Vitamin B6 and What You Should Know About it

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxa, pyridoxamine) works with other B vitamins to change carbohydrates into glucose, to help form hemoglobin, to create neurotransmitters, maintain normal nerve function, to break down protein, to maintain normal blood sugar levels, and to make antibodies.

B6 is not stored in the body. Therefore, it is important to eat a healthy diet that supplies the daily need for this essential nutrient.

Foods Rich in Vitamin B6

Natural food sources high in vitamin B6 include the following: sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, garlic, winter squash, bok choy, bell peppers, avocado, green peas, tuna, chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, lentils, lima beans, pinto beans, banana, and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin B6 Deficiency

Deficiency causes depression and cognitive problems, skin inflammation, burning feet, sore tongue, anemia, and chronic inflammation of the body. Severe deficiency can lead to convulsions. B6 is important for liver detoxification and immune system function. Severe deficiencies are rare, however, mild deficiencies are common.

How Vitamin B6 Is Used Therapeutically

B6 has been proven to be a successful treatment for morning sickness, to lower homocysteine levels, and to treat tardive dyskinesia. The best known use of B6 is to treat PMS, however, double blind studies have not confirmed its efficacy. (But try telling this to any woman who has received immediate relief from raging hormones by taking B6, and any man who knows to give them to her ). Studies have proven its aid in treating children with asthma in reduction of medications, but studies on adults with asthma have not shown the same result.

Evidence is incomplete or contradictory in regards to benefits in treating depression, vertigo, dermatitis, schizophrenia, prevention of kidney stones, HIV, photosensitivity, and diabetes during pregnancy.

In reading the literature it appears that many studies have been conducted with small groups and many of the studies have not been set up properly. It is also suspect that none of the studies have been conducted with B-complex vitamins since B vitamins always work together.

Remember, if supplementing B6, it is best to take B6 along with the other B vitamins in a B complex, because any long-term use of a singular B vitamin will cause an imbalance in the others. B-complex formulas are available with higher B6 that maintains a working balance of these precious vitamins.

Managing PMS with B6

With a healthy diet, good whole food multivitamin/mineral supplementation and balanced fats (these are necessary for proper B vitamin assimilation), and a complex B vitamin that’s heavy on the B6, many people have been able to manage their PMS symptoms down to almost nonexistent. Your gut also needs to be balanced in order to properly assimilate b vitamins, and consider Shillington’s Female Balance Formula.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:

 



Four Steps to Feeling Well for Those New to Natural Health

If you’ve made the decision that you are truly ready to change your lifestyle and claim your birthright of vibrant health, these are the steps to achieve your goal:

Eat Right

If you drill down health to its most critical and essential element, diet plays the most important role. We’ve all heard the old adage, “You are what you eat.” Once you understand the critical role diet plays in health, you will understand the absolute truth of this statement. Your diet provides every single building block your body uses to create cells, to repair tissue, to move, to breathe, to exist.

Common sense tells us, the better your diet, the better your health. But what is the best diet? Hopefully we all know the traditional American diet ranks at the bottom of the list. But which of the many alternative diets hold the top position? Vegan? Vegetarian? Paleo? There are many to choose from. But I suggest, you don’t choose.

We are all individuals with particular likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, we are habitual creatures who seem hell bent on getting stuck in the same patterns and the same ruts. But this is a time of change, so… Take the first step–clean out your cupboards and pantry. Toss out all of your processed foods. Get rid of anything with artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. No MSG. No trans fats. No high fructose corn syrup. No foods that could be GMO, and that includes refined sugar. Toss it ALL out.

Next, you shop. A healthy diet consists of a wide variety of whole, unadulterated, unprocessed, organic foods. Meat and eggs should be free range AND organic. If you choose dairy (know that goat milk and cheese may be a better choice) be absolutely sure you choose organic. Milk is actually good for you if it is not pasteurized, but good luck finding it. And as far as meat goes, remember if you choose to eat meat, you are eating off of the top of the food chain. If that animal was fed GMO grains, you don’t want to eat it.

Vegetables should be the basis of your diet. A full 80% of your diet should consist of raw, organic, whole vegetables and fruits, more vegetables than fruit.

Grains should be whole. Why lose most of the nutrients? Remember, this new lifestyle of yours is all about nutrient dense foods.

