Tag: Stroke

The curtain falls today on this series, although there is a lot more to say about the provisions of Mother Nature for a healthy heart and the blood vessels, and for a smart and sharp and healthy brain. This week I will specially salute HAWTHORN BERRIES after a brief salute of some of these healing remedies which have kept some of us going and bouncing like ping pong for decades. Vitamin E is one of them. On the market, you would find it in two major forms (a) d-alpha tocopherol and (b) dl-alpha tocopherol. D-alpha tocopherol is the natural form, is more effective, costlier and comes in smaller dosage of about 400iu. (International Unit) Per soft gel. Dl-alpha tocopherol is a petroleum derivative, is less effective and compensates for this slack with about 1,000iu. Per soft gel on top of which it comes at rock bottom price. Vitamin E helps the body maximize the use of oxygen and to stand conditions of oxygen deficiency, especially if the diet supplies Selenium, which, like Vitamin E, is an antioxidant. Both work together like kindred souls, and a deficiency of one may mask the symptoms of a deficiency of the other. Elsewhere in back file articles of this column, it was suggested purchasers of Vitamin E note that Vitamin E comes to us naturally as tocopherols and tocotrienols. The tocopherols come in six fractions E1-E6. When the soft gel combines tocopherols and tocotrienols, it is a super bumper package.

“Many of the brands sold in Nigeria have no tocotrienols and only one or two of the tocopherol fractions. I believe the short changing will disappear when the consumer becomes more aware of what he is buying. Weren’t we short changed in the early days of CoQ10 in the Nigerian market when the prime offers were between five, 10 or 30 milligrams per gel or capsule? Today, I use brands which offer me 100mg per soft gel in a 90, 100 or 120 – gel package! It is not impossible to find 400mg gels used for cancer or HIV/AIDS therapy (see last Thursday’s column… part five of this series). Whoever travels far, our forefathers say, will find a squirrel with a hunchback! Vitamin E has become widely used in cardiology (heart medicine) today through the research and work of two Canadian doctors, Wilfrid E. Shute and Evan V. Shute. They revolutionized Cardiology with mega doses of Vitamin E in their prescriptions. Between the 1940s and the 1970s, they successfully treated about 30,000 patients with their mega dosage prescriptions. They are well honoured in medical history today for the use of “alpha” tocopherol in preventing and reversing cardiovascular disease.”

VITAMIN E

A story of the storm the Shute brothers rode to bring Vitamin E alpha tocopherol to our doorsteps is told by www.doctoryourself.com: “Vitamin E alpha tocopherol works not only for the heart and the blood vessels, according to Dr. Even Shute. This book shows with evidence how large amounts of it induced ovulation in a 102 year old woman. This is good news for women who do not ovulate. There is also evidence of the healing of a cranian nerve injury of two years. This Vitamin has been described as a “fertility vitamin” because it helps women get pregnant and keep their pregnancies full-term.”

SEA BUCKTHORN OIL

I forgot in the last column to mention Sea Buckthorn Oil used by Tibetians, Mongolians, Russians and other people since about 5,000 B.C. it is now well known for its anti-aging properties which makes the skin and cell youthful, and promotes blood circulation and heart health. It is reported to have twelve times more Vitamin C than an orange, has Vitamin E in equivalent status to Wheat Germ Oil, three times more Vitamin A than carrots and about four times more Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) than Ginseng. SOD is a natural antioxidant enzyme which the body produces to quell the damaging fire of singlet oxygen free radicals, a major cause of early aging. Research puts Sea Buckthorn up as the only plant source of Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-7 and Omega-9 essential fatty acids. The seed and fruit oil of Sea Buckthorn are, also, rich sources of carotenoids, tocotrienols and tocopherols, antioxidants such as phenols, terpenes and glucosides plant sterols, Manganese, Copper, Iron and Selenium. Copper and Zinc, like Manganese and Iron help the body produce SOD.

Sea Buckthorn Oil has been credited with skin health, weight management, prevention of brain troubles as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, helping to cure ulcers and gastro esophageal reflux disease, battling dry eye, preventing liver damage among other benefits.

MOTHER WORT

We cannot forget MOTHER WORT. It is one of the herbs the legendary Australian herbalist Marian Treben prescribes for the heart. This herb is reported in folk medicine literature to heal the “anxious mind and heart” a remedy one should not ignore in depression therapy.

We are advised in www.redrootmaintain.com : “Anxiety can cause one to feel as if one is powerless, many emotions flare from fear to shame. Our hearts become stressed. And regardless of the situation, there is an element of failure and loss involved. Motherwort does much more to calm the excess of energy which courses through the heart and nervous system. It is a great healer that spreads joy and calm to those who seek it. While Motherwort is often considered a herb for women, men can find benefit in using it as well for maladies of the nervous system and heart triggered by stress. The Greeks gave Motherwort to pregnant women suffering from anxiety, hence the name Mothers herbs or Motherwort.

“Afflictions of the heart and nervous system find rest with Motherwort. History tells us that it is considered to be a cardiotonic as well as nervine tonic. Maulde Greives tells us that there is no better herb for strengthening and gladdening the heart. Due to the presence of the chemical alkaloids leonurine, a mind vasodilator, Motherwort acts as anti-spasmodic to relax smooth muscles, one of those muscles being the heart. Chinese studies have also found Motherwort to decrease clotting and the level of fat in the blood. That it can, in its calming nature, slow heart palpitations and rapid heartbeat. Motherwort has a mildly diuretic effect, also aiding high blood pressure. But is important to know that while motherwort can be helpful in instances of high blood pressure, it is most appropriately effective when high blood pressure is a symptom of excess stress and anxiety. The effects this plant has in the nervous system are profound. As Motherwort gladdens the heart, it relaxes the nervous system, resulting in and elevated mood, relief of nervous debility and spasm.”

Hawthorn Berries

When I was introduced to Hawthorn berries about 25 years ago, it took me about five years to become well acquainted with the fact that different parts of it function in different ways in the body. Hawthorn Fruits (The Berry) work in the heart, the leaves on the blood vessels, and the flowers also on the circulatory system. Thus, when you are buying Hawthorn, be exact or precise. It may be better to buy the mixed grill of flowers, fruit and leaves, which often come in tea form. From www.herbwisdom.com/herb.hawthorn-berry.html. stores information about studies which suggest that Hawthorn resolves such health challenges as congestive heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, (chest pain), high blood cholesterol, and so on. From these studies, it is believed that antioxidants in Hawthorn are the miracle workers. So widespread is belief in Hawthorn in Early 1920s that commission E, the German government agency which studies herbs and approves them for clinical use, has endorsed it”. www.edu/../herb/hawthorn: says “Hawthorn has been used to treat heart diseases as far back as the first Century. By the early 1800s, American doctors were using it to treat circulatory disorders and respiratory illness. Traditionally, the berries were used to treat heart problems ranging from irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pain, hardening of the arteries and heart failure. Today, the leaves and flowers are used medically. There is even research to suggest that Hawthorn might be effective when used in the treatment of mild to moderate heart failure. Animal and laboratory studies report Hawthorn contains antioxidants, including Oligomeric procyandins (OPC), also found in grapes and Queritin. Antioxidants are substances that destroy free radicals, which are compounds in the body that damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body and grow in number as we age. Environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, smoking, some medicines, and air pollution) can also increase the number of their damaging particles. Scientist believe free radicals contribute to the aging process (such as wrinkling), as well as the developing of a number of health problems, including cancers and heart disease. Antioxidants in Hawthorn may help stop some of the damages from free radicals, especially when it comes to heart disease. The website explains findings of a study which investigated effects of Hawthorn on heart failure subjects. Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump blood adequately to other parts of the body.

“Both human and animals studies suggest Hawthorn increases Coronary artery blood flow, in improves circulation and lowers blood pressure” it says, adding it has also been used on the skin to treat boils and  skin sore. Hawthorn has been studied in people with heart failure. A number of studies conclude that Hawthorn significantly improved heart function. Studies also suggest that the heart can enhance a person’s ability to exercise following heart failure. Participants in studies have reported that Hawthorn significantly improved symptoms of the disease such as shortness of breath and fatigue. One study found that Hawthorn extracts (900mg per day) taken for two months was as effective as low doses of CAPTOPRIL (a prescription heart medication) in improving symptoms of heart failure”.

“A large study found that a standardised Hawthorn supplement was effective in 95 people with heart failure. The study compared conventional method of treating heart failure (with different medications) with Hawthorn alone and in addition to the drugs. After two years, the clinical symptoms of heart failure (palpitations, breathing problems and fatigue diseased significantly improved in people taking the Hawthorn supplement. People taking Hawthorn also took less medication for their condition.”

When it comes to Angina Pectoris (chest pain), it is thought that his challenge, too, may yield to Hawthorn.

This is a condition in which less blood flows to the heart. A study which involved 60 people with Angina, subjects were given either 18mg/day of Hawthorn Berry leave flower extract or placebo over three weeks. Hawthorn user’s experience “improved blood flow to the heart, and were also able to exercise for longer periods of time without suffering from chest pain.” One study found Hawthorn effective in some type 2 diabetes hypertensive people who were taking prescribed medicines. They were given 1,200mg Hawthorn extract or placebo daily for 16 weeks. Hawthorn users reported lower blood pressure in comparison to the placebo group.

www.naturalheatlh360.com reports: “A 2016 randomised control trial revealed that Hawthorn supplementation decreased the diastolic blood pressure (the lower number of BP reading) in Type 2 diabetic patients, thereby decreasing the risk of heart diseases significantly. Flavonoids compounds in Hawthorn were also found to regulate the effects of ACE (Angiotensin converting Enzymes). ACE influences the blood pressure by contracting blood vessels which narrows the pathway of blood, increasing blood pressure. Hawthorn antioxidant flavonoids naturally regulate the ACE effect, thereby demonstrating better heart and kidney health in patients at risk.

