All About The Schizandra Berry – A famous Chinese Medicinal

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Schisandra-Berries

Schizandra berry has been a famous adaptogenic herb used for centuries in Chinese Medicine. Adaptogenic herbs do exactly what the name implies.  They help the body adapt. Schizandra helps sharpen the mind, helps the body deal with stressors, it increases alertness and is excellent in treating wheezing due to asthma. This berry is call We Wei Zi in Chinese, which means five flavored seed because it contains all five flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy. Watch the video to see all the incredible properties of this magic berry.

Get A Good Night’s Sleep – Insomnia Can Affect Your Heart!

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According to the European Heart Journal, a study conducted on 54,000 Norwegians over 11 years revealed that having symptoms of insomnia was linked to an increased risk of heart failure.

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up UN-refreshed were the symptoms of insomnia recorded in the questionnaires that were used to gather data.

Many health, behavioral and demographic factors were controlled in the study and it was found that having just one of the symptoms of insomnia increased chances of heart disease by 17 percent! Having two symptoms increased the chances by 92 percent, and having all three nearly tripled the risk.

The interesting factor about this study is that insomnia was a risk independent of other cardiovascular risks, i.e. none of the participants started out with heart disease, but at the 11 year follow up, 1,412 cases of heart disease were documented.

The study suggests that chronic insomnia leads to high blood pressure which leads to a higher heart rate. Both are known to increase risk for heart failure.

Lars E. Laugsand, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, stated “We cannot claim that insomnia is causing heart failure,” but acknowledges that insomnia plays a measurable role in the  propensity of heart problems among individuals.

If you are having difficulty with sleep, consider using Chinese herbs. Pacific Herbs iSleep is a safe and effective formula without side effects that will help you get the rest you need. And according to this study, better sleep may protect your heart!

Read more:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/chronic-insomnia-affects-heart/

Chinese Herbs From A Western Medicine Viewpoint

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How a Harvard-trained doctor began to appreciate Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM.

by Leana Wen, M.D.

As a child growing up in China, I was always aware of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is what we refer to as Eastern medicine, in contrast to the Western medicine we know from U.S. hospitals. I never understood much about TCM, only that it somehow involves herbs and that many Chinese people used it. The more I progressed in my medical training in major U.S. academic centers, the more distanced I felt from TCM. Why should I learn about something that lacks evidence, when there’s so much to know about for which there is good research?

 

Last fall, I went to China on a research trip. While my study is primarily on its Western medical system, I was so fascinated by what I learned of Eastern medicine that I spent many free evenings observing TCM practitioners. There is so much I didn’t know. As a discipline, TCM is far too complex for me to understand in my short observation, but there are some very important “lessons from the East” that are applicable to our Western medical practice:

 

#1. Listen—really listen. The first TCM practitioner I shadowed explained to me that to practice TCM is to “listen with your whole body”. Pay attention and use every sense you have, he said. I watched this doctor as he diagnosed a woman with new-onset cervical cancer and severe anemia the moment she walked into his exam room, and within two minutes, without blood tests or CTs, sent her to be admitted to a (Western) medical service. I’ve seen expert clinicians make remarkable diagnoses, but this was something else!

“How could you know what you had and that she needed to be admitted?” I asked.

“I smelled the cervical cancer,” he said. “I looked and saw the anemia. I heard her speak and I knew she could not care for herself at home.” (I followed her records in the hospital; he was right on all accounts.)

 

#2. Focus on the  diagnosis. I watched another TCM doctor patiently explain to a young woman with long-standing abdominal pain why painkillers were not the answer.

“Why should we treat you for something if we don’t know what it is?” he said. “Let’s find out the diagnosis first.” What an important lesson for us—to always begin the diagnosis.

 

#3. Treat the whole person. “A big difference between our two practices,” said one TCM doctor, “Is that Western medicine treats people as organs. Eastern medicine treats people as a whole.” Indeed, I watched her inquire about family, diet, and life stressors. She counseled on issues of family planning, food safety, and managing debt. She even helped patients who needed advice on caring for the their elderly parents and choosing schools for their child. This is truly “whole person” care!

 

#4. Health is not just about disease, but also about wellness. There is a term in Chinese that does not have its exact equivalent in English. The closest translation is probably “tune-up to remain in balance”, but it doesn’t do the term justice, because it refers to maintaining and promoting wellness. Many choose to see a TCM doctor not because they are ill, but because they want to be well. They believe TCM helps them keep in balance. It’s an important lesson for doctors and patients alike to address wellness and prevention.

