Tag: herbal guardians

Hawthorn berries (Crataegus spp.)

TWO deaths last month got me thinking about Hawthorn berries. Just before the first one, I noticed that one of my acquaintances always breathed heavily, almost gasping for breath, on little exertion. I asked him to watch his heart and add to his diet such food supplements as Hawthorn berries, Lecithin, Pomegranate, Co-Enzyme Q10, Magnesium and Calcium, Omega-3 fish oil and the likes of them. But he thinks so little about food supplements. So, I was surprised about two evenings after our discussion when he telephoned me to enquire about where he could obtain some of them. That evening, he returned home from work to be informed that one of his friends in the neighbourhood slumped in the bathroom and was certified dead on the arrival of his body at a hospital. The man had collapsed similarly about three times before this last one, and survived. On the day of his last slump, he had been out at a club with a girlfriend and had beer a bottle too many. His death certificate suggested a heart attack.

The second death was that of a woman near my house who roasted plantain by the road-side. Years ago, I taught her and her family about how to eat roast plantain with Avocado pear or with Coconut oil. I would ask that she scrape with a knife the burns on a roast plantain I would buy. Burns in any food contains tar, and tar is believed to be carcinogenic, that is cancer forming. Two Sundays ago, she slumped at home while washing clothes. It turned out that she had been complaining of headaches, which may have had their roots in elevated blood pressure (hypertension), weakened heart, hardened blood vessels, blocked or clogged arteries, and possibly lead to blood clots or enlarged heart which finally gave way under these health assaults and insults.

As I thought about these deaths, I wondered if they would not have been averted by some food supplements related to heart health, especially Hawthorn berries. The website webMD speaks about Hawthorn:

“Hawthorn is used for diseases of the heart and blood vessels such as congestive Heart Failure (CHF), chest pain and irregular heart beat. It is also used to treat both low and high blood pressure, ‘hardening of the arteries’ (arteriosclerosis) and high cholesterol…

“Hawthorn can improve the amount of blood pumped out of the heart during contractions, widen the blood vessels and increase the transmission of nerve signals.

“Hawthorn also seems to have blood pressure lowering activity, according to early research. It seems to cause relaxing of blood vessels farther from the heart. It seems that this effect is due to a component in Hawthorn called proanthocyanidin.

“Research suggests that Hawthorn can lower cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol”, and Triglycerides (fats in the blood). It seems to lower fat accumulation in the liver or aorta (the largest artery in the body located near the heart). Hawthorn fruit extracts may lower cholesterol by increasing the excretion of bile and reducing the formation of cholesterol.”

The use of Hawthorn berries in the treatment of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases may not as yet be popular in Nigeria. It is, in the Western World which would appear to have been driven beyond the wall in the search for cures outside the realm of orthodox medicine and pharmacy. For example, as long ago as 2005, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified these diseases as the number one killer ailments on earth. By that year, about 80 million Americans were already suffering from one CVD or the other. One of these ventures for cures beyond orthodoxy is reported in PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW. The report is a review by some researchers “into the various mechanisms of action proposed for Crataegus preparations, clinical trials involving Crataegus preparations, and the herb’s safety profile”. The researchers are “Mary C. Tassell, Rosari Kingston, Deirdra Gilroy, Mary Lehane, and Ambrose Furey”.

The review said the Irish doctor who first used Hawthorn for CVD prescribed the berries of this herb. It believes that the berries also became more popular than the leaves or fruit of Hawthorn because it was cited in the 1983 edition of the British Herbal Pharmacopea, a standard reference point for many British herbalists. Nowadays however, the berries and the flowers are prescribed interchangeably or together. Other records suggest that berries, seeds, flowers and leaves are used together. Modern research shows that the berries, leaves and flowers are chemically similar in their composition, in which large amounts of anthocyanidins and flavonoids have been found. Only the ratios in which they occur differentiates them. While Kingston discovered that the Berries are rich in Hyperoside, the leaves in high levels of Vitexin-2-rhamnoside the flowers, too, present high levels of Vitexin-2-rhamnoside. Another studies by Mills found that the flowers had high levels of flavonoids and the leaves high amounts of Oligomeric Procyanidins.

The review said that many clinical trials utilised whole herb (leaves, flowers and berries) that is the flavonoid group and the procyanidin group working together. So, it was not always possible to say exactly which was bringing the more healing impact on a state of disease. It is noted, though, that population studies have shown a “significant links between increased dietary flavonoid intake and reduction in coronary-related mortality.

Yet another study showed that Hawthorn relaxes smooth muscles of the cardiovascular system to lower blood pressure. The Oligomeric cyanidins are credited with vasodialation, that is widening of the blood vessel space to take more blood and make more blood to flow more easily through it and, thereby, lower blood pressure. Hawthorn plant species which tend to be the most packed with antioxidants are said to be those in China, Israel, Jordan and Palestine.

The conclusion of this review are that (1) Hawthorn is relatively safe (2) Hawthorn extracts or components rarely interacts with drugs (3) Hawthorn is excellent for mild to moderate (stages 1 and 2) cardiovascular disease (4) Hawthorn may help more serve cases of this disease if the dosages of it used are adjusted upwards, and this should pose little or no problem, given the “excellent” safety profile of this herb.

Magnesium (a)

If you suffer from a degenerative disease, it is most likely that you do not have enough Magnesium in your blood and cells. Magnesium is involved in the production of about 300 enzymes in the body. Enzymes are involved in chemical changes throughout the body such as, the conversion of complex proteins in milk, egg or beef in the diet to their simplest forms…amino acids, which the body uses to build its cells and repair any damage in them. Thus, the body works well in diverse ways when Magnesium is present in the right amounts.

