Our era is the first in history, so far as we know, in which nostrums for sexual enhancement have become "politically correct" - so much so that Senator Bob Dole, a former candidate for President of the United States, has become the leading spokesman for improved erectile function. The Senator's wife, Elizabeth, also seems to think highly of her husband's prowess, having said that the touted nostrum is a "great drug." Even more amazing is that Mrs. Dole also ran for the office of President. We can only wonder whether there is some cosmic significance to all this. Surely there is a popular conception that power and potency are connected.
A pharmaceutical nostrum may very well be a great drug, but it's still a drug. Fortunately, there are alternatives that do not involve the potential for negative, even serious, consequences.
Sex is an important aspect of health and happiness: not only does it reflect underlying robustness as an effect of good health, but it probably acts, to some degree, as a cause of good health in the first place.
Dr. Jonathan Wright, author of Maximize Your Vitality and Potency for Men Over 40, recommends scientifically warranted nutritional ingredients that are known to bolster the use, release, and function of testosterone. One of these ingredients is Tribulus terrestris, a plant extract that helps elevate the male libido.
TRADITIONAL USE FOR REPRODUCTIVE ENHANCEMENT Tribulus is a ground-hugging thorn plant that bears fruit possessing sharp spines. It has been used for many centuries as a medicinal herb in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and for perhaps as long in Europe as well. In the Chinese tradition, Tribulus has been of value for such problems as skin irritation, insufficient milk production, itchy eyes, and urinary-tract and reproductive-tract problems in both men and women.1 In India, it has been valued as an aphrodisiac and for its benefits on the urinary tract.2 It is also thought of as a tonic, and in one study, as part of an Ayurvedic preparation, Tribulus was used to treat 50 patients complaining of lethargy, fatigue, and lack of interest in day-to-day activities. The result was an overall improvement of 45% in these symptoms.3
LIBIDO TONIC LEGEND In the last few decades, Tribulus has come into its own in the old Soviet bloc, especially Bulgaria, where its use has created a modern legend as a libido tonic able to enhance sexual activity by improving and prolonging erections. As well, Tribulus has been found to have a stimulating effect on spermatogenesis by increasing the number of spermatozoa and their motility and viability.
THE SOURCE MATTERS The properties of Tribulus vary depending on whether the root, stem, leaves, or fruit are used. As with other botanical extracts, the composition of Tribulus may vary depending on the site and conditions of growth, including the quality of the soil. However, it is the use of standardized Tribulus leaves that has been responsible for its growing reputation as a tonic among bodybuilders and athletes, who value it for having properties similar to those of anabolic steroids, but without the liabilities.
There are several active components of Tribulus, including the steroidal saponins protodioscin and protogracillin.4 Saponins possess detergent qualities, from which they derive their name (although sapo means hair dye, it is the root of soap-related terminology), but it is their steroidal molecular structure that is thought to confer their unique biological activity.5 Another major category of Tribulus component is that of phytosterols, such as beta-sitosterol,6 which is also steroidal in activity.
TRIBULUS ELEVATES TESTOSTERONE When a Tribulus extract was given to eight apparently healthy men and eight healthy women, ages 28-45, in a dose of 250 mg three times per day for five days, the results were emphatic:7
Testosterone levels increased, on average, threefold in the men.
Estradiol levels increased about 1.5 times in the men. In the women, the estradiol levels increased less than in the men, but the difference was still significant.
Luteinizing hormone (LH) increased substantially in both men and women.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increased substantially in women.
This study emphasized the impact of Tribulus on some hormones, particularly those that are most responsible for masculinity and femininity in the respective sexes. It should be stressed that the levels of the hormones studied did not appear to go beyond the physiological frames, i.e., did not disturb the normal mechanisms of hormonal regulation. Moreover, in men with serum testosterone levels below the lower limit of the norm, the physiological levels were reached after treatment, whereas in men with normal initial levels, the testosterone level was not significantly changed by the treatment.
INCREASING SPERM COUNT AND ACTIVITY The prosexual activity of Tribulus is not confined to sperm gymnastics, for which studies have been done on lab animals showing increased production as well as increased tenacity and viability.6 Tribulus increases libido, the desire for sex. In an animal study, its ability to act as a sexual tonic was apparent through accelerated and emphasized sexual activity: its tendency to increase testosterone levels stimulated sexual development in rams and male lambs, as evidenced by increased rutting behavior (attempting to "score").8 Tribulus has also been found to cure impotence and improve semen production in rams.5 In boars, libido and sexual reflexes were restored after long-term impotence.9
Tribulus has created a modern legend as a libido tonic able to enhance sexual activity by improving and prolonging erections.
TRIBULUS RESTORES VIGOR, VITALITY, AND STAMINA Traditionally, a tonic is something that produces physical, mental, or emotional vigor. Tribulus has a tonic reputation that has been verified in the lab by increased endurance in rats.10 In humans, Tribulus has been shown to be a general stimulator, enhancing activity across a wide spectrum. In addition to improving motor activity and muscle tone, it helps restore vigor, vitality, and stamina.11 It has also been shown to intensify protein synthesis, particularly in the liver, kidney, and heart tissue of animals,12 while it enhances energy metabolism.13 The best explanation of the tonic effects of Tribulus is that its steroidal properties may enable it to regulate the secretion of antistress hormones such as cortisol, produced by the adrenal cortex.14
HUMAN STUDIES In the previously mentioned study done with eight healthy men and eight healthy women,7 Tribulus clearly altered the amounts as well as the balance of steroid hormones. This helps explain the prosexual (as distinct from tonic) activity of Tribulus. The hormones LH and FSH are produced in both sexes by the pituitary gland, under the control of the brain's hypothalamus. They control the functioning of our gonads - the testes in men and the ovaries in women - in complicated ways, subject to negative feedback loops (not unlike a thermostat) that maintain a proper balance between them and the sex hormones produced by the gonads. As we age, however, this system tends to become unbalanced, and testosterone and estrogen production decline. By stimulating production of LH and FSH, Tribulus apparently helps to boost sex-hormone levels as well.
