Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals

Tuesday, 8 August 2017

Herbal Therapy: Andrographis paniculata In Reduced Risk and Early Onset of Alzheimer's disease

Andrographis paniculata is also known as Andrographis is a herbaceous plant, genus Andrographis, belonging to the family Acanthaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka, used in traditional Siddha and Ayurvedic in treating the common cold, flu, upper respiratory infections, infectious diseases, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, pneumonia,....

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder correlated with major reductions of neurons to the respective target areas, named after German physician Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing cognitive modalities severe enough to affect language communication, memory, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, and it is fatal.

According to the joint study lead by the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, oral administrated natural product (Andrographolide, ANDRO) isolated from Andrographis paniculata in species Octodon degus (degu) exhibited the recovery of spatial memory and learning performance, through regulated phosphorylated tau protein and amyloid beta aggregate maturation in cell survival in inducing Alzheimer's disease.

Dr., the lead author in the joint study said, "(Andrographolide, ANDRO) inhibited) neural damage associated with aging processes and the behavioral and neuropathological hallmarks of aging-related diseases such as AD"

Additionally, Andrographolide also displayed the inhibitory activity of against forming of amyloid beta (Aβ)42 through suppression of NF-κB, a protein in regulated cell survival and function of microglia in activated response to brain damage and immunological stimuli together with the reduction in the production of inflammatory cytokines.

In animal study, mice treated with Andrographolide increased neural progenitor cell proliferation and the number of immature neurons in the hippocampus compared to age-matched control mice.

Moreover, ANDRO stimulated neurogenesis increasing the number of newborn dentate granule neurons in various parts of the brain.

The study also found that the efficacy of in reduced symptoms and protected against the early onset of AD is the result of the stimulation of neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Taking together, Andrographis paniculata is sure consisted a therapeutic potential to protect the development of Alzheimer's disease through various mechanisms, however, intake of large amount daily should be taken with care.

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Sources
(1) Andrographolide Activates Keap1/Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 Pathway in HT22 Cells and Suppresses Microglial Activation by Aβ42 through Nrf2-Related Inflammatory Response by Seo JY1, Pyo E1, An JP1, Kim J1, Sung SH1, Oh WK1.(PubMed)
(2) Andrographolide recovers cognitive impairment in a natural model of Alzheimer's disease (Octodon degus) by Rivera DS1, Lindsay C2, Codocedo JF2, Morel I3, Pinto C2, Cisternas P4, Bozinovic F5, Inestrosa NC6.(PubMed)
(3) Andrographolide Stimulates Neurogenesis in the Adult Hippocampus by Varela-Nallar L1, Arredondo SB1, Tapia-Rojas C2, Hancke J3, Inestrosa NC4.(PubMed)

Herbal Therapy: Aloe Vera, the Natural Whole Food Medicine to Restore Normal Levels of Cholesterol

Aloe Vera is species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe, belonging to the Family Xanthorrhoeaceae, native to Sudan. It has become very popular for commercial cultivation due to its health benefits. Aloe vera has been used in herbal medicine in treating many kinds of disease, including wound, burn healing, minor skin infections, sebaceous cysts, diabetes, and elevated of cholesterol, etc.

Cholesterol is needed for our body to build cell walls, make hormones and vitamin D, and create bile salts for digested fat. However too much can be dangerous because cholesterol cannot dissolve in your blood.

According to the joint study lead by the Nanjing Agricultural University, oral administration of less than or equal to 1.88, 1.86, and 2.79 %/kg in test animals showed to improve plasma lipid profile status, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective enzyme activities.

Dr. Gabriel NN, the lead author suggested, animal fed with Aloe Vera exhibited a significantly elevated high-density lipoprotein in 0.5 and 1 % Aloe/kg with no significant changes in low-density lipoprotein. After 8 weeks of treatment, group fed dietary Aloe at 4 %/kg expressed a significantly reduced in total cholesterol, and triacylglycerol.