Avoid the trap of becoming a vegan, vegetarian, or other “good” diet follower who has simply found a new way to be a junk food junkie. Processed food is processed food. Choose a great homemade smoothie instead of “healthy” cookies.

Get To Know Your Local Farmer’s Markets! 

A good farmer’s market (not a boutique gathering where they sell jellies and such) will carry the freshest food at the best prices.  Find one that sells organic meat as well as organic fruits and vegetables. Even if you have to drive across town or out into the countryside, the trip is worth it.

Detox

Good stuff in, bad stuff out. Your body has been accumulating parasites, yeast, heavy metals, and a full array of chemicals your whole life. It’s time to cleanse your body and help it to flush out all of these unwanted substances while cleansing your colon to aid in both digestion and elimination. All of those wonderful foods that you will be putting in your body need a fully functioning digestive system to extract the nutrients that will provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair and grow tissue, to create neurotransmitters, to create hormones, to maintain and build your immune system, and more.

Detox twice a year for the greatest benefit. And always kill excess candida and balance the gut when you do.

Check Out These Detox Articles:

Exercise

Just move. Your lymphatic system needs you to move in order for your lymph to circulate through your body. It has no pump, no other means than the movement of your muscles to circulate your lymph fluid. Try yoga, Tai Chi, walking, rebounding, anything that gets you moving. It’s okay to start off slow and gentle. You don’t need to push it. Once you achieve vibrant health you’ll want to move. It’s one of the signs that you are on the right path.

Supplements

Ideally, your nutrition will come from your food. But let’s be honest, we live in an imperfect world with farming soil stripped of its minerals. Even if the soil was rich, food loses its vitamins and minerals as it makes the journey from farm to table. So unless you are growing your own food in great soil, we suggest you consider supplementation. You may want to consider a nutritional supplement to add to your daily smoothie as well as vitamins, minerals, and supplements to aid in your detox. Source them well. You want only the best. We recommend Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula as a nutritional supplement to add to your smoothies. For your detox, you need a supplement to kill the candida, a supplement to rebuild the flora, one to MicroDefense – Pure Encapsulations, and one to clean the intestines.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:
Sources:


Johanna Budwig Cured Cancer Naturally and Here’s How

Cancer. The very word causes a recoil, a visceral awareness that our statistical probability of “catching” this “disease” is astronomically high. Current statistics tell us 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. More than 1 million Americans are diagnosed each year, and this number does not include all forms of cancer.

We run for the cure, we walk for the cure, we donate more than a billion dollars a year to the American Cancer Society in search for a cure, but still no cure is found. There’s no shot, no magic pill, no elixir that will wipe out cancer. Well, actually, there might be one. We do keep hearing about miracle cures from cannabis oil, but it isn’t available to the one million American citizens who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Big Pharma has not yet figured out how they can package and sell it without decimating their lucrative cancer treatment income. So the cancer industry chugs along, with annual spending on medical care for cancer treatment totaling around 125 billion a year. Big business. Very big business. Through this conventional treatment, how many will die horrible, painful deaths, their bodies as ravaged by the “treatment” as by the disease? And why? Because there is no cure for cancer? Actually there is.

Johanna Budwig

“I have the answer to cancer, but American doctors won’t listen. They come here and observe my methods and are impressed. Then they want to make a special deal so they can take it home and make a lot of money. I won’t do it, so I’m blackballed in every country.” These are the words of Johanna Budwig. No, she was not a charlatan or a quack. Johanna Budwig was a German scientist, a six time nominee for the Nobel Prize, who held two doctorates, one in medicine and one in pharmaceutical chemistry. She also studied biochemistry, physics, and psychology. Johanna Budwig found the cure for cancer in 1951.

Budwig had been appointed by her government to lead research into the process of hardening oils into solids–in other words, how to make margarine. Through this work, she was the first to discover that trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils) are detrimental to health. At the same time, she discovered how to cure cancer, along with other diseases including diabetes, liver dysfunctions, cardiovascular problems, and arthritis.

Budwig discovered that cancer cells are simply cells that did not have the nutrients needed at a molecular level (with the right photons and neutrons) to properly mature. She also discovered that unlike the red blood cells of healthy people, the red blood cells of cancer patients did not contain a fatty layer. This discovery led to her cure, a cure with a 90% success rate. (It is good to note that many of her cancer patients were stage 4, sent to her after failed surgery and radiation. One can’t help but wonder if she would have achieved a 100% success rate with early state cancer or even late state cancer without earlier conventional treatment. )

She cured cancer through diet and nutrition. Her diet is a nutritionally dense , additive free, diet without animal products with the exception of quark (a cheese) or cottage cheese that is mixed with flaxseed oil. This mixture of oil and protein gives the body the needed nutrition to heal itself on a molecular level. Cancer cells are sloughed off or absorbed and the body is restored to health within three months.

