and feet, the diagnosis from Chinese medicine would likely be Heart Yang deficiency. The Heart has the fire attribute in the five elements system. It is like the sunshine that warms our body. Yang energy represents functional energy. Without enough functional Yang energy, the heart cannot carry its normal function to pump out blood with enough pressure, speed, and temperature. The result of this is poor circulation in our body. The body extremities will be cold because the heart is lacking of functional energy and it cannot do its job. Thus, it is easier for the body to accumulate garbage and become susceptible to tumor growths for people with this type of physical constitution.

If this same person goes to a Western doctor due to chronic fatigue syndrome and frequent urination, but gets “normal” lab test numbers and examination from the doctor, the doctor would tell that person that his/her physical health is fine. However, if this person sees an authentic Chinese medicine physician, he/she would definitely know what is going on with this person’s health and can even foresee what physical conditions may manifest in the future. The healer will then tune up this person with acupuncture, herbal medicine, or some other healing modality. This will prevent these physical symptoms from manifesting into a serious disease.

There are examinations used by Chinese medical healers to check if a person is healthy. These examinations include visual inspection of the tongue, eyes, and other parts of the body; smelling, questioning, and pulse taking. Traditional Chinese medicine healers do not rely on a disease name and laboratory tests to tell you if you are healthy or not. If you would like to know if you are healthy or not, below are health indexes Chinese medical healers use to gauge health. If you meet these criteria without any uncomfortable symptoms in your body, then you are physically healthy from the view of the Chinese medicine system. If not, you should see a traditional Chinese medicine healer to get an examination and to tune up your body, so your body will be back to the balance and meet these criteria of these health indexes according to Chinese medicine physiology.

Health indexes in Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system:

1. Normal appetite. Food tastes good. You get normal hungry feelings. Do not overeat.
2. Have a bowel movement everyday at the same time.
3. Urinate 5-7 times during a day, 0-1 time during the night without pain or difficulty.
4. Have no problem falling asleep and can sleep throughout the night.
5. Do not have any abnormal sweat or abnormal thirst during the day or night.
6. Wake up with penile erection with the male and with sensitive breast nipple with the female.
7. Pain free.
8. Have warm hands and feet and cool face.
9. Have the energy level you desire.
10. Woman has 28 days of menstrual cycle without uncomfortable feeling and cramping.

Let me give you some examples about why meeting those criteria are important for your health.

Example 1:
A person who is always feeling hungry and craving food. This is an indication that there is too much heat in the digestion system, so the digestion system is working too fast. This heat will impact nearby organs such as pancreas. Once the pancreas is not functioning normally, it is possible that diabetes may manifest in the future.

Example 2:
A person always wakes up during 1-3 o’clock in the morning. There is indication here that there is an imbalance in the Liver channel. This imbalance could be something excessive growing in the liver or an energy deficiency or a blockage in the Liver channel. If you tell a Western doctor that you are waking up during this time, he/she may not be able to tell you that there is anything wrong, especially if the examination and the lab tests are fine. If this kind of symptom lasts for over two years, you may be surprised to find that those same lab tests may now tell you that something is wrong with the liver, which could be something like growing tumors. If you saw a well-trained Traditional Chinese medicine healer when this symptom began, he/she would definitely know what the diagnosis is. He/she will then tune up the body to get it back into balance so that imbalance will not manifest into a serious health issue in the future.

All questions asked from a Traditional Chinese medicine healer are the starting point for doing a good diagnosis. All symptoms showing in your body are signs to tell the healer what is going on with your body. So be sure to tell your Chinese medicine physician all symptoms you are having no matter how strange it might sound.

Wise people know the prevention is the best medicine for their over all health. The Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system is the most complete medical system since the ancient times. It is the only system that also includes prevention as part of overall treatment.

http://www.sophtangacupuncture.com

Article from Natural News / www.naturalnews.com

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Faced with a growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, hospitals in the United Kingdom are adopting traditional medicinal techniques to fight infection, such as maggots and honey.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant infections kill or hasten the death of 8,000 British patients per year, while MRSA now kills more people in the United States annually than AIDS.

