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Prostate Cancer

A new report published in the American Cancer Society journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation, reveals that androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), a type of prostate cancer treatment, can increase heart risk factors and possibly lead to heart attack or cardiac death.

A new writing group of experts from the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Urological Association, and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology published their findings that indicate that ADT leads to increased fat mass, increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" form of cholesterol, and blood sugar abnormalities.

The goal of ADT is to reduce male hormonal levels in order to decrease the rate at which cancer cells grow and spread in the prostate. By limiting the two primary male androgens - testosterone and dihydrotestosterone - Western medicine theory purports that prostate cancer can be better combated. The American Cancer Society, however, admits that ADT and other forms of hormone therapy do not actually cure prostate cancer.

The advisory panel that oversaw the study noted that, while ADT does seem to increase one's risk of having future cardiovascular problems, the patient should evaluate whether the alleged benefits of ADT are worth it in comparison. The group also stressed its belief that prostate cancer patients should consult only the physician who is actually treating the cancer for help in making the decision, without referral to any other outside specialists.

Interestingly, studies pertaining to the effects of low testosterone levels in men have determined that the condition, known as hypogonadism, leads to cardiovascular disease and death. Low serum testosterone levels are also known to increase a man's risk of developing diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. Men who undergo ADT experience the same increased risk factors due to their testosterone levels being artificially reduced.

Many men who have undergone ADT also experience long-term difficulty achieving proper testosterone levels following the treatment. Many have reported that they are unable to sustain proper male hormonal levels at all following ADT, summoning them to a life of illness and premature death.

If ADT does not cure prostate cancer and permanently blocks male hormones from properly circulating in the body, why would anyone endorse such a treatment? There does not seem to be any logical answer to this question other than that it is recommended by mainstream cancer experts to assist in treatment; therefore, many simply jump on the bandwagon.

The Banana
The banana that we eat with our morning cereal has been used as a medicine around the world for centuries. Known in Latin as Musa sapienta, the banana is not actually a fruit but an herbaceous perennial. Alone and combined with healing botanicals, the banana can be used to heal ulcers and asthma, or to cure cataracts and other eye problems. Research has now shown that bananas can lower blood pressure as well as prevent colon cancer. Full of many nutrients and fiber, the banana is not only a food, but also a potent medicine.

Nutrients and Vitamins in Bananas
Bananas contain vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin G. They contain the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium. Calcium and magnesium are needed for strong bones and to prevent insomnia. And studies have shown that selenium prevents both cancer and thyroid problems. Potassium is necessary for the function of every human cell, as well as the cells of every living plant and animal. The daily recommended intake is 4.7 grams, and one banana alone provides over 450 mgs of potassium. A single banana provides a third of the RDA of vitamin B6.

Blood Pressure Lowering Banana Research
A study in India showed that two bananas a week reduced blood pressure by 10%. Conducted at the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, India, researchers compared the action of two bananas to other hypertension drugs, called ACE-inhibitors. The bananas showed the same blood pressure lowering action, without the side effects of the drugs, which can include dizziness, headaches, and birth defects. Ripe bananas showed a better action than unripe ones. In other research, seven bananas a day were shown to lower blood pressure.

Banana Cures
Bananas in combination with the African herb orinol are used to treat cataracts in Nigeria. For stomach ulcers, the peel of the banana is used for a permanent cure. The Dali Medical Centre in Cape Town, South Africa reputedly uses bananas with soy milk and herbs to treat cataracts as well.

Banana Fiber for Health
Bananas contain a type of fiber called pectin. Pectin has been found to be the best type of fiber to inhibit colon cancer. Pectin is a soluble fiber, as differentiated from insoluble fiber found in most whole grains. Pectin is also contained in apples and potatoes. One banana contains two grams of fiber, nearly ten per cent of the recommended daily dose, which is twenty-five grams.

Açaí Caps
Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is a palm berry from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil that contains polyphenols and anthocyanins, which are nutrients that possess potent antioxidant properties to help to seek out and destroy roaming free radicals that can frustrate good health and drain your body of energy.†

Açaí also contains dietary fiber for digestive health, plus omega fatty acids and amino acids for healthy skin, improved energy, and immune system health.† Açaí is also rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals such as iron and calcium, and protein.

Açaí Caps with Essential Elements® contains pure, organic, whole fruit açaí and Essential Elements®, a complex over 72 ionic trace minerals which helps supercharge other nutrients for improved assimilation and absorption.† For more information on Essential Elements®, call us or visit our website.