Budwig wrote and published six books and many articles. She would have contributed more, had she not spent many exhaustive years in litigation with margarine companies and was restricted through the courts, at times, from publishing.

Further Reading:
Recommended Supplements:
Sources:
  • Cancer Facts
  • Halme, Erkki, The Role of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Overcoming Cancer and Immunological Factors in General, Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. Oct 90, Issue 87, p 710-711.
  • Cartmell, John W., Cancer: A Patient’s Perspective, Frontier Perspectives, Fall 97, Vol.6, Issue 2, p66, 4p.
  • Lake, Rhody, Famous Cancer Cures, Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine. Apr1998, Issue 186, p72-74. 3p.
  •  Roehm, Dan C., The Biologic Electron, Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 90, Issue 84, p 480, 3p.
  •  Dr. Johanna Budwig, a Remarkable Scientist, Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine. May2004, Issue 259, p170-170. 1p. , Database: Alt HealthWatch

 

 



Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium

If you feel stressed out, anxious, irritable, tired, run down, cranky, muddled, or confused, you may need to up your intake of B vitamins. If your intake is low, deficient or depleted, you will feel an instant boost in energy and well-being.

Vitamins are molecules that work as catalysts for chemical reactions within the body. The B vitamins are often found together, working work together to perform various functions. They help carbohydrates break down to glucose, the process whereby our cells produce energy, and they aid in the breakdown of fats and proteins, providing fuel or the proper function of our nervous system and brain. B vitamins are essential for neurotransmitters and nerve tissue. They help our bodies form red blood cells and regulate homocysteine levels. Folic acid (B9) and B12 are essential for normal, healthy, fetal development.

For proper B vitamin production and assimilation, one must have a healthy gut. Please check out How To Heal Your Gut for more information on that.

B Vitamin Deficiency

B vitamin deficiencies affect every system in the body. Mild deficiencies can affect mood and health, can cause inflammation and a host of other symptoms both physical and cognitive. Severe deficiencies can be life-threatening or be causal factors for serious conditions including anemia, heart disease, depression, pellagra, dementia, paranoia, and delusion.

B vitamins are nature’s valium; they assist with sleep, mood stabilization, and cognition. They are a standard treatment for PMS and for those suffering from irritability, anxiety, or depression. B vitamins are also gaining recognition as a treatment for stuttering, with favorable results for about 30% of cases.