But exactly how does that work? Well, the neat thing about the steroidal saponins extracted from Tribulus is that they apparently bind with, but only weakly stimulate, the receptors in the hypothalamus that detect the sex hormones. They thus partially block those receptors, inducing the hypothalamus to misinterpret the body's sex-hormone levels as being lower than they really are. The hypothalamus responds by signaling the pituitary gland to boost production of LH and FSH, and we already know the rest of that story.
MALE LIBIDO, INFERTILITY, AND IMPOTENCE When 750 mg per day of Tribulus extract was given to a total of 212 men in open clinical trials, 85% had increased libido after 30 days, and 94% after 60 days. Thus, Tribulus unquestionably stimulated sexual desire.15-17 In another study, treatment with 750 mg per day for 60 days significantly increased sperm motility in 38 men with idiopathic oligospermia (low sperm count of unknown origin).
In another study, when varicoceles (small varicose veins within the spermatic cord) were surgically removed, men treated daily with Tribulus - either 750 mg for 60 days or 1500 mg for 90 days - were found to have significant improvement in sperm motility.16 An increased volume of ejaculate was noted in the men taking the larger dose.
Improvements in ejaculate volume, sperm count, and motility were also found in men with shrunken testes and oligospermia (not idiopathic, obviously) after receiving 1500 mg per day of Tribulus extract for 60 days.
Higher testosterone levels were also noted.
In the same study, of 14 patients with reduced libido, 12 showed considerable improvement after 30 days (1500 mg/day), and one was slightly improved after 60 days' treatment. Libido was improved in 27 of 36 patients with chronic prostatitis. Patients who had suffered this condition for five years or more showed no improvement, yet in patients with shrunken testes and oligospermia, libido was apparently improved.
Women are included in the benefits of Tribulus.
Also in the same study, libido and sexual activity were improved in some patients with Klinefelter's syndrome (genetically determined underdeveloped testes), Noonan syndrome (a multiple disorder that includes undescended testes), and simple undescended testes.
FEMALE INFERTILITY Women are not excluded from the benefits of Tribulus. In an open study, one group of 36 women with nonovular menstrual cycles were given Tribulus in the range of 750-1500 mg per day on days 5 through 14 of their menstrual cycle.18 Ovulation was normalized in 67% of the women, with successful pregnancies occurring in 6%. In a parallel group of 62 women using a drug targeting the same problem of nonovulation, 39% had normalized ovulation with pregnancy, and 35% had normalized ovulation without pregnancy. From these results, it is clear that Tribulus possessed a considerably more moderate effect than the drug: 24 of the 36 women had normal ovulation restored, but only two of them became pregnant, and no effect was recorded in 12 of them. On the other hand, the women taking Tribulus had no side effects, compared to 38% of the women in the group treated with the ovulation-stimulating drug.
MENOPAUSE In the same study, another group of 50 women - 26 of whom were experiencing natural menopause and 24 of whom were in postoperative menopause, in which removal of the ovaries causes menopausal symptoms - were given standardized Tribulus, in a maintenance dose range of 500 to 750 mg per day, after higher initial doses.
The study used a crossover protocol: each of the women took in turn both Tribulus and placebo, so that by the end of the study, all 50 had been in both the treatment group and the control group. The spectrum of their symptoms, typical of menopause, included:
Hot flashes 50 100%
Sweating 39 78%
Depression 27 54%
Hyperexcitability 22 44%
Insomnia 41 82%
Anxiety 18 36%
Sense of heaviness in the cardiac region 30 60%
Arterial pressure changes 11 22%
ECG changes 8 16%
The women were categorized according to their level of libido as follows:
Normal 2 4%
Low 20 40%
Very low 28 56%
Total 50 100%
Whereas placebo did not alleviate any symptom in any member of the control group, Tribulus brought about some significant level of improvement in 98% (49 out of 50) of the women in the treatment group, including the alleviation of hot flashes, sweating, depression, insomnia, and anxiety. There were no significant changes in any measured hormone level, including FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. Tribulus was without significant side effects.
SURGICAL RECOVERY AND ANGINA ABATEMENT When Tribulus was coadministered with vitamins following surgery, the recovery processes were accelerated.10 These included a shortening of the postoperative period as well as maintained levels of fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein.
Tribulus brought about a significant level of improvement in 98% (49 out of 50) of the women in the treatment group, including the alleviation of hot flashes, sweating, depression, insomnia, and anxiety.
In a larger study involving 406 subjects with heart disease, Tribulus was found to improve the symptoms of angina pectoris.19 Researchers believe that the saponins helped dilate the coronary arteries, thereby improving circulation. No side effects were noted. Even after long-term administration, blood, liver, and kidney functions were unaffected.