About 15 years ago, a pregnant and sad woman told a friend of her husband she was tired of her marriage. She had four spontaneous or natural abortions, all almost mid-way through pregnancy. Her doctors had ruled out incompetent cervix, which could be a cause of this condition. The foetus could be unviable if the placenta to make it grow was defective, and the body may expel it in a spontaneous abortion. At this stage of all pregnancies, she always experience a quickening of the uterine muscles which were then followed up with an abortion. Her husband’s friend ask her to take Magnesium supplement this time. And it worked! Magnesium is calming, and calmed agitated, spasmodic muscles of the uterus which were pushing the foetuses out prematurely!

Similarly, Magnesium may help to resolve the following conditions…and more: period pains, tension or migraine headaches, heart and blood circulation problems such as palpitations, angina pectoris, blood clots, strokes and heart attacks, low and high blood pressure; muscle weakness and fibromyalgia (pain in the muscles, tendous, ligaments and tissue; asthma; muscle pain; diabetes; osteoporosis (loss of calcium in the bones, which may cause fractures); tooth decay; constipation; glaucoma; depression; hiccups; body odour; skin wrinkling; insomnia; hair loss; muscle weakness; kidney stones; thyroid problems; candidiasis…the list is endless. A variety of health challenges which may be triggered by a Magnesium deficiency has been listed only to show how vulnerable to disease our health can easily be when we do not consciously include enough Magnesium in the diet. Population studies world-wide show that many people, old and young, men and women are Magnesium deficient, whereas Mother Nature provides us with Magnesium-rich foods. Every green food source contains Magnesium. The green is chlorophyll, the “blood” of the plant. Chlorophyll is like the haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying portion of the human red blood cell. Haemoglobin and chlorophyll are made up of Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Carbon and Oxygen. In Chlorophyll, Magnesium hold the structure today together. In haemoglobin, iron does the job. Thus, when we consume green foods, such as deep green leafy vegetables, we consume Magnesium. The body supply removes the Magnesium from the chlorophyll, replaces the structure with iron to recharge the blood, while the Magnesium is used for the myriad functions it performs in the body.

Unfortunately for mankind, the intellect has foisted a man-made nutrition regimen on the modern man. A standard Nigerian breakfast of bread, egg, sugar, margarine, tea (and what have you?) is Magnesium deficient. People who eat out do not have generous servings of greens. Even some vegetable they may manage to obtain in the restaurant diet may have wilted for days before it was cooked. And the cooking may have been prolonged under intense heat, causing damage to Magnesium and other minerals. It was this experience in nutrition-conscious countries which has now led to the culture of producing these greens in powder form which may now be added to meals. Thus, powders of Spinach, Okra, Cilantro, Pawpaw leaf, Lemon grass, Wheatgrass, Spirulina, Chlorella, Kale, Asparagus et.c are now available, not only for tea-making or for adding to smoothies but also for mixing with such foods as corn pap, rice, beans, porridge et.c.

We cannot in one swoop as this presentation address all the health challenges a Magnesium deficiency may cause, or of those disease reversals or amelioration possible with its supplementation in the diet. So, an attempt can only be made to offer a few hints here and there.

 

Bones and teeth

 

Shari Lieberman Ph.D., and Nancy Bruning, say in their THE REAL MINERAL AND VITAMIN BOOK:

“Like Calcium and Phosphorus, Magnesium is needed for strong and healthy bones and teeth. This mineral plays an important part in bone growth and helps prevent tooth decay by loading Calcium in tooth enamel. Understandably, poor Magnesium intake has been implicated in disorders such as osteoporosis.”

Jean Carper, author of New York Times best-selling STOP AGING NOW, says: “To maintain bone strength as you age, you need Magnesium, as well as Calcium. The two work together with Vitamin D, to keep bones from deteriorating. Women prone to osteoporosis commonly lack Magnesium…If you have low levels of Magnesium, you will also apt to have low levels of active vitamin D needed to metabolise bone. This makes your bones doubly vulnerable to fractures. Also, the ratio of Calcium and Magnesium is important. Too much Calcium and too little Magnesium makes your blood more apt to clot, possibly leading to strokes and heart attacks. You should get at least half as much Magnesium as Calcium, but many older Americans get only one-fourth as much Magnesium as Calcium, especially if they take Calcium supplements. So, if you get 1,200mg of calcium as generally recommended, you need about 600mg of Magnesium. Additionally, the more sugar and fats you eat, the more Magnesium you need, says Dr. Seelig.”

Dr. Robert Atkins, author of VITA NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS, says: “For preventing and perhaps reversing osteoporosis, Magnesium may be more important than Calcium. Only a fraction of bone matter, the mineral plays a disproportionately important role, balancing the body’s Calcium supply and keeping it from being excreted. Some scientists go so far as to say that how much Magnesium we eat is a predictor of bone density than Calcium consumption. Without enough Magnesium and the other trace minerals, any additional Calcium we ingest will be deposited not around our bones, but elsewhere, perhaps in the wall of our arteries.”

 

The heart

 

Jean Carper says: “People who take in low amounts of Magnesium are more apt to have heart disease, according to about 20 world-wide population studies says Ronald J. Elvin, M.D., a Magnesium authority at the National Institute of Health. Magnesium seems to protect the heart (in) several different ways, in particular by preventing spasms of the coronary arteries and abnormal heart rhythms that are a primary cause of sudden death. In one study of a cardiac unit, 53 percent of the patients had low Magnesium. Indeed the amount of Magnesium in your body can help determine wether you live or die if you have a heart attack.