Many animal studies that investigated the cholesterol-reducing effect of Hawthorn showed a significant decrease in blood cholesterol, including the LDL (bad cholesterol). One study reported that supplementation caused a 23 percent reduction in Total cholesterol, 22 percent in Triglycerides and also activated cholesterol clearance through bile. In fact, a recent scientific review of the double blind control studies on Hawthorn parallels the result of the aforementioned studies. The review found that they exert significant beneficial effects as an adjuvant treatment for patients with chronic heart failure. The review stated:

“There is a significant in symptom control and beneficial physiological  outcome from Hawthorn extracts.”

www.blessedherbs.com tells us about specific uses of the fruit, leaves and flowers: “Hawthorn berries are typically used to treat cardiac insufficiencies of the heart. The flowers and leaves would be more commonly used for normalising blood circulation, helping to have stronger arteries for better blood flow to the heart. Nutritionally, the berries are more beneficial for those with dysfunctional cardiac weaknesses that already exist and help to normalise higher quality heart function. “The flowers and leaves can benefit circulatory to the heart and those that have weaknesses there with poor dietary control of fats and sugars. Combining the berries, flowers and leaves to supply a full spectrum of constituents is the best preventive approach for an overall healthy heart and cardiovascular toxic in support of holistic health.”

My guess is that, now, we have a better understanding about how to prevent heart and blood vessel, and blood diseases, heart failure, heart attack and, how, even when calamity has struck, we can cope better with it or even slow or freeze the progression downhill, or even reverse it. We learned in the last part of this series how Ubiquinol, a brand of CoQ10, help to normalise the life of a baby who did not cry or move the limbs for five months. The power of Magnesium to reverse heart ailments should, by now, no longer be in doubt. Thanks to the shute brothers in Canada, for the knowledge that high doses of the complete fractions of d-alpha tocopherol can reverse almost all muscle ailment. The heart is a muscle. So is the uterus. So, Vitamin E may be of help for uterine fibroid questions. We read of how, in the Shute brothers experiments, a large dose caused a 102 –years –old woman to ovulate. Wouldn’t this be good news for women who are not ovulating but wish to have babies. I am not saying women who do not ovulate cannot be fertile and get pregnant. In Deborah and Leslie Kenton THE NEW RAW ENERGY, it has been shown that ovulation, but not fertility, is suppressed in women who consume large doses of beta carotene, a Vitamin A precursor, in their diets. But in going for large doses of Vitamin E for any ailment, it is advised this is done with the knowledge and consent of a medical doctor or a competent health care practitioner. For Vitamin E is a blood thinner.

Fruits and vegetables should always be part of the diet not only because of the Vitamin and minerals they provide but, also, because of Potassium, and important electrolyte for healthy nerve and muscles function. I remember Solenium, which is a cousin of Vitamin E wherever I remember my pet food supplement of the 1990s… (Selent), a combination and Vitamin E under no umbrella. What else have I forgotten? All have Oxygen, Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Iron. Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Folic acid for damaging effects. The list is endless. The most important factor is that we become more aware of the support Mother Nature gives us to overcome diseases.

Goodbye Muhammed Ali, Goodbye Stephen Keshi. May you awaken a joyful life in your new planes of existence.

Sussan and Leslie Kenton, on one hand, and Dr. Max Gerson and Dr. Roger Moore, on another have a familiar common ring. Susan and Leslie are sisters and co-authors of two books: RAW ENERGY and THE NEW RAW ENERGY. Their books advocate the consumption of raw fruit and vegetables juices for radiant health and, in particular, the health of muscles. They say it improves physical endurance and athletic performance. What is the magic wand in these juice? It is POTASSIUM, one of the body’s electrolytes. Dr. Max Gerson was a young German medical doctor who gave the world THE GERSON THERAPY for the cure of practically all diseases, including cancer. (See internet). His health was so ravaged by migraine he often missed work for two weeks in a month until a Bavarian hospital attendant informed him that fruits and vegetables juices were the migraine remedies in his native Bavarian. Gerson tried it, and his migraine disappeared to his amazement. This encouraged him to study the chemical composition of fruits and vegetables juices. His findings revealed a large amount of Potassium in both. Before his death, Dr. Gerson propounded the hypothesis that potassium resides in the cells, sodium outside the cells in the interstitial fluid which surrounds the cells. Sodium tries to enter the cells, potassium pushes it out, creating an electrical circuit which brings oxygen and nutrients in and takes waste and poisons out.  These movements are powered by a sodium batteries which run sodium/potassium pumps in all the cells. The more Potassium the body has, the more powerful the sodium battery and the more active the Sodium/Potassium pump. If a car battery is flat, the engine may start with difficulty or fail to roll. The sodium battery and Sodium/Potassium pumps, pump like wise.

Dr. Gerson reasoned that, a state of potassium deficiency would make Sodium gain easy access into the cell, and, since there would be a flat battery and weak pump, Sodium would not be easily expelled. The cell would become water logged and faced with death. To survive, the cell would change its lifestyle from an oxidative (oxygen-using) cell, to a fermentative (non-oxygen using) cell, and this would be the beginning of growths (uterus fibroids and other tumours for example cancer as well.   With these principles in his healing protocols which emphasised the consumption of fruit and vegetable juices, Dr. Gerson was not only able to re-activate fat sodium batteries and re-activate sodium/potassium pumps, he was able to cure some cases of cancer that had been treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in hospitals to no avail, and given up by other medical doctors.

Dr. Roger Moore carried out extensive experiments which are featured in the book THE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SOLUTION…….. THE K FACTOR (K is the chemical symbol of potassium). He concluded that in hypertension, Sodium is not always the culprit but a deficiency of potassium. He, therefore, concluded that, in primary hypertension, drugs should be avoided in the lowering of blood pressure. For he found that, in many cases, the consumption of potassium rich foods did the job excellently. So, welcome to the world of potassium healing powers in many disease conditions, in particular in the health of the heart and the cardiovascular system.

POTASSIUM

We are advised in www.in.webind.com: “Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body. It also helps your muscles to move your nerves to work and your kidney to filter blood. The best way to get enough potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. It is also in daily products, whole grains, meat and fish.  Other great source include potatoes, tomatoes, avocado fresh fruits like bananas, oranges and strawberries. Orange juice, dry fruits like raisins, apricots, prunes and dated spinach, beans and peas. Potassium doesn’t treat or prevent heart disease. But getting enough potassium can help the heart in several ways better in controlling blood pressure. In a study of people with high blood pressure, taking potassium supplements lowered systolic blood pressure by about eight points. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and fat free or low fat dairy foods can help cut systolic blood pressure by more than 10 points in people with high blood pressure.

You shouldn’t take your potassium pills unless your doctor recommends it, “there is no direct link between potassium and cholesterol. But many diets that lower cholesterol are also high in potassium. So when you get enough potassium, you will probably eat more fruits and vegies which are low in saturated fats and cholesterol. This will lower your cholesterol levels and lower your chances of developing heart disease”.

For people with heart rhythm problems, the website says: “Potassium enables your heart to beat. So if you have heart rhythm problems, potassium may be the key. When it comes to heart failure, potassium would be required to help control the electrical balance in the heart as described in the sodium battery and the sodium/potassium pumps. It also supports the metabolism of carbohydrates and the building of muscles. The website says “low potassium levels can cause muscle weakness and heart rhythm disturbances”. This is scary as the heart, like the uterus, is a bunch of muscles. If the heart muscles become weak, so will all parts of the body. A weak uterine muscle would be unable to hold a fetus or protect itself, and this may be a cause of endometrial conditions and uterine fibroids. This is no reason, however, to overdo potassium as an excess of it “can cause dangerous heart irregularities and even sudden death”.

Co Q10 (Ubiquinol)

We cannot talk about this crucial heart nutrient without talking about Dr. Karl Folkers who has devoted almost his entire research life of over 50 years to the study of this life elixir for the heart. Working with medical doctors, he has used Co Enzyme Q10 in breast cancer therapy and achieved cures. The story of CoQ10 began about 1954 in Great Britain when Professor R.A Mortan and his colleagues investigated a fat-soluble substance which helps cells in our bodies to produces energy was found in all animal cells. It was present in the intestine of horses, livers of rats and various organs in pigs. But the researchers had no clue about what it was. Then, in 1957 at the University of Wisconsin, Professor Frederick Crane, a biochemist, who was studying how energy was produced in the cells, noted yellow crystals in a test tube in materials taken from the heart of some cattle which had been kept for a study. He concluded that these strange crystals were quinones. It was a surprising discovery because, in those days, researchers thought only plants had quinones. The story has since changed. It is now known that quinones are present in all cells and help the production of energy in these cells. Dr. Crane wished to confirm his finding and sent samples of the yellow crystals to Dr. Karl Folkers, also a biochemist. Dr. Folkers confirmed the crystals were quinones. Quinone exists in three forms: fully oxidized ubiquinone, (C0Q), radical semi quinone (COQh) and fully reduced Ubiquinol (CoQH2). Dr. Folkers and Dr. E. Wolf reported their discovery to the scientific community in 1958. But Dr. Frederick Crane is given till this day the honour of the discovery of this molecule, and Dr. R. A. Mortan had the honour of proposing Ubiquinone as the molecules name.

n the world market today, this product is sold either as Ubiquinone or Ubiquinol. Ubiquinone is cheaper and has to be converted by the body to Ubiquinol for efficient use. In that process, energy is expended and wastes occur. I use UBIQUINOL as a food supplement. From the 1960s Ubiquinone was used chemically as Co Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) either to improve cell energy output or as an antioxidant. In Japan, Professor Yamamura is credited to be the first physician to prescribe COQ10 for chronic heart patients. By 1972, Dr. Grian Paolo Littarru, working with Dr. Karl Folkers, showed the scientific community that heart disease patients had low levels of COQ10. By 1974, a Japanese company made the first commercially produced COQ10 structurally akin to that made by human body, thereby ushering in an era of widespread use of this substances clinically world-wide. A Nobel Price Award went to Dr. Peter Mitchell, an English biochemist, who explained the role COQ10 plays in the electron transport chain. He had also explained COQ10 role in the “pumping of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane in living organism, producing in the end, ATP, from which the cells release energy.”