SAFETY, USES, AND DOSAGE A testimonial to the safety of Tribulus is the fact that it has been used for centuries in Europe for hormone insufficiency in men and women. In China, its use has spanned at least as long a time, with significant applications in premature ejaculation and reproductive problems. In addition to having low acute and chronic toxicity in mice and rats,20 Tribulus administered at 50-150 mg per kg daily for 93 weeks did not induce malignant tumors.21
The fruit of Tribulus is sometimes eaten by livestock, and, as with St. John's wort, excessive consumption has been noted to cause skin rash and liver damage. However, there is no known toxicity for humans. The effects seen in livestock are unlikely to occur in humans anyway, given the large quantities required and the necessary role of ruminant digestive flora, which, of course, we do not have.
SUMMARY: FOR MEN AND WOMEN Foremost among its benefits is that Tribulus acts as a tonic to restore and build energy, helping to increase strength and improve physical performance. Men should consider using it to increase libido and enhance potency, while women will find it to be of significant value for alleviating the symptoms of menopause. Furthermore, Tribulus can help both men and women with the problem of infertility.
The recommended amount of the principal active components, the steroidal saponins, is about 115 mg (the equivalent of a 250-mg serving of a 45% Tribulus extract) two to three times a day.
Foremost among its benefits is that Tribulus acts as a tonic to restore and build energy, helping to increase strength and improve physical performance.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Vigorous Exercise Protects Against Breast Cancer
New research from the US suggests that vigorous exercise cuts the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women and is particularly effective for women who are not overweight.The study was the work of researchers at the National Cancer Institute and is published in the 31 October issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research.For the study the investigators examined data on over 32,000 women enrolled in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study. This included responses to a questionnaire about their physical activity (including everyday tasks like housework, work related activity and leisure activity) over 12 months before baseline, after which incidence of post-menopausal breast cancer and deaths were monitored. The investigators then performed statistical tests to estimate the relative risk of post-menopausal breast cancer linked to physical activity.The results showed that:
There were a total of 269,792 person-years of follow-up from 1987 to 1998.
During that time, 1,506 new incident cases of postmenopausal breast cancer were reported.
There was a weak inverse relationship between total physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer (after adjusting for other possible breast cancer risk factors).
Vigorous activity accounted for practically all of this trend.
The inverse link to vigorous activity was limited to lean women (BMI less than 25 kg/m2).
In contrast, no link to vigorous activity was found for overweight and obese women (BMI of 25 kg/m2 and over).
Non-vigorous activity was not linked to breast cancer at all.
These results were independent of hormone receptor subtype. The researchers concluded that for this sample, only vigorous activity appeared to reduce breast cancer risk. The result was significant for lean but not overweight and obese women and it was independent of cancer type (the hormone receptor status)."Our findings suggest that physical activity acts through underlying biological mechanisms that are independent of body weight control," wrote the researchers. Thus it was the exercise itself that was beneficial, regardless of whether it resulted in weight loss, they argued.The researchers rated the following activities as "vigorous": heavy housework like scrubbing floors and washing windows (vacuuming was rated as non-vigorous); garden digging (as opposed to general gardening); chopping wood; strenuous sports and exercise, including running, fast jogging and aerobics (as opposed to walking, golf or light jogging); cycling on hills (as opposed to on the flat); and fast dancing.
There were a total of 269,792 person-years of follow-up from 1987 to 1998.
During that time, 1,506 new incident cases of postmenopausal breast cancer were reported.
There was a weak inverse relationship between total physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer (after adjusting for other possible breast cancer risk factors).
Vigorous activity accounted for practically all of this trend.
The inverse link to vigorous activity was limited to lean women (BMI less than 25 kg/m2).
In contrast, no link to vigorous activity was found for overweight and obese women (BMI of 25 kg/m2 and over).
Non-vigorous activity was not linked to breast cancer at all.
These results were independent of hormone receptor subtype. The researchers concluded that for this sample, only vigorous activity appeared to reduce breast cancer risk. The result was significant for lean but not overweight and obese women and it was independent of cancer type (the hormone receptor status)."Our findings suggest that physical activity acts through underlying biological mechanisms that are independent of body weight control," wrote the researchers. Thus it was the exercise itself that was beneficial, regardless of whether it resulted in weight loss, they argued.The researchers rated the following activities as "vigorous": heavy housework like scrubbing floors and washing windows (vacuuming was rated as non-vigorous); garden digging (as opposed to general gardening); chopping wood; strenuous sports and exercise, including running, fast jogging and aerobics (as opposed to walking, golf or light jogging); cycling on hills (as opposed to on the flat); and fast dancing.
Fish oils in asthma patients
Diet rich in fish may help prevent childhood asthmaSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Childhood asthma is now a major health problem in Australia with 31% of West Australian children having been diagnosed with the condition. Chronic inflammation of the airways is also a major problem with 12% of the population reporting wheeze severe enough to disturb sleep. Studies involving Australian school children have shown that those who consume oily fish more than once a week have a significantly reduced risk of asthma.