Vitamin Deficiency What It Can Help Sources
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Integral to converting simple carbohydrates to glucose. It is vital to the nervous system and brain and helps make new cells. B1 is found in nearly all foods but is often destroyed by processing.		 Deficiency can cause irritability, confusion, and weight loss.Affects the heart, the nervous system, and digestive system. Deficiency is linked to neuritis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, alcohol-related brain disease, and beriberi. Severe deficiency can be fatal. Digestive problems including poor appetite, ulcerative colitis, and ongoing diarrhea. Increase mental acuity. A lot of B1 is used to process alcohol, therefore take B complex after drinking. Vegetables: asparagus, brussel sprouts, green peas, beet greens, spinach, sweet potato.
Beans & Legumes: navy, black, pinto, lima, kidney, lentils, peanuts.
Whole grains: unpolished rice, barley, oats
Seeds & Nuts: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds
Fruits: watermelon, oranges
Other Foods: liver
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Helps make red blood cells and is believed to help incorporate iron into the red blood cells.		 Mild deficiency results in cracked lips, swelling and inflammation of the mouth, throat, and tongue as well as inflammation of the skin. Impaired blood cell production, impaired iron absorption. A deficiency may be associated with cataracts and Parkinson’s Reduces homocysteine levels, iron deficiency anemia, hypertension Vegetables: Beet greens , spinach, asparagus, crimini mushrooms, collard greens, sweet potato, green peas.
Other Foods: eggs, turkey, tempeh, sardines, tuna
Vitamin B3  (niacin)
Needed to convert fats, carbohydrates, and proteins into energy. B3 is also an important dietary antioxidant.		 Mild deficiency causes fatigue, indigestion, vomiting, canker sores, and depression. Severe deficiency causes pellagra, a disease that can be fatal. A deficiency may be associated with Reynaud’s disease,schizophrenia, and Type 1 diabetes Lowers LDL cholesterol, raises HDL cholesterol, lowers triglycerides, reduces hardening of the arteries, and reduces risk of a second heart attack. Vegetables: asparagus, crimini mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potato, green peas
Animal Protein: tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, beef, sardines, shrimp
Nuts and Seeds: peanuts, sunflower seeds
Other: brown rice, barley
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Critical for manufacturing red blood cells and sex hormones.		 Deficiency causes depression and irritability, vomiting, and fatigue. Helps reduce triglycerides. Vegetables: avocado, crimini and shitake mushrooms, sweet potato, green peas
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine and other forms)
Helps to form hemoglobin, is needed to metabolize carbohydrates and for   neurotransmitters and the immune system		 Deficiency causes depression and cognitive problems, skin inflammation, burning feet, sore tongue, anemia, and chronic inflammation of the body. Severe deficiency can lead to convulsions. Liver detox, PMS, depression, immune system function. Vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, garlic, winter squash, bok choy, bell peppers, avocado, green peas.
Animal Protein: tuna, chicken, turkey, beef, salmon.             Beans and Legumes: lentils, lima beans, pinto beans. Other Foods: banana, sunflower seeds
Vitamin B7 (biotin–often just called biotin)
Essential for carbohydrate and fat metabolism and for neurotransmitters, tissue, bone marrow, sweat glands, skin, hair, and more.		 Deficiency causes nausea, muscle pain, anemia, seizures, and depression. A deficiency interferes with other B vitamins’ ability to help the nervous system function properly. Cradle cap, diabetes, hair loss, fatigue, rashes, and brittle nails. Vegetables: sweet potatoes, onions tomatoes, carrots
Grains: oats
Nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts
Other Foods: eggs, salmon, bananas
Vitamin B9 (folate–folic acid)
Necessary for fetal development, red blood cell development and control of homocysteine.		 Deficiency can cause sterility and infertility, anemia, osteoporosis, dementia, and cancer. Essential to prevent birth defects. Irritability, general, mental or physical fatigue, forgetfulness, confusion, periodontal disease. Helps prevent homocysteine build up. Helps prevent dementia. Vegetables: asparagus, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, Romaine lettuce, bok choy, cauliflower, green peas, avocados, leeks, fennel, summer squash, brussel sprouts
Beans: lentils, pinto, garbanzo, black, navy, kidney
Other: papaya, quinoa
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin )
Helps  make red blood cells, DNA, nerve tissue, neurotransmitters.		 Deficiency affects balance, causes weakness and fatigue, numbness and tingling in extremities. Severe deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia, paranoia, confusion, depression, delusions, and memory loss. Reduces homocysteine levels. Treats depression. Animal Protein: sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, shrimp, scallops, beef, yogurt, milk

Supplementation

B vitamins are water soluble. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they are not stored in the body, with the exception of B12, which is stored in the liver. Due to this lack of retention, it is important to provide the body with these vitamins on a daily basis.

Update: Sciences is discovering that a healthy gut microbiome produces many of the B vitamins we need. Again, see How To Heal Your Gut.

B vitamins are nature’s Valium; they assist with sleep, mood stabilization, and cognition. They are a standard treatment for PMS and for those suffering from irritability, anxiety, or depression. B vitamins are also gaining recognition as a treatment for stuttering, with favorable results for about 30% of cases.

A healthy, diverse diet that includes plenty of vegetables, legumes, and animal protein should provide all of the B vitamins needed, however, our ability to metabolize B vitamins can be impaired with age, with digestive disorders, with alcohol consumption, with pharmaceuticals, and by certain health conditions. Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease for example, seriously hamper the body’s ability to absorb B12.  At 50 years of age and older, supplementation with a good whole food complex B vitamin should be seriously considered.

Vegetarians, especially vegans, face a serious challenge in acquiring enough B12 through their diet. Supplementation is strongly recommended.

Studies conducted more than 20 years ago warned that long term use of one B vitamin may result in a deficiency of other B vitamins. It is best to take B complex vitamins to avoid this possibility. Though this caution should be widely known, medical doctors routinely prescribe one B vitamin, such a B6 or B12.

