Another Malaria Drug Is Failing to Work

Malaria causes over 400,000 deaths a year.  Ninety-two percent of those deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, although a total of 91 countries still report cases each year. We know that malaria is primarily spread through the Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species of mosquitos, but recent developments have made it clear that we need to adjust our prevention and treatment of the disease.

Typically, malaria prevention takes the form of insecticides sprayed inside houses and the deployment of nets treated with insecticides. The two most common species of mosquito spreading malaria have different territories. Plasmodium falciparum is concentrated in Africa, and Plasmodium vivax is everywhere else. Plasmodium vivax is already displaying resistance to the most popular antiparasitics, especially in South-East Asia. A team in London is now reporting the first failure of the anti-parasitic drug artemether-lumefantrine contracted from travel in Africa.

Heed the Resistance

More than 1,500 people a year in the U.K. are treated for malaria after foreign travel. The four cases of malaria that resisted the usual treatment were from individuals who traveled to Uganda, Angola, and Liberia. The treatment failures happened from October 2015 to February 2016, and the four patients were eventually treated with other means. Four doesn’t seem like many cases, but those four cases are from over a year ago and reported in a country where malaria is exclusively imported.

Drugs and Drug Combinations are Failing

The World Health Organization recommends that malaria drug regimens be routinely monitored. This is not the first time a treatment for malaria has failed. Another common malaria treatment is artemisinin-based combination therapy, a mix of artemisinin and piperaquine. While malaria has officially shown resistance to artemisinin (a derivative of sweet wormwood) since 2008, the combined use of the drug with piperaquine has yielded results until last year, when Cambodian doctors reported the drug combination had completely failed.

Controlling malaria and the carriers of the disease is becoming more difficult for a variety of reasons, and malaria’s actual drug resistance is not the only uprising occurring. Mosquitos, malaria’s long term carrier and partner-in-crime, are developing a resistance to the pesticides used to reduce their numbers. Mosquito netting sprayed in insecticide is a common prevention strategy, and more nets are being sprayed with two different insecticides. Who knows how long the double dose of insecticide will work, and at what point is the constant exposure to these pesticides considered too harmful for humans?

Running a Rigged Race

Here’s the bottom line: the bacteria and diseases are evolving and we aren’t. In fact, our ability to fight off infection through a strong immune system and a healthy, varied gut environment is going backward.

Scientists see this drug resistance as a warning sign rather than an invitation to panic. But these solutions do not help us to reclaim the microbiome diversity that we need to maintain a strong immune system. Diseases like malaria have already proven that conventional anti-parasitics have a shelf life. We’ve passed the warning sign, but have we hit the brakes yet?

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Red Panax Ginseng – Amazing Herb Inhibits Chronic Inflammation and Pain

When naturally treating shoulder, knee, or chronic pain few people consider the wonder herb, ginseng (Chinese Panax Ginseng), and its ability to help with inflammation. This prized herb with its nutritious roots, which can live up to 100 years, has been used for centuries in Oriental medicine to alleviate numerous conditions.

Based on two-thousand-year-old writings, the Chinese believed ginseng helped supplement the spleen, calm nervous irritation, aid the heart, nourish the body, eliminate evil Chi energy, sharpen and quiet the mind, and prolong life. Throughout history, ginseng was so prized that it yielded a higher value than gold and was considered a most beneficial tonic and cure-all. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), ginseng was known as the herb that could restore the dying to health and restore the dead to life.[1]

Ginseng is an Ancient Remedy

According to Dr. Dharmananda, the use of ginseng in China, and throughout Asia, is based largely on the description in the ancient text, Shennong Bencao Jing (Classic Herbal of Shennong) written around 100 A.D.[2] This text mentions ginseng, also known by its two other names, renxian and guigai, and it describes in detail its nature, its sweet and cold taste, and its healing effects, but it never outlines a description of how to take the herb.