In the first COQ10 double-blind experiment of its effects on heart disease, Dr. Langsjoen showed statistically that this substance was effective as a heart ailment therapy. That year, his son, Dr. Langsjoen’s Son, Peter Langsjoen, as a cardiologist became a COQ10 researcher. We learn more of him from www.q10facts.com which says: “Dr. Karl Folkers realised very early on that COQ10 was very important for cells production of energy, he foresaw COQ10’s importance in the prevention of disease. He called COQ10 the essential bio-nutrient. He was very often critical of commercial Q10 products, especially those in powder form that did not have a good absorption rate. He recommended COQ10 dissolves in oils. At the end of his life, Dr. Folkers received many awards and prices for his research in various substances, including Q10.

COQ10 STUDIES

In one international study, chronic heart failure patients were found to reduce their chances of dying by 43 percent when they took 100mg COQ10 three times a day along with their conventional medicine heart medications. The reduced death rate risk compared with those with the risk ratios of those patients who took only drugs for their conditions. Against patients who were on placebo medication, the drugs and COQ10 patients were found to reduce by 42 percent their risk of dying from other conditions. In www.newwithviews.com the story is told of how Dr. James Howen Stane gave COQ10 to cancer patients with outstanding results, and of how Dr. Karl Folkers popularised the use of this energy booster. The website reports: “Dr. Karl Folkers, Ph.D., was employed by Merc where he discovered Vitamin B12 and learned how to make a synthetic version of it that sold all over the world ending pernicious anaemia. He was considered for a Nobel Prize but he did not win this honour. He had become very interested in COQ10 which Merc could not pursue because it was not patentable as a natural substance. Dr. Folkers had learnt that COQ10 was able to slow the progression of muscular dystrophy. After leaving Merc, he took a position as a Professor at the University of Texas in about 1965. COQ10 is found in every cell in the body. Animal species have exhibited a direct correlation between COQ10 levels and longevity.

The use of Statin drugs produces significant falls in COQ blood levels which may be the reason for the rising incidence of heart failure as Statin drugs are widely used in the U.S to lower cholesterol. Administration of COQ10 improves energy output by the mitochondrial of the cell.

This improved energy output from COQ10 therapy has proven to be quite valuable in treating neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease and strokes. While at the University of Texas, Dr. Folkers encourages a cardiologist, Dr. Peter Langsjoen, to use COQ10 to treat congestive heart failure with wonderful results. Dr. Langsjoen stated “the clinical experience with COQ10 is nothing short of dramatic. It is reasonable to believe that the entire field of medicine should be re-evaluated in light of this growing knowledge.”

ome patients at the University of Texas with heart failure received COQ10 but this therapy did not become adopted as a standard approach by conventional physicians. Dr. Folkers followed the course of six patients, who had cancer, who were taking COQ10 for congestive heart failure until 1993. Four of them had lung cancer and two had breast cancer.  All six experienced remission of cancer to be due to COQ10 therapy. Dr. Folkers recommended the use of 500 milligrammes of COQ daily with in patients with malignances.“ DR. Folkers began to raise money to pursue his dream of using COQ10 to treat malignancies. Folkers persuaded one of his financial bakers, who has developed small cell carcinoma of the lungs with widespread metastasis, to try COQ10 by pointing out that COQ10 would do no harm and it might help. His oncologist had advised him he has less than a year to live. He began to feel better and had no signs of metastases one year later. Fifteen years after the cancer diagnosis, he remained well and free of metastases. The only therapy he received was COQ10. In 1980, Dr. Folkers founded a trial of COQ10 for breast cancer conducted by Dr. Kund Lockwood in Denmark. Dr. Lockwood treated two patients with breast cancer, one with 300mg of COQ10 daily and the other with 360mg daily. Both recovered. “Dr. William Judy of Bradenton, received funding from Dr. Folkers to treat prostate cancer with COQ10. Cancer of the prostate is typically hormone dependent at its onset and is effectively treated then by hormone inhibition. However, after two to five years, becomes independent of hormone therapy and no amount of hormone inhibition at that stage is beneficial. Dr. Judy found 30 patients with hormone independent prostate cancer and treated them with 500mg of CO Enzyme Q10 daily. Fourteen of the 15 who had no metastases to bone or lung proceeded to have their PSA return to normal. of the 15 patients who did have metastases of bone and lung when they started COQ10, eight saw their PSA results return to normal, suggesting improvement. Dr. Judy then treated six patients with prostate cancer and elevated PSA values with COQ10 and all six had their elevated PSA values return to normal after 120 days of COQ10 therapy.”

We can go on and on. But one last word. Dr. Judy suggest that to make COQ10 soft gels become better absorbed, it should be dissolved in hot tea to which a teaspoon of coconut oil should be added since its absorption takes place in a fat medium.

TAKE AWAY

This is a COQ10 take away from www.pws.org.av/coqidm.html: “Here is one example of the benefits of COQ10 supplementation in a child with pws who has both a chrompsone 15 abnormality and a complex II and II environment. This child, for the first six months of life, did not cry nor move and was fed via a NG tube. Within three days of starting COQ10 supplementation, the child began to develop sucking reflexes and move arms, hands, legs, and feet. With continued COQ10 supplementation, standing and walking occurred between eight and twelve months. Today after three years of COQ10 supplementation, in the absence of any nutritional, hormonal or drug intervention, this child has normal physical and mental development speech patterns, physical skills, and Cognitive functions are in the normal range for the age level.

I love this season in Nigeria. It is the season of food respite for the poor. Maize or corn is mushrooming in the fields. So is Ube, that diminutive “pear” which the Igbos bequeathed to Nigeria. So is the good old coconut. The trio make a fulsome meal for the hungry jack any day, any time. It is a pity, though, that methods of roasting the corn and Ube have not been upgraded to safeguard health. Many women who sell these stuff at the road side, where dust falls upon them, bring the Ube right from the farm basket, manage to clean it with bare, dirty hands before they lay them on the local oven tray. The corn fares no better. In the villages of yore, the covers of the corn are not stripped off the body and thrown away, now, the bare corn goes on the oven where, often, it burns, creating tar, a carcinogen. In contrast, the corn roasted with the covers on does not burn. To your surprise, if you did not grow up in the village, it would ooze a sweet–smelling, sweet–tasting oil, the corn oil, and Omega – 6 oil. Ube, too, gives the eater Omega–6 oil. So does coconut.

When I eat a combination of these three in a meal, it is with advice caution. Lately my friends have learned to nickname me advice caution, because, in our discussions, these words suffuse in my dietary and other advice. So, what’s the advice caution with which I eat corn, Ube and Coconut? It all has to do with the right balance in which Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids should be consumed if the heart, blood vessels, the brain, the eyes and other organs, including the liver and the pancreas, are to stay healthy and not cause inflammation, pain, disease and even death.

Diabetes cure

Before I proceed, please grant me the indulgence to share one of those experiences which make my day. A gentleman woke me from sleep this morning (Tuesday, July 5) to announce on the telephone a research finding of a professor at Newcastle University, he said he had benefited from. This Professor routinely through surgery helps many of his patients free their organs of fat adhesions. To his surprise, he found that those who had fat overlay on their pancreases were diabetic, and that their diabetic conditions never returned after the surgery, for as long as they did not allow the pancreases to grow fatty again. From this, he concluded that diabetes was reversible… that is, curable, despite the prevailing medical notion to the contrary today. The caller, a reader of this column, actually telephoned me to say Orange peel, which this column extols as a recipe for diabetes and other bad health conditions, including high blood cholesterol levels, lowered his high blood sugar levels. I am relating this possibility to the possibility of imbalances between Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils in the body, causing fat ingressions into some organs, the pancreases and the liver especially. It will be shown, soon, how these imbalances can cause not only diabetes but, also, conditions such as heart and blood vessels disease, heart failure, heart attack and strokes.

Omega-3/Omega-6

In addition to oxygen, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Iron, Super-Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione and Catalase already discussed in earlier sections of this series, Omega-3 oils play a crucial role in the health of the heart, it’s blood vessels, and in brain acuity and health. Omega-3 gives our bodies two major health- protecting oils… EPA and DHA. DHA nourishes the brain, enhances intelligence and memory, prevents inflammation and pain, among other benefits, promotes long attention spans for which reason it is prescribed for short attention span problems which may cause the “Scatter brain” scenarios.