When gut health is not optimal, vitamin B is not assimilated properly. If you have a B vitamin deficiency or just find yourself needing them regularly, check out Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases and The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them.

Related Products:
Recommended Reading:
Sources:


What We Should Know About Our Lymphatic System

When you hear the term “circulatory system”, what comes to mind? Most of us think of the vascular system, the amazing array of arteries, veins, and capillaries through which each of our hearts pump 1,900 gallons of blood each day, in a circular loop. Few of us think of the other circulatory system–though it is twice as large as the vascular system. This second circulatory system, the lymphatic system, is just as vital to our health as the vascular system. When the lymphatic system is not working properly, our bodies cannot remove toxins; fight viral, fungal, and bacterial disease; or regulate the amount of fluid in our tissues.

Our two circulatory systems work together. Dr. John Douillard, DC, describes the lymphatic system in these terms: “It is like the drains in your house and the blood is like the faucets,” an apt description. The lymphatic system is also the filtration system and the factory that matures and differentiates lymphocytes (white blood cells, which fight disease).

Lymphatic vessels are found in all tissues of the body except for the central nervous system, the bone marrow, and tissues without blood vessels such as cartilage. It is a complex system that includes organs, nodes, and vessels that perform three primary functions:

  • Fluid balance
  • Fat Absorption
  • Immunological Defense

Fluid Balance

When the heart pumps blood, the blood travels through arteries to arterioles (arterial capillaries), which connect to venules (capillaries of the veins). The blood then begins its journey back to the heart. But the vascular system is not a closed system. When the blood reaches the capillaries, fluid is released from the thin-walled capillaries and flows into all of the tissues in the body. This fluid, called interstitial fluid, bathes the tissues with nutrients and gases as it washes over the cells.

The cells absorb nutrients and oxygen and release their waste products back into the interstitial fluid. Ninety percent of the interstitial fluid is reabsorbed by the venous capillaries, to recombine with the blood and flow back to the heart. The other 10% of the interstitial fluid (2-3 liters a day), along with proteins and other particles too large to pass through the capillary walls, is taken up by the lymphatic system. This fluid, now called lymph, flows through the lymphatic system and is filtered through the lymph nodes before being returned, ultimately, to the bloodstream.

Removal of the cells’ waste is critical. If the waste is not removed, cells quickly die. If the lymphatic system is not working properly, interstitial fluid builds up in the tissues, proteins are not properly returned to the bloodstream, large particles such as bacteria are not removed, all of the waste is not removed, and edema (swelling of the tissues—especially swelling in the feet and hands) results.

Fat Absorption

The villi in the small intestines are tiny projections that facilitate absorption of nutrients from our food. Each villus contains capillaries from the venous system and the lymphatic system. While the nutrients are passed into the bloodstream, fats and fatty acids are absorbed by specialized lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic system carries the fats and fatty acids through its system until emptying them, along with lymphatic fluid, directly into the blood.

Immunological Defense

The lymph nodes, the spleen, and the thymus gland work together to defend the body from foreign invaders and pathogens.

Lymph nodes are encapsulated tissue situated in many parts of the body. The nodes have a blood supply, entering through an artery and exiting through a vein. The node receives blood plasma and checks it for foreign invaders. If needed, the node creates lymphocytes which go to the bloodstream to fight the foreign cells. The nodes also filter and purify the lymph fluid so that the fluid is clean when it is returned to the bloodstream.

Tonsils, adenoids, and Peyer’s patches are collections of lymph nodes strategically placed to fight foreign invaders. Tonsils fight disease at the throat, adenoids protect the body from inhaled pathogens, while Peyer’s patches protect the interior of the small intestines.

The spleen also contains lymph nodules. Although the spleen is a part of the lymphatic system, it filters blood, not lymph. But as the blood is filtered through the spleen, pathogens trigger a response from the lymph nodules. The spleen filters out and removes the dead, red blood cells from the blood along with foreign invaders.

Thymus

Lymphocytes, which originate in the bone marrow, reach maturity and differentiation in the thymus gland. Many remain in the thymus gland, but others move throughout the lymphatic system, the peripheral tissues, and the blood. These are the cells that control immune reactions, and combat viruses and cancer cells.

Appendix

The appendix is also comprised of lymphatic tissue. Though it does not appear to have a lymphatic function; we do finally understand its purpose. The appendix stores bacteria for the gut. If the gut bacteria is compromised, the appendix releases bacteria to begin the process of repopulation.