At the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England, many wounds are now being disinfected with Manuka honey rather than pharmaceutical antibiotics.

“Honey has been used in healing for centuries, but now new products have overcome the problems associated with using conventional honey and bring it into a modern healthcare setting,” said the hospital’s Kate Purser.

Honey is one of the oldest forms of medicine known, and was employed both as food and antibiotic by the ancient Egyptians and, more recently, by German doctors during World War I. Its high sugar content means that the water in honey is almost chemically inert, making it unavailable for the growth of bacteria, fungi or viruses. A naturally occurring enzyme known as glucose oxidase also makes honey acidic enough to create a hostile environment for most bacteria.

The honey used by Royal United Hospital is not the same as the honey found on supermarket shelves, however. The honey is a variety known as Manuka honey, which is produced from the manuka plant, native to New Zealand. This honey is then irradiated to kill any trace bacterial spores.

According to Manuka honey products company Honeymark, the honey has proven effective at killing MRSA in scientific trials. While honey already contains a variety of chemicals that can be beneficial to the body — such as the antioxidant pinocembrin, which only occurs in honey — Honeymark claims that Manuka honey contains even more of these beneficial compounds, which are derived from the manuka flower.

“These medicinal compounds, in most cases, outperform many pharmaceuticals and traditional forms of medicine,” the company said in a press release.

Honeymark claims that Manuka honey can be use both topically and internally to treat conditions caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, including infected wounds, acne, eczema, stomach ulcers or other gastrointestinal conditions, ringworm and upper respiratory infections. No side effects have been reported, and in contrast to pharmaceutical antibiotics, bacteria appear unable to develop resistance to Manuka honey.

Manuka has a further benefit over pharmaceuticals, according to Honeymark.

“Antibiotics are indiscriminate killers. When taken orally, antibiotics kill all bacteria, both good and bad,” the company said. “For reasons that are currently unknown, Manuka Honey does not effect good bacteria in the body and only destroys harmful, infectious bacteria. This is something that pharmaceuticals have not been able to accomplish.”

Dorothy Yeo of Bath said that honey dressings led to drastic improvement in her ulcer. “I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere and the pain made it hard to sleep,” she said. “But now I’m able to sleep without tablets, and new skin is forming over my ulcer. I’m very pleased and I’d recommend it to anyone.”

While honey can kill the bacteria that cause infection, sometimes other measures are required to remove the dead tissue left by infection or injury. At Royal United Hospital, one such technique is the application of sterilized greenbottle fly larvae, more commonly known as maggots.

“We may use maggots when conventional dressings have not been successful or if a wound needs a more rapid form of treatment,” Purser said. “There is something of the ‘yuck’ factor, but once the maggots are applied some people may feel a tickling sensation while most don’t feel a thing.”

Maggots consume rotting flesh while ignoring healthy tissue, thereby both cleaning out and disinfecting necrotic wounds.

“Someone explained the maggots were bred for this purpose only and I felt reassured,” said Jack Foster of Keynsham, England. “After one treatment, there has already been some improvement and my second starts tomorrow.”

Sources for this story include: www.dailymail.co.uk; www.bignews.biz.

Article from Natural News / www.naturalnews.com

Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Of all the available treatments for infertility, acupuncture isn’t one that people usually think of first. But as you’ll see here, it’s actually one of the safest and most effectiveness treatments for infertility known to modern science.

Why does it work so well? Because infertility isn’t usually a physical problem. It’s often an issue related to circulation or energy channels that govern the vitality of your body’s organs (including reproductive organs). Rebalancing those bioelectric channels can create enormous healing changes in the function of your reproductive organs.

And the best part? Acupuncture is non-invasive, surprisingly. The needles themselves are virtually painless and barely enter the skin. That’s a huge contrast to the highly invasive (and embarrassing) probing, inserting, extracting, injecting and poking around typically undertaken by conventional infertility clinics.