Chinese Ginseng and Korean Ginseng

Oriental ginseng can be divided into Chinese ginseng and Korean ginseng. Chinese Panax ginseng is grown in the Chiang Pai mountains, in the northeastern area of China (Manchuria) and is usually available as a tea or tincture. It is often white in color because the roots are dried in the sun, breaking down enzymes and therefore decreasing its potency. Chinese ginseng has milder energy boosting effects, so it is thought to be better suited for young children, the elderly, and the very ill as cited in “Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica.”[3]

Red Panax Ginseng is the Most Potent

Korean ginseng, or Red Panax ginseng, is considered the most potent and the most popular due to it being harvested after six years and undergoing steam harvesting before drying, thereby preserving its health benefiting ginsenosides.[4] This variety contains vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, B-sisterol, panaxic acid, ginsenosides (0.7 -3%), and essential oils, which help in numerous areas including anemia, memory loss, depression, blood sugar and uric levels, promoting biosynthesis of RNA, cancer and influenza prevention, helping erectile dysfunction, enhancing sports performance, and aiding stress reduction by producing more endorphins in the brain.

Studies Show Ginseng Helps Chronic Inflammation and Pain

If ginseng is reported to help with such a broad spectrum of conditions, does ginseng also help with chronic inflammation and pain? Recent studies have confirmed the answer to be yes.  Allan Lau and his team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong have identified seven ginseng constituents or ginsenosides, which showed immune-suppressive effects. A. Lau said, “The anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and in doing so, contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans”.[5] A 2013 study conducted in Brazil has shown that Panax ginseng effectively promoted an improvement in pain in patients who suffer from fibromyalgia.[6] This research has shown ginseng’s steroid-like phytochemicals (ginsenosides) being adaptogenic and anti-aging.

The University of Maryland Medical Center mentions that the gnarled ginseng root has been traditionally used to treat fever, headache, infertility, and indigestion as well as being considered an all-around stimulant.[7] Ginseng has also been found to be helpful for treatment of postmenopausal symptoms and as a natural alternative to anabolic steroids for athletes and body builders.

Eastern vs Western Dosage

It is interesting to note that the usual recommended dosage of ginseng in Asia is around the range of 3-9 grams/day. By contrast, in the West, people are recommended to use far less, with amounts so low that they are deemed questionable in providing any of the desired ginseng health benefits.[8] Despite continental dosing differences, healing benefits are still believed to be present, and it is estimated that around 6 million people regularly take ginseng in the U.S.

How to Prepare the Best Ginseng

The key in taking ginseng is to ensure taking an all-natural and high-quality ginseng. The Dr. Shen clinic in California states that dried ginseng root tea is best. Use 3-9 grams per person. Slowly boil the sliced herb for about an hour, and drink the tea on an empty stomach.[9] The clinic goes on to state that, “Most Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners prefer whole herbs or simple water extractions over standardized extracts because extracts are often taken from herbs that have poor appearance, weak taste, and lower potency. Low-temperature water extracts, which have not been chemically manipulated in order to standardize ginsenocides, are more like the herb as it is found in nature.”[10]

So the next time you reach for something to help alleviate your pain and chronic inflammation, try some Red Panax ginseng and make it part of your natural medicine cabinet. For a specific recommendation on ginseng, visit almaholistichealth.com and contact us for more information.

Interesting fact: The Chinese Emperors used wild Manchurian ginseng.

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Migraines and Magnesium – Is this What Migraine Sufferers Are Missing?

Few things conjure up bigger grimaces and more dread than migraines. For sufferers, the effects are debilitating, the prevention is expensive and ineffectual, and pinpointing causality is very challenging.

What Is a Migraine?

Migraines are still being studied and aren’t fully understood. Originally thought to be a vascular condition, neuroscientists are now learning that it’s not quite that simple. Migraines seem to be more nervous system related than they originally thought. What scientists do know is that during the onset of a migraine, there are some electrical changes that take place across brain tissue.

First, there is an initial wave of excitation, which basically means that there’s an electrical wave that passes over the brain before the vessels begin to contract and then subsequently become inflamed. The rapid change in pressure is what causes unbearable pain.

This rapid contraction and inflammation of the blood vessels has been observed primarily in migraine patients who present with an aura and is believed to be strongly linked to those effects.

Migraines can last anywhere from 2 to 72 hours and typically present as an intense, pulsating pain on one side of the head. Symptoms vary wildly between patients, with sufferers experiencing intense symptoms often associated with strokes and seizures.