Circulation of Lymph

The lymphatic vessels have valves (much like vascular veins) to keep the fluid moving in the right direction and the vessels themselves help move fluid forward. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a big pump like a heart to force fluid through the vessels. Instead, our bodies rely on our muscles to move the fluid. Our diaphragms and rib cage as well as the blood pumping through our bodies, do assist in this movement. But body movement and exercise is the primary method of moving lymph. A sedentary lifestyle decreases lymph flow by 94%.

Why Is It Important To Move Our Lymph?

Lymph contains lymphocytes, (white blood cells: T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells) that seek out and kill pathogens. As the fluid is filtered through the nodes, a concentration of lymphocytes clean up the fluid before it is returned to the blood.

If the fluid is backed up and not flowing properly, it becomes viscous. The flowing fluid can thicken until it becomes the consistency of cottage cheese. Fluids and waste is not properly drained from the cells, bacteria and other foreign invaders are not properly filtered and destroyed, and disease, including cancer, may result.

How to Move Lymph Through the Body and Assist the Lymphatic System

The major way to move lymph through the body is through movement of any kind. Walking, bending, stretching–any and all movement will assist with lymphatic movement. To really get it moving, bounce. Jump up and down, jump rope, or for the best result, bounce on a rebounder for 15-20 minutes a day. (See the link below.)

You will also benefit from massage, including self massage. (See the link below.) This will assist with flow and move any viscous fluid through the system. Find a massage therapist who is certified in lymphatic massage.

Be sure to hydrate well with clean (preferably spring) water.

Beets, berries, and cherries all stimulate the lymphatic system. A healthy diet consisting of 80% raw vegetables and fruits supports healthy lymphatic function as well as general health.

One of Ayurveda medicine’s most popular blood purifiers, Manjistha, is known to be an excellent lymphatic tonic. Astragalus, echinacea, goldenseal, pokeroot, or wild indigo root tea are recommended. Detoxifying the blood, hot and cold hydrotherapy, candida cleansing, and rebounding are important components to detoxifying the lymph.

So get off the couch, jump up and down, and eat right to detox your lymphatic system. It’s the least you can do for a system that works so hard to protect you.

Recommended Supplements:
Further Reading:

Sources:



What’s Ailing You? Could it be Your Mattress?

Are We Paying Attention to What We Let Come into Our Homes?

The average American consumer pays little attention to the detailed minutiae regarding the contents of an ordinary mattress.  More and more attention is being paid to what’s in our food supply and what we are willing to consume, while that which surrounds us and comes into contact with us in some of our most sacred settings, such as in our bedroom, is often overlooked.

Some of the following facts may be worth looking into, however. Being blissfully unaware of these things is not a recipe for a successfully clean, healthful, and organic lifestyle.

Did you know there are a number of known (and probable) carcinogens as well as other toxins in a traditional innerspring or polyurethane mattress? Some of these chemicals include benzene, boric acid, antimony, formaldehyde, and decabromodiphenyl oxide. There are more, but let’s focus on just these few, and take a look at each of these chemicals individually.

The Intruders

Benzene is one of the 20 most commonly used chemicals in the United States. It is a known carcinogen. Benzene can also cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness; it may be harmful to reproductive organs.

Boric acid is a pesticide commonly used for killing cockroaches. It is used in mattresses as a flame retardant. Many sources deny that it has any ill effects on a person, but some doctors beg to differ. [1].

Antimony is used as a preservative and fire retardant. According to Midwifery Today[2], in baby mattresses especially, this chemical can combine with a common household fungus, arising from a baby’s sweat and spit up, and result in three nerve gasses – phosphine, arsine, and stibine – which can be deadly to infants. Antimony can be found in both baby mattresses and adult mattresses, and in the case of a baby mattress, it is recommended to wrap it with a gas impermeable plastic to keep the gasses from contaminating the sleeping area.

Formaldehyde is used to produce many household products. The EPA lists formaldehyde as a probable carcinogen (with high or prolonged exposure). Some of the adverse effects of formaldehyde may be watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, wheezing, nausea, and skin irritation.

Decabromodiphenyl oxide is a flame retardant used to protect many different types of products and materials from the risk of fire. Older mattresses (prior to 2009) generally contain this agent as part of the fire barrier; unfortunately, however, many of the alternatives to deca-BDE are arguably just as harmful.