If you (or someone you know) suffers from infertility, you owe it to yourself to read the quotes that follow so you can educate yourself about the seemingly miraculous ability of acupuncture to treat (and cure) infertility.

Acupuncture treats infertility

A study found that auricular acupuncture was capable of producing results comparable to those of drug therapy in the treatment of infertility. I. Gerhard and F. Postneek, [Possibilities of Therapy by Ear Acupuncture in Female Sterility], Geburtshilfe Frauenheilke 48, no. 3 (March 1988): 165-71. A study examined the effects of moxibustion and acupuncture on 30 cases of infertility in women ranging from 24 to 37 years of age. Results showed that after just one course of treatment 9 women conceived, with another 8 conceiving after 2 courses of treatment.
- The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary Null

In China, acupuncture has been used in the treatment of infertility for centuries. The first published account of this is seen in medical literature dating back to 11 A.D. The Chinese look at five principal organs - the liver, spleen, heart, lung, and kidney - and use acupuncture to release blockages from these systems so that energy or chi can move freely. This helps the body return to good health. Promoting fertility is one benefit that can be obtained. Acupuncture to kidney points releases psychological blocks that interfere with reproduction.
- Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary Null

The women treated with acupuncture? Twenty-two pregnancies (and no side effects). Finally, a study at the Fertility Clinic Trianglen in Denmark concluded that “acupuncture … significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) compared to no acupuncture.” Best of all, acupuncture for infertility is truly a “whole person” treatment that looks at the woman as much more than just a dysfunctional reproductive system. “People come into my office and they’re completely unprepared for conception,” Lawrence told me.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

In a preliminary trial, women who did not ovulate were treated with acupuncture 30 times over three months. Effectiveness was determined by a combination of measures indicating ovulation was returning to normal. Acupuncture treatment resulted in a marked improvement in 35% and slight improvement in 48% of trial participants. The beneficial results achieved with acupuncture may be due to alterations in the hormonal messages from the brain to the ovary. Auricular (ear) acupuncture has been studied in a preliminary trial and compared with standard hormone therapy for treatment of infertility.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.

Acupuncture has proven to be effective in treating many cases of infertility. Consult a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine who will make a diagnosis of the cause and advise on how best to treat it with acupuncture. Herbal formulas may also be recommended.
- 1000 Cures for 200 Ailments: Integrated Alternative and Conventional Treatments for the Most Common Illnesses by Marshall Editions

You might want to consider acupuncture. Acupuncture might not be the first thing you think of if you’re having a problem with infertility, but maybe it should be. Studies - and a great deal of clinical experience - suggest that it might help, even if you’re already undergoing standard therapies like in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination. Acupuncture is actually one of the oldest medical practices in the world.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

The World Health Organization has published a list of over fifty diseases successfully treated with acupuncture. Included on the list are sinusitis, asthma, arthritis, the common cold, headaches (including migraine), constipation, diarrhea, sciatica, and lower back pain. Acupuncture has also been effective in the treatment of allergies, addictions, insomnia, stress, depression, infertility, and menstrual problems. Chinese herbs are the most common element of Chinese medicine as it is currently practiced in China.
- Sinus Survival: The Holistic Medical Treatment for Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds, and Sinusitis (rev., 3rd ed.) by Robert Ivker

Hirsch connects another psychological issue - low self-esteem - to endometriosis and infertility: “In treating self-esteem issues, I work on the heart and kidney points. The acupuncture points that seem extremely valuable for this are pericardium 5 and 6. If a practitioner is having a problem with understanding whether or not a psychological issue is involved in the infertility, and the patient does not know what the issue is, pericardium 5 can be needled. If something is holding the person back, that will bring an event or dream to memory, and the patient will understand why she is stuck.
- Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary Null

Natural methods for infertility are most effective in anovulatory dysfunction. Acupuncture can increase pregnancy rates in women undergoing fertility treatment. The decision to pursue conventional fertility treatments depends on age, the duration and cause of the infertility, the results of ovarian-reserve testing, finances, other health issues, emotional well-being, and thoughts and emotions about adoption or surrogate options. Seek a fertility specialist if considering conventional fertility treatments.
- Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness by Tori Hudson, N.D.