Migraines typically occur in stages. Long before the pain starts, many sufferers experience neck pain, tension, mood swings, and a general lack of focus. Without intervention, the migraine may progress to the aura stage, and then on to the pain stage, which can last for days.

What is a Migraine with Aura?

Migraines can either be a simple combination of nausea and intense pain, or they can include a series of symptoms characterized as “aura”. Migraines with aura may include any combination of the following symptoms:

  • Partial temporary loss of vision (blind spots, fuzziness)
  • Visual anomalies, like zigzag lines, white spots, and in some cases, colorful lines and spots
  • Numbness and tingling in the extremities
  • Dizziness and disorientation
  • Difficulty with speech and comprehension
  • Intense nausea and vomiting
  • Extreme sensitivity to light and sound

Migraines with aura present with a series of interesting neurological electrical patterns that scientists use to study them. Without an MRI, they can sometimes be confused with strokes or seizures. The symptoms are intense and often very alarming for the patient. Experiencing a migraine with aura can be terrifying.

The Difference Between a Migraine and a Headache

This is where things get a little grey. There is a simple distinction between migraines and headaches, and knowing the difference can help reduce their frequency.

Though tension and sinus headaches can concentrate in a certain part of the body, (like the neck, forehead, or sinuses), the pain of a migraine is almost always focused on one side of the head.

The Causes of Migraines

Common migraine triggers:

Conventional migraine treatment and prevention don’t consistently work. Prevention involves expensive daily medication, and the efficacy of these drugs vary wildly. The side effects of these drugs are often intense, and patients are faced with deciding whether the tradeoff is worth it.

Side effects can run the gamut from mild to pervasive and include everything from nausea to memory problems. Some report weight loss, weight gain, nausea, eyesight disturbances, and even numbness and a disturbing loss of motor function. In short, migraine prevention drugs are expensive, and generally not worth the side effects.

Magnesium – The Miracle Mineral

For many people, magnesium is the simple, cheap, and effective home remedy they’ve been looking for.

Magnesium is astounding in its importance in the human body. This mineral is used in more than 300 enzyme systems in the body that regulate everything from protein synthesis to blood pressure. Magnesium is required for bone development and structure and DNA and RNA synthesis. It even plays a crucial role in heart rhythm and muscle contraction.

Magnesium is arguably one of the most crucial minerals for our bodies’ health and well-being, and yet it’s estimated that 80% of Americans suffer from magnesium deficiency. The vast majority doesn’t even know it.

Magnesium deficiency is very common due to the increasingly processed diet so many people in the developed world consume. There’s plenty of magnesium found in nuts and greens but none found in potato chips and bread.

Why Magnesium Can Stop a Migraine in Its Tracks

So what makes magnesium one of the most effective ways to prevent and treat migraines? Though the evidence of users is still largely anecdotal, the consensus seems to be that it’s magnesium’s effect on the nervous system and the role it plays in muscle function that makes it such an effective migraine prevention and treatment.

Magnesium gets the body’s systems moving. It is frequently used as an anti-inflammatory treatment by athletes and is frequently recommended by physicians for conditions like restless leg syndrome.

Over the decades, only a few studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of magnesium. Results have varied. Researchers have discovered that test subjects show low levels of magnesium during a migraine.

Salome Range, a certified holistic health coach says,

After looking into information about magnesium supplementation for my own health, I also read about how low magnesium levels can be linked to numerous ailments, including migraines and morning sickness. I happen to know many people affected by both and started offering a topical magnesium body butter which was received with high praise.”

Her custom butters take advantage of magnesium’s easy absorption into the skin.

The more and more people who come back to me and tell me it’s been a lifesaver convinces me of the efficiency and importance of magnesium. I have also experienced major relief from chronic pain with regular magnesium supplementation.”

Though more studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and effects of magnesium on sufferers of migraine attacks, regular use and application during a migraine headache have been reported to reduce and even completely stop migraines in their tracks. It’s definitely worth a try.