Also in animal study of 5 treatment groups of rats (n = 7) fed with experimental diets: a normal control diet, a hypercholesterolemic diet hypercholesterolemic diet (HD), hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) + Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) + AV gel, and hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) + Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) + AV gel, group fed with combination of LGG and AV gel exerted a therapeutic potential to decrease cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Furthermore, the efficacy of aloe vera in inhibited of high blood cholesterol is the result of the complex functions in restore normal levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, through blocking altered fatty acid composition in the liver and kidney.

The most effective dose of oral administration of Aloe vera gel extract is at a dose of 300 mg/kg bodyweight per day to STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Dietary Aleoe Vera has shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation and restore normal ratio levels of blood cholesterol in some animal studies, human trials are necessary to validate this claim.

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Source
(1) Dietary Aloe vera improves plasma lipid profile, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective enzyme activities in GIFT-tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after Streptococcus iniae challenge by Gabriel NN1,2, Qiang J3,4, Ma XY3, He J3,4, Xu P5,6, Liu K3,4.(PubMed)
(2) Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Aloe vera gel improve lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic rats by Kumar M1, Rakesh S, Nagpal R, Hemalatha R, Ramakrishna A, Sudarshan V, Ramagoni R, Shujauddin M, Verma V, Kumar A, Tiwari A, Singh B, Kumar R.(PubMed)
(3) Beneficial effects of aloe vera leaf gel extract on lipid profile status in rats with streptozotocin diabetes by Rajasekaran S1, Ravi K, Sivagnanam K, Subramanian S.(PubMed)

Monday, 7 August 2017

Food Therapy: Kidney bean, the Anti Hyperlipidemia Natural and Functional Food

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrients
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

The use of plants for healing purposes has been predated long before the existence of modern medicine. Herbal plants have formed a fundamental sources for conventional medicine in discovery of single ingredient medication, including aspirin (from willow bark), quinine (from cinchona bark), and morphine (from the opium poppy)......

Intake of kidney bean may lower risk and treatment of of hyperlipidemia, a study by respectable institution suggested

Kidney bean is popular food, with kidney shape, strong flavor and color in reddish brown in nature, used often as an excellent dietary selection because of enormous health benefits with a good source of protein and minerals.

Hyperlipidemia is a condition of abnormal high levels of cholesterol in the blood stream.

According to the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, in the study of the effectiveness of kidney bean against high blood cholesterol of five groups of 8 male rats, Wistar strain, initial body weight of 200 g were kept at 25 degrees in a light-dark cycle of 12 h, for 28 days, group received red (RB) beans, showed a 12% reduction of blood cholesterol in comparison to other groups.

Dr. Rosa CO, the lead author said, "the reduction of cholesterol in blood is followed by its( lipid deposition) retention in the rat livers".

Additionaly, in a randomly assigned to one of the four experimental groups of hypercholesterolaemic pigs fed on a Western-type diet and 300 g baked beans/kg , group fed with baked beans showed a significant reduction of blood cholesterol in compared with the control (without baked beans).

The study also expressed a significantly reduced level of low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol by 48% without affecting high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol and triacylglycerol contents.

More importantly, researchers in the study also wrote, "supplements of 200 and 300 g baked beans/kg promoted a significant (P < 0.05) reduction of about 50% in cholesterol deposition in the liver, compared with the control".

In fact, the study on steroid metabolism of hypercholesterolaemic pigs, also showed a support of the efficacy of bake bean in lower blood cholesterol through inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis, and reduced plasma cholesterol.

With all the above information, there is no doubt that kidney bean and baked kidney bean can be used as functional food for reduced high blood cholesterol, but human trials are necessary to confirm the validation.