“Further, Magnesium helps defer the formation of blood clots that help clog arteries and trigger heart attacks…Magnesium inhibits release of thronboxane, a substance that makes blood platelets more sticky and apt to form clots. The minerals also tends to keep blood vessels from constricting, thus warding off crisis in blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. Magnesium has been so effective in regulating heart beat and blood pressure that it has been called ‘Nature’s Calcium channel blocker’ referring to prescription Calcium blockers drugs used for those purposes.”

Please permit me to offer explanation here. Prescription drug Calcium blockers are given to patients where calcium deposits in soft muscles are affecting performance of these muscles. In the blood vessels, this causes hardening (arteriosclerosis) which may cause hypertension. In the eye, it may cause blockage in the flow of fluid and result in glaucoma. Calcium-blocker drugs have side effects which may be more dangerous than the problem they are meant to keep out. Magnesium is Nature’s own Calcium blocker and does the job without side effects if consumed in the right ratio with Calcium.

Dr. Atkins: “Hospital Cardiologists are quite interested in what Magnesium can do when a patient is first admitted a coronary care unit, because half a dozen studies show it to be effective in preventing complications. This led to a larger study, which failed to demonstrate benefits. Dr. Mildred Seelig, the Magnesium guru, feels that the mineral’s benefits could be maintained with the individualisation treatment and flexible dosage system. Magnesium, when given by the vein, has in these studies, can stabilise or destabilise the heart.”

 

Diabetes

 

Lieberman and Bruning: “Diabetes…can damage the blood vessels of the retina, possibly leading to severe vision problems and even blindness. Again, there is evidence that low levels of Magnesium may be an additional risk factor in the development and profession of this complication.”

Dr. Robert Atkins: “How well the body metabolises sugar is tightly linked to Magnesium, making the mineral essential to anyone with diabetes or insulin resistance. In and of itself, poor sugar control raises the risk of a Magnesium deficiency, which in turn further impairs sugar metabolism. Supplements allow people with Type-2 diabetes to regulate blood sugar more easily. As a result, their need for oral diabetes drugs usually diminishes and could disappear all together. People susceptible to bouts of hypoglycemia, too, can stabilise the roller-coaster rise and fall of their blood sugar. Although the mineral does not affect Type-1 diabetes as dramatically, it is nevertheless a benefactor that should not be neglected.”

Jean Carper: “New evidence is popping up linking diabetes with a deficiency of Magnesium. Further, fairly low doses of Magnesium may help prevent diabetic complications and intervene in the course of the disease itself. The theory is that diabetics have a peculiar defect in the metabolism. Studies find that more diabetic often have low levels of Magnesium in their cells and blood. This is worrisome, because a kick of Magnesium can encourage blood clotting, constriction of blood vessels, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat and insulin resistance, according to Robert K. Rude, M.D., Associate professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He favours 300-400mg supplement daily, preferably of Magnesium chloride, to correct diabetic deficiencies. “Even if you don’t have diabetes or heart disease, skipping in Magnesium can make you more vulnerable to insulin resistance…In one study of normal healthy individuals, all developed a 25 percent greater insulin resistance on a Magnesium deficiency diet.”

Over many years, I have seen laboratory reports of Magnesium deficiency in people who do not eat well and, to worsen matters, do not take Magnesium supplement. Happily today, many Nigerians now know about blood pH, that is acidic blood and alkaline blood. The pH scale is O-14. Below 7 is acid, above it is Alkaline. The body is believed to function optimally at 7.34 pH. Cooked foods are acidic. Fried foods are worse. So are bread, milk, sugar, alcohol and the likes of them. Stress produces acidosis. So do negative thoughts and behaviours. To prevent the blood from becoming acidic and damaging the cells, the brain instructs all parts of the body with alkaline reserves to release them into the blood. Thus, the bones release Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Phosphorus, the red blood cells Iron, the immune cells Manganese et.c. It should be easy from this scenario to understand why a person with acidic body complains about bone pain, muscle soreness and pain, anaemia and immune depletion, among other problems. Surely, these problems may be averted on a good Magnesium intake in the daily diet or supplementation with the powders of green vegetables and grasses, tablets, capsules, tinctures…and what have you? (To be concluded).

 

THE bell rings again for the train to move on. Its passengers are those herbs we may number among the guardians of health in 2017 for many readers of this column. We do not wish to forget them simply because we have boarded a new year, and we expect our knowledge of guardian herbs to expand. No, we cannot forget old, faithful friends as we make new ones. Thus, this ongoing series is meant to remind us of our old friends and pay tribute to them while we stride onwards towards new friends.