Using Magnesium for Migraine Prevention

Magnesium is available in several different mineral compositions and forms. As with most vitamins and minerals, the best way to get it into the body is through a healthy, balanced diet. Minerals in foods are usually accompanied by what the body needs to adequately absorb them. If not, other needed nutrients will be available through a wholesome, unprocessed diet.

Ditching the sweets and chips and reaching for salads and sprouted raw mixed nuts are good ways to increase magnesium intake. Greens, legumes, nuts, and seeds are good dietary sources of magnesium. A spinach salad with some garbanzo beans and walnuts makes a nutritious, magnesium-rich lunch. The benefit of getting magnesium from a variety of whole foods is that nutrients stay balanced. Foods contain all the cofactors and co-nutrients in the amounts for best digestion, assimilation, and optimal health. When you’re using supplements, you need to become a bit more savvy about how nutrients influence and synergistically affect each other.

Chlorophyll, which enables plants to capture solar energy and convert it into metabolic energy, has a magnesium atom at its center. Without magnesium, in fact, plants could not utilize the sun’s light energy. ” – The Need For Balance by Michael Spencer

Some Foods High in Magnesium: 

  • Seaweed, agar, dried (770 mg)
  • Coriander (dried) (694 mg)
  • Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (499 mg)
  • Flaxseed (392 mg)
  • Almonds (247mg)

Though choosing the “right” formulation of magnesium can certainly impact how well the body actually absorbs this mineral, studies have shown the greatest factor in mineral absorption varies with individual organ and body chemistry. Kidney function, for example, plays a tremendous role in how well the body stores and distributes magnesium. Since the body stores and redistributes magnesium as needed via the kidneys, so it makes sense for some to supplement when dietary intake cannot provide and maintain adequate levels.

In addition to oral supplementation, topical application of magnesium oil is a fast way to get magnesium into the body. Since magnesium is stored primarily in muscle tissue and bones, the best bet for immediate migraine relief is to rub magnesium directly into the closest available muscle tissue.

Using magnesium oil or magnesium butter on the neck is the most effective way to use magnesium to treat a migraine headache. It can also be rubbed into the scalp and forehead.

Magnesium injections are another alternative that some physicians offer. As regular readers know, OLM does not recommend this method.

Magnesium Supplementation

As a migraine sufferer, my M.O. with magnesium is to kick migraines in the teeth long before they become an issue. If you suffer from migraines and you know you’re not a salad munchin’, nut crunchin’ kinda person, start supplementing daily. I like this one. Before shopping, here’s what to know about picking the right kind:

If for whatever reason you decide you need a supplement, be aware that there are a wide variety of magnesium supplements on the market, which includes Magnesium glycinate, Magnesium carbonate, and Magnesium citrate. Courtesy of the fact that magnesium must be bound to another substance. There’s simply no such thing as a 100% magnesium supplement.  The substance used in any given supplement combination can affect the absorption and bioavailability of the magnesium, and may provide slightly different, or targeted, health benefits – Dr. Mercola

Magnesium glycinate is a chelated form of magnesium that tends to provide the highest levels of absorption and bioavailability and is typically considered ideal for those who are trying to correct a deficiency. Magnesium oxide is a non-chelated type of magnesium, bound to an organic acid or a fatty acid. Contains 60 percent magnesium, and has stool softening properties.
Magnesium chloride / Magnesium lactate contains only 12 percent magnesium but has better absorption than others, such as magnesium oxide, which contains five times more magnesium. Magnesium sulfate / Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) are typically used as a laxative. Be aware that it’s easy to overdose on these, so ONLY take as directed.
Magnesium carbonate, which has antacid properties, contains 45% magnesium. Magnesium taurate contains a combination of magnesium and taurine, an amino acid. Together, they tend to provide a calming effect on your body and mind
Magnesium citrate is magnesium with citric acid, which has laxative properties Magnesium threonate is a newer, emerging type of magnesium supplement that appears promising, primarily due to its superior ability to penetrate the mitochondrial membrane, and may be the best magnesium supplement on the market

The doc goes on to say that it’s important to maintain balance with magnesium, calcium, vitamin K2, and vitamin D.

For example,  Lack of balance between these nutrients is why calcium supplements have become associated with increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, and why some people experience vitamin D toxicity.”