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Sources
(1) [The cholesterol-lowering effect of black, carioquinha and red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) in hypercholesterolemic rats].[Article in Portuguese]by Rosa CO1, Costa NM, Nunes RM, Leal PF.(PubMed)
(2) The effect of graded inclusion of baked beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) on plasma and liver lipids in hypercholesterolaemic pigs given a Western-type diet by Costa NM1, Walker AF, Low AG.(PubMed)
(3) Effect of baked beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) on steroid metabolism and non-starch polysaccharide output of hypercholesterolaemic pigs with or without an ileo-rectal anastomosis by Costa NM1, Low AG, Walker AF, Owen RW, Englyst HN.(PubMed)

Alternative Therapy: Yoga, the Best Ancient Technique for Treatment of Anxiety

Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrients, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

People who participated in yoga class are likely to experience less or lower levels of anxiety, a renowned study suggested.

Yoga, the accident technique practice for harmonized external and internal body well being, through breath control, meditation, bodily movement and gesture..... has been well known for people in Western world and some parts in Asia due to health benefits reported by various respectable institutes' research and supported by health advocates.

Anxiety is a mental disorder characterized by worry about future events and fear to current events.

According to the controlled random clinical trial sampling of 45 mastectomized women treated at the Ilza Bianco outpatient service of Santa Rita de Cássia Hospital in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo from March to November 2010, group participated in 6 yoga-applied sessions showed a statistically significant in decreased anxiety levels measured by Anxiety Trait and State Test.

Dr. Bernardi ML, the lead author of the study said, "hatha yoga exercises decrease stress and anxiety in the experimental group. No connection between confounding variables and anxiety and stress levels was found".

More impotantly, according to the data collection period and meditation program between January 9 and August 31, 2009 in 46 women who were pregnant following IVF, and were between 12-20 weeks gestation, participated in the study (23 experimental group, 23 control group), women pregnant after IVF participated in yoga class showed statistically significant improvements in stress, anxiety, labor pain, and labor confidence.

The study also demonstrated the efficacy of yoga in reduced stress, anxiety, and labor pain, and increased delivery confidence.

In a total of 46 participants completed both a resistance exercise class and yoga class in a counterbalanced order. with Measurement of body satisfaction and social physique anxiety were completed immediately before and after each class, group participated in yoga class displays a greater improvements of body image,and reducing state social physique anxiety.

Additionally, in patients suffered from chronic diseases, yoga attendees not only benefit a significant decrease in stress and/or anxiety symptoms but also improved quality of life.

Taking together, yoga may be a best treatment for people with anxiety through improvement of social, mental and body confidence in reduced state of over worriness, particular in people with stress.

For More information of yoga lessons tailor to a complete well being for women, please visit: YOGA BURN

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Sources
(1) [The effects of hatha yoga exercises on stress and anxiety levels in mastectomized women].[Article in Portuguese]by Bernardi ML, Amorim MH, Zandonade E, Santaella DF, Barbosa Jde A.(PubMed)
(2) [Effects of a yoga-focused prenatal program on stress, anxiety, self confidence and labor pain in pregnant women with in vitro fertilization treatment].[Article in Korean] by Shim CS1, Lee YS(PubMed)

Sunday, 6 August 2017

Herbal Therapy: Chamomile, The Best Whole Herb medicine for Anti-Allergic Effects

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrients
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

"Let foods be your medicine and let medicines be your food", using foods as medication has been a dream of many scholars and scientists over past many centuries. In order to achieve these, consumption of whole food medicine must accompany with moderated exercise, such as regular walking, change of diet and life style.

Chamomile, a most popular plant used in herbal medicine may consist a natural power in anti-allergic activity.
According to the Hanagal Shri Kumareshwar College of Pharmacy, in mast cell mediated allergy model, methanol extract from chamomile inhibited histamine release induced allergic activities.

Chamomile is also known as camomile, common name of many species daisy-like plants in the family Asteraceae, used in traditional medicine as antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory constituents and to treat menstrual cramps and sleep disorders, reduce cramping and spastic pain in the bowels, relieve excessive gas and bloating in the intestine, etc.

