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

Saturday 20 April 2019

Herbal Bilberry Protects the Retina Against Degeneration

By Kyle J. Norton

Retinal degeneration is a condition of retinopathy associated with the gradual loss of neuron near the inner surface of the retina of the eyes.

Most cases of retinopathy are caused by abnormal blood flow.

The most common forms of retinal degeneration are macular degeneration which is a condition when the small central portion of the retina, (the macula) deteriorates and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) which is a rare genetic disorder involved a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina.

Retinal degeneration disease has been found to have a strong impact on daily life, ranging from performing basic functions to personal independence and mental health and vision loss.

According to the statistics, the overall prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is in the range of 1.38%-1.55%) and retinitis pigmentosa is 1 in 3,500 to 1 in 4,000 individuals.

Age-related macular degeneration affects more than 1.75 million individuals in the United States, and the number is increasing rapidly due to the growth of an aging population. The number of persons having AMD will increase by 50% to 2.95 million in 2020.

Symptoms of retinal degeneration may include blurred central vision or a blind spot in the center of the visual field.

In severe cases, loss of vision may be possible, particularly in people over the age of 60.

Dr. Rita Ehrlich, the lead scientist said, "Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an ocular disease that causes damage to the retinal macula, mostly in the elderly. Normal aging processes can lead to structural and blood flow changes that can predispose patients to AMD".

Bilberry is a species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, belonging to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern Europe.

The plant has been used as herbs in traditional medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea, gastritis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, ulcerative colitis, anemia, cystitis, kidney disease, and psoriasis, diabetes, etc.

Researchers in the concern about retinal degenerative diseases induced vision loss and retinal cell death examined the protective effects of the complex lutein formula (CLF) by combining several natural compounds: Calendula officinalis, Lycium barbarum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Cassia obtusifolia, and Rhodiola Rosea.

The formula showed significant protection of retinal functions in an animal model for light-induced retinal degeneration.

Before applying the formula, retinal function in animals exposed to light for 7 days decreased significantly.

However, CLF injection improved the superiority of the retinal function despite light exposure.

Furthermore, CLF restored a greater portion of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) (i.e. the nuclei of photoreceptors) in these animals compared to that of animals which had not received the formula after 7 days of light exposure.

The findings strongly suggested CLF including bilberry exerted a retinal protect against the gradual loss of vision caused by degeneration.

Dr. the lead scientist after taking other factors into account wrote in the final report, "our dietary CLF supplement attenuated retinal function loss resulting from long-term light exposure".

Long term light exposure on animal models has been associated with retinal degeneration, as it damages the retina (phototoxicity) and decreases photoreceptor which has strong implications for age-related macular degeneration.

Taken altogether, bilberry used alone or combined with other herbal remedies may be considered functional remedies for the prevention of retinal degeneration, pending to the validation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

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

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

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, 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 Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Effect of a complex lutein formula in an animal model for light-induced retinal degeneration by Cheng YP1, Ke CY2, Kuo CC1, Lee YJ. (PubMed)

Friday 19 April 2019

Whole Food Tomatoes, the Natural Prevention and Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia

By Kyle J. Norton

Hypercholesterolemia is a condition of high blood cholesterol. A condition is a form of hyperlipidemia or high blood lipids.

The cause of hypercholesterolemia is a result of overexpression low-density lipoprotein with reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein in the blood.

Believe it or not, cholesterol produced by the liver or from the outside sources is essential for the building of the strong cell membranes, production of steroid hormone and vitamin D.

However, overexpression of blood cholesterol induced hypercholesterolemia has been found to exhibit the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Compared to hypercholesterolemia, the healthy levels of LDL/HDL is any numbers that are less than 4.

There is no single cause of hypercholesterolemia. Epidemiologically, diet, obesity, genetic preposition and medical conditions such as diseases such as type 2 diabetes and an underactive thyroid are some the prevalent factors associated with the risk of the condition.

According to the statistics, over 34 million American adults are living with elevated blood cholesterol levels (higher than 240 mg/dL). ...