I take it in conjunction with a whole-food multivitamin and an otherwise fairly balanced diet, and some vitamin D and calcium. If my diet is particularly crappy one week, I double up on my dose, but if I’m doing a good job of eating my vegetables, I may even be bold enough to skip a dose. To each their own.

When it comes to symptoms of an oncoming storm, immediate intervention is needed. I keep magnesium butter on hand that my good friend, Salome, concocted and massage it into the left side of my neck where the trouble usually starts. This always (knock on wood) stops migraines in their tracks.

Magnesium oil is a good way to get magnesium into the body fast. If you’re in a particularly tight spot and feel a migraine coming on, start working it into your scalp and even try for your forehead. Though these spots will be less effective, as long as you have adequate circulation, it should still help. Maximize the effect with a plunge into an icy shower to get your blood flow up. On that note, check out Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy.

A hot bath with bath salts detoxifies the body, and it’s a great way to destress. It’s also a great way to absorb lots of magnesium in your body. All natural bath salts contain magnesium and many other minerals, coupled with the benefit of your pores opening in the hot water which increases absorption into the blood stream. This is not the most bioavailable way to consume the mineral, but it is a good supplement to a broader supplementation routine and an enjoyable way to escape a migraine. It also makes sense to use oils and baths for those with impaired digestion, which is the case with most who suffer from migraines.

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Lyme Disease Study Presents Stevia as a Potential Treatment

The bacteria that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, is tricky to manage. Antibiotics are used to treat it, but according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they only work for 80-90% of cases. The other 10-20% develop into chronic Lyme, as the bacteria is able to change form and hide in the body. Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.

Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.

Will the Real Stevia Stand Up?

Stevia is a naturally sweet herb that is more than 100 times sweeter than sugar, but unlike sugar, it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Originally from South America, stevia has been around for more than 1,500 years, but it hasn’t gained public popularity until recently. Stevia is incredibly concentrated and doesn’t feed Candida in the body the way other sweeteners do.

The best form of any food, nutritionally, is in its natural state. The pure stevia leaf, whether fresh, dried, or in a tincture, is the best way to use the plant along with all of its flavonoids, sterols, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. But not all stevia is created equal. Many of the widely available stevia powders are bleached and altered with other chemicals and additives like erythritol and dextrose.

It’s the Little Things in Life

The phytonutrients in stevia are powerful. A new study from researchers at the University of New Haven found that stevia leaf extract is more effective at dealing with Lyme disease in all of its forms than any of the currently used antibiotics. The bacteria that causes Lyme disease is a spiral-shaped bacteria, and the common antibiotics used like doxycycline, cefoperazone, and daptomycin can be effective in dealing with the bacteria in that form. Unfortunately, Borrelia burgdorferi can morph into a dormant round body under unfavorable conditions, and in this form, antibiotics are more likely to miss it. In fact, antibiotics increased the bacteria in its dormant form.

Is Stevia is a Better Idea than Antibiotics?

Stevia and antibiotics were both effective against the Borrelia burgdorferi is its spiral form. Stevia reduced the bacteria in its dormant form, whereas the antibiotics increased its resistance to the next antibiotic treatment and may have even helped it to multiple. Antibiotics, even when they work as intended, damage to the body. They suppress the immune system and kill off good bacteria, effectively ridding the body of its natural defenses. Is there really any question as to which treatment is better?

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What You Need to Know About the First GMO Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Apples are a perfect, portable snack loved by adults and kids alike. They are low in calories, high in fiber and are a great source of Vitamin C. The bad news? Apples are one of the dirty dozen, one of the most pesticide-laden fruits or vegetables on the market. The news is about to get worse for real food lovers. The first GMO apples will be going on sale in the Midwest as early as this February.

About the GMO Apples

The GMO, or genetically modified apples, were developed from the Golden Delicious variety and are sold under the Artic brand produced by Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Summerland, B.C. The apples are sold pre-sliced in plastic pouches. Instead of using citric acid to delay browning, the apples were genetically modified to reduce the amount of the enzyme, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), in the fruit. This enzyme is what causes the fruit’s flesh to oxidize, or turn brown, when exposed to air. The result is an apple that, once sliced, will not brown for up to three weeks.