Mattress Off Gassing and Its Extension of the Problem

One of the main ways that a person is affected by the above-mentioned chemicals in their mattress, besides casual contact, is with off gassing. Off gassing from a mattress is when a chemical agent or agents are released as a gas from being dissolved, trapped or absorbed inside of the mattress. There are many VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) that typically off gas inside of a bedroom after a new (traditional-type) mattress is purchased.

A guest book[3] on the website Chem-Tox.com reports the experiences of 235 people who have had some adverse side effects, presumably from the types of chemicals discussed above, found in traditional mattresses and pillows.

Natural Solutions

The outlook isn’t all negative. Happily, there are available natural solutions to the status quo being provided in the marketplace. Some of these include mattresses made from botanical latex sap. Natural latex is hypoallergenic, mold and mildew proof, dust mite resistant, and antibacterial. Other natural ingredients used in mattress cores by natural mattress manufacturers may include wool, cotton, horsehair, flax, tufted hemp, buckwheat hulls, millet hulls, and coconut coir. These are all acceptable alternatives, provided they have not been treated with the same harsh petrochemicals discussed above. Beware of greenwashing. One can usually safely navigate through purported claims of natural and organic by looking out for certifications by reputable governing bodies. GreenGuard certification and USDA Organic certification are just a couple of the more trusted types of certifications that consumers may look for in their search for a healthier mattress.

What's in Your Mattress

Additional Sources:

1. http://articles.mercola.com
2. http://www.midwiferytoday.com
3. http://www.chem-tox.com

Related Products:
Related Reading:


Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease – What you need to know (with Recipes)

Periodontal disease is the scientific name for all gum disease, ranging from gingivitis to periodontitis. Gingivitis is inflammation and swelling of the gums; periodontitis is the last stage of periodontal disease when the ligaments that attach a tooth to bone are inflamed and infected as well as the bone itself, usually resulting in tooth loss.

According to the mainstream dental community, there is one cause and one treatment path for periodontal disease. This is their take on it:

  • Our mouths are full of bacteria
  • Mucous that covers our teeth mixes with bacteria to form plaque
  • If plaque is not brushed and flossed away each day, it turns into tartar
  • Tartar attracts more bacteria, resulting in more tartar
  • Tartar and bacteria cause infection of the gums
  • Pockets form in the gums, gums recede and/or no longer adhere to teeth
  • Tartar cannot be brushed away; it must be removed by a dentist.
  • Oral hygiene and dental cleanings are the only defense against gum disease

They tell us, while gingivitis can be reversed with better oral hygiene and regular dental cleaning, untreated gingivitis can (and probably will) result in periodontitis. As the infection spreads under the gum line, pockets form between the gums and the teeth and the gum line recedes. In time, the infection breaks down bone and connective tissues. Conventional treatment for periodontitis includes deep cleaning, antibiotics taken orally and or packed into the gum pockets, and surgery (bone grafts and tissue grafts for advanced cases.)

One Body, One Source of Disease

While other causal factors are discussed (smoking, hormonal changes, genetics, diabetes) there is little to no recognition of the mouth being one part of an entire system. We know that the balance of good vs. bad bacteria and keeping Candida in check in our gut is essential to health. Most of us know the same is true of our skin. Why would the inside of the mouth be any different? Why isn’t an infection in our mouth considered a failure of our immune system or our bacterial balance rather than our dental care?

This conventional, accepted theory of periodontal disease and tooth decay and its treatment mirrors conventional medicine—symptoms are treated rather than the cause. But through the work of Weston Price, we have known for more than seventy years that isolated populations who did not practice oral hygiene but ate healthy, indigenous foods were free of dental disease—both tooth decay and gum disease. When the Western diet was introduced, dental disease followed.

Today, we are re-learning that simple truth. When it comes to health, in every part of the body, nutrition is the key.

Nutrition

The bottom line is that nutrition is the one cure for anything that ails you. It’s a little more complicated than that, but not much. Our bodies were made to fight disease, to maintain a balance between good bacteria, bad bacteria, and yeast. The common Western diet does not support this balance. Nor does the Western diet give us the nutrition (vitamins and minerals) we need to promote health and maintain a strong immune system.

A healthy mouth requires a healthy body. In a healthy body, bad bacteria do not run rampant, causing infection and disease. The immune system does not become overwhelmed and incompetent when faced with a minor gum infection.