Dr. Udo Erasmus in his fabulous FATS THAT HEAL and FATS THAT KILL, suggests that Omega-3 deficiency in the brain may predispose some people to criminality. Studies were carried out in this regard with finding which show prison–inmates becoming better behaved persons after Omega-3 oils (DHA and EPA were added to their diets). Even school children who hated school and homework became school and homework loving children in a school vacation experiment in which the government of the United Kingdom gave bottom of the class children free Omega-3 food supplements during their holidays.

here are many experiments, besides, which tell us that when pregnant women took Omega-3 food supplements, or added it to the diets of children whose brains were still developing, these babies and these children had better formed brains and eyes than the brains and eyes of babies and children who had not access to these oils in the womb or after their birth. EPA, on the other hand, help out in numerous ways in the muscles and tissues to prevent inflammation and pain, to which Omega-6 oils subject the body. Some Omega-3 loving doctors have, indeed written books in which they advocate replacement of waffarim and Aspirin by Omega-3 fish oils for either blood–thinning in hypertension, clot or inflammation and pain conditions, suggesting that  they are safer and much more  effective than Ibuprofen, the chemical drugs, for example.

But for Omega-3 to work, it has to be in the right balance in the body with Omega-6. Remember the law of balance, one of the Laws of Nature. It governs all events in creation, small or gigantic. It holds the Universe together and maintains, in the body, balances between, say, calcium and Magnesium (last week’s column), Potassium and Sodium, Zinc and Copper etc.

According to www.ncbi.n/m.nih.gov: “Several sources of information suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPAs) of approximately 1:1 whereas in Western diet, the ratio is 15/1–16. 7/1. Western diets are deficient in Omega -3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of Omega-6 compared with the diet on which human beings evolved and their genetic patterns were established. Excessive amount of Omega-6 poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a very high Omega-6 than Omega-3 ratio has found in today’s Western diet promotes the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammation and auto immune disease, whereas increased levels of Omega -3 (PUFA) low Omega 6/Omega-3 ratio exerts suppressive effects”.

In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a ratio of 4/1 was associated with a 70 percent decrease in total mortality. A ratio of 2.5/1 reduced rectal cell proliferation in patients with Colo rectal cancer, whereas a ratio of 4/1 with the same amount of Omega-3 PUFA had no effect. The Lower Omega -6/Omega-3 ratio in women with breast cancer was associated with decreased risk. A ratio of 2 – 3/1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and a ratio of 5/1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma, whereas a ratio of 10:1 had adverse consequences. These studies indicate that the optimal ratio may vary with the disease under consideration. This is consistent with the fact that chronic diseases are multigenic and multifactorial. Therefore, it is quite possible that the therapeutic dose of Omega-3 fatty acids will depend on the degree of severity of disease resulting from the genetic predisposition.

A lower ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies, as well as in developing countries, that are being exported to the rest of the world.

This should be an eye opener for many people in Nigeria, where cooking oils, in particular all those vegetable oils in the market, pump Omega-6 into the diet. The only sources of Omega-3 to reverse the disproportionate Omega 6/Omega-3 ratio come from only fish, such as Titus and Salmon, or from such plant sources as flax seed oil or food supplements of these. Fish oil is expensive. Many people go, instead, for a popular manufactured and hydrogenerated brand, without being able to recognise that it is not a natural brand. Even among the natural brands, the talk of sea pollution has driven those who can afford it to either Udo’s oil, Ultimate oil or Crill oil Brands.

We learn from chriskresser.com: “our hunter gatherers were free of the modern inflammation diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes that are the primary causes of death and mortality today. At the onset of the industrial revolution (about 140 years ago), there was marked shift in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in the diet. Consumption of n-6 fats increased at the expense of n-3 fats. This change was due to both the advent of the modern vegetable oil industry and on the increased use of cereal grains as feed for domestic livestock (which in turn altered the fatty acid profile of meat that humans consume). The following chart lists the Omega-6 and Omega-3 content of various vegetable oils and food”.

‘Safflower oil Omega-6 content 75 percent, Omega-3 0percent,

‘Sunflower oil Omega 6 content 65 percent, Omega -3 percent,

‘Corn oil Omega-6 content 54 percent, Omega-3 0percent,

‘Colton seed oil Omega 6 content 50 percent, Omega -3 0percent,

‘Sesame oil Omega -6 content 42percent, Omega-3 0percent,

‘Peanut oil Omega -6 content 32percent, Omega-3 0percent,

‘Soyabean oil Omega -6 content 51percent Omega -3 7percent,

‘Canola Oil Omega -6 content 20percent Omega-3 9percent,

‘Walnut oil Omega-6 content 52percent, Omega-3 10percent,

‘Flax Seed oil Omega-6 content 14percent, Omega-3 57percent,

‘Fish oil Omega-6 content 0percent, Omega-3 100 percent

‘Vegetable oil consumption rose dramatically between the beginning and end of the 20th Century, and this had an entirely predictable effect on the ratio of Omega-6, Omega -3 fats in the American diet. Between 1935 and 1939, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids was reported to be 8.4: 1. From 1935 to 1985, the ratio increased to 10.3: 1 (a 23 percent increase) other calculations put the ratio as high as 12.4:1, in 1985. Today, estimate of the ratio range from the average of 10:1 to 20:1, with a ratio as high as 25:1 in some individuals. In fact, Americans now get almost 20percent of their calories from a single food source, Soyabean oil with almost nine percent of all calories from the Omega-6 fat Linoleic acid (LA) alone. This reveals that our average intake of n fatty acid is between 10 to 20 times higher than evolutionary norms. The consequences of this dramatic shift cannot be over-estimated.

mega-6 competes with Omega-3 and vice–versa as you may recall from the last article, n-6 and n-3 fatty acids compete for the same conversion enzymes. This means that the quantity of n-6 in the diet directly affects the conversion of n-3 LA, found in plant foods, to long chain n-3 EPA and DHA, which protect us from diseases. Several studies have shown that the biological availability and activity of n-3 fatty acids are inversely related to the concentration of n-3 fatty acid’s nutrition. Studies have also shown that greater composition of EPA and DHA in membranes reduces the availability of AA eicosanoid production. In plain English, this means that the more Omega -3 fats we eat, the less Omega -6 will be available to produce inflammation. Omega-6 is pro-inflammation, while Omega-3 is neutral. A diet with a lot of Omega-6 and not much Omega-3 will increase inflammation. A diet of a lot of Omega-3 and not much Omega-6 will reduce inflammation”.

www.livestrong.com says: “There is a wealth of evidence supporting a role for Omega-3 in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and boosting overall heart health, including eye and brain developing in our formative years, maintaining cognitive performance as we age. But can Omega-3 have other benefits? Omega-3 fatty acids have been associated in beneficial ways with a wide range of illness and diseases, including cancer, heart diseases, rheumatoid- arthritis, asthma, alcoholism, visual acuity, kidney disease, respiratory disease, dermatitis, psoriasis, cystic fibrosis,  Schizophrenia, depression, neurological and brain development, malaria, multiple sclerosis and migraine headache. Indeed it is difficult to find any human disorder where Omega-3 fatty acids have not been tested. Some recent studies have indicated that DHA could also provide protection against traumatic brain injury by reducing neural inflammation and increasing anti-apoptotic mediators”.

Dean Alban reports that Omega-3 benefits such a better memory and general brain health are well documented. The key is getting Omega-3 fats from the right foods and supplements. Omega-3 fats build brain cell membranes, reduce brain inflammation and promote new brain cell formation. They can improve your mood and memory and give you protection against brain disorders ranging from depression to dementia. Omega-3 lowers your risk of major chronic diseases, including heart diseases, cancer and arthritis. But deficiency is widespread.

As you may guess, we are in a Cul-de-Sac in this country, Nigeria. Information about the health benefits of Omega-3 fish oil is still not widespread. We consume lots of omega-6 and so little of omega-3 oil. All sorts of disease are breaking the scales. Breast and other cancers are raging like wild fire. A breast cancer patient from the East who sought dietary information from me for her condition the other day has asked that a mouth cancer patient in the same town make the same enquiries. Esophageal cancer is no more news either, just as prostate cancer. Strokes are rampant. Heart failure and heart attack, too, are making the rounds in larger numbers. What about arthritis, asthma and infertility, among others. We go to the doctor. But he is not nutrition friendly, whereas these condition have origins in the diet. He slaps pharmaceutical drugs on us. Often, they do not resolve our predicament. We return to him. The doctor, this time, may increase the dosage or change the drugs to no avail. This is how we carry on to Kingdom come degraded in wellbeing and health from day to day. I enjoy Omega-6 fats as I said earlier, with advice caution. The cautionary note is that I eat Titus fish every day with my meal. I know it has no scales, and that scaly fish is said to absorb sea poison less, but what can I do? People like me who are slightly hypothyrodic do not efficiently convert plant Omega-3 to fish Omega-3 as a result, I take food supplements such as chelated Zinc, Cillantro or Chlorella which helps the excretory organs fish out toxins, including heavy metals. And I make sure I take quality Omega-3 fish oil supplements. Besides, I give my heart a treat of Hawthorn Berries, Co-enzymes Q10 (C0q10) the (Ubiquinol brand), care of the heart and the brain is a gold mine that should require another week to explore.