Australian researchers now suggest that the epidemic of childhood asthma is associated with a change in the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the Australian diet. It used to be around 5:1, but is now 15:1 or higher. They recently concluded a study of 355 school children of which 166 had been diagnosed with asthma at 6 years of age and the remaining 169 acted as asthma-free controls. A comparison of the two groups showed that the significant risk factors for asthma were:
Gestational age less than 37 months (OR=2.93)
Maternal asthma (OR=6.13)
Breastfeeding for less than 6 months (OR=2.25)
A high omega-6/omega-3 ratio in the diet (OR=1.93)
After adjustment for other known risk factors the risk of asthma was 2.89 times higher among children with an average dietary omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 18 than among children with a ratio of 8. The researchers believe that the benefits of a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids are due to the inclusion of more EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the two main components of fish oil.Oddy, W.H., et al. Ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and childhood asthma. Journal of Asthma, Vol. 41, No. 3, 2005, pp. 319-26
Fish oil benefits children with bronchial asthmaTOKYO, JAPAN. It is now clear that inflammation of the airways is an important factor in asthma. Thus, it would make sense that supplementation with a natural anti-inflammatory could benefit children with the disease. The two main components of fish oil, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), inhibit the formation of leukotrienes and prostaglandins from arachidonic acid and omega-6 fatty acids and thus reduce the generation of cytokines from inflammatory cells.
Japanese researchers now report that supplementation with fish oil does indeed reduce asthma symptoms in children with long-term bronchial asthma. Their study involved 29 children between the ages of 8 and 14 years who had suffered from asthma for an average of 10 years and were hospitalized for the condition. The children were randomized to receive fish oil capsules or placebo capsules (olive oil) three times daily for a 10-month period. The amount of fish oil given to the children varied from 2.4 grams/day (500 mg EPA + 215 mg DHA) to 4.8 grams/day (1000 mg EPA + 430 mg DHA) depending on body weight. After 10 months of therapy the asthma score (a measure of the severity and frequency of attacks) had dropped from an average of 21 to an average of 6 in the fish oil group with no significant change in the placebo group. The sensitivity to acetylcholine inhalation (a promoter of attacks) also decreased significantly in the fish oil group, but no change was observed in the placebo group.
The researchers conclude that fish oil supplementation for 10 months decreases asthma scores and increases acetylcholine thresholds in children with bronchial asthma. They do add that the conditions of their trial included a strictly controlled environment in terms of diet and the presence of inhalant allergens.Nagakura, T., et al. Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma. European Respiratory Journal, Vol. 16, No. 5, November 2000, pp. 861-65
Fish oils help asthma patientsLARAMIE, WYOMING. Asthma is an increasingly common affliction in the Western world. It is estimated that between 20 and 25 per cent of all children suffer from one or more symptoms of asthma at some point. There is evidence that a high dietary intake of linoleic acid (n-6 PUFA) may exacerbate asthma symptoms. Linoleic acid is found in particularly high concentrations in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, and corn oils. Researchers at the University of Wyoming now report that adjusting the dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be effective in reducing asthma symptoms in many patients. Their experiment involved 26 non-smoking asthma-sufferers aged 19 to 25 years. The normal dietary intake of n-6 PUFA was determined for all participants at the start of the study and after one month. For the first month participants were given fish oil capsules containing enough EPA and DHA to adjust their intake ratio of n-3 PUFAs (fish oils) to n-6 PUFAs to 0.1:1. During the second month the participants had their n-3 PUFA to n-6 PUFA ratio adjusted to 0.5:1. The average fish oil intake required to produce the 0.5:1 ratio was 3.3 grams per day. Extensive testing showed that more than 40 per cent of the participants experienced a significant improvement in their breathing ability and better resistance to asthma attacks while on the high fish oil diet. The researchers conclude that dietary supplementation with fish oils or other enriched sources of n-3 PUFAs may be a viable therapy for asthma.Broughton, K. Shane, et al. Reduced asthma symptoms with n-3 fatty acid ingestion are related to 5- series leukotriene production. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 65, April 1997, pp. 1011- 17
Oily fish protects against childhood asthmaSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Researchers at the University of Sydney report that the regular consumption of oily fish is associated with a much reduced risk of developing asthma in childhood. Their study involved 574 children aged 8 to 11 years. The children's parents completed detailed questionnaires about the frequency of the intake of more than 200 foods for a one-year period. The children were evaluated for current asthma as defined by airway hyperresponsiveness and a tendency to wheeze with or without exercise. The researchers found that children who regularly consumed fresh, oily fish (such as mullet, orange roughy, Atlantic salmon or rainbow trout which contains more than two per cent fat) had a four times lower risk of developing asthma than did children who rarely or never ate oily fish. The risk reduction persisted even after adjustment for other risk factors such as parental asthma and smoking, early respiratory infections, race, and place of birth. Consumption of non-oily fish and canned fish was not associated with a reduced asthma risk. Fish oil contains the two omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The researchers speculate that EPA may prevent the development of asthma or reduce its severity by reducing airway inflammation and responsiveness. A very recent study suggests that long-term fish oil supplementation may reduce asthma severity.Hodge, Linda, et al. Consumption of oily fish and childhood asthma risk. Medical Journal of Australia, Vol. 164, February 5, 1996, pp. 137-40
Hyperactive children lack essential fatty acidsWEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA. Children suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive. Researchers at Purdue University now report that hyperactive children have lower levels of key fatty acids in their blood than do normal children. Their experiment involved 53 boys aged 6 to 12 years of age who suffered from ADHD, but were otherwise healthy and 43 matched controls. Analyses showed that the boys with ADHD had significantly lower levels of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids in their blood. The hyperactive children suffered more from symptoms associated with essential fatty acid deficiency (thirst, frequent urination, and dry hair and skin) and were also much more likely to have asthma and to have had many ear infections. The researchers conclude that ADHD may be linked to a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids (linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids) or a poorer ability to convert 18-carbon fatty acids to longer more highly unsaturated acids. The researchers conclude that supplementation with the missing fatty acids may be a useful treatment for hyperactivity.Stevens, Laura J., et al. Essential fatty acid metabolism in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 62, No. 4, October 1995, pp. 761-68
Fish oils improve lung function in asthma patientsPARIS, FRANCE. Asthma involves an inflammation of the airway (pharynx, larynx and lungs). Epidemiological studies have shown that populations with a high intake of fish oils have a lower incidence of inflammatory diseases such as asthma. French researchers have completed a small trial to see if oral fish oil supplementation would benefit asthma patients. A total of 12 allergic asthmatic patients who were routinely receiving inhaled salbutamol, steroid and sodium nedocromil therapy participated in the one- year randomized, double-blind trial. Half the patients received 1 gram of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily; the other half received a placebo. Participants were evaluated every month and lung function tests performed every three months. A significant improvement in lung function was observed among the patients in the fish oil group. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) increased by 23% after 9 months of supplementation. The researchers point out that the treatment was well-tolerated and urge large-scale, long-term trials to confirm their findings. Dry, J. and Vincent, D. Effect of a fish oil diet on asthma: results of a 1-year double-blind study. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, Vol. 95, 1991, pp. 156-57
Hydrabad-fish treatment for asthma
The treatment involves swallowing a small live fish with the medicine inside the fish’s mouth followed by a strict dietary regimen. A patient needs to undergo the treatment for three consecutive years for complete relief.