What is Oxidation?

Oxidation is a natural chemical process that occurs in all living cells. When the skin of an apple is broken, the cell walls and membranes rupture,  allowing oxygen in. The process is accelerated by PPO, which results in the browning of the apple flesh.

What’s the big deal about browning apples? Well, for starters, it’s unattractive. Oxidation causes some loss of nutrients and causes the apple’s flesh to soften. For apple processors, this makes handling the fruit and getting it to market a delicate dance.

Now, there’s an apple that will not brown for 3 weeks when exposed to air. This is revolutionary for apple processors. This apple will allow some apple processors to limit additives to their apple products to prevent browning. It also ensures a longer shelf life for pre-cut apples.

Is it Safe?

In tomatoes, PPO is vital. It acts as a defense to ward off pests and pathogens. According to Arctic, PPO plays no active role in modern apples. Their scientific team used “gene silencing” to reduce the amount of PPO released by the apples, thereby practically eliminating PPO production in the Golden Delicious apples.

Is this breakthrough in the quest of making a non-browning apple safe for consumers? The USDA gave the GMO apples their stamp of approval, but like many GMO plants, only time will tell. Although Artic studied the “non-target” or side effects of the apple plants for 12 years, as with other GMO foods, no testing of long-term consumption by humans has been completed. For many of these foods, generational studies on animals were never completed either.

Alternatives

If you’re not ready to jump on the GMO brown-free bandwagon, here are few natural ways to keep apple oxidation at bay.

• Slice the fruit in water.
• Toss apple slices in lemon juice.
• Soak the slices in salt water or apple cider vinegar water.
• Sprinkle the slices with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) powder.
• Wrap a rubber band around a sliced apple to put it back together.

These methods will keep your apple slices brown-free for several hours. Or, you can always just eat an apple in its entirety. For all the time, money and effort that went into keeping apples from oxidizing for three weeks, the reality is that brown apples won’t kill you! Skip the GMO apples and spend your money on organic ones.

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Alliums’ Powerful Health Benefits

Normally I start the day with a green smoothie. To get things going, I toss a handful of kale in the Vitamix along with a couple cups of super-herb tea or almond milk. If I find myself out of Kale, I will throw in a scoop or two of a good nutrition powder (here’s a link to make your own green formula). Then, in go my super foods: coconut oil, flax and hemp seeds, raw cacao powder, maca, and vanilla.

Next comes a handful of frozen blueberries. (I always have a stash frozen organic blueberries in the freezer!) To give it an extra digestive boost, I will often also add a cup of homemade kefir or a high quality probiotic. If it’s cold outside, I will add some warming spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc. Be careful not to cook the probiotics in the blender by blending too fast or long.

…gallic acid prevents cellular mutations and is toxic to cancer cells…

If I’m fighting off inflammation, when I have it on hand, I’ll also add an inch or so of fresh turmeric root. To keep the concoction low-glycemic, sometimes I sweeten it with a few drops of liquid stevia. This green super food smoothie starts my day off right by alkalizing and energizing me, and it provides me with a serious dose of the dense, high-quality nutrition. It keeps me going for hours!

Today Was Different

Today, however, for some reason, I was craving something savory – something warm and nourishing. Perhaps it’s the winter weather or the fact that the flu has been going around town. I opened the fridge to see what would appeal to me. Immediately the food that popped out at me was leeks. Leeks… Hmm, leeks for breakfast? I trust what my body is telling me, so here goes!

I grabbed one out of the vegetable drawer, gave it a rinse, peeled off the outer skin, chopped it up and tossed it in a cast-iron pan along with a big spoonful of coconut oil and started sautéing. Next, I ripped up the kale leaves that normally would have gone in my smoothie and tossed them in as well. Two ounces of wild smoked salmon found its way, crumbled, into the pan next. Finally, I cracked two pasture-raised eggs, added a pinch of salt, and voila: a moment later I had a leek-salmon-kale-scramble on the plate. It looked and smelled great, and tasted even better!