 

#5. Medicine is a life-long practice. Western medicine reveres the newest as the best; in contrast, patients revere old TCM doctors for their knowledge and experience. Practicing doctors do not rest on their laurels.

“This is a practice that has taken thousands of years to develop,” I was told. “That’s why you must keep learning throughout your life, and even then you will only learn just a small fraction.” Western medicine should be no different: not only are there new medical advances all the time, doctors need to continually improve their skills in the art of medicine.

 

#6. Evidence is in the eyes of the beholder. Evidence-based medicine was my mantra in Western medical training, so I was highly skeptical of the anecdotes I heard. But then I met so many patients who said that they were able to get relief from Eastern remedies while Western treatments failed them. Could there be a placebo effect? Sure. Is research important? Of course. But research is done on populations, and our treatment is of individuals. It has taken me a while to accept that I may not always be able to explain why—but that the care should be for the individual patient, not a population of patients.

“In a way, there is more evidence for our type of medicine than for yours,” a TCM teacher told me. “We have four thousand years of experience—that must count for something!”

 

There is so much I have not covered about TCM. Its practices vary regionally, and no doubt, there are more and less capable practitioners (as there are in Western medicine). More research into TCM methods will be important. However, regardless of whether we Western doctors want to prescribe TCM treatments, we should recognize there is much to learn from Eastern medicine, including what it means to be a physician to really care for our patients. Upon my return from China, I, for one, have a new found appreciation for Eastern medical practice and a renewed understanding of holistic medical care.

The Hormone High Wire Balancing Act of PMS

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Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the most common disorder for women during their reproductive years, but it doesn’t have to be.  Asian cultures have been using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat the hormonal imbalances that accompany menstrual cycle related symptoms for centuries. Chinese medicine calls this an imbalance of Qi in the reproductive and other related organs. Acupuncture and herbs can re-establish the flow of Qi and bring a balance to the body allowing the body to function optimally without hormone regulators such as a birth control pills.

Chinese Herbs for PMSOften the underlying problem with PMS is the hormonal imbalance. Estrogen levels are commonly too high in relation to progesterone levels. What’s causing this imbalance? The most common cause is our diets. Hormones are sensitive and overeating and obesity often lead to conversion of androgens to estrogen by aromatase.  High fat diets, refined sugars and carbohydrates, processed foods and artificial sweeteners, dairy products and even commercially raised livestock are all a source of estrogen exposure. Limiting our exposure of so called “artificial or xeno-estrogens” is not difficult. Eat a balanced healthy diet and choose hormone free meat. Not surprising, exercise helps keep the balance, whereas alcohol and constipation both disrupt the balance.

Regulating hormone levels is a key component to combating PMS and Chinese herbs  can help maintain a hormone balance through several methods. (See PMS Relief Herbs Pack) Many Chinese herbs have hormone enhancing properties. One such herb is Dang Gui. Several new studies have examined dang gui with a combination of herbs (also called herbal formulas). We know herb formulas, or a combination of herbs, are very effective and since dang gui is known as the “women’s ginseng”, it’s an indispensable herb for PMS symptoms. Although contradicting literature has been published on the phytoestrogen content in dang gui, it does have a plethora of well established and proven actions. In TCM it is a blood tonic and has warming and dispersing actions.  Numerous studies prove dang gui and other Chinese herbs nourish our blood. Monthly blood loss take a toll on women over time, and a healthy diet, including herbs are the fuel necessary to replenishing the blood that is lost each month.

Many Chinese herbs contain high amounts of essential fatty acids which also help maintain our natural hormonal balance.  Some do this by improving liver functions. The liver is viewed as part of the reproductive system in Chinese medicine. It’s imperative to help the liver regulate the production of prostaglandin hormones and strengthen the liver’s ability to synthesize proteins and fat. This facilitates the body’s ability to regulate itself. Bupleurum and Rehmannia are two traditional Chinese herbs which have clinically tested and proven liver tonifying properties.  Strengthening liver functions is another way Chinese herbs helps an over-active uterus and therefore reduce PMS symptoms. Advil, Tylenol and other NSAIDS only cover up your pain and can cause more harm to your liver function. Chinese herbs work at the root of the disharmony.

A recent study of 549 women in Australia documented results on the severity of PMS and the effectiveness of Chinese herbs to reduce the severity.[1] By restoring the imbalance in the reproductive system, herbal medicine can prevent monthly menstrual cramps, depression, PMS, and abdominal pain.