"The formula is kept secret because they don't want others to try and commercialise this remedy for asthma," family patriarch Bathini Vishwanath Goud told. The medicine, a yellow paste, is first stuffed into the mouth of a two- to three-inch-long (five to 7.6-centimeter-long) "murial" fish, which is inserted into the mouth of the patient. Goud claims it clears accumulated phlegm in the windpipe as the wriggling fish makes its way down to the stomach. They strongly believe that the medicine works only when it is made from the water of the old well at our ancestral house at Doodbowli in Old City of Hyderabad. Three doses of this medicine taken every fortnight from June 8 and a regimented diet during these 45 days, repeated for three years, promises a complete cure for asthma. In an annual pilgrimage, thousands of people from all over the country and abroad pour into Hyderabad to try this medicine.
"The cure is effective only if it's taken three years in a row and accompanied by a special diet for 45 days," said Goud. "If all our instructions are properly followed we can guarantee a 100 percent cure for any patient no matter how bad their asthma," he added.Despite such scepticism, the queues of patients waiting for the Goud family's mystery medicine only seem to get longer every year. Special bus services, Indian railways is running a number of "asthma specials" to ferry in people from across the country. Many patients line up outside the Goud family grounds overnight to get a head-start on the seemingly endless lines. And despite rain and oppressive humidity, most say the medicine is more than worth the long wait.
"The formula is kept secret because they don't want others to try and commercialise this remedy for asthma," family patriarch Bathini Vishwanath Goud told. The medicine, a yellow paste, is first stuffed into the mouth of a two- to three-inch-long (five to 7.6-centimeter-long) "murial" fish, which is inserted into the mouth of the patient. Goud claims it clears accumulated phlegm in the windpipe as the wriggling fish makes its way down to the stomach. They strongly believe that the medicine works only when it is made from the water of the old well at our ancestral house at Doodbowli in Old City of Hyderabad. Three doses of this medicine taken every fortnight from June 8 and a regimented diet during these 45 days, repeated for three years, promises a complete cure for asthma. In an annual pilgrimage, thousands of people from all over the country and abroad pour into Hyderabad to try this medicine.
"The cure is effective only if it's taken three years in a row and accompanied by a special diet for 45 days," said Goud. "If all our instructions are properly followed we can guarantee a 100 percent cure for any patient no matter how bad their asthma," he added.Despite such scepticism, the queues of patients waiting for the Goud family's mystery medicine only seem to get longer every year. Special bus services, Indian railways is running a number of "asthma specials" to ferry in people from across the country. Many patients line up outside the Goud family grounds overnight to get a head-start on the seemingly endless lines. And despite rain and oppressive humidity, most say the medicine is more than worth the long wait.
hot water therapy
Of all the natural therapies, the one that has caught the attention of the many is the hot tub therapy. It is popularly known as the hydrotherapy and is believed to be one of the most impeccable ways to improve general health of people.
Apart from treating some common ailments like back pains and joint pains, hypertension or high blood pressure is also known to get cured with the use of hot tubs. Generally, the therapy involving hot tub is used as an assistant treatment to the regular medications that a person suffering from high blood pressure is indulging in.
But the patient is always advised to consult their doctor before trying this therapy to lower their blood pressure. This is because, the therapy initially increases the body’ blood pressure due to increased temperature of the body. Therefore people with high blood pressure should first consult their doctors before using this kind of water therapy.
However, hot water has a very positive effect on your body as it dilates the blood vessels. As the blood vessels dilate, the heart does not have to work hard in pumping blood in the vessels. The lowered activity in the heart provides an over-all relief to the high blood pressure patient. But for some patients such kind of relaxation is not optimal.
The reason because of which the blood vessels dilate when brought in contact with hot water is very simple. When your body comes in touch with hot water, there is reflex that goes to your brain with information that your body temperature has risen from the normal levels. Thus the vessels near the skin, which are in direct touch with the water relaxes and dissipates all heat outside the body. Thus all these developments in the body dilate the vessels. This process in medical terms is known as Vasodilation. In vasodilation more oxygen is transported to all body parts. Oxygen is a very important element for your body as it hastens the process of healing.