The most common inherited form of high blood cholesterol is called familial hypercholesterolemia found in 1/500 people.

By adopting a healthy lifestyle and moderate exercise, you may do just fine without medication.

Tomato is red, edible fruit, genus Solanum, belongs to family Solanaceae, native to South America. Because of its health benefits, the tomato is grown worldwide for the commercial purpose
and often in the greenhouse.

With an aim to find a natural ingredient or whole food for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, researchers compared the effect of dried tomato, grape and apple pomace (5% in diet) on the cholesterol levels in serum in an animal model

The study included selected male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol diet (0.3%) shortly after weaning followed by administration of individual fruits contained 47.2, 67.0 and 46.2 g of total dietary fiber per 100 g of dry matter for tomato, grape and apple pomace, respectively.

Compared to apple pomace reduced the liver cholesterol by 11% tomato showed a better-reduced cholesterol level in the liver by 15%

Tomatoes and other tested pomace species reduced cholesterol content in the heart by 18-21%.

Only tomatoes exerted a significant effect on the levels of triacylglycerol content in the heart compared to other tested pomaces.

All products strongly reduced (up to the half of the original value) the activity of enzymes HMG-CoA reductase associated with the production of cholesterol in the liver and increased the fractional catabolic rate of plasma cholesterol by 60-120%.

In rats fed with hypercholesterolemic feed and treated with lycopene orally by gavage at the dose of 5, 25, 45, 65, 85, and 105, 125 mg/kg/bw-1/d-1, researchers found that injection of all doses of lycopene exerted a statistical significance in reducing the levels of cholesterol observed by inverse U shape at the 4 weeks of the experiment.

Furthermore, serum lycopene concentration was negatively correlated with the levels of serum TC, LDL-C, particularly in the cerebral LDL-C.

In other words, serum lycopene found in the tested model showed a strong effect against brain cholesterol in the facilitating neurons damage.

Dr. Wang W, the lead scientist said, "These results suggested an inverse U-shape relation between dose and serum concentration of lycopene, and intermediate doses were most effective to protect cerebral vessels and neurons from being damaged by hyperlipidemia".

Taken altogether, tomatoes processed high amounts of lycopene may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) The effect of dried tomato, grape and apple pomace on the cholesterol metabolism and antioxidative enzymatic system in rats with hypercholesterolemia by Bobek P1, Ozdín L, Hromadová M. (PubMed)
(2) The dose-response effect of lycopene on cerebral vessel and neuron impairment induced by hyperlipidemia by Wang W, Yang W, Shen Z, Wen S, Hu M. (PubMed)

Herbal Artichoke, Protects Your Bowels Against Colorectal Cancer, According to Studies

By Kyle J. Norton

Artichoke may be the generation whole food medicine for the treatment of colorectal cancer caused by oxidative stress, some scientists suggested.

Colorectal cancer is the chronic diseases associated with a malignant tumor in the colon or rectum.

Most cases of colorectal cancer start in the cells on the surface of the inner lining tissue of the colon or rectum.

Due to the slow growth in nature, most people with colorectal cancer do not experience any symptoms until the advanced stage.

Besides most common symptoms of cancer such as unintended weight loss and loss of appetite, late stage of colon cancer can induce symptoms of change of bowel movement, bloody stool and persistent abdominal discomforts, such as cramps, gas or pain.

If you experience some of the above symptoms, please contact your doctor to rule out the possibility of colorectal cancer.

In this stage, cancer cells can also travel a distance away to infect other healthy tissue and organs, leading to a second metastasis.

In the US, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death. According to the statistic provided by the American Cancer Society, approximately, there were 97,220 new cases of colon cancer. 43,030 new cases of rectal cancer. in 2018.

The 5-year relative survival rate of localized colorectal cancer is about 92%. Therefore, people who are at a higher risk of colorectal cancer should have their bowel checked every year for preventive measure.

Artichoke is a perennial thistle of Cynara cardunculus species of the Cynara genus, belonging to the family Carduoideae native to Southern Europe around the Mediterranean.