So what was the deal? What was my body craving when it so clearly said, “Go for the leeks!” I decided to do a bit of research. I knew leeks are in the allium family, which also includes onions, garlic, shallots, chives, and scallions, but what I discovered shocked me. It turns out that alliums are health-promoting, disease-fighting, phytonutrient powerhouses! First of all, they are high in hard-to-get vitamin K, which the body needs to build strong bones and combat heart disease. The body also needs vitamin K for a variety of other crucial metabolic functions.

Leeks

Leeks, in particular, are high in manganese, which the body also needs to build strong bones, as well as copper, another essential mineral of which many people are deficient, and the B vitamin, folate. Folate, which has multiple health benefits including fighting depression and promoting healthy red blood cell development, is present throughout all parts of a leak: the leaves, stem and the bulb, in one of its bioactive forms, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or 5MTHF. Good thing, that apart from the tough outer casing, I sautéed the whole plant for my breakfast!But those nutrients found in leeks are just the beginning. Vegetables in the entire allium family are loaded with other kinds of “phytonutrients.”

Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that are key to human health. Some examples are the antioxidants found in the raw cacao and the plant sterols found in the maca that I put in my smoothie. Antioxidants fight free-radicals in the body that can damage cells through oxidation. The plant sterols in maca tone the reproductive system, improve stamina and lower cholesterol. Wild salmon is loaded with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Coconut oil contains caprylic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid that are unique medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that provide the body with easily digested energy and lower cholesterol. Coconut oil is also a potent anti-microbial and anti-fungal.

Mother of All Antioxidants

Alliums are one of the foods highest in an antioxidant that New York Times bestselling author, Mark Hyman, MD calls the “Mother of All Antioxidants:” glutathione. Glutathione is a “glycoprotein,” or a protein molecule with a sugar molecule attached to it, which is needed by every cell in your body, and like copper, almost everyone is deficient in it. It boosts immunity, lowers your risk of heart attack, helps detoxify the body, is anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, etc., etc., etc.!

Alliums are also full of “organosulfur compounds,” hence their strong smell and flavor. Organosulfur compounds also have a long list of major health benefits. First of all, they are extremely active antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents! They are also anti-inflammatory and thought to lower the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Allicin, the most prevalent organosulfur compound in alliums, especially present in raw garlic, is a major immune-enhancer. Studies have shown that allicin has the ability to lower total cholesterol, LDL, or “bad cholesterol” and triglycerides, and increase HDL, or “good cholesterol.” Therefore, allicin supports the functioning of the circulatory system and thus lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis. The list doesn’t end there, though! Allicin is even thought to be anti-cancer, and the digestion of allicin in the body produces another master antioxidant, sulfenic acid. Research shows that this phytonutrient neutralizes free radicals faster than even glutathione!

Alliums, like my leek this morning, are also high in other health-promoting “flavonoid” antioxidants as well, such as quercetin. Flavonoids are plant metabolites that plants use for their own protection and health that also provide us with excellent health benefits such as fighting inflammation and helping us ward off viruses and microbes. In addition to being an antioxidant that is both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, quercetin is also a natural antihistamine. In other words, it is anti-allergenic!

Leeks also contain the flavonoid kaempferol, which helps prevent free-radical damage to blood vessel linings. Another antioxidant flavonoid found in leeks, and in all alliums, is gallic acid. Studies have shown that gallic acid prevents cellular mutations and is toxic to cancer cells while having no negative effect on healthy cells. Like allicin, it’s also anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-fungal. And studies have also shown gallic acid to prevent “neuronal cell death.” In other words, it helps stop the degeneration of the nervous system which happens in Alzheimer’s or during stokes. Therefore consumption of alliums may reduce the severity of strokes and might be an anti-aging compound. It could even help you think more clearly!

The list of phytonutrients and the health benefits of consuming alliums goes on and on. Some of them have anti-inflammatory actions that protect against osteoarthritis and ward off infections. Others may protect against asthma, prevent obesity, aid in detoxification and lower blood pressure. Needless to say, the leek I ate this morning could definitely help me ward off the flu. Of course, make sure you eat organic alliums. Organic alliums are higher in minerals and phytonutrients, lower in pesticide residues, and infinitely better for the environment than conventionally grown alliums. Tomorrow, I might go back to my green smoothie for breakfast. But today I am going to enjoy the multiple health benefits of the mighty leek!