Anyone who has elementary ideas about the two faces of Oxygen as a life supporter and a death bringer must wonder why I have been speaking only of the life elixir properties. Everything has its time and place. We speak first of the life elixir because, primarily, oxygen is designed to promote human life.In the first two parts of this series, it has been shown that de-oxygenation can cause brain, blood vessels and heart disease, and even the death of the cells of these important parts of the human body. What may be amazing, even amusing to many people, is that situations of adequate supply of oxygen or a surplus supply of it may promote the same conditions. Happily and interestingly, Mother Nature was aware of this possibility and took the right steps to avert it through the diet she provides for nurture of the human body. When the diet falls out of tune of this creationplan is when deadly nature of oxygen bares its fangs.

The Super Oxide

These deadly fangs are in the super oxide, a by-product of the body’s use of oxygen. It is a free radical molecule. To understand the Free radical we have to return to school, to at least “O” Level chemistry. There, we learned about substances being made of atoms.  In the 1960s, we were taught that atoms were the smallest part beyond which anything could not be divided. This minutest part of one substance may unite with the minutest part of another to form a compound, the minutest part of which is not an atom this time but a molecule.  And atom and a molecule obey The Law of Equilibrium or The Law of Balance which compels everything to be stable or normal. Anything which does not obey this law, be it atoms or molecules or human relationships is unstable, abnormal and destructive.

For the atom to become stable, it must have two electrons in its outermost shell of electrons. This picture is easy to grasp, despite the scientific jargon which tends to make it incomprehensible. Every atom has a core, a centre called the nucleus. It is like our sun being the centre or nucleus of our solar system. If you haven’t heard of the solar system, try and imagine the onion. It has a centre covered by several layers of onion skin. Cabbage has the same configuration. In the atom, we can liken these to layers or coverings to shells of electrons. The outermost shell must have two electrons for the atom to be stable, normal, friendly and indestructive.

In the normal functioning of the human body, many atoms and molecules become Free radicals, their outermost shell of electrons having been reduced to one electron instead of two, and are, thereby, unstable, abnormal and destructive. These free radical by – products of the body’s everyday living activities must, nevertheless, become stable that is obey the demand of Mother Nature. In the Law of Balance. Marriages collapse where there is no balance in relationships. Business, too, collapses on this account.So do nations and the world’s financial and other systems. So, to achieve balance, the free radical tries to steal an electronfrom a balanced cell. It does this by boring holes in the cell. Cells that are thus attacked leak. They divert their energies from normal living processes to sealing there leaks which may number thousands every day, and become weak and age rapidly in the process. And that is why people who habour too many free radicals in their body’s age prematurely, are always tired and may die pre-term.

In the wisdom of Mother Nature, this scenario is prevented through the body’s manufacture of some basic antioxidants, the antidote to free radicals. Three of these basic antioxidants are Glutathione CatalystandSuper Oxide Dismutase (SOD). The duty of this antioxidant enzymes is to speed the dissolution of the super oxide molecule into either normal and safe oxygen radical or Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is also cell damaging but less destructive than the Super Oxide. The body further degrades Hydrogen Peroxide with other enzymes such as Catalase.

rom research finding worldwide, the more SOD is produced in the body, the less is the risk of suffering from disease such as atherosterosis (blockageof blood vessels), heart attack, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and the likes of them. SOD comes from two production lines (a) Copper and Zinc and (b) Iron and Manganese. Glutathione is made from Glutamic acid, Glycine and cysteine, all amino acids. Solenium supports the production of Catalase. This is why, in boosting immunity naturally, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Manganese and Solenium are important dietary nutrients. They are plentiful in the greens often mentioned in this column… Wheat grass, Barley grass, Kale, Spirulina and Chlorella among others.

According to www.lifestrong.com:”both honeydew melon and cantaloupe melon contains high amounts of SOD. Although your body is unable to use the SOD in these fruit, they are also excellent source of vitamin C which may help up your production of the super Antioxidant. Those fruits also contain small amounts of Zinc, Copper, and Manganese which are trace minerals your body needs to make SOD. The cruciferous vegetables Brocoli, Cabbage and Brussel Sprouts are naturally rich in SOD. They are also excellent sources of Vitamin C and contain small amounts of trace minerals that boost SOD production, including Copper, Manganese and Zinc. For overall good health, you should try to eat at least one and a half cups or at least two cups of green vegetables a week, says choosemyplate.gov.

“In addition to healthy food sources of SOD, be sure to include foods rich in the necessary trace minerals up your Zinc intake by eating more oysters, lobsters, chicken, chick peas, cashews and peas. Good sources of Manganese include Pumpkin seeds, Spinach, Mussels and Hazlenut.Sources of copper include grains, beans, nuts and potato.”

The story-line so far, is that while oxygenation is important to prevent, or reverseHeart attack and other heart diseases, strokes and vascular system diseases, the super oxide, a by-product of the body’s use of oxygen, may cause them and other generative disease. But the body is programmed to convert Super Oxide to harmless substances if it produces the right amounts of its basic antioxidants, namely Glutathione Peroxidase, Catalase and SOD, which is believed to be the master Antioxidant enzymes. Let’s be frank with one another: how many of us consume good amounts of green and other foods where the building blocks of these enzymes are found, or how many of us take them in the form of dietary food supplements?.

HOMOCYSTEIN

One of the risk factors in heart diseases is Homocysteine.  It may occur in mild or high elevated concentrations.  It occurs mildly in 20 to 30 percent of people beset with atherosclerotic disease. That is people whose arteries are blocked by fatty cholesterol plaque and are subject to such conditions as hypertension. When himocysteine blood levels are high, veins may be damaged and kidney failure may set in. Homosysteine is a greasy substance produced as a by-product when the body uses the amino acid methionine. It blocks and damages blood vessels but the good news is that this grease can be dissolved by Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Folic acid. This will again lead us to the greens. Unfortunately, some people cannot digest or absorb Vitamin B12 because they do not have the “intrinsic factor”which makes this possible. Such people are helped by sublingual vitamin B12, which is place under the tongue and from there dissolve into the blood stream.

According to https://en.m.wikipedia.org: “A high level of homocysteine in the blood (hypermocysteinemia) makes a person more prone to endothelium cell injury.” The endothelium are the cells which line hollow organs in the body. The website adds that endothelial cell injury “leads to inflammation in the blood vessels, which in turn may lead to atherogenesis” Antherogenesisis the production of atheroma, the fatty cholesterol plaque which blocks blood vessels, cell weakness or even death.

e are advised by this website that atherogenesis can result in heart injury. “hyperhomocysteinemia is, therefore, a possible risk factor for coronary artery disease, we are also told.

The website goes on: “Coronary artery diseases occurs when and atherosclerotic plaque blocks blood flow to the Coronary arteries, which supply the heart with oxygenated blood. Hyperhomocyseinemia has been correlated with the occurrence of blood clots, heart attack and strokes, through it is unclear whether hyperhomoscyteinemia is an independent risk factor for these conditions. Hyperhomoscyteinemia has also been associated with early pregnancy loss and with neural tube defects”.

It should be clear now to many hypertension patients that it is important to include Homocysteine level checks in the blood work when checking for cholesterol level. For the cool print may indeed be Homocysteine, especially, in some cases where high blood pressure fails to respond to other medications. Fruits and vegetables have lots of B Vitamins. So does Brewer’syeast and Blackstrap molasses. Yesterday (June 28) my dinner comprised 12 boiled walnuts and one tablespoonful of Blackstrap Molasses. I added one 15mg tablet B stress with Zinc from Nature’s Gift for Life.

This regime alone may not prevent or reverse heart disease because there are many possible causes of it. For examples, I learned about a decade ago from Rex Adams’ Miracle medicine Foods that Garlic and Vitamin B1 reverse enlarged heart. I mentioned this to one of my nutrition- friendlys doctors who borrowed the book and tried the protocol on the cases of some of his patients with good results. I have since then learned to include HawthornBerries and Ubiquinolin the heart therapy when there is need to check heart enlargement, increase the mechanical pumping force of this organ and to clear the passage way in the arteries for blood flow into the heart.

MAGNESIUM

Welcome to the terrain of Dr. Asemogha Sam. He believes magnesium deficiency is at the root of many health evils. He finds support in Juliann Schaeffer in her GERIATRIC MEDICINE. Let me state immediately, as I explained to one young biochemistry graduate last week that menstrual cramps are very likely caused by magnesium deficiency. I have seen palpitations of the heart resolved by magnesium intake. The same goes for pain of all sorts. Magnesium relaxes muscles while calcium contracts them. When calcium oversteps its ratio in the calcium magnesium matrix, nerves and muscles are almost permanently contracted, causing lactic acid to build-ups in the muscles and tissues.