Though it would not be advisable to avoid the dentist, it would be advisable to research the use of fluoride and other chemicals before using them to treat your periodontal disease. One article touted the efficacy of a particular antibiotic used to pack gum pockets, claiming its use resulted in shrinking gum pockets by one millimeter. Natural solutions have been known to shrink pockets by 3 millimeters or more.

A healthy diet is a must. If you suffer from periodontal disease, your mouth is telling you to feed your body right.

  • Avoid all artificial ingredients: colorings, flavorings, preservatives, and GMOs
  • Avoid processed foods
  • Avoid pasteurized dairy
  • Eat organic as much as possible, especially the “dirty dozen” and animal protein
  • Soak or sprout beans, nuts, and grains to release enzyme inhibitors
  • Eat at least 80% raw, focusing on a variety of foods with lots of green leafy vegetables
  • Eat a balanced diet with plenty of healthy fats
  • Drink a gallon of pure spring water daily
  • Stop eating refined sugars

If you supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals, make sure they are not synthetic. Choose whole food vitamins and minerals so your body can properly assimilate them. Vitamin D, vitamin C, and B vitamins are essential to dental health.

If you smoke, stop. If you smoke anything—stop. Smoking cigarettes or marijuana introduces free radicals and other toxins that damage the gums and therefore encourage and promote periodontal disease. Obviously, chewing tobacco products is even worse.

If you are eating 80% raw, chances are you will be eating an alkaline diet. If your diet is acidic, it will promote disease. Sugar creates an acidic pH. In order to self adjust the pH of the bloodstream, the body will pull minerals, such as calcium, out of bone and tissue to regain the proper pH. Sugar is your enemy. You want to heal bone, not degrade it.

How to Treat an Acute Gum Infection

If you smoke, you need to stop smoking. Enough said.

Your diet is key, especially when you have an acute infection. No sugar! Stop eating it now!  Sugar feeds bacterial infections and feeds yeast infections. When your gums are infected and you eat candy, your gums will hurt more. If the infection is severe, they will hurt a lot more—now and later. You just fed the infection.

Now, what else can you do for immediate relief and healing?

Keep your mouth clean. Brush after eating. Get a new toothbrush and brush correctly, not just the teeth, but the gums as well.

Stop brushing your teeth with toxic chemicals. Buy good natural toothpaste or make your own.

Chew raw garlic. This is not for the faint of heart. Raw garlic has a very strong taste and it burns when you chew it, but it works. Eating raw garlic may take practice. Chew as long as you can and try to chew it a little longer each day.

Doc Shillington makes a wonderful solution called Tooth and Gum Formula that aids in healing gum disease. His patients report that their checkups amaze their dentists due to the reduction of deep pockets. We can attest to the power of this formula. Check out Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included for the recipe.

Take a good whole food vitamin. If you are vitamin deficient, one or two days of taking a really good vitamin supplement will make a world of difference. Your gums may stop bleeding and hurting with a day. Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.

Add oil pulling to your daily routine. Two of the best oils to use are coconut oil and sesame oil. You just put a little oil in your mouth and swish it through your teeth for 20 minutes the first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. (See link below). If you want to kick it up a notch, add some neem oil, peppermint oil, clove oil, or oil of oregano to the coconut or sesame seed oil. This will obliterate infection, but if you thought chewing on garlic was uncomfortable…

Oil pulling will get in between your teeth and deeper within your gums to help eliminate bacteria and Candida in ways that nothing else can, without causing damage like conventional treatments.

If you have a infection, this infection can drain into the teeth and gums. Shillington’s Herbal Snuff is perfect for clearing up a sinus infection. It’s also good for sore throats, and other infections in the mouth. You can snort it (only a tiny bit needed, and it burns, but it works), or place it directly on infected area of mouth, or directly on the tonsils. This stuff works amazingly well, but it’s not pleasant.

To Recap:

  • Don’t smoke
  • Eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet
  • Use a good, soft toothbrush and healthy toothpaste
  • Take whole food supplements, paying special attention to your need for vitamin D, vitamin C, and B vitamins
  • Buy a new soft toothbrush (stop tearing up your gums with rough toothbrushes)
  • Avoid conventional toothpastes (buy a good natural toothpaste, or make your own)
  • Help heal your gums with natural solutions that promote gum health
  • Chew raw garlic
  • Practice oil pulling

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading: