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

Thursday, 10 August 2017

Herbal Therapy: Chaste Tree Berry Reduced Symptoms of Pain in Severe Primary Dysmenorrhea

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 Nenehatun Hospital, In animal models, Chaste tree berry treatment significantly reduced symptoms of severe primary dysmenorrhea in the the end of third month of therapy.

In a total of total of 60 women with severe primary dysmenorrhea and 30 healthy women (control) included in this study. 30 patients treated with ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg/drospirenone (group 1) and another 30 treated with Fructus agni casti (group 2) during three menstrual cycles using the visual analog scale (VAS) scores, pulsatility index (PI), herbal plant treated group showed a higher mean PI and RI values in patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea in compared control groups on the first day of the first menstrual cycle (P < 0.0001) but the means of both values were significantly lower after the treatment in both groups compared to before values (P < 0.001 for both),

Additionally, researchers also found an increased uterine blood flow but no significant differences in terms of Doppler findings between group 1 and 2, as women with severe symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea exhibited normally a high impedance to blood flow in uterine arteries with a preserved cyclic pattern throughout the whole cycle.

Dr. Aksoy AN, the lead author in the study said, "The effectiveness of Fructus agni casti was similar to that of ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone in patients with primary dysmenorrhea"

Other researchers also insisted that the efficacy of Chaste tree berry in reduced pain may be associated to the antinociceptive and analgesic activities, according to the petroleum ether fraction (PEF) from the aqueous ethanol extract of Vitex negundo Linn. (Verbenaceae) seeds injection into mice study conducted by the Second Military Medical University.

More importantly, other member of the Vitex group such as Vitex doniana extract may also have an effect in reduced uterine pain through regulating the hormone production of prostaglandins, ergometrine and oxytocin which are found to have a direct involvement of uterine muscle contractions.

Taking together, Chaste tree berry may be a potential herbal medicine for treatment of painful symptoms in women with severe primary dysmenorrhea involved many mechanisms, including the antinociceptive, analgesic, hormone regulated properties.

Arthritis Is Curable
You Can Eliminate Osteoarthritis
By addressing the Underlying Causes through Clinical Trials and Studies

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

FOOD HACK for Weight Loss
A Simple Cooking Technique That Cuts The Calories & Glycemic
Impact In Rice, Pasta, And Potatoes In Half

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

Sources
(1) Evaluation of the efficacy of Fructus agni casti in women with severe primary dysmenorrhea: a prospective comparative Doppler study by Aksoy AN1, Gözükara I, Kabil Kucur S.(PubMed)
(2) Antinociceptive activities of the liposoluble fraction from Vitex negundo seeds by Zheng CJ1, Huang BK, Han T, Zhang QY, Zhang H, Rahman K, Qin LP.(PubMed)
(3) Activity of aqueous extract of the bark of Vitex doniana on uterine muscle response to drugs by Ladeji O1, Udoh FV, Okoye ZS.(PubMed)

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Herbal Therapy: Green Tea, The Best Functional Food In Reduced Risk and Treatment of Breast 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.

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)......

Green tea may be next generation of in expensive herbal medicine for reduced risk and treatment of breast cancer, a renowned institute study suggested

Breast cancer (malignant breast neoplasm) is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast either from the inner lining of milk ducts (Ductal carcinoma) or the lobules (Lobular carcinoma) that supply the ducts with milk. there is also rare cases that breast cancer starts in other areas of the breast.

Green tea, a precious drink processes numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and Western world. However, as yin in nature herbal medicine or food, long term injection of large amounts may obstruct the balance of yin-yang, induced "yin excessive syndrome" or "yang vacuity syndrome" including weaken immunity and painful case of GERD,... according to traditional Chinese medicine's Yin-Yang theory.

According to the joint study lead by the Xinyang Normal UniversityHenan, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a bioactive compound in green tea inhibited risk of breast cancer through many mechanisms involving primarily in cell death and survival.

The study also insisted the efficacy of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in reduced risk of breast cancer probably due to main function in induced cancer cell cycle arrest in interference of cell division.

In MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, Epigallocatechin gallate isolated from green tea induced apoptosis and inhibited tumorigenesis through expression of multiple signaling pathways in breast cancer cells.

Also, EGCG decreased MDA-MB-231 cell viability and significantly downregulated the expression of β-catenin in regulated the coordination of cell–cell adhesion and gene transcription, according to Western blot analysis as patients with breast cancer is found to associate to high levels of β-catenin in breast cancer tissue than in normal tissue.

Dr. Hong OY, the lead author said, "EGCG inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells through the inactivation of the β-catenin signaling pathway. Based on these promising results, EGCG may be a potential treatment for triple negative breast cancer patients.".

In polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulated in human breast cancer tissue induced the growth of estrogen-sensitive tumors, EGCG inhibited the early onset of breast cancer through modifying estrogenic activity against cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner.

Furthermore, at dose of at 25 μM, EGCG also exerted antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic action in the activation of ERβ receptor.

With all the information collected above, green tea, containing rich sources of anti malignant and non malignant tumors phytochemicals, may be considered as a functional food in reduced risk and treatment of breast cancer.

Arthritis Is Curable
You Can Eliminate Osteoarthritis
By addressing the Underlying Causes through Clinical Trials and Studies

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

FOOD HACK for Weight Loss
A Simple Cooking Technique That Cuts The Calories & Glycemic
Impact In Rice, Pasta, And Potatoes In Half

Sources
(1) Bioinformatic Prediction of Possible Targets and Mechanisms of Action of the Green TeaCompound Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Against Breast Cancer by Song X1,2, Zhang M3, Chen L1, Lin Q2.(PubMed)
(2) Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells via inactivation of the β-catenin signaling pathway by Hong OY1, Noh EM2, Jang HY1, Lee YR2, Lee BK3, Jung SH3, Kim JS1, Youn HJ3.(PubMed)
(3) Green Tea Catechin, EGCG, Suppresses PCB 102-Induced Proliferation in Estrogen-Sensitive Breast Cancer Cells by Baker KM1, Bauer AC2.(PubMed)

Herbal Therapy, Chaste Tree Berry in Reduced Risk and Treatment of Colon Cancer

Vitex agnus-castus fruit is found to process an anti irregular cell growth, the early stage of cancer development in colon, a university study 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.

Colon cancer is a medical condition of the abnormal proliferation of cells in large intestine.

According to the Tokyo University of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, treatment with chaste tree berry induced apoptosis of cancer cells not by the presence of antioxidant but expression of anti body gene HO-1 in regulating oxidative stress.

Dr. Imai M, the lead researcher said. "Vitex treatment activates a pathway associated with HO-1 gene activation, resulting in the induction of apoptosis in COLO 201, (the colon cancer cell line)".

Additionally, in a novel strategy with biological approach for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), a toxic substance, using sodium para-hydroxybenzoate tetrahydrate (SPHT) isolated from Vitex negundo leaves, treatment of sodium para-hydroxybenzoate tetrahydrate (SPHT) improved the hydroxyl and carboxylic functional groups mediators in edhibited a stronger ability towards synthesis of AgNPs which indicated the apoptotic effect on human colon cancer cell lines.

The study also insisted that the extract displays a anti colon cancer activity confirmed by colorimetric assay, annexin V/Dead Cell Apoptosis and cell cycle analysis.

Furthermore, casticin, one of the major components of the fruits of chaste tree, showed a significantly induced apoptosic effect in of HT-29, HCT-116, SW480 and Caco-2 cells, reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased the protein levels in regulation of cancer cell apoptosis and B-cell lymphoma activation of cell death of HT-29 cells, a colon cancer cell line.

Collectively, casticin also promoted Cell Death in cell division with the same mechanisms in other cancer cell lines, including HCT-116, SW480 and Caco-2 cells.

Taking together, chaste tree berry may be next therapeutic treatment for reduced risk and treatment of colon cancer, but injection of large quantity should only prescribed by related field specialists.

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

Sources
(1) Cytotoxic effects of flavonoids against a human colon cancer derived cell line, COLO 201: a potential natural anti-cancer substance by Imai M1, Kikuchi H, Denda T, Ohyama K, Hirobe C, Toyoda H.(PubMed)
(2) Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using crystal compound of sodium para-hydroxybenzoate tetrahydrate isolated from Vitex negundo. L leaves and its apoptotic effect on human colon cancer cell lines by Durai P1, Chinnasamy A2, Gajendran B1, Ramar M1, Pappu S3, Kasivelu G4, Thirunavukkarasu A5.(PubMed)
(3) Activation of the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1/c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway is involved in the casticin-induced apoptosis of colon cancer cells by Qu L1, Liu FX1, Cao XC2, Xiao Q2, Yang X2, Ren KQ2.(PubMed)

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.

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

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

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)