One small, preliminary study found that auricular acupuncture (acupuncture of the ear) was as effective as hormone therapy in treating infertility due to endometriosis.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.

There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful. Indeed, one of those areas of “further research” has been infertility. And the results have been hard to argue with.
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

A controlled study of men with reduced sperm function found that one measure of sperm function significantly improved in the men treated with acupuncture (two times per week for five weeks) compared to controls. Similar results have been reported in other studies. Nevertheless, double-blind trials are needed to determine conclusively whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for male infertility.
- The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.

Hirsh sees many patients in conjunction with Western doctors for infertility problems and is able to design acupuncture treatments that complement and support the other medical procedures. He frequently gives acupuncture treatment to women who have just been artificially inseminated, and he works with patients taking Clomid (a fertility drug) to help regulate the woman’s fertility cycle. As Dr. Hirsh states, “Traditional Chinese medicine can increase the success rate of Western medicine and at the same time slow down the clock on a woman’s aging endocrine system.”
- Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.

As of this writing, more than eight million American adults have had acupuncture treatment. As practiced by licensed practitioners who undergo extensive training and are often trained in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well, it is completely safe and quite effective for a number of conditions. One of those conditions is infertility. The Yin, the Yang, and Baby Makes Three Acupuncture, like TCM, is based on a concept of the body as a balance of forces - yin (the cold, the slow, and the passive) and yang (the hot, the excited, and the active).
- The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Chinese drugs in combination with clomiphene citrate and progesterone have proved more effective than treatment with either Chinese or Western drugs alone, and a Chinese technique combining moxibustion and acupuncture has had some success in treating infertility. Factors shown to contribute to difficulty conceiving are smoking, even moderately; exposure to nitrous oxide; and environmental hazards like pesticides, methyl mercury, and lead in tap water.
- Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living by Gary Null

Forty patients were treated with neon laser acupuncture, retention enemas, and injection into the endometrial nodes with common sage root, which is a blood-vitalizing or blood-moving herb. In the forty patients treated, the size of lumps diminished and symptoms disappeared in seventeen. Thirteen women conceived. Among these, six had suffered from fallopian tube blockage and seven from ovulatory dysfunction. There was a total amelioration rate of 97.5 percent. Another important consideration in reversing endometriosis and infertility is good sexual hygiene.
- The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary Null

Acupuncture by a licensed professional with experience working with fertility issues appears to be safe and well tolerated. Ginseng species are an important consideration in infertility due to their ability to enhance overall health, vitality, stamina, and endurance. Siberian ginseng may be able to promote regulation of reproductive hormones, thereby regulating the timing of ovulation.
- Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness by Tori Hudson, N.D.

Various complementary medicine systems provide treatment for infertility, including homeopathy, acupuncture, and chiropractic; inquire from their respective professional associations. Above all, keep hoping. Conception involves a fair amount of mystery and miracles are constantly taking place. I recently heard about a woman who conceived her second child normally after having to undergo in vitro fertilization treatment to conceive the first time because her cervical mucus made antibodies against her husband’s sperm.
- The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Natural Healing by Dr. Gary Null

Weschler encourages women to spend more time outside during daylight hours, and to try traditional Chinese medicine practices like acupuncture, which has proved very helpful both in reducing stress and in resolving the hormonal imbalances that can lead to infertility.
- Growing Up Green: Baby and Child Care: Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series (Green This!) by Deirdre Imus

Kidneys and bladder are related and have to be treated as one in acupuncture. Within the kidneys’, ‘essence’ is stored, and they govern all that is secluded and dormant and that is hoarded up. Their condition is disclosed in the bones and head hair.” CHINESE FOLK MEDICINE relates to the urine and the sexual secretions. The health of the Water element affects the energy flow during the sexual act, and the health of the function of reproduction. Sexual fluids help lubricate and protect the sperm and egg. Problems like impotence or infertility may arise from a Water imbalance.
- Staying Healthy With the Seasons by Elson M. Haas