The herbal plant has been used in traditional medicine for as liver protective and detoxified agent, and to treat digestive disorders, abdominal pain gas and bloating, etc.

Researchers on finding potential and natural compound for the treatment of colorectal cancer examined the artichoke anticancer activity against DLD1 colorectal cancer cells.

The study included the extracts from wild and cultivated Cynara species obtained from their vegetative parts and receptacles were applied with five different doses from 0.1-1 mg/ml in three time periods (24, 48 and 72 hours) to the tested model.

At IC50 doses, all extracts demonstrated a significant cell apoptotic effect by stimulating the expression of a protein associated with tumor suppression.

Futhermore, at the same IC, artichoke extracts induced cancer cells death by activating the gene expression in regulating cell death.

Moreover, injection of artichoke extracts inhibited the protein involved cell survival and pro profiferative activity.

In other words, artichoke extracts increased the pro-apoptotic (BAX) gene expression and a cell cycle inhibitor (p21) against the tumor.

In the depth analysis, researchers also found that DNA fragmentation, the indication of cell death were also found in the tested DLD1 colorectal cancer cells.

Taken altogether, artichoke may be considered a functional remedy for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, pending to the confirmation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

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

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

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, 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 Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) In vitro investigation of cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Cynara L. species in colorectal cancer cells by Simsek EN1, Uysal T. (PubMed)

Whole Food Ginger and Its Essential Oil, The Best for the Treatment of Lower Back Pain

By Kyle J. Norton

Researchers may have found a herbal remedy for the treatment of chronic lower back pain with no side effects, according to studies.

Acute lower back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) caused by injury to the muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs that last less than a few months.

Chronic lower back pain that lasts longer than 6 months normally caused by damage of nerves in the low back which supplies sensation and power the muscles in the pelvis, legs, and feet.

According to the statistics, up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. The condition affects people of all ages, particularly in occupation required the use of muscles of the lower back often.

Worldwide, years lived with a disability caused by low back pain have increased by 54% between 1990 and 2015.

Depending on the severity of the condition, chronic lower back pain can induce symptoms of numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs and intense, constant pain that gets worse at night.

Some people with chronic lower back pain may also experience symptoms of loss of bowel or bladder control and unexplained weight loss.

Conventionally, treatment of chronic back pain is to reduce the pain and improve quality of life through a lifestyle change that prevents the worsening of the pain, reduces pain intensity through medication and injection.

Physical therapy and exercise also play a critical role in increasing pain area flexibility, strengthening the back and abdominal muscles, and improving the postures.

Surgery may be necessary for chronic lower back pain associated with nerve compression.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) or ginger root, the second superfood used for thousands of years by mankind, is the genus Zingiber, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, native to Tamil.

The root has been used in traditional and Chinese medicine for the treatment of dyspepsia, gastroparesis, constipation, edema, difficult urination, colic, etc.

Researchers on finding a natural remedy for the treatment of chronic lower back pain investigate the effects of Swedish massage with aromatic ginger oil (SMGO) on chronic low back pain and disability in older adults compared with traditional Thai massage (TTM).

The randomized controlled trial included 164 patients were screened; 140 were eligible and randomized assigned evenly to either a 30-min SMGO or TTM twice a week for five weeks by the trained staff.

According to the tested assays, both SMGO and TTM scored significant improvements in pain intensity (p<0.05) and disability (p<0.05) across the period of assessments, indicating immediate, short- and long-term effectiveness.

However, SMGO was more effective than TTM in reducing pain and improving disability at short- and long-term assessments.

The findings strongly suggested the integration of either SMGO or TTM therapy as additional options to provide holistic care to older people with chronic low back pain.

Furthermore, in order to reveal more information about ginger anti chronic lower back pain activity, researchers at the University of Freiburg investigated the effectiveness of oral herbal medicines in the treatment of pain in the joints or lower back.

According to the research and review of 15 trials satisfied the standard criteria and guideline in the databases of OdVID(MEDLINE), PUBMED and COCHRANE COLLABORATION LIBRARY back to 1985.