Apart from this, the process of vasodilation has another important advantage for the body. It helps the blood in clearing itself from all the waste accumulated in it. With the day in progress, the food you eat and the physical activities that you perform, a lot of waste and harmful chemical substances get deposited in the body. With hot tub treatment and the process of vasodilation, the blood reaches fast to the body parts and thus removes the waste products. This could again help lower your blood pressure.
So talk to your doctor now and find out if hot tubs can help you decrease your blood pressure.
cold water - water therapy
There is one very effective method of counteracting your intake and breaking down its harmful effects. It is not only a reconditioner of the liver and kidneys, where most harm is done by prolonged drinking, it is a health aid in itself and dates back as far as the origins of Wu Shu, although variations of it have long been practiced all over the world with varying degrees of faith. It is the simple process of drinking a certain amount of pure water under certain conditions and at a certain time, known to the Chinese as water therapy.
Rather than attempt an explanation of my own, the following is a fairly faithful, if quaint, translation from an original Chinese document, in turn translated from a paper published by the Japanese Sickness Association in 1975. It turned up in Manila and copies were handed out to Chin Wu pupils with strong recommendations for its application during early morning practice of Pa Tuan Tsin. This is bow the copy reads:
‘This that follows is a Chinese translated copy of Water Therapy which was taken from a paper written by a Japanese author whose name is not known to me. I found the salutary and curative effects of this therapy not only by my personal experience, but also by those who know t ‘ he treatment and were applying it without any let-up. I am inspired to translate this Chinese copy into English with the aim of giving it to those who have not conic across this knowledge -of God-given therapy, especially to the poor who cannot afford modern medication. This therapy cures at absolutely no expense except that of our faith and perseverance.’
The paper then went on to repeat a story which is reputed to have taken place long ago, and was apparently passed on by a very old but robust Chinese peasant. Some Chin Wu instructors, more from romantic imagination, I suspect, than from evidence, placed the events at ‘more than a thousand years’ ago. The full account is far too long and flowery to include here, but the following is a condensed version:
‘For a long time I had been ill. I was unable to perform the smallest tasks. The fields and streams, the trees on the mountain, the plumage of the peacock had lost their colour. Day for me was night and night was day. Grasshoppers did not sing, nor linnets. No flower opened. Then, a man came to the door of my hut and asked for rice. He was old, he said, but his body was young and he journeyed for the love of journeying and lived for the love of living.
I gave him rice and he cut all my wood in a very short time, also mending the shingles of my roof, Before he left he told me this: ‘Tonight, eat nothing for your supper but fruit. In the morning as soon as you arise, go to the well and fill a bucket. Do not wash or eat but breathe deeply the early morning air and drink one gallon of pure water as you watch the sun come up. Do this every day of your life and you will never grow old. All sickness will be banished and you will find new life.’ Then he went on his way, strongly along the path. ‘Next morning I did as he had told me to. At first I found discomfort to drink so much. Many times I drained the cup. Many times I urinated and cleared my bowels. I felt a dizziness but still I drank. My conjee that morning tasted more delicious than ever before. After one week I could drink all the water easily. I urinated only twice, my motions were normal and my head was clear. I quickly became well again and I have never been ill since, not even with cold or fever. This happened thirty years ago when I was forty. Every day, I have taken the water without exception and everyday is new to me and better than the one that went before. Now I live for the love of life and journey for the love of journeying. I tell this story to all who will listen..’ That is the gist of the document that created so much interest in the Chin Wu School in 1975.
The writer goes on to say: ‘Such claims for the drinking of water seem unbelievable and inconceivable, but facts prove it to be reliable and recommendable. Drinking sufficient quantities of water at one time renders the colon more effective in forming more fresh blood, known in medical terms as hematopoiesis. This is made possible by the function of the mucosa folds found in the colon and intestine. These folds absorb the nutrients from food taken by our bodies and turn them into new blood.
Due to insufficient exercise of the colonic tract, man feels exhausted, becomes sick and finds his ailments hard to cure. Adult human beings have colons (or large intestines) eight feet long, capable of absorbing the nutrients taken by us several times a day. This nutrition is completely absorbed by the mucosa folds which in turn prevent or cure our ailments and are considered a principal power in the improvement of our health. Water therapy completely flushes this vital system in regular cycles, thoroughly cleansing the mucosa folds where dangerous waste otherwise gathers and remains. in other words, applying water therapy will make us healthier and prolong our mortal lives.’
The paper then claims that water therapy as prescribed in the story ‘deterred or benefited’ the following complaints:
‘INTERNAL AILMENTS
Headache, hypertension, anacmia, rheumatism, Bell’s palsy, obesity, arthritis, tinitus, tachycardia, asthciiia.
Cough ‘ asthma, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis.
Meningitis, hepatic diseases, aropathies.
Hyperacidity, dysentery, rectal prolapse, constipation, hacmorrhoids, diabetes.
OPTHALMOLOGY
Opthalmic haemorrhage.
Opthalmia.
GYNAECOLOGY
Irregular menstruation.
Leucorrhoea.
Uterine cancer.
Cancer of the breast.
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
1. Rhinitis.
2. Laryngitis.’
The full claims of this unusual document are, of course, open to a great deal of speculation. Medical experts would most certainly question the variety of diseases it is said to repel. But the simple fact that no other liquid is known to be more widely beneficial or totally essential to mankind than plain water cannot be disputed. It is not only a reconditioner of the liver and kidneys, where most damage is done by over- indulgence, it is a health aid in itself. Plain, unadulterated water is as free and available to most people as oxygen. We have always known. water to be good for us - which is probably why we stop drinking it as soon as we can when we are kids. We seem to associate it with washing our necks and invasion of that very private territory behind the ears.