In the study of the biological activity of 20 essential oils (EOs) from herbal plants, chamomile not only inhibited significantly cancer cell growth but also and reduced cellular process of releases antimicrobial cytotoxic in mast cell which is the main cause of over reaction of immune system in induction of allergic effects.

Furthermore, the herbal plant is also found to suppress an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-induced increased permeability of vessels cause of allergic and inflammatory effects through immune stimulatory effects in inhibited the proinflammatory cytokines and protein involved in systemic inflammation.

Dr. Kobayashi Y, the lead author said, " The single peroral administration of the ethyl acetate extract or essential oil of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) showed remarkable antipruritic effects in the compound 48/80-induced itch-scratching test in ddY mice"
and "essential oil of German chamomile and antihistamines might be effective for the pruritus which could not be perfectly resolved alone by conventional antihistamines".

Although, herbal chamomile may have a potential for prevention and treatment of auto immune system induced allergic effects, the use of the herb should be taken with care to prevent overdoses.

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Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Sources
(1) Anti-allergic activity of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) in mast cell mediated allergy model BY Chandrashekhar VM1, Halagali KS, Nidavani RB, Shalavadi MH, Biradar BS, Biswas D, Muchchandi IS.(PubMed)
(2) Effects of essential oils from herbal plants and citrus fruits on DNA polymerase inhibitory, cancer cell growth inhibitory, antiallergic, and antioxidant activities by Mitoshi M1, Kuriyama I, Nakayama H, Miyazato H, Sugimoto K, Kobayashi Y, Jippo T, Kanazawa K, Yoshida H, Mizushina Y.(PubMed)
(3) Suppression of allergic and inflammatory responses by essential oils derived from herbal plants and citrus fruits by Mitoshi M1, Kuriyama I1, Nakayama H2, Miyazato H2, Sugimoto K2, Kobayashi Y3, Jippo T3, Kuramochi K4, Yoshida H1, Mizushina Y1.(PubMed)

(4) AMT: preclinical pharmacology studies by Niazi F1, Drevs J, Diergarten K, Dorn A, Maier A, Fiebig HH, Bruyns E, Scheele J.(PubMed)

(5) Antipruritic effect of the single oral administration of German chamomile flower extract and its combined effect with antiallergic agents in ddY mice by Kobayashi Y1, Takahashi R, Ogino F.(PubMed)

Saturday, 5 August 2017

Food Therapy: Asparagus, the Natural Whole Food for Reduced Risk, Complications and Treatment of Oral Cancer

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrients
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

Whole food(herbal medicine) used as medical treatment, linking health benefits in prevention, management and treatment of diseases has induced much interests in today renowned scientists.
But many researchers have raised question of herbal quality, because geographic differences, time of grown and harvest, etc. may effect their's potency. I do believe, these questions can only be answered by experience herbalists.

Regular intake of Asparagus may have a reduced risk of progression and development of oral cancer, the renowned institution study suggested.

Treatment of oral cancer in conventional medicine involved immune suppression through the need of antibiotics may contribute to complications of patients with oral cancer, such as infection prompt many patients to research for alternative treatment with little or no side effects.

According to University of Florida, supplement, such as asparagus use currently in cancer prevention rather than treatment.of oral cancer probably due to mechanism of action for bioactive compounds, such as epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate,....

Dr. the lead author said, " Preclinical and clinical evidence for the use of green tea, raspberry, asparagus, and cannabis extracts is discussed in this review. Diet changes, supplementation with antioxidants, high-dose vitamin C therapy, and cannabinoid use have been suggested to decrease cancer cell replication and increase chance of remission"

Asparagus is a flowering plant belong to species the genus Asparagus, native to the western coasts of northern Spain, north to Ireland, Great Britain, and northwest Germany, northern Africa and western Asia, used from early times as a vegetable and medicine, because of its delicate flavour and diuretic properties.

Oral cancer is any malignant cell growth in the tissue located in the oral cavity, including the tissue of the lips or the tongue, cheek lining, floor of the mouth, gums (gingiva) and the roof of the mouth (palate).