Julian Schaefer says:”Many physicians are accustomed to advising patients newly diagnosed with heart disease to lay off the cholesterol Salamine and Sand witches and steer clear of fats and any items loaded with saturated fats. But new research shows this advice may be misguided. A decade long study that reviewed cardiovascular disease research extending over more than 70 years found low magnesium levels contributed more to heart disease than did cholesterol or even saturated fat. Andrea Romanoff, Ph.D., director of Research and science information outreach for the centre for magnesium Education and Research, LLC in Pahoa, Hawai, and a medical advisory board member for Non Profit Nutritional Magnesium Association, led the review that continues the work started by melded Selig, M.D. She first began studying magnesium possible connection to heart disease more than 40 years ago. Romanoff’s most touching findings? That common risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high LDL Cholesterol, low HDL Cholesterol, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndromes are associated with low nutritional magnesium status or low magnesium dietary intake, she says. Also that there are many peer-review studies that show corresponding or preventing a nutritional magnesium deficit can and will correct or prevent cardiovascular disease events, including death.

ncovering magnesium as a common denominator among all heart diseases risk factors, and symptoms was surprising, especially since cholesterol currently is targeted most often for heart disease treatment, explains Carolyn Dear, M.D., N.D., a medical advisory board member for the Nutritional magnesiumAssociation and 2013 winner of the Arrhythmia Alliance outstanding medical contribution to cardiac rhythm management sources. Award at the Heart Rhythm Society’s Heart Rhythm Congress.

“A further surprise is that nobody is looking at magnesium as a treatment for heart disease” she says.”When you have one common denominator like magnesium, it is necessary to pursue that line of treatment before using strong drugs with side effects. We have been using cholesterol-lowering drugs for several decades now, and there’s only been an increase in heart disease, and no decrease, Dean adds, “if cholesterol were the problem and stertein drugs the solution, there should be a commensurate lowering of the incidence of this condition” yet Dean says this may change as more evidence of magnesium’s role in heart disease comes to light as well as research” showing that women who take calcium supplements are developing heart disease. She explains just how magnesium intake influences heart health: “The highest levels of magnesium in the whole body are in the heart, specifically in the left ventricles, which do the most work. Magnesium is the gatekeeper for calcium cells to cause contraction. Then magnesium ushers the calcium out of the cell. Without magnesium to guard the channel, calcium floods the cell and leads to hyper contraction of the muscle cell, which translate into angina and even heart attack”. Why all the concern with cholesterol then? According to Rosanoff, the medical community started to consider cholesterol and saturated fat to be the main cool prints of heart disease as back as 1957, even though her research showed strongly convincing data at that time that low magnesium levels wore behind atherogenesis. Couple this “wrong turn” of focus with population that has been increasing calcium intake without increasing magnesium intake, and you have an exacerbated problem.”

According to researchers. “Low magnesium levels typically aren’t tested in the general population, so a deficiency easily can go unnoticed in patients with heart disease and even some with other conditions. Magnesium-deficiency symptoms include acid reflux, anxiety, constipation andkidney stones. Additional information related to signs and symptoms that could indicate a magnesium problem can be found on the nutritional magnesium Associations website at www.nutritionalmagnesium.org.

“Note that magnesium isn’t tested on a common chemical screen with calcium, potassium and sodium.Only 1% of the total body magnesium is in the blood, and therefore (the common che screen) is not an accurate measure of magnesium in the whole body. A better test is the RBC (red blood count) magnesium test, “says Dean, noting that although many labs perform this test, physician typically don’t order it.

“She recommends that physicians test patients magnesium levels annually as well as during times of high stress to make sure the body is coping well. But test results can fail to provide an accurate assessment of patients’ magnesium levels, according to Dean. “The lab ‘Normal’ is set too low,” she says: “It’s about 4.2 to 6.8 mg/dl, but if you are below 6mg/dl, you could be having magnesium deficiency symptoms”.

“Dean and Rosanoff say magnesium deficiency is very common among the general population, and the reason is twofold. First, Rosanoff notes that magnesium has largely been formed out of our nation’s soil without being replaced. “unfortunately, most foods are mineral deficient due to processing and the fact that our soils have been depleted of minerals due to modern farming practices, so getting enough from diet without supplementing is difficult” she says: in addition, many people are supplanting with calcium but not magnesium. Dean says it’s largely and issue of education because people don’t realise their bodies require as much magnesium as calcium. “Around 700mg of each daily, she recommend, advising that physicians clarify for patients the idea that while adequate amounts of magnesium, so supplementation is recommended.

What is your blood oxygen level? I do not mean your blood count, packed cell volume (PCV) or and heamoglobin. I mean: (how much oxygen is in your body). You know, oxygen brings life. It helps fire to burn. In our bodies, it supports the combustion of food to produce energy, which keeps us warm and makes us able to do work. In a well oxygenated human body, bacteria, viruses and fungi cannot thrive. So, cancer and HIV cells, for example, are eliminated. Oxygen keeps the brain youthful, helps us to think clearly and to sleep easily, among its many benefits. We breathe better and deep when we have enough oxygen in our bodies, we hardly suffer from degenerative diseases such as arthritis, we hardly experience pain.

Often, this column emphasises oxygenation as an important therapeutic goal in the treatment or management of diseases. And it is stated as well that many conditions abound in the Nigerian environment which support deoxygenation and, thereby, prepare many people for the early grace. Heavy electricity generator fumes fill the streets in many residential areas. Commercial areas fare no better, Ditto the highway traffic jams. Many people sell by the roadside to eke a living, inhaling fumes. In some cases, the roadside hawkers bring portable electricity generators along, and this compounds health problems. Is it any wonder that cancer cases (breast, throat, prostate e.t.c) are growing in number by the day?

I had cause to think about oxygen again on Tuesday last week while I was meditating on the content of the second part of the series as cardiovascular disorders begun last Thursday. The series was inspired, as the headline suggests, by the deaths of former world heavy weight boxing champion Ali, of stroke, and of former Nigerian national football coach Stephen Keshi of heart attack. Heart (cardio) and the blood vessels (vascular) belong to the cardiovascular system.

When this system runs aground in the heart, a heart attack and several other heart health challenges may be the resultants. When the disaster occurs in the brain, a stroke is the harvest. On Tuesday last week, I had the privilege of checking my blood oxygen level. And that’s why I am asking about yours. The last time I did a check before this was a few years ago when a computer device was being introduced to the Nigerian health market. I was stressed up physically. And the hairs on my head, too,were graying rapidly. In other words, I was aging rapidly.

The operation of that computer device was similar in some respect to that of the ECG (Electro cardiogram) machine in which certain tubes are placed in different parts of the body to monitor the heart at work. I should have gone on to do an EEG (Electroencephalogram) examination, to monitor brain waves, but somehow, I didn’t. Rather, I worked at increasing my body’s oxygen content dietary and through exercise, walking in particular.

This led me to oxygenating greens such as wheat grass, barley grass, Spirulina, Chlorella, and Kale, to mention a few, and to liquid chlorophyII. I took as well the proprietary product named CLEAR AIR, the kernel of which was Potassium Permanganate, with about four molecules of oxygen.

he search for oxygen took me to oxylife food grade Hydrogen Peroxide as well. Please note that this Hydrogen Peroxide brand is the food grade because, hydrogen peroxide on its own is a dangerous metabolic waste product or poison which the body eliminate to prevent tissue damage or death. So, for this reason, many doctors do not like to work with hydrogen peroxide, food grade or not.

But millions of people worldwide take the food grade hydrogen peroxide every day for all sorts of health challenges, including cancer.

The privilege of checking my blood oxygen level came from a breast cancer-challenged reader of this column who had gone to Mexico, which had developed, arguably, what is often described as the world’s best protocols for treating or managing all sorts of cancer. An American President was reported to have obtained a cure for his cancer in a Mexican cancer clinic. In Mexico, all sorts of alternative medicine remedies are employed which are forbidden in the United States by mainstream medicine.

In Mexico, the woman in reference was amazed to be treated with some of the protocols often mentioned in this column, and more. She had organic (non edible) coffee enemas three times a week, was placed in the Hyperbaric oxygen Chamber, had hyperthermia sessions to sweat out poisons in her system, and got plenty of oxygen  tablets and liquid oxygen. Almost every day, her oxygen level was checked to ensure it was optimal. At no time before her discharge, as even now, was it less than 99 percent.

It was through her that I knew that medical science has moved on from that computer device described earlier. She slipped out what looked like a finger ring and asked me to slip it into one finger. Immediately the “ring”lit up like a digital sphig which indicates blood pressure (diastolic and systolic) and the heart pulse.

On my finger, this “ring” indicated 98 percent blood oxygen level. For my age, 66 years in August, this is fair. But I wondered nevertheless, why, like her, I couldn’t make 99 percent or a hundred. That will be a job for a new oxygen formula I will soon add to my diet protocol. Oxygen complements the work of many food supplements or helps which help to address cardiovascular disease system.

According to www.healthline.com: “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis is related to heart disease and causes plaque to build up in your arteries, blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other organs. Many herbs and supplements can help prevent heart disease and reduce symptoms by lowering blood pressures, improving breathing and cleaning arteries. Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, or coronary artery disease (CAD), is the number one killer in the United States. Diet and lifestyles play an important role in preventing and reversing heart disease, and certain herbs and supplements can help lower your risk for heart disease, and treat heart conditions you have already been diagnosed with. Several herbs and supplements may help in fighting Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of most heart  diseases… Atherosclerosis can cause a heart attack, even death.

The website lists many useful herbs and supplements which include (1) Co-enzymes Q10 (2) Omega -3 fatty acids (3) Green tea (4) Pomegranate (5) Magnesium and Potassium.

According to http://janbarrnn.org “Every year, doctors announce new magic pill or surgical technique to cure heart problems. And each year, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the developed world. Doctors just don’t get heart health. Over the years, they have attributed the cause of cardiovascular disease to smoking, eating habits, weight problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and just plain genetic bad luck. But even now, scientists are discovering that free radicals, Omega -6 fatty acids, high homo cysteine levels, circulating immune complexes in the blood, overall systemic inflammation and more also play fundamental roles in the onset of heart disease.”