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More Vaccines Coming Down the Fast Track

In a way, vaccines are preventative medicine. Get the shot; develop immunity for a potentially deadly disease. Vaccine research development now wants to take the preventative mindset to a new level. Inspired by the Ebola outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people in Africa and the more recent Zika virus scare, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed 460 million dollars to drive forward the development of three vaccines for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Lassa fever, and Nipah virus. The coalition is also asking the World Economic Forum for a 500 million dollar donation to enable their goal of developing two different experimental vaccines for each disease within five years.

What’s the Big Deal?

There are many serious diseases with no known curative treatment beyond fluids and rest.  So what is it about these three diseases that make them special? And what’s the hurry? According to Dr. Jeremy Farrar of the Wellcome Trust (one of the Investors in CEPI), “We know from Ebola, Zika and SARS that epidemics are among the significant threats we face to life, health and prosperity. Vaccines can protect us, but we’ve done too little to develop them as an insurance policy.” The three diseases highlighted by CEPI currently have no vaccines and no clear treatment plans. They’re also on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of diseases that urgently need to be addressed with research and development.

The Chosen Three

MERS

MERS is a viral respiratory infection caused by the MERS-coronavirus. Since its discovery in 2012, the WHO has confirmed nearly 1,900 cases of MERS with 666 deaths, resulting in a 35% death rate. People with the infection report varying levels of fever, cough, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. Symptoms are more severe in people with pre-existing health conditions.

While the virus itself is believed to have originated from bats, camels appear to be the current viral host. The spread of the infection is believed to be through coughing or contact with respiratory secretions. Most people contract the virus in healthcare settings. While the majority of cases of MERS have been reported in the Arabian Peninsula, South Korea experienced an outbreak that infected 82 people in three days. In 2014,  2 cases were confirmed in the U.S.

Lassa Fever

Of the three diseases fast-tracked for research and development, Lassa fever has been around the longest. It was discovered in 1969 in Nigeria. It predominantly occurs in West Africa and is transmitted to humans from the African rat, the most common rat in West Africa. Eighty percent of the people who contract Lassa fever have no symptoms other than a mild fever, but around 5,000 of the cases reported every year result in death. The cases that are fatal include symptoms of vomiting, fever, bleeding from body parts, and pain in the back, chest, and abdomen. A quarter of the survivors experience hearing loss. Lassa fever is difficult to distinguish from other hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola, yellow fever, and malaria.

Nipah Virus

Fruit bats are the natural hosts of the Nipah virus. Outbreaks of the virus occur almost every year in Bangladesh, and the virus occurs in India and surrounding countries as well. While the Nipah virus has not caused as many fatalities as the other two diseases targeted by CEPI, the death rate is more severe with nearly three-quarters of those infected dying. Symptoms of the virus include acute respiratory syndrome and acute fatal encephalitis. Nipah virus is transmitted to people through contact with pigs (a likely food source for bats), fruit bats, and raw date palm sap that has been contaminated by them.

Is This the Only Way to Accomplish This?

This is a very aggressive research and development campaign. Developing a single vaccine is a long process that takes from 10-15 years. CEPI’s goal is an ambitious one, but then that makes sense. CEPI is founded by some familiar entities, including the government of Norway, the government of India, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In the midst of the flurry of announcements and ambition, it’s easy to ignore potential issues.

As long as camels, pigs, mice, and bats are around, these diseases will always be present. In the case of Nipah virus, vaccines won’t necessarily stop the spread of it as there has never been a case of it being transmitted from person to person. Sanitation and ensuring that people have the knowledge and option to avoid using contaminated date palm sap. It would be interesting to see how education and strategies on how to avoid African rats in Western Africa would impact the number of people who contract Lassa fever.

As we’ve seen over and over, sanitation and education make a huge difference in preventing the spread of disease. Dispersing sanitation and disease prevention information and improving living conditions has helped to stop the spread of polio, measles, and mumps. Why not utilize sanitation and education to eradicate these diseases as well? The answer is obvious. It may cost less than the development of a vaccine, but it won’t result in a product pharmaceutical companies can sell.

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