In the study of blood sample of 40 oral cancer patients undergoing treatment in the radiotherapy unit of Regional Cancer Institute, Asparagus racemosus Willd. exerted a strong effect against infection caused byStaphylococcus aureus (23.2%), Escherichia coli (15.62%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.37%), Klebsiella pneumonia (7.81%), Proteus mirabilis (3.6%), Proteus vulgaris (4.2%) and the fungal pathogens Candida albicans (14.6%), Aspergillus fumigatus (9.37%).

Researchers at the institute also suggested, oral cancer patients were neutropenic with abnormally low level of neutrophils and and prone to secondary micro infection.. Asparagus may be used as antimicrobial agent to check the secondary infections in cancer patients.

Taking altogether, asparagus has shown to exert a significant anti progression, complications and treatment of oral cancer, but further multi centers and large sample size studies are necessary to validate this claim.

Herbal Therapy: Chaste Tree Berry's Estrogenic Effects

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrients
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

The use of plants for healing purposes has been predated long before the existence of modern medicine. Herbal plants have formed a fundamental source for conventional medicine in discovery of single ingredient medication, including aspirin (from willow bark), quinine (from cinchona bark), and morphine (from the opium poppy)......

Chaste-tree berry (Vitex agnus-castus L.) displaced estrogenic ability induced the reaction of estrogen from the binding site of estrogen receptors alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta), in ameliorated the deregulation of 17β-Estradiol (E2) in exhibited the initiation and progression of cell malignancies, affecting various aspect in women body, a study by respectable Institute suggested.

Chaste tree berry is a species of Vitex agnus-castus, genus Vitex, belonging to the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, used in herbal medicine for thousands of year as anaphrodisiac herb and considered as Queen herb in treating menstrual problems and discomforts.

According to the University of Illinois at Chicago, linoleic acid isolated from the extract of Vitex agnus-castus exerted estrogenic activity in binding to estrogen receptors, inducing certain estrogen-inducible gene expression in preserving the integrity of the genome, presented in a cell or organism.

Dr. Jarry H, the lead author in the study of "evidence for estrogen receptor beta-selective activity of Vitex agnus-castus and isolated flavones" found that beside linoleic acid, flavones derivative vitexin and penduletin. isolated from vitex agnus-castus (VAC) also expressed estrogenic effect as most active ERss-selective phytoestrogens.

Other researchers insisted that the estrogenic components of plant extracts may constitute a potential use for some dietary supplements in human for treatment of various estrogen related syndromes and diseases, including breast and prostate cancers, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and stroke, and neurodegeneration.

Taking together, Chaste tree berry processes a strong estrogenic effects in binding estrogen receptor site to preserve the balancing of hormone expression of estrogen through ER alpha and ERBeta inhibition and exhibition by regulating the function of some estrogen-inducible genes.

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Sources
(1) Isolation of linoleic acid as an estrogenic compound from the fruits of Vitex agnus-castus L. (chaste-berry) by Liu J1, Burdette JE, Sun Y, Deng S, Schlecht SM, Zheng W, Nikolic D, Mahady G, van Breemen RB, Fong HH, Pezzuto JM, Bolton JL, Farnsworth NR.(PubMed)
(2) Evidence for estrogen receptor beta-selective activity of Vitex agnus-castus and isolated flavones by Jarry H1, Spengler B, Porzel A, Schmidt J, Wuttke W, Christoffel V.(PubMed)
(3) Evaluation of estrogenic activity of plant extracts for the potential treatment of menopausal symptoms by Liu J1, Burdette JE, Xu H, Gu C, van Breemen RB, Bhat KP, Booth N, Constantinou AI, Pezzuto JM, Fong HH, Farnsworth NR, Bolton JL.(PubMed)
(4) Health effects of phytoestrogens by Branca F1, Lorenzetti S.(PubMed)