In the Alternative Health Newsletters, which specifically talk about issues regarding cardiovascular health, the author takes a detailed tour of the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system. In this detailed explanation, you              will find that cardiovascular health is possible and heart disease is even reversible. Information in naturally reversing heart disease may be shocking to some, but the cardiovascular Health Secret revealed in this series could also open your eyes to a whole new world of how alternative Medicine can help heal even the most dire conditions, once you get to the root of the problem in the first place.

By looking at the basic anatomy and physiology of the heart from a doctor’s perspective we gain a unique privilege in understanding symptoms of heart disease. We get to evaluate that perspective. Once we understand the underlying basis of medical treatment, used to correct heart disease, we can make informed decisions as to which of those Alternative Health treatments and medications actually make sense for heart disease symptoms and, more importantly, what Alternative might actually work to improve your cardiovascular Health. The website adds: although many problems with the heart may seem to be biomechanical in nature and beyond the purview of nutrition and supplements, that’s not necessarily true. Some of the natural health remedies you will learn about concerning heart disease are:

One…magnesium Supplement can change the shape and condition of heart valves. Two… Vitamins B can help rebuild the heart. Three… Coq10 can re-energies every single cell in the heart, and can literally remold the size and shape of the heart after the onset of congestive heart failure” Four… the use of Omega -3 fatty acids can help in reversing heart damage caused by NEFAs “Five… proteolytic enzymes can provide nutritional support for your body, as it works to clean out the coronary arteries and repair damage to epicardial tissue surrounding the heart” Six… the use of heavy metals chelators such as Cillantro and Chlorella can reduce the risk of an acute coronary event. “Seven… Regular supplementation of a tonic made with Cayenne and Hawthorn berries can rebuild the strength of the heart. “Eight… proper dental care and the use of Avocado soy unsaponifiables and proteolytic enzymes can reduce the incidence of periodontal disease, which reduce the chances of an acute coronary event. “Nine… Regular use of immune enhancers and pathogen destroyers decreases the risk of most inflammatory heart diseases and the incidence of viral and bacterial infections that can adversely affect the heart. “Ten… regular exercise can strengthen the heart and improve its efficiency even in your eight and ninth decade of life.”

This website is a treasure trove for anyone seeking information on how to naturally prevent or heal heart diseases. As a reminder, the addresses http://jonbarron.org

The suggestions above (Nos 1-10) cover the first two of the Seven Newsletters mentioned. The third Newsletter describes the “Secrets of the Heart” the fourth Newsletter is all about “Vascular problems” which include subjects as “damaged arteries, high blood pressure, and DVT, it examines the nature of arteries and veins. It shows how, for example, high blood pressures, blood clots and atherosclerosis happen. In Newsletter No. 5, “functions of blood came up”. Ditto about how it maintains health. The website says: the cardiovascular system has only one purpose… to move blood through the body. By definition, that makes blood pretty important and, as befits its importance, it is a vast topic that are only going to touch on in this Alternative Health Newsletters. Learn the role of blood, from transporting nutrient to removing waste, and how a proper heart health diet and hydration can assist your blood in protecting your overall health.

I am pretty sure that those Nigerians who feed their bodies with trash food will know, from the foregoing, that they are fueling trash blood in their bodies and should now appreciate that this is the root of whatever health challenges they may have witnessed someone else die of. Newsletter No 06 actually talks about “what blood is made of and how that affects your health.” That means if the diet will not give the blood what it is naturally made of, one, the consumer of that diet is discarding the blood given to his body by God and trying to create or form his or her own blood. The consequences are clear.The seventeenth Newsletter is about blood types and blood tests.

Brain hypoxia

hat’s your blood oxygen level?”, I asked earlier, I checked mine to be 98 percent. I think oxygen is life, because, without it, life on earth is impossible. Back in high school in the 1960s we were taught that oxygen accounts for about 21 percent of the air we breath. Generations before us breathed the same air, as we do, but live twice or more than we now live. A few decades ago, what may have accounted for this emerged in studies of air bubbles trapped in Antarctic ice. The oxygen content of that air was about 38 percent. There is a lot of difference between 21 percent and 38 percent. And this may account for longevity then and now. People who shut their windows all the night, or live practically in air conditioned enclosures do not get enough oxygen. So do people who do not exercise or who inhale generator smoke or automobile exhaust. Such people may suffer from oxygen deficiency in the brain without knowing it, and this may affect their hearts. Such people may feel fainty in buses or halls where many people congregate and oxygen is not enough to go round, such people are helped by Oxygen supplements. We may obtain a clearer picture of this from the website www.healthcare.com “Brain hypoxia is when the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen. This can occur when someone is drowning, choking, suffocating or is in cardiac arrest, and irregular heart beat can prevent oxygen and nutrient from traveling to the brain”. Brain injury and carbon monoxide poisoning are other  possible causes. Anyone who experiences an event where they aren’t getting enough oxygen is at risk of brain oxygen hypoxia.If your job or regular activity involves situations that deprive you of oxygen, your risk is greater.

In sports where head injuries are common such as boxing and football also put you at risk for brain hypoxia. Swimmers and divers who hold their breath for long periods of time are also susceptible. Mountain climbers are at risk as well. You are at risk if you have a medical condition that limits the transfer of oxygen to your brain. This includes anyotriophic lateral sclerosis which is a degenerative disease affecting the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. What are symptoms of brain hypnoxia? It ranges from mild to server symptoms (a) temporary memory loss (b) reduced ability to move your body (c) difficulty paying attention (d) difficulty making sound decisions. SEVEN: symptoms of hypoxia: (a) seizure (b) coma (c) not breathing (d) brain death.

MOTOR SKILLS. One symptom that is often recognised with cerebral hypoxia is the loss of motor skills or proper co-ordination. The cerebellum is responsible for much of our coordinated movement and balance. Cell death can lead to jerkiness and motor problem.

HEART RATE. When the brain is not receiving enough oxygen, the heart rate will increase in an attempt to deliver more oxygen. If hypoxia is delayed severely enough, the heart will be unable to keep up the demand and may eventually fail, causing heart attack.

FAINTING is a result symptom such as light head, aches, nausea and a feeling of warmth may precede according to Mayo Clinic.

According to www.lifestrong.com “according to the book, when oxygen is severely limited or lacking for long periods of time, the body shuts down and becomes comatose, that is unconscious and does not respond to stimuli such as noise or pain. Others will not be able to wake you, and you will not perform any voluntary action. If oxygen supply is regained you may recover enough to recover from a coma, but permanent brain damages is likely to occur.

Cognitive behavior and personality changes.

Components of personality reside in the frontal lobe of the brain and, when cerebral hypoxia causes frontal brain.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke, cognitive and behavior changes also occur after cerebral damage associated with hypoxia.

• To be continue.

Even in death, Muhammed Ali will remain for a while a star human being in this our corner of the world, the earth. I Advisedly, I separate the earth from the world because the earth is like a grain of sand in the world, which comprises not only seven gigantic Universes but also a more huge immaterial portion which we called the beyond.  Muhammed Ali (born Cassius Clay) died of stroke two weeks ago after suffering for many years from Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative condition of the nervous system which causes the sufferer to tremble or shake. His death, in the United States, was followed soon after in Nigeria by that of Stephen Keshi, a former football star and coach of the Nigeria’s National Soccer Team, the Super Eagles. Keshi reportedly died of a heart attack which is still the subject of a demand for autopsy by the family. A stroke and a heart attack are related in many ways, belonging, as they do, to a family of heart and blood vessels disorders called cardiovascular diseases or Disaster (CVD). Cardio stands for heart, and vascular for blood vessels. CVD is linked to elevated total blood cholesterol, a higher ratio of bad cholesterol fraction (Low Density Lipoprotein or very Low Density Lipoprotein), lower than normal blood levels of the good cholesterol (Higher Density Lipoprotein or HDL), a deficiency of antioxidants in the blood which promotes the risk of LDL oxidation or decay in the blood vessels, resultant damage of blood vessels, formation of fatty plaques or obstruction to blood flow in the blood vessels, blockage of blood and oxygen flow to the heart,  chest pains in the heart region as a result of this (Angina Pectoris), thickening of the blood and the formation of blood clots which may cause the heart to stop working (heart attack or heart stroke) or impede/halt blood circulation in the brain and cause partial or permanent damage (death) of brain cells (partial or permanent stroke).

The passages of Muhammed Ali and Stephen Keshi remind me all over of that portion of the non-physical world that is now beyond the capacity of many people to experience as they do the physical world. By this, I mean the capacity to simultaneously live here and there. Yet this is possible and is the design of Creation.

We think that man or woman or child is abnormal who tells us that, as he or she is enjoying a day-time nap or sleeping at night, his or her body suddenly slips out of his or her body as if he or she is getting out of his or her clothes and, floating away, suddenly beholds his or her body lying in bed! What of the child who tells the parents of his or her “little friends,” the elementary or Nature beings, or of seeing relations long gone over. The parents in this corner of the earth, Nigeria, will immediately send for the Voodo man who would make incisions with a knife or razor blade on the face of the child and rob a powdery native medicine potion into the cut to disable the child from seeing such sights in the future.

hen I tell my friends I frequently see in my dreams many of our journalist friends or colleagues who have gone over, or that I have beautiful encounters with some of relations on the other side, they are alarmed. I try to re-assure them I may not be packing bag and baggage, as they say.