Drinking large quantities of fresh, cool water by choice is fairly unexciting to some and its lack of popularity is not hard to understand when we consider the competition it has. The drinking tap is surrounded by so many persuasive alternatives. Even forgetting the addictive everyday drinks we are more or less forced to consume, there are multitudes of’health drinks’, flavoured and preserved milk combinations, canned fruit juices, bottled essences, powdered mixtures ... so many things to mix with your water that the thought of drinking it on its own seems decidedly old- fashioned. Many of us go to our final resting place having never been closer to a regular water intake than cleaning our teeth and swallowing pills.
I have been practicing water therapy for the past three years, until it has become as much a part of my daily exercise routine as. the air I breathe. I can honestly report that, apart from the initial discomforts mentioned, I have enjoyed excellent health, despite my several daily pints of beer, dinner wines and nightcaps.
The procedure is simple. Boil 3.5 litres of water in a receptacle kept strictly for the purpose (so as to avoid impurities). Allow it to cool overnight and drink it during your first half hour of awakening. If you are lucky enough to have a schedule that will allow you to exercise on rising, then it should be drunk as explained on page 64. If not, get it down any way you can during your normal morning preparations.
For the first few mornings, you will probably find it too much to cope with. it may make you slightly dizzy or give you a touch of headache. it will certainly loosen your bowels in a hurry, probably several times. Don’t worry, it should if it’s working. You will also urinate frequently and fully for an hour or two.
if you cannot consume the full quantity, drink as much as you feel you can and increase on following days. Do not worry if you vomit at first, it is only pure water. You should try to reach at least 1.5 litres with ease within the first week and 2.5 litres by the second. You may wish to ask your doctor what he considers your particular intake should be and his opinion of the treatment in your case,
If you decide to try water therapy, it is vitally important that you do not miss a morning and therefore break the cycle. After three or four weeks, you will find it as much a part of your ablutions as visiting the bathroom.
Do not put the water in the fridge. Drink it warm rather than very cold. if you believe in nothing else, you will find that you can take your usual intake of alcohol with less effect, hangovers will be a thing of the past and you will know that your liver and kidneys are being thoroughly taken care of. Water therapy is not an essential part of Pa Tuan Tsin but the drinking of sonic water, however little it may be, is strongly recommended during the exercise period.
Rather than attempt an explanation of my own, the following is a fairly faithful, if quaint, translation from an original Chinese document, in turn translated from a paper published by the Japanese Sickness Association in 1975. It turned up in Manila and copies were handed out to Chin Wu pupils with strong recommendations for its application during early morning practice of Pa Tuan Tsin. This is bow the copy reads:
‘This that follows is a Chinese translated copy of Water Therapy which was taken from a paper written by a Japanese author whose name is not known to me. I found the salutary and curative effects of this therapy not only by my personal experience, but also by those who know t ‘ he treatment and were applying it without any let-up. I am inspired to translate this Chinese copy into English with the aim of giving it to those who have not conic across this knowledge -of God-given therapy, especially to the poor who cannot afford modern medication. This therapy cures at absolutely no expense except that of our faith and perseverance.’
The paper then went on to repeat a story which is reputed to have taken place long ago, and was apparently passed on by a very old but robust Chinese peasant. Some Chin Wu instructors, more from romantic imagination, I suspect, than from evidence, placed the events at ‘more than a thousand years’ ago. The full account is far too long and flowery to include here, but the following is a condensed version:
‘For a long time I had been ill. I was unable to perform the smallest tasks. The fields and streams, the trees on the mountain, the plumage of the peacock had lost their colour. Day for me was night and night was day. Grasshoppers did not sing, nor linnets. No flower opened. Then, a man came to the door of my hut and asked for rice. He was old, he said, but his body was young and he journeyed for the love of journeying and lived for the love of living.
I gave him rice and he cut all my wood in a very short time, also mending the shingles of my roof, Before he left he told me this: ‘Tonight, eat nothing for your supper but fruit. In the morning as soon as you arise, go to the well and fill a bucket. Do not wash or eat but breathe deeply the early morning air and drink one gallon of pure water as you watch the sun come up. Do this every day of your life and you will never grow old. All sickness will be banished and you will find new life.’ Then he went on his way, strongly along the path. ‘Next morning I did as he had told me to. At first I found discomfort to drink so much. Many times I drained the cup. Many times I urinated and cleared my bowels. I felt a dizziness but still I drank. My conjee that morning tasted more delicious than ever before. After one week I could drink all the water easily. I urinated only twice, my motions were normal and my head was clear. I quickly became well again and I have never been ill since, not even with cold or fever. This happened thirty years ago when I was forty. Every day, I have taken the water without exception and everyday is new to me and better than the one that went before. Now I live for the love of life and journey for the love of journeying. I tell this story to all who will listen..’ That is the gist of the document that created so much interest in the Chin Wu School in 1975.
The writer goes on to say: ‘Such claims for the drinking of water seem unbelievable and inconceivable, but facts prove it to be reliable and recommendable. Drinking sufficient quantities of water at one time renders the colon more effective in forming more fresh blood, known in medical terms as hematopoiesis. This is made possible by the function of the mucosa folds found in the colon and intestine. These folds absorb the nutrients from food taken by our bodies and turn them into new blood.