Accordingly, the first and second parts of this series have paid tribute to Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Kidney Bean pod, Bone Marrow meal, Cellegevity, Libido aids, Wheatgrass, Lion’s Mane mushroom, Orange peel, Lemon grass, Mango Seed Extract, Touch-me-not (Sensitive plant) and Sea salt. In this third parts of the series, recognition will be given to a food supplement which is crucial for radiant health but is unknown by many people…

 

Zinc

 

It took me quite an effort to decide how I would present this wonderful mineral. Eventually, I resolved to present testimonials of some nutritional medicine specialists with some comments by me, where necessary. The lead testimonial comes from Dr. Robert Atkins, now of blessed memory, whose books got me interested in Alternative Medicine in the 1980s. He was a rebel in the House of Medicine in the United States because he deviated from orthodoxy and, working with other leading lights like him, helped to re-awaken interest in natural medicine in his country. Today, many medical schools in the U.S. compel medical students to study one form of alternative medicine or another before their graduation. Of Zinc, Dr. Atkins says in his DR. ATKIN’S VITA NUTRIENT SOLUTION, which is subtitled NATURE’S ANSWERS TO DRUGS:

“Zinc is critical to the healthy functioning of every cell in our bodies. Insufficient consumption the world over threatens to emerge as a veritable public health crisis. As we continue to deplete our soil of zinc and forsake animal protein, some experts believe that large-scale supplementation or food fortification will become necessary. Meeting the body’s optimum need for the mineral has revolutionised nutritional medicine’s control of an incredibly wide scope of deficiency related consequences…a list of afflications that includes schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders, diabetes, prostate enlargement, cataract, heart disease, brain and nervous system deterioration, immune malfunction, inadequate digestion, ulcers, food allergies, toxic metal accumulation, poor wound healing, cole, osteoporosis, skin problems, fatigue, lack of appetite, hearing impairment, eating disorders, and the many symptoms of blood sugar imbalance.”

 

My Comments

 

I had read Dr. Atkin’s book by the time I was diagnosed with glaucoma about 23years ago. Through him, I had learnt that taking large amounts of Vitamin A for an eye ailment was almost a useless venture, if one’s zinc status was low because zinc is the transport vehicle which takes Vitamin A into the eye. Imagine bus users stranded at the bus-stops when there are no buses to convey them to their destinations! I learned also, that, zinc enhances the sense of smell and that of taste. Thus, if I taste food and find too much salt in it, I immediately suspect the cook has Zinc deficiency and, possibly, other brewing or manifested health conditions. For a cook with an impaired sense of taste would add far too much salt to the food before, to him or her, the food tastes right for salt. To the normal person, however, the food would have been oversalted. Some people have smell problems. I have met with people who cannot smell the foul smell of the decomposing body of a rat, or of a baby’s poop through the nappy. Women with bad sanitary hygiene, complicated sometimes by candidiasis, do not know foul air hangs about them during the menstrual cycle. Rough skin may suggest zinc deficiency as well. So may ridged nails and white spots on the nails. Matted hair, too, may be telling the same zinc story. Loss of appetite is somewhat related to the loss of taste and the loss of the sense of smell. Food aroma and taste send signals to the brain which, in turn, directs the appropriate organs of digestion to begin to prepare digestive juices and enzymes. The more of these enzymes produced, the more we feel like eating. When there is a deficit within, we do not feel like putting anything into the body, because the organs of digestion are not ready to work.

Dr. Atkins

“…Our land is increasingly barren in Zinc content and high carbohydrate diet are leaving us with even less. Calcium supplements and high-calcium diet can reduce our Zinc absorption up to 50 percent. The mineral is quickly expelled from the body by stress (whether physical, emotional or chemical) as well as exposure to toxic metals, pollutants, pesticides. Growing old gives us an in-born disadvantage, because we do not secret the amount of stomach acid necessary for absorption. Based on the high incidence of zinc deficiency among the sick elderly, zinc supplements should probably be mandating for all older adults.”

 

My comments

 

There is a Cal-Mag-Zinc fashion in the Nigerian nutrition market. These three important minerals are combined for ease of cost, especially if these minerals come from cheap sources. Dr. Atkins has just said Calcium pushes zinc out in the competition among minerals for absorption by the cell. So does Magnesium. The reason is simple. In high school chemistry, we learned that Calcium and Magnesium are higher than Zinc in the electrochemical series, and so get absorbed before it is. A heavy fiber diet, such as a complex carbohydrate or fibre supplements taken for digestion absorb zinc and take it out of the body. In England decades ago, doctors noticed that some young women who were given zinc for reproductive health challenges did not have enough zinc in their blood plasma as they had expected. Some suspected a crowding out, and suggested that the zinc prescription be taken on empty stomach last thing before bed at night or first thing in the morning with warm water. To their surprise, these woman achieved high levels of zinc in the blood plasma in no time. I took notice of this, and advise zinc consumers accordingly.

Regarding the use of zinc to drag (chelate) dangerous heavy metals such as lead and Cadmium out of the body, I have found it a helpful aid since I learned that mercury tooth fillings can cause a wide range of cellular damage in the body when the mercury vapourises. Men who are challenged with prostate gland question should take a cue from this. Sometimes, the concentration of heavy metals in the prostate gland may be a cause of the problems in this organ. Besides helping to chelate these metals out of the body (the herb Chlorella also does), zinc may prevent prostate enlargement by stopping androgens (male hormones) from attaching to prostate gland cells and, like fertilizer, inducing them to mushroom, or overgrow. As for old people not producing enough stomach acid to digest zinc and such people becoming zinc deficient, this problem may be solved by taking Apple Cider Vinegar before meals. Happily today, the worlds best Apple Cider Vinegar, the Bragg’s brand “with Mother”, is now available in the country.

In this Nigeria today, life has become terribly stressful. There are many stressors in the environment…sky-rocketing rent, school fees, unpaid salaries, unemployment et.c. Two weeks ago, one of my friends became so terribly agitated by the news that President Mohammadu Buhari, a fulani, did not show enough outward concern for the killings in Benue State by Fulani herdsmen. This friend of mine is Yoruba. He thought the circumstances of the killings were so grave that a Nigerian President should have gone on a visit immediately to sympathise with the bereaved and send a signal to the killers that Nigeria regarded them as terrorists. There are many people like him who are worked up by such news and who lose their zinc stores through stressors such as this.

Dr. Atkins

“As part of my introduction to nutritional medicine, Dr. Carl Pfeiffer taught me that zinc along with its supporting mineral, Manganese, is the essential treatment for such serious psychiatric disorders as schizophrenia and clinical depression. He saw schizophrenia as a ‘dysperception syndrome’ caused by biochemical imbalances. Hearing voices, for example, was simply a flawed perception that often could be eliminated by giving zinc, Manganese, and B Vitamins. A zinc deficiency, we now recognise, can be implicated in a whole range of neurological and neuro-psychiatric disorders,…epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease dyslexia, acute psychosis, dementia, anorexia nervosa, Attention Deficit Disorder, and depression. Zinc supplement may help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The presence of the zinc-dependent thymus hormone, thymulin, is almost undetatchable in people with Alzheimer’s, implying that zinc deficiency plays a role in the disease onset.”

 

My comments

 

Indeed, zinc supplementation has helped many psychiatric conditions. A deficiency may cause copper elevation in the blood, and excess copper may damage nerves and cause those behaviours labelled psychiatric. But some of what goes on in psychiatric homes may be cases of possession. This is a spiritual condition in which a disembodied soul tries to crowd out the rightful occupant soul from its physical body or casing. What may give rise to this is an altered blood radiation which may have its origins in the wrong blood composition through wrong diet, use of narcotic drugs, and spiritual lethargy. It is through the radiation of the blood that every human spirit manifests on its physical body and, through it, in the material world. As I write this column, I am able to do so because my blood radiation is such that I, the human spirit who inhabits my body, can give instruction to my body to carry out my wishes. In a possessed person, the blood radiation is not uniquely his or hers. That means another human spirit outside the physical body can transmit his or her impressions to the material world through the impaired blood radiation. Thus, the invading spirit first tries to take possession of the brain. This results in two persons giving different instructions to one brain, causing a split personality scenario. In extreme conditions, the invading disembodied spirit may be the stronger party. In this case, it may completely take over the brain and large areas of the body, except those parts which may cause death to the physical body invaded if they are taken over as well. Thus, complete healing for psychiatric patients who are possessed resides in the recomposition of their blood to produce a blood radiation which would be unusable to the invading disembodied spirit. Thus, also, neither drugs nor injections would bring a lasting solution in such a condition but the right kinds of foods and drinks.

Dr. Atkins “Like Vitamin C, Zinc knocks out cold viruses, if you catch them early enough. sucking on Lozenges works better than swallowing tablets…People with AIDs are almost universally deficient in zinc, which contributes significantly to the continued decline of their already damaged immune systems. Restoring their supply, in doses of upto about 100mg everyday, has been found to be one of the most important strategies for stabilizing their immune function and reducing complications of the disease. Cancer forms more easily when zinc levels are low. People who are stricken with a malignancy dramatically increase their excretion of the mineral, implying, according to Chinese researchers, that the body utilizes its zinc reserves at the early inflammatory stages of cancer development. Supplementation stimulates the manufacture of white blood cells, one of the immune system’s tumour-fighting components and more generally supports the activities of our neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and our natural tumour-fighting (NK) cells. It also is required for producing thymulin, the major thymus hormone.”

 

My comments

 

Dr.Atkins has said it all. I only wish to add that Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, also of blessed memory, demonstrated in the test tube that zinc and cysteine, caused reversal of HIV cells to normal cells when they were added to a culture of these cells. It has been widely proven, too, that the thymus gland shrinks to about one quarter of its size in zinc deficient people, and that this gland regrows to its normal size within about two weeks of zinc supplementation. The T-helper cells mature in the thymus gland under the influence of thymulin. So, the bigger the thymus, the better the immune response.

 

Liberman and Bruning

 

Shari Liberman, Ph.D., and Nancy Bruning are co-authors of THE REAL VITAMIN AND MINERAL BOOK which, like Dr. Atkin’s book, I recommend for the family health library. Of zinc, they say:

“Our bodies contain approximately two to three grammes of zinc, which is distributed throughout the body. Zinc is an essential component of over 20 enzymes associated with many metabolic processes. The highest concentration of zinc are found in the eyes, liver, bones, prostate, semen and hair. Zinc is needed for reproduction and, and for growth development. Several studies have linked low zinc levels with complications during pregnancy, and with miscarriage and birth defects. Studies have also found large percentage of children to be deficient in zinc. These children showed symptoms of sub optimal growth in addition to a loss of taste acuity and poor appetite. When their zinc intake was increased, the symptoms improved. Animal and human studies suggest that lethargic passivity, and apathy are symptoms of marginal zinc deficiency, since these behavioural problems improved with zinc supplementation.”

 

My comments

 

In a landmark Egyptian study reported by REXADAMS in his MIRACLE MEDICINE FOODS, girls with under developed breasts and boys with male organs smaller than their ages were placed on zinc supplements for about three months. Not only did they grow a little taller at the end of the study, the girls had bigger breasts and the boy had better developed organs.

 

Liberman and Bruning

 

“One of the highest concentrations of zinc in the human body is found in the eyes, especially the iris and retina. Although the exact mechanisms of its functions are largely unknown, zinc seems to be involved in the activation of Vitamin A, and this is a factor in night vision. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence which indicates that poor zinc intake is related to such eye conditions as impaired colour discrimination, cataract firmation and optic neuritis, the inflammation of the optic nerve.

“There is some evidence that zinc levels fall after physical and mental stress. For instance, strenuous exercise has been shown to lead to significant losses of zinc, probably due to the increase in glucose metabolism which requires zinc. It has also been discovered that zinc is depleted during upper respiratory infection accompanied by fever…Diabetics tend to have less zinc in their tissues which may be related to many of their complications.”

Dr. Atkins

“In the long run, zinc’s most valuable contribution may be its ability to balance blood sugar. The mineral assists the Pancreas in manufacturing insulin and may protect the receptor sites on all cell membranes that allow the hormone to enter. In people who have diabetes, zinc also helps lower high cholesterol.”

Dr. Atkins

“People who have rheumatoid arthritis are generally quite depleted in zinc. If you plan to take zinc supplements, make sure you are also given Copper, an extremely valuable treatment. The zinc/copper ration should be roughly 8:1…If you are taking anti-inflammatory drugs or anti-histamines that reduce stomach acid, you will need zinc to help heal any ulcers that may result. If you are on an acid-reducing medication, you run the risk of a deficiency, because zinc absorption depends on the stomach’s hydrochloric acid…as first aid treatment for almost any wound or skin irritation, people have long reached for the bottle of Calamine Lotion. Its healing power comes from its rich zinc content which promotes protein synthesis. That is why I advise my patients to take extra doses of the mineral both before and after an operation. Applied directly, a zinc oxide paste improves the healing of leg ulcers by 83 percent, according to the research. People who get these wounds typically have a lower than normal level of the mineral.”

 

Liberman and Bruning

 

“Zinc has been shown to inhibit the production of prolactin, a pituitary hormone, and so is used therapeutically in men and women with high prolactin levels. Elevated prolactin levels can lead to distressing effects such as secretion of breast milk, enlarged breast and sexual dysfunction.”

Dr. Atkins

“Zinc deficiency can lead to a host of pregnancy-related problems, including spontaneous abortion, toxemia, growth retardation and delivery problems. Even the modest 22mg daily supplement tested in one study enabled women to give birth to babies significantly larger in birth weight. Zinc levels generally are lower in women who experience pre-menstrual tension. A deficiency may decrease progesterone production, which in turn may lead to a craving for sweet and salty foods.”

 

My comment

 

Dr. Atkins, Dr. Liberman and Bruning have said it all. Maybe I should add that women with nipple secretion outside pregnancy may find it difficult to get pregnant, because the secretion may be caused by a high prolactin level. The brain sends prolactin to the ovaries during pregnancy to stop egg production so that another pregnancy may not occur while one pregnancy is in place. Thus, in a high prolactin state, a woman may not ovulate. High prolactin level in men reduce sperm count, and this may lead to fertility questions.

 

YEAR 2018 is unfolding, gradually pulling away from 2017 towards 2019. This process reminds me of what happens when a human soul leaves the flesh, in what we call death on earth. As the Soul pulls away from the discarded earthly vessel or cloak, it drugs out and pulls along for a while the Astral body. The Astral body is a prototype of the Soul after which the physical body developed in the womb, and through which the Soul would interact with its earthly vessel throughout its sojourn on earth. It is this Astral body which the Soul would soon discard on its journey that men sometimes see or sense and call “ghost”. (This is not a subject for today).

Like the Soul and the body, I believe we can talk of interfacing between 2017 and 2018. In my view, I believe this “ghost” resides in our memory. Thus, we cannot do away with 2017 simply because we are in 2018. But we can take the memories of 2017 into 2018 as a guide into 2019 and the years onward. This was why this series was begun last week to remind us of healing plants which attended to our health requests in 2017 and, possibly, learn more about them in 2018 which promises to usher in new healing herbs from the treasure troves of Mother Nature. If we do not do this, we run the risk of the memories of 2017 gradually fading into extinction just as the “ghost” and the corps disintegrate when their animating essence pulls farther and farther away from them.

The first part of this series reminded us of Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Kidney Bean Pod, Bone Marrow Meal, Cellgevity, Wheatgrass, Libido Aids, Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Orange Peel powder. The second part of this series reminds us of Lemon grass, Mango Seed Extract, Sensitive Plant and Sea Salt.

Lemon grass

In Nigeria, we take Lemon grass for granted because it grows almost everywhere, especially in the villages and country side. I, too, used to take Lemon grass for granted. Even when I lived at 39 Emina Crescent, off Toyin Street, in Ikeja, Lagos, and grew more than 100 heads of Lemon grass in the flower beds, I knew it more as an anti-malarial herb. The subsidiary tea company of a multi-national company which had wanted to produce an indigenous Nigerian herbal tea, had studies conducted for it by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) which confirmed the anti-malaria activity of the water extract of Lemon grass. But the multi-national company threw out the plan to protect the tea from its own country. Nigerians are an indolent lot when it comes to business opportunities. Not even another report by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) that Lemon grass conquers malaria fever parasite would encourage an entrepreneur to start a Lemon grass farm of cottage industry status. When I began to advocate this through this column, an Englishman said he got the idea on the internet, came to Nigeria to farm Lemon grass, and the outcome is Dara Dara tea produced as Lemon grass cuttings on Billing’s way, Oregun, Lagos.

In my days on Emina Crescent, malaria fever was unknown in my family because everyone started the day with a glass of Lemon grass tea on empty stomach. To prove to any Doubting Thomas that Lemon grass could knock out malaria fever faster than any pharmaceutical medicine, I kept a bottle of Lemon grass essential oil in my office. I infused no more than two drops in a 1.5 litres of water which was to be sipped throughout the day by anyone who complained of malaria fever. In many cases, the malaria fever-stricken person began to sweat it out within minutes and sprang back to life in hours.

More benefits

For a common plant taken for granted, the health benefits of Lemon grass are amazing. For example,

1. it fights cancers. There are many chemical substances in Lemon grass which help it to do this. The most well reported is CITRAL. At the BEN GURION UNIVERSITY in Israel, researchers found that Citral induced apoptosis (suicide) in cancer cells. So, to help cancer patients in Israel undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, they are encouraged to drink fresh lemon grass tea. Other studies suggest that Citral slows growth of breast cancer cells.
2. Fights depression. Many cases of depression are linked to nutritional deficiencies, which Lemon grass is said to prevent. Some of the nutrient deficiencies often listed as possible causes of depression are Magnesium, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin B12, Selenium, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin B6 and Iron, among others. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Data Base, composition and required daily allowances (RDA) in hunderd grams of lemon grass, carbohydrates account for 25.31 gramme (g) or 19%; protein 1.82g (3%); Total fat 0.49g (2%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%); folate 75ug (19%); pyridoxine I.e Vitamin B6 0.080mg (6%); Riboflavin vit B2 0.135mg (10.5%); Thiamine Vit B1 0.065mg (5.5%); Vitamin A 6mg; Vitamin C 2.6mg (4%); Sodium 6mg; Potassium 733mg (15%); Calcium (6.5%); Copper 0.266mg (29%); Iron 8.17mg (102%); Magnesium 60mg (15%); Selenium 0.7ug (1%); Zinc 2.23mg (20%).

Without much ado, it is obvious from the foregoing that, as a good source of iron, lemon grass can boost haemoglobin count of the blood, perhaps better than most inorganic blood tonics and provide potassium for resolving primary hypertension, among its many benefits. In conditions of depression, some of these nutrients support the production of Serotonin and Dopamine which, in various ways, help to balance and calm the brain and the mind. What a waste we make of fertile arable land in Nigeria by not cultivating Lemon grass on it.

Unfortunately, Nigerian methods of extracting these nutrients by boiling lemon grass leaves, sometimes over many days, destroy many of these nutrients. Happily, today however, Factory-finished Lemon grass powder and even essential oil extracts are available on the health store shelf.

3. Helps digestion. With antiseptic compounds which kill bacteria and parasites, such as Staphylococus aureus and E.coli, lemon grass supports the digestive process, kills bad bacteria, repopulates friendly bacteria, removes bloating, indigestion, flatulence, stomach and intestinal spasms, cramps and vomitting, among other ailments.
4. Helps cholesterol balance. In 1989, researchers at the University of Wisconsin in the United States found that 140mg of Lemon grass oil taken everyday reduced high cholesterol levels in many subjects. It also crashed other blood fats. High blood pressure yielded as well to the high potassium content of lemon grass, according to the study.
5. It is a detoxifier. Diuretic action of Lemon grass improves frequency and quality of urination, thereby cleaning out the kidneys, liver, pancreas and bladder and ridding the body of uric acid.
6. Treats arthritis. Being anti-inflammatory, joint troubles and pain such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout, osteoarthritis may yield to Lemon grass which has been found to neutralise cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme implicated in inflammatory conditions, particularly in joints.
7. Promotes sleep. Lemon grass helps to correct insomnia by calming spasmodic nerves and muscles, thereby increasing the duration and depth of sleep.
8. Helps colds, flu, bronchial asthma et.c. In Asia, Lemon grass is widely used to treat cold and cough and other respiratory conditions, including bronchial asthma. Anti bacterial and anti-fungal properties in Lemon grass recommend it to people challenged with fever, cough and other symptoms of cold and flu. Muscle and joint pains may be relieved with massage of Lemon grass essential oil born on a carrier oil such as olive oil to reduce its concentration. Either as tea extract, oil or powder added to drinks or meals, Lemon grass can help to break mucus and phlegm associated with bronchitis or bronchial asthma.
9. Helps other conditions. Space and time do not permit mention of all the activities of Lemon grass. I would nevertheless like to mention that some studies find it useful in Type-2 diabetes, and that it boosts immunity, stimulates metabolism, prevents inflammation, supports free radicals destruction and DNA synthesis. These and more, are why I often recommend the oil or the powder products for many ailments. I am used to Doubting Thomas resistance when it comes to suggesting Lemon grass for conditions other than malaria fever. The man challenged with arthritis or diabetes, or the woman confronted with breast cancer or problems unrelated to malaria fever, who has not seen Lemon grass in this new light, will naturally be tempted to wonder: what has Lemon grass got to do with this? Well, the possibility of what it may have to do with it is what we have been discussing with the recommendation, again, that this herb be a member of the family herbal kitchen cabinet this year.

Mango Seed Extract

The mango is off season now, in Nigeria. But echoes of the last fruiting season are still resounding in countries where its medicinal values are well appreciated. India is one of such lands. When the mango fruits, Indians do not only eat the green but vine-ripened fruits as well. They employ the young leaves for a number of medicinal purposes. What I found most intriguing about their use of the mango, long ago, was that they did not consider the seed to be a waste, as we do in Nigeria. They broke it open and got out the soft Kernel within it. Indian women till this day make the kernel into a paste which they apply into their secret places before sexual intercourse. As it kills germs and even sperm, it serves them as a contraceptive. Thanks to H.K. Bakhru for this information which he shares in his book HERBS THAT HEAL.

Mango Seed Extract is rare on the shelf in Nigerian health food stores. It helps many conditions of health, such as…dry skin, dandruff, diarrhoea, obesity, throat infections, dental health, female reproductive questions, high blood cholesterol, digestion questions, heart health, bee or scorpion bites, healthy hair, dry lips, diabetes.

Where Golden Seal Root is not readily available, I often suggest Mango Seed Extract for vaginal infections, be it vaginitis or candidiasis and other fungal problems which troubles some women for life. If the tissue had been broken by germs, MSE may feel peppery a little. To offset this, the powder may be formed into a paste with either egg white or such antibiotic/antibacterial natural preparation as PROPOLIS CREAM. The application helps to resolve such questions as Vaginitis and Leucorrhea. For women who have had multiple births, it helps to relax vaginal walls. Many women who suffer in silence from vaginal infections when no pharmaceutical medicine appears to be of health may wish to try MSE.

As a beauty agent, MSE powder can be made into an MSE butter by mixing the powder with, say, virgin Olive oil or shea butter or Neem oil. The butter strengthens hair, prevents hair loss, dandruff, scalp infections, moisturises dry or chapped skin, eliminates acne and warts. In this regard, MSE may be seen as a cousin of Orange Peel powder.

For the obese and the diabetic, MSE is useful. It moderates intestinal and liver enzymes to reduce absorption of glucose. It reduces total cholesterol level and raises counts of the good cholesterol. This has beneficial effects on the heart, thereby reducing the risks of heart disease, heart attack and strokes. Improvements in blood circulation are also noticed in MSE supplement users. When MSE is taken with lime or lemon, it reduces abdominal circumference.

Touch-me-not (Mimosa Pudica)

Last year, this sensitive plant was presented as a female companion, especially when it comes to uterine bleeding. Last year, many female readers of this column who made enquires about their health were challenged with uterine fibroids which bled excessively during their periods. Mimosa Pudica readily came to mind as an aid for such women.

The Yoruba of South-western Nigeria call this plant PATANMO or PADIMO. Patanmo means “put the lap together or hide the lap”. Padimo means “hide the secret place”. This led to this name being regarded as a code for the astringent nature of this herb when it comes to bleeding, especially from the vagina. But the health benefits of Mimosa go beyond this.

Men also benefit from this herb. Many men suffer from piles or hemorrhoids which bleed. Because of stress and other factors, they suffer from low sexual drive and erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and hydrocele. Hydrocele is a disturbing problem for affected men for it may impair their fertility. It is the accumulation of serous fluid in the testicular cavity. But it may also develop anywhere in the body. Hydrocele in the testes may develop from infections of a clogged inguinal lymphatic system. It may also be a warning sign of elephantiasis developing in other parts of the body. Mimosa Pudica is also well recommended for other glandular swellings. In its healing literature, it is often suggested that the juice may be applied on the swollen area. When the juice is not available, a paste of the powder may be made and similarly applied. For joint pains and the pain of arthritis, a paste of the new leaves or of the powdered leaves is made and applied on the joints overnight and washed away in the morning. The pain and the swelling are said to subside as therapy progresses.

Generally speaking, Mimosa Pudica will also lower high blood sugar, stop itchy skin, resolve diarrhoea.

In this review, we are returning to where we came from…to women. So, on a parting note today, I would say Mimosa Pudica helps to uplift sagging breast. In its literature, it is suggested that a paste of this herb and Ashwagandha root be prepared and applied on the breasts. Ashwagandha, widely used in Ayuverdic (Indian) medicine for thousands of years, has restorative properties.

Sea salt (a)

In the 1980s, I was shocked when a professor of medicine at the University of Lagos College of Medicine said at a public lecture that sodium was not the culprit in hypertension. I did not seek to find out what he meant by this. Doctors always warned that we consume less salt, and here he was asking us to take more. I was all the more shocked later on when I sold Dr. F. Batmanghelidj’s books in the 1990s. He taught the world about the value of drinking more water. His first book was titled YOUR BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER. The follow-up was YOUR’RE NOT SICK, YOU’RE ONLY THIRSTY. By the time he died, Dr. Batmanghelidj was writing another book on STRESS DEHYDRATION AND CANCER. In his earlier books, Dr. Batmanghelidj went on to suggest that it was “criminal” for doctor to withdraw sodium from the diet if a patient was down with edema, which is what many doctors still do. Dr. Batmanghelidj said a shortage of sodium in the body actually causes those swellings! May doctors regard his view as blasphemous of medicine, if not criminal.

Up till today, I would rather err on the side of caution and, so, would not suggest that the sodium content of food be increased in edema or hypertension situations. But the kind of sodium we are referring to as the culprit in these and other conditions is not sea salt but refined Sodium chloride or table salt.

Sea salt is different from table salt in many respects. Dr. Batmanghelidj, like the Lagos Professor of medicine, probably sensed the need for the consumption of sea salt. To their defence have come studies which show that sodium in the body may not be harmful if there is enough potassium in the body to keep it in check. Unfortunately, the daily diet of many people is potassium deficient.

Sea salt is produced by evaporating sea water or from harvesting from salt caves. It is darker than table salt because it retains between 75 and 80 minerals and trace elements from sea water. These inhibit the dangerous activities of Sodium in the body. Table salt is essentially Sodium and Chloride without these sea minerals and trace elements and is uninhibited. The trace elements and minerals in sea salt include Sodium and Chloride as macro nutrients and micro nutrients such as Calcium, Magnesium, Bromide, Potassium, Iron, Copper and Zinc. All of these and more are bleached out of sea salt in the production of table salt to which is then added anti-caking agent before it arrives on the dining table or the kitchen shelf.

The discussion continues next week.