For many people who have this sort of experience, it may simply mean that their blood chemistry has become so sensitive to impressions from the other side that they can easily pick them up. From the report of many scientific studies on this subject today, their limitations notwithstanding, it is coming to light that there are many people on the other side who anxiously wish to re-link with earth-men, possibly to pass some cherished messages over.

I made a serious effort in my twenties about forty years ago, to understand this phenomenon. At that time, the science of dying was just taking root. It was, and I believe is still called, thanatology. One of the first books on it I read was titled Spirit in wanderland. I was later exposed to Dr. Raymond Moody’s Life after life this was the book Chief Obafemi Awolowo announced during his last birthday party on earth that he would like to have from anyone who had a copy, promising N5, 000 as reward. N5, 000 was a lot of money in those days. I had two copies in my library. So, early the following day, my wife and I traveled to Ikene, his home town, to give him the book. Chief Awolowo and his wife were preparing to go to church when we arrived at their home. His wife was in the car on the grounds of their home, waiting for him. We were in the sitting room. He was descending the stairs to the sitting room. He exclaimed in joy when he sighted the book, and wished to return upstairs fort the cash but I objected. The reason I came so early, I said, was that I didn’t want any-one to take the N5, 000. The book gift was my own way of saying a modest “thank you for the gift from him of free primary school education in 1956. It was like the case of “one good turn deserving another” for in those days, my father was a poor colonel police man who may not have been able to send me to school!

Dr. Richard Stanpach was to come up with How is it that we live after death… and the meaning OF LIFE. It gives insights into Moody’s work, and offers Spiritual explanations to the findings of the study. Dr.  Moody spoke with hundreds of people of different eyes, social backgrounds, income brackets and nationalities who had been certified brain dead by their doctors and sent to the mortuary for the burial of their earthly remains. For whatever reason, they came round or woke up before their funeral and thud of where they found themselves between when they were certified brain dead and when they woke up or returned to their bodies and to this earth. In all cases, their experiences tallied. And they became different people from whom they were before they “died”, or before they were “born again”. This phenomenon may help many rigid Christians to understand, better, the concept of “it is appointed unto man to die but once” as not relating to physical death but spiritual death in the final judgement. The concept of re-incarnation which Stephen Lampe ably addresses in his The christian and Re-incarnation supports this view as well. If you have read Red field’s Celestine destiny or is it Prophecy?, or a new book that is my companion now, Step by step, you would be ever grateful for the various keys offered for unlocking several doors to the halls of the knowledge of Life. Muhammed Ali galvanized my generation into loving boxing.

He was eight years older than I was when he won the Olympic gold medal. But these keys detached me from boxing. It is a brutal sport. At the time I could think fairly deep, I began to wonder: is it for the purpose of destroying this beautiful tool or vehicle for the earthly existence of the soul, may the spirit, that God, in His infinite Grace, Wisdom and Goodness gave it to man as a gift? I discovered that couldn’t be the reason. I discovered even more… everyone who partakes in the enjoyment of such sport and promotes it is linked by the Law of Karma or the Law of Sowing and Reaping to the consequence or resultants of events in the boxing ring. Thus, if the floating butterfly and the stinging bee caused harm to many human bodies, for the sake of eking out a living, and would himself become physically impared by Parkinson’s, what stands in stock for each of us his followers to reap or harvest. Did we enjoy the punch which tore the nose of an opponent or caused the eye to bleed or harmed the brain in one way or another? Beyond this, I see Mohammed Ali as a fighter for the good. If you kindly permit that I see him from the prism of re-incarnation, I would suggest that, being a warrior against the iniquities of white America, he may have been a white over lord who terrorized former African Slaves. Maybe to redeem this guilt, he had to return to this earth to experience a system he helped set up and nurtured. Now, as an Africa American, he found himself deprived and tortured. He rose to confront the iniquity.

His inner stirring and longing to fight may have found physical release or expression in the boxing ring, re-inforcing his volition. He would not crawled, cringe or cry before the throne of the white master. He would rather fight it to demolish it. He would change his name and his region and refuse to do the bidding of white America to fight in the Vietnam War. White America would derobe Mohammed Ali of the world Heavy weight boxing championship in this regard, to deflate his ago and destroy him. But he would not succumb. Well beyond his prime for optimal ring performance, he would return nevertheless to the ring, not necessarily for the money, but to vanquish that seemingly mighty and impregnable over Lord, and he would win his battles. But he became powerless before the Law of Nature quieter departure. How I wish he had a quieter departure! After all, the French respected the Will of Charles de Graule.

Cardiovascular disease

As stated earlier Muhammed Ali’s stroke and Stephen Keshi’s heart attack belong to a wide variety of heart and blood vessel problems. The start off is the formation of plaque on the walls of arteries which narrow blood flow through them. If a clot from the plaque blocks blood flow in the heart, those muscles of the heart denied blood and oxygen supply thereby may begin to die gradually or instalmentally, leading to a break-down in heart capacity or a heart attack i.e. an attack on the flow of blood. A heart attack is different from heart failure. In heart failure, the functioning or capacity of the heart to pump blood to all parts of the body is reduced. Seriousness of heart failure depends on the degree to which pump capacity or action has been reduced. It is the cause of Congestive Heart Failure in which, for example, the heart pumps blood to the lungs for oxygenation, but cannot pump it out after oxygenation, leading to congestion of blood in the lungs. A sign of this in troubled old people is persistent cough which fails to respond to simple cough medications as the lungs try to expel the irritating excess blood supply. Another popular member of the family of cardiovascular disease is arrhythmia. Arrthmia is abnormal rhythm of the heart.

There are different types of it. The heart may beat too slowly (below 60 beats a minute), too fast (up to 100 beats a minute) or irregularly. I experience slow beats (Bradycardia) sometimes. Tathycardia posts more than 100 beats a minute. Arrthmia may affects the efficiency of the heart and this, in turn, may, affect the body’s functioning. A slow heart may cause blurry vision or eye floaters or pain in the ankles. Remember my father saying on the way to hospital the day he died of congestive heart failure, after a heavy bout of cough, that his legs were so heavy he couldn’t carry them. I hear many people complain these days of similar problems. The heart may also suffer Stenosis.

This occurs when heart valves do not open well enough to make blood flow well enough. Regurgitation arise when heart valves do not close tightly enough and thereby let prolapse. Mitral valve develops when it bulges into the upper chamber. This permits blood to flow backwards through them from the upper chamber(s). As for a stroke, atheroma’s are also at work. These are the fatty plaque matter which narrows or blocks arteries. According to www.bhf.org.uk I heart health: “Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes all diseases of the heart and circulation, including coronary heart disease, angina heart attack, congenital heart diseases and stroke. This is when your arteries become narrow by a gradual fatty material called atheroma within their walls. When a blood clot blocks an artery that carries blood to your brain, it can cut off the blood supply to parts of your brain which is called stroke.”

A stroke may be slow in coming, giving signals. These may include brain fogginess or haziness, forgetfulness, headaches and so on. In such a condition, some brain cells may have become gradually starved of nurture and oxygen have begun and may deteriorate in their functions. I have an acquaintance who was surprised one day over a meal, when the spoon suddenly fell from his hand on the way to his mouth. When he tried to pick it but couldn’t control his arm and hand, he screamed for help. He was taken to church where he recovered one week after, his being a case of partial stroke. Another acquaintance went straight to hospital after speaking with me.

He wanted to sign a cheque, but his fingers would not obey his command. His doctor confirmed our fears of a partial stroke. Some people are not so lucky.

hey experience a serous degree stroke such as hemorrhagic stroke. In this condition, which often results from many years of uncontrolled hypertension, a blood vessel breaks in the brain, spilling blood on surround brain cells. Many doctors say this case cannot be treated with aggressive blood thinning as is likely to be the case where a blood clot or atheroma blockage is involved.

For in hemorrhagic stroke, the body’s healing process may be trying to seal the leakage. Blood thinning at this time may dissolve the seal(s) and compound the problem. As the spillage is cleaned up by the immune system and the healing process, brain cells knocked out of action by the spillage may regain their balance gradually. This is why loss of activity in the areas of the body they control (speech, limb motion for example) gradually return to normal.

The passage of such people as Muhammed Ali and Stephen Keshi afford us the opportunity to bestir ourselves about our health. All that many people care about their blood pressure are the upper and lower readings, not the pulse rate (the number of heart beats per minute). They live in homes entombed by electricity generator smoke and inhale a great deal of smoke in highway traffic or in their offices but do not check the oxygen potential of their bloodstream and brain. They suppress headaches with pain killers and go for energy drinks when they feel on the “low” because their heart is not pumping enough blood round the body. They believe in iron-loaded blood tonics as magic bullets. They do not understand that high blood sugar and high cholesterol levels are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

They do not understand that high blood sugar is converted to cholesterol and that, for cholesterol to be kept within bounds, the liver has to be given minerals and multivitamins to make enzymes for this purpose. Even enzymes are protein-based, which means all full spectrum amino acids, building blocks of proteins, must be present in diet.

Last week, I was informed of a gentleman who has a foot sore his doctor’s suspect to be gangrenous and is the subject of a debate on whether to ampulate it.

It was after this suspicion that his blood sugar was checked and found to have gone over the roof that he realised he was diabetic. So, ladies and gentlemen, to our doctors we should hurry right away and let us not forget to wish that, where ever they are, Mohammed Ali and Stephen Keshi awaken to joyful lives in the beyond.