Maintaining a healthy hormone balance (part of homeostasis) is essential throughout life and will undoubtedly also help PMS symptoms. Be in control of your body and how it functions. Give yourself healthy foods and plant based medicine like Chinese herbs and you’ll naturally balance your body’s energy and restore your body’s natural hormone balance.

For more information on this subject call us and talk to our Licensed Acupuncturist/herbalist. Go to Contact Page.

Notes: “When the balance of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are off, it causes an inability of conversion from linoleic acid to GLA resulting in increasing the risk of over production of PGE2 and premenstrual pain and cramps.”[2]

REFERENCES

  1. Chinese herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome , Jing Z, Yang X, Ismail KMK, Chen X, Wu T
  2. Dijsselbloem N, Vanden Berghe W, De Naeyer A, Haegeman G. Soy isoflavonephyto-pharmaceuticals in interleukin-6 affections. Multi-purpose nutraceuticals atthe crossroad of hormone replacement, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory therapy. Biochem Pharmacol. 2004;68(6):1171-1185. estrogen disruptors induce precocious puberty? Minerva Pediatr. 2006;58(3)
  3. Lee JM, Appugliese D, Kaciroti N, Corwyn RF, Bradley RH, Lumeng JC. Weight statusin young girls and the onset of puberty. Pediatrics. 2007;119(3):e624-e630.
  4. Steingraber S. Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment. Boston, Mass: Addison Wesley Publishing Co; 1997.
  5. Wiksten-Almstromer M, Hirschberg AL, Hagenfeldt K. Menstrual disorders and associated factors among adolescent girls visiting a youth clinic. Acta Obstet GynecolScand. 2007;86(1):65-72.
  6. Halbreich U, Borenstein J, Pearlstein T, Kahn LS. The prevalence, impairment,impact, and burden of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS/PMDD).Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2003;28 Suppl 3:1-23.
  7. Medical Herbology & Pharmacology by John K. Chen, Tina T. Chen Art of    Medicine Press, 2004

This post is proud to be part of  thekathleenshow.com Prevention not Prescription Tuesday’s blog roll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 5 Biggest “Health Insurance” Tips You Will Ever Need

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Love your body, be healthy and prevent disease.I having been surrounded (quite literally) for the past three days by so called “healthy products”,  everything from fortified lolly pops, safer nail polish to every type of infused water possible. I had three days of endless conversations with wellness experts from around the world, Naturopaths, Dieticians, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Herbalists, Homeopaths and Bio-Chemists to name a few. Every health professional I spoke to had the same resounding theme, the key to better health is not in any one of these hot new health products that you’ll find at the Natural Products Expo and later on a store shelf.  It’s not about curing a disease, it’s about PREVENTING it in the first place. The key is and always has been about PREVENTION.

So how do you PREVENT disease?  It’s actually not that difficult. Everyone can do it.
What you eat of course plays a big part and being a fast food society does cause “eating challenges”. (the subject of a later blog)
However, every health practitioner that I spoke with agreed that since all dis-ease (disease) is associated with inflammation and hormonal imbalances, getting those two area of the body in balance is the beginning to true prevention.
Think of prevention as the most cost effective “health insurance” available. Here are 5 tips to help your body be less acidic and more alkaline to keep inflammation to a minimum and a couple easy steps to balancing your hormones. (especially essential for women)
1. Reduce the sugar, it leads to inflammation. This includes fruit juices and products sweetened with fruit juice.  Most fruit is highly acidic.
2. Stay away from artificial hormones such as birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and artificial “muscle building” powders. You can easily balance your own hormones through exercise and diet and you won’t need hormone replacements.
3. Get good quality sleep. Sleep helps the body heal and restores natural energy. When you sleep well, you will naturally produce more hormones. You won’t need that artificial, sugar laced energy drink and one cup of coffee will be enough. 
4. Add tea’s rather than coffee to your diet. There a thousand types of teas to choose from bags, loose leaf everyone can find something pleasing. Green teas (and others) naturally reduce body acidity and help reduce inflammation. Don’t misunderstand coffee has health benefits, but adding variety to your diet with tea’s provides other unique health benefits.
5. Exercise and learn some new stress releasing techniques like Yoga, Qi Gong breathing, Tai Qi and other types of relaxation / breathing exercises to reduce your stress. (All sorts of Youtube videos are freely available on these subjects) Get at least 45 minutes of sustained exercise everyday even if it’s just a brisk walk. Movement helps stimulate natural hormone production in your thymus, pituitary, adrenals and thyroid glands. Do it daily, for the greatest disease insurance.
It’s been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I think it’s something closer to a ton of cure.
This post is proud to be part of “Prevention Not Prescription Tues” at The Kathleen Show

Harvard Says Menopause Hormone Therapy Carries Proven Heart Risks

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A very important study was just released from Harvard School of Public Health by the National Institute of Health.  This study on women’s health confirmed that combination hormone therapy used commonly for symptoms due to menopause increases a woman’s risk for heart disease.
 
 
“New analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) confirm that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause. Analysis indicate that overall a woman’s risk of heart disease more than doubles within the first two years of taking combination HT.”
 
 
My hope is that this study will be read by the throngs of women who visit their medical doctors looking for a quick fix for hot flashes and night sweats.  Understanding these proven risks will surely save lives. There is a better way to treat menopausal symptoms using Chinese medicine and Chinese herbs. This less understood Complementary and Alternative Medicine has been practiced in Asia for centuries with truly remarkable results. Today nearly every community across America has an Acupuncturist and the profession is growing.
 
 
Jacques E. Rossouw, M.D., chief of the NHLBI Women's Health Initiative Branch and a coauthor of the paper, added, "Although the number of recently menopausal women who would be expected to suffer a heart attack during the first years of combination hormone therapy is small, the risk is likely to be real.”
 
 
The risk  of taking hormone therapy is real!   It can’t be much clearer than that. Yet, to me it sounds like Dr. Rossouw’s statement doesn’t want to cause panic so he says the risk is small. But if even one women dies unnecessarily from a heart attack due to hormone replacement therapy, in my book, that’s one heart attack and one life to many.     
 
 
I treat many women with menopausal symptoms and I understand how uncomfortable hot flashes and night sweats can be. Routinely I hear the common complaints about quality of sleep, how difficult it is to dress comfortably and all the other dryness issues from hair to nails to skin, etc.   I treat women with Acupuncture and with Chinese herbs. I don’t do anything miraculous as an Acupuncturist, but my patients get great results.  It’s the acupuncture and herbs that balance the body naturally and help ease the symptoms of menopause.
 
 
It’s also not a quick fix, many patients come for three to six months on a  weekly basis and are very compliant about taking the herbal formulas. Again it’s not me, it’s Chinese medicine that understands the relationship of Yin and Yang energy in the body and has been perfected throughout the last 2000 years.
 
 
My hope is that all women will ease into the change of life and experience little to no uncomfortable symptoms. But when they do, spread the word that help is available using Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs that does not carry proven risk factors such as heart attacks. Acupuncture is safe and effective when performed by a licensed Acupuncturist. If you need a referral we are here to help. Use the yellow contact button on the left and just let us know your looking for an acupuncturist in your hometown.  
 
 
I always give links to studies in my articles, here’s the link for this one. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nhlbi-15.htm

Menstrual Cramps Relieved Safely With Fatty Acids and Herbs

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If you’ve been suffering from PMS and menstrual cramps, adding a 1 gram capsule of mixed essential fatty acids to your daily diet could help reduce your symptoms say’s a group of researcher in Brazil.  This is not the first research to link PMS and essential fatty acid (EFA) intake.  Since our bodies can only produce fatty acids, (long chain molecules) from the foods we eat,  then our bodies will be deficient if our diets are deficient.

 

Eating eggs, nuts, vegetables and fish daily should help a body produce enough.  If not, a dietary supplement of flax oil or fish oils containing omega 3 and omega 6’s are a very good way to supplement your EFA production.  Essential fatty acids are well known for stabilizing your mood, reducing inflammation and pain, and aiding in the regulation of estrogen and progesterone.

 

The researchers of this study do not make any recommendation about whether women should increase their intake of essential fatty acids, instead they just say consult with your doctor. Unfortunately most doctors don’t have time to keep up with all the new studies and many have no idea that supplements can make a difference.  Keep in mind, the study results were more beneficial for women who took the supplement at least three months and for as long as six months to reduce your PMS symptoms. 

 

If you are suffering with menstrual cramps and an irregular cycle, PMS Relief Herb Pac is a faster answer. (Although I still recommend EFA supplementation for many women.)  The first time you use our herbs, you will see a noticeable decrease in cramping and pain within 30-60 minutes.  Women who suffer severe PMS symptoms should take one packet the day before their menstrual cycle starts and one packet or two packets each day they have painful periods.  

 

We get lots of reports of women who also like to use one packet at the time of ovulation when they tend to get very moody and sometimes irritable.  This is a great time to take one packet also.  Just drink as a tea and enjoy.  It helps calm your mood and take the edge off your stress levels.

 

Unlike the researchers of this study, we guarantee results!   

 

The study was published in Reproductive Health, Jan 2011.

Acetaminophen Can Be Fatal Study Says

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Acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, causes severe liver toxicity and too much can be fatal.

A study released on Nov. 22, 2011 in the UK showed repeated doses of “slightly too much acetaminophen” can be fatal.

This study was published online November 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. “On admission, these staggered overdose patients were more likely to have liver and brain problems, require kidney dialysis or help with breathing and were at a greater risk of dying than people who had taken single overdoses,” senior author Kenneth J. Simpson, MBChB (Hons), MD, FRCP (Edin), from the University of Edinburgh and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit in the United Kingdom, said in a news release. “They haven’t taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal,” he adds.

In the U.K. and the U.S. acetaminophen hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF).

When asked why people repeatedly ingest Tylenol or acetaminophen the most common answer is pain.  Young women often use it several days a month for menstrual cramps and period pain. However, using Acetaminophen (Tylenol) month after month for menstrual cramps has overdose risks.  Unfortunately, many women don’t realize there are other natural answers to menstrual cramps.

Looking for a natural pain reliever for menstrual cramps?  PMS Relief Herb Pack has been used for centuries in the East and is now available in the West.

________________________

This study received no external funding. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Br J Clin Pharmacol. Published online November 22, 2011.

Herbal Medicine May Help Reduce Menstrual Pain Says Cochrane Collaboration

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PMS Relief

A study involving nearly 3,500 women in several countries suggests natural herbs may be more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than drugs, acupuncture or heat compression.

Australia-based researchers said herbs not only relieved pain, but reduced the recurrence of the condition over three months, according to the Cochrane Library journal. Who writes The Cochrane Library Journal? An international not-for-profit and independent organization, dedicated to up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of health-care readily available worldwide.

Who is Cochrane Collaboration? Watch video

The Cochrane Collaboration produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health-care interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions. The Cochrane Collaboration was founded in 1993. They publish the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews quarterly as part of the Cochrane Library.

Women looking for a natural treatment for menstrual cramps can be confident that Chinese herbs have been reviewed in clinical trials and have been used safely for hundreds of years. The evidence came from 39 trials, involved 3475 women – 36 in China, and one each in Taiwan, Japan and the Netherlands. Participants were given herb formulas to regulate their ‘qi’ (energy) and blood, warm their bodies and boost their kidney and liver functions.

“Chinese herbal medicine gave significant improvements in pain relief when compared to pharmaceutical drugs. It also reduced overall symptoms. The research revealed that Chinese herbal medicine was also better at alleviating pain than acupuncture or heat compression.”

“All available measures of effectiveness confirmed the overall superiority of Chinese herbal medicine to placebo, no treatment, NSAIDs, OCP, (oral contraception pills) acupuncture and heat compression, and, at the same time, there were no indications that Chinese herbs caused any adverse events,” says lead author Xiaoshu Zhu who works at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Some of the Chinese herbs include Chinese angelica root (danggui), Szechuan lovage root (chuanxiong), red peony root (chishao), white peony root (baishao), Chinese motherwort (yimucao), fennel fruit (huixiang), nut-grass rhizome (xiangfu), liquorice root (gancao) and cinnamon bark (rougui). In one trial involving 36 women, 53 percent of those who took Chinese herbs reported less pain than usual compared with 26 percent in the placebo group. (No coincidence these herbs are all included in our PMS Relief Herb Pack)

See Full Study here: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD005288/frame.html

Hormone Use Increases Breast Cancer Risk

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Newly released research sugherbs for menopausegests that the long-term use of any type of hormones (this includes the birth control pill) can increase the risk of breast cancer. Women taking  long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause symptoms are at an even greater risk. 

Research has already shown that taking birth control pills with combined estrogen and progestin, the most common type, can increase breast cancer risk.

 

The outcome from this new study states any type of hormones (i.e. birth control pills, HRT ) after many years of use, results in cancer.

 

This new study tracked the health of over 100,000 registered nurses and found that use of any kind of hormones for 10 years (or more) raised the chances of developing breast cancer. "There's a continued increase in risk with longer durations of use and there does not appear to be a plateau," said study leader Dr. Wendy Chen of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

 

There are natural and safe answers to menopausal hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause symptoms.Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been used for generations of women to elliminate the uncomfortable symptoms on menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats. See our Menopause Relief Herb Pack here.

 

 

The hormone picture has been confusing and now doctors say women should use the lowest dose needed for the shortest time possible.

– Estrogen use with progesterone for 10 to 14.9 years had an 88% higher incidence of breast cancer

– Estrogen use with progesterone for 15 to 19.9 years had an increase risk of “more than twofold”

– Estrogen use alone for 10 to 14.9 years had a 22% increased risk of breast cancer

– Estrogen alone for 15 to 19.9 years had a 43% increased risk of breast cancer

"It's hard to be surprised that if you keep taking it, sooner or later it's going to raise risk," said Dr. Robert Clarke of Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

——————————————————————————————-

Reference:

American Association for Cancer Research –    http://www.aacr.org/

See study here:

http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=489622a8-6ba9-4309-b54c-6e00a5886d06&cKey=726a2cb6-a357-418f-8fe2-cc997d8ce387&mKey={2D8C569E-B72C-4E7D-AB3B-070BEC7EB280}

New Research Says Breast Cancer Triggered By Artificial Hormone Progestin

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Another day and another friend/mother/sister/daughter diagnosed with breast cancer.  Today breast cancer is affecting one in every eight women sometime during their lifetime  in the USA, Europe and the UK.   Looking around at my friends, family and extended family we need no reminders of the impact of these statistics. But there is good news, actually GREAT news– medical researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna identified a key protein that triggers breast cancer and in December 2012 received a grant of $7.4 million from the USA Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for ongoing research.

Working for the last ten years, the research team has been able to show the synthetic female sex hormone progestin used in HRT and contraceptive pills can trigger RANKL (a protein found in breast cells).  As a consequence of this trigger, mammary cells start to divide and multiply and fail to die when they should. Moreover, stem cells in the breast become able to renew themselves, ultimately resulting in breast cancer.

The research around the artificial sex hormone progestin, used in hormone replacement therapy, HRT, and in birth control pills has been the center of  work for  Professor Josef Penninger, (IMBA director) who found the first genetic evidence that this protein RANKL is the master regulator of healthy bones and breast cell multiplication.

“Ten years ago we formulated the hypothesis that RANKL might be involved in breast cancer and it took us a long time to develop systems to prove this idea”, says Prof. Josef Penninger. ” I have to admit it completely surprised me just how massive the effects of the system were. Millions of women take progesterone derivatives in contraceptives and for hormonal replacement therapy. Since our results show that the RANKL system is an important molecular link between a synthetic sex hormone and breast tumors, one day women may be able to reduce their risk by taking blocking medicines in advance to prevent breast cancer”.

Alternative answers are available for women suffering with menopausal symptoms and want relief from hot flashes and night sweats without adding artificial hormones to their body.  Natural solutions used in Traditional Chinese Medicine are available that are safe and are made from natural plant sources, not artificial hormones.

Alternative birth control methods beyond the pill include the  IUD’s  without hormones, condoms, diaphragm,  natural rhythm method and permanent birth control in the form of tubal litigation.

The research results presented here was an  international collaboration between lead researchers at IMBA and scientists at the Medical University of Vienna; the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia; the Ontario Cancer Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and the Ragon Institute of MGH/MIT and Harvard, Boston, USA; the Institute for Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), and Cologne Excellence Cluster (CECAD), University of Cologne, Germany; University College London, UK; and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

http://phys.org/news/2011-01-progesterone-breast-cancer.html

 

 

 

 

New Menopause Treatment, Not So Fast

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Menopause Relief by Pacific Herbs relieves menopause symptomsI’m happy to report that a new menopause treatment will most likely not be approved by the FDA. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration overwhelmingly voted against a Depomed drug called Gabapentin to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Apparently, the benefits were heavily outweighed by the risks involved with this would be prescription menopause treatment.

Drug makers have been experimenting with non-hormonal treatments for menopause ever since they lost considerable market share with HRT drugs once they were proven to increase the risk for breast cancer and heart disease.

The FDA panelists overwhelmingly recommended the FDA reject the use of generically known Gabapentin pointing out that three company studies failed to show a significant reduction in hot flashes over 12 weeks. Patients also experienced side effects including dizziness, fatigue and balance problems. Gabapentin already carries a warning label that it can increase the frequency of suicidal thoughts.  The FDA often follows the advice of panelists although it is not required to do so.

Looking for a safe Menopause Treatment that works fast!   Look no further, Menopause Relief Herb Pack is here.