Due to insufficient exercise of the colonic tract, man feels exhausted, becomes sick and finds his ailments hard to cure. Adult human beings have colons (or large intestines) eight feet long, capable of absorbing the nutrients taken by us several times a day. This nutrition is completely absorbed by the mucosa folds which in turn prevent or cure our ailments and are considered a principal power in the improvement of our health. Water therapy completely flushes this vital system in regular cycles, thoroughly cleansing the mucosa folds where dangerous waste otherwise gathers and remains. in other words, applying water therapy will make us healthier and prolong our mortal lives.’
The paper then claims that water therapy as prescribed in the story ‘deterred or benefited’ the following complaints:
‘INTERNAL AILMENTS
Headache, hypertension, anacmia, rheumatism, Bell’s palsy, obesity, arthritis, tinitus, tachycardia, asthciiia.
Cough ‘ asthma, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis.
Meningitis, hepatic diseases, aropathies.
Hyperacidity, dysentery, rectal prolapse, constipation, hacmorrhoids, diabetes.
OPTHALMOLOGY
Opthalmic haemorrhage.
Opthalmia.
GYNAECOLOGY
Irregular menstruation.
Leucorrhoea.
Uterine cancer.
Cancer of the breast.
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
1. Rhinitis.
2. Laryngitis.’
The full claims of this unusual document are, of course, open to a great deal of speculation. Medical experts would most certainly question the variety of diseases it is said to repel. But the simple fact that no other liquid is known to be more widely beneficial or totally essential to mankind than plain water cannot be disputed. It is not only a reconditioner of the liver and kidneys, where most damage is done by over- indulgence, it is a health aid in itself. Plain, unadulterated water is as free and available to most people as oxygen. We have always known. water to be good for us - which is probably why we stop drinking it as soon as we can when we are kids. We seem to associate it with washing our necks and invasion of that very private territory behind the ears.
Drinking large quantities of fresh, cool water by choice is fairly unexciting to some and its lack of popularity is not hard to understand when we consider the competition it has. The drinking tap is surrounded by so many persuasive alternatives. Even forgetting the addictive everyday drinks we are more or less forced to consume, there are multitudes of’health drinks’, flavoured and preserved milk combinations, canned fruit juices, bottled essences, powdered mixtures ... so many things to mix with your water that the thought of drinking it on its own seems decidedly old- fashioned. Many of us go to our final resting place having never been closer to a regular water intake than cleaning our teeth and swallowing pills.
I have been practicing water therapy for the past three years, until it has become as much a part of my daily exercise routine as. the air I breathe. I can honestly report that, apart from the initial discomforts mentioned, I have enjoyed excellent health, despite my several daily pints of beer, dinner wines and nightcaps.
The procedure is simple. Boil 3.5 litres of water in a receptacle kept strictly for the purpose (so as to avoid impurities). Allow it to cool overnight and drink it during your first half hour of awakening. If you are lucky enough to have a schedule that will allow you to exercise on rising, then it should be drunk as explained on page 64. If not, get it down any way you can during your normal morning preparations.
For the first few mornings, you will probably find it too much to cope with. it may make you slightly dizzy or give you a touch of headache. it will certainly loosen your bowels in a hurry, probably several times. Don’t worry, it should if it’s working. You will also urinate frequently and fully for an hour or two.
if you cannot consume the full quantity, drink as much as you feel you can and increase on following days. Do not worry if you vomit at first, it is only pure water. You should try to reach at least 1.5 litres with ease within the first week and 2.5 litres by the second. You may wish to ask your doctor what he considers your particular intake should be and his opinion of the treatment in your case,
If you decide to try water therapy, it is vitally important that you do not miss a morning and therefore break the cycle. After three or four weeks, you will find it as much a part of your ablutions as visiting the bathroom.
Do not put the water in the fridge. Drink it warm rather than very cold. if you believe in nothing else, you will find that you can take your usual intake of alcohol with less effect, hangovers will be a thing of the past and you will know that your liver and kidneys are being thoroughly taken care of. Water therapy is not an essential part of Pa Tuan Tsin but the drinking of sonic water, however little it may be, is strongly recommended during the exercise period.
Benefits of Ayurvedic Medicines
Benefits of Ayurvedic Medicines
By using ayurvedic and herbal medicines you ensure physical and mental health without side effects. The natural ingredients of herbs help bring “arogya” to human body and mind. ("Arogya" means free from diseases). The chemicals used in preparing allopathy medicines have impact on mind as well. One should have allopathy medicine only when it is very necessary.
According to the original texts, the goal of Ayurveda is prevention as well as promotion of the body’s own capacity for maintenance and balance.
Ayurvedic treatment is non-invasive and non-toxic, so it can be used safely as an alternative therapy or alongside conventional therapies.
Ayurvedic physicians claim that their methods can also help stress-related, metabolic, and chronic conditions.
By using ayurvedic and herbal medicines you ensure physical and mental health without side effects. The natural ingredients of herbs help bring “arogya” to human body and mind. ("Arogya" means free from diseases). The chemicals used in preparing allopathy medicines have impact on mind as well. One should have allopathy medicine only when it is very necessary.
According to the original texts, the goal of Ayurveda is prevention as well as promotion of the body’s own capacity for maintenance and balance.
Ayurvedic treatment is non-invasive and non-toxic, so it can be used safely as an alternative therapy or alongside conventional therapies.
Ayurvedic physicians claim that their methods can also help stress-related, metabolic, and chronic conditions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