Try a bottle of Açaí Caps with Essential Elements® today. We guarantee you'll feel a difference in your health and wellness or we'll give you a full refund.

Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is one of the more versatile and useful of all herbs, with a long history of use in medicinal healing. Essential oils extracted from this herb are used for medicinal purposes for both humans as well as pets and lavender is also a popular fragrance found throughout the cosmetic industry. The scent of lavender is associated with comfort and aromatherapists have long used lavender in the treatment of depression and nervous conditions.

Though mainstream medicine has regarded aromatherapy as an unproven therapy with only placebo effect benefits, a recent study in Japan proved otherwise. The study, which appeared in the American Chemical Society`s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that inhaling the fragrant compound linalool made stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes return to near normal levels (both neutrophils and lymphocytes are key parts of the immune system). Lavender was cited as the plant which has the highest concentrations of linalool.

The herb lavender was originally native to Mediterranean countries. Today it can be found in Europe, Australia, and the southern portion of the United States. There are two different types of lavender: Spike lavender has broad spatula-like leaves; French lavender leaves are narrower with small dark flowers. Spike lavender contains a higher content of ceneol and camphor and produces three times as much oil as French lavender. The higher content of these ingredients makes it less pleasing, however, and French lavender is considered the more fragrant of the two.

Numerous studies have reported that lavender essential oils may be beneficial in a number of conditions, including migraines, headaches, depression, anxiety, mood swings, fear, and exhaustion. Lavender can also be used during labor and it has been found to be useful for eczema and dermatitis. In addition, lavender has also been used to treat cancer in the breast, liver, and spleen.

Other conditions lavender has been used for include: heart palpitations, arthritis, joint inflammation, fainting, neuralgia, vertigo, insomnia, epilepsy and other seizures, rheumatism, sore muscles, sprains, flatulence, colic, nausea, vomiting, toothache, acne, wounds, snakebites, hoarseness, loss of voice, allergies, sunburn and sunstroke, abscess, alopecia, asthma, athletes foot, insect bites, boils, burns, colds, colic, coughs, cystitis,
earache and respiratory infections.

Lavender lifts spirits, stimulates appetite, and even dispels flatulence. Lavender is a major ingredient in the use of smelling salts. Pets also benefit through lavender's healing properties. It is used not only as a sedative, but also as a flea and tick repellent. Besides health and cosmetics, lavender is also used in flavoring foods such as desserts, gelatins, puddings, candy and tea. In some areas of the world, it is added to salads. Lavender is used in a variety of commercial fragrances, such as perfumes, soaps, and toiletries. It is a scent commonly used in potpourri and sachets. Lavender was once used as an insect repellant in the storing of clothes.

Even though essential oils blend well with each other, lavender oil blends especially well with cedarwood, clary sage, geranium, pine, nutmeg, and all the citrus oils.

Cancer and Marine Sponges
A research team at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research has discovered a natural compound found in marine
sponges that reduces the movement of cancer cells. This could be an important breakthrough in stopping the often deadly spread of cancer throughout the body -- a process known as metastasis. What's more, the compound (dubbed sceptrin) is virtually non-toxic.

The research, just published in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Chemical Biology , was headed by Sanford-Burnham scientist Kristiina Vuori, M.D., PhD, in collaboration with Phil S. Baran, Ph.D., of the Scripps Research Institute. The scientists tested the impact of sceptrin on multiple tumor cell types, including cervical, breast and lung cancer cells.

To encourage cancer cells to behave like those that spread in the body, the researchers cultured cancer cells with growth factor to stimulate their ability to move. The cells were then treated with varying amounts of sceptrin. The results? Remarkably, the sponge compound restricted cancer movement in all the cancer cell lines.

Sceptrin's effectiveness in halting cancer cell movement was found to become stronger in increased concentrations. Additional tests revealed that the compound has the ability to put the brakes on malignant cell mobility because it keeps the cells from contracting -- and the cells must contract in order to travel throughout the body.

The sceptrin research is significant because currently there is little that can be done to prevent metastatic cancer. When cancerous cells break away from a malignant tumor, they move through the bloodstream or lymph system and travel to other parts of the body, ending up in any organ or tissue. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the most common sites of metastasis are the lungs, bones, brain and liver.

As always, thanks for reading! We enjoy bringing you the latest in Natural News.

The Team at
Holistc Health Houston

Sexual Enhancement, Aromatherapy - Holistic Health Houston Newsletter January 2010