Ginger injection showed a moderate relief of chronic lower back and joint pain in a dose of daily intake of > 50 mg.

Take all together, ginger processed a high amount of secondary metabolites may be considered a functional alternative for prevention and treatment of chronic lower back pain with no side effects, pending to the confirmation of large sample size and multicenter human study.

Back pain
(1) The effectiveness of Swedish massage with aromatic ginger oil in treating chronic low back pain in older adults: a randomized controlled trial by Sritoomma N1, Moyle W2, Cooke M3, O'Dwyer S. (PubMed)
(2) Evidence of effectiveness of herbal antiinflammatory drugs in the treatment of painful osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain by Chrubasik JE1, Roufogalis BD, Chrubasik S. (PubMed)

Phytochemical 3,3'-Diindolylmethane Kills 86% of Glioblastoma Cells in Vitro After 12 Hours

By Kyle J. Norton

Glioblastoma or glioblastoma (also called GBM) is caused mostly by the abnormal astrocytic cells and dead cells (necrosis) is considered one of the most aggressive cancers induced by the alternation of cells originated from the brain, including the cerebral hemispheres.

Although the disease does not have some specific symptoms, it shares the common symptoms of other types of cancer such as gastrointestinal discomforts accompanied by personality changes, and symptoms similar to those of a stroke.

Most patients with GBM experience symptoms of brain swelling caused by the overexpression of the fluid surrounding the tumor.

Conventionally, due to the nature of rapid growth, surgery is necessary to relieve the brain pressure and remove the tumor as much as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy.

According to the statistics, in the US, the incidence affects mostly in the elderly with the diagnosed rate of 3.19 per 100,000 persons. The disease is rare in children.

GBM is deadly, patients with GBM have a median survival of less than one year and less than 2% of patients survive three years or more.

3,3'-Diindolylmethane or DIM are phytochemicals derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, belonging to the group of Indoles, found abundantly in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale, etc.

Ahtough, 3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM) presents health benefits such as antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects), it is water insoluble and thermo- and photolabile, that restrains its pharmaceutical applications.

On finding a natural bioactive compound isolated from the plant for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) researchers examined the DIM-loaded nanocapsules (NCs) prepared with different compositions scavenging activity and cytotoxicity.

In a human glioblastoma cell line (U87 cells), administration of DIM-loaded nanocapsules (NCs) exerted significant effects in the activation of free radical cytotoxicity against the cell without causing harm to the healthy cells.

According to assays, the nanoencapsulation (NCs) promoted a sustained release of the bioactive compound in the range of 58-78% after 84 h against the tested U87 cells, compared to its free form of 86% after 12 h.

Furthermore, in the highest concentrations, NCs provided a superior cytotoxic effect against the U87 cells.

In other words, the inhibition of U87 cells is proportional to the concentration NCs.

Dr. Mattiazzi J, the lead scientist said, " Our results suggest that nanoencapsulation could be a promising approach to overcome the DIM physicochemical limitations and potentialize its biological properties".

The results suggested, NCs may provide a stable condition for the release of DIM against glioblastoma cells,

Furthermore, in the concern of the prognosis for glioblastoma patients median time of survival after diagnosis measured in months, researchers examined other mechanisms of DIM anti glioblastoma cell activity.

In culture, SAR, a series of indole-3-carbinol, particularly, DIM displayed a low micromolar activity against resistant glioblastoma cells.

Taken altogether, 3,3'-Diindolylmethane derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol may be considered a supplement for the prevention and combined with primary medicine for the treatment of glioblastoma and resistant glioblastoma, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of 3,3'-diindolylmethane in form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

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

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

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, 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 Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Incorporation of 3,3'-Diindolylmethane into Nanocapsules Improves Its Photostability, Radical Scavenging Capacity, and Cytotoxicity Against Glioma Cells by Mattiazzi J1, Sari MHM1, Lautenchleger R1, Dal Prá M2, Braganhol E2, Cruz L. (PubMed)
(2) Preliminary SAR on indole-3-carbinol and related fragments reveals a novel anticancer lead compound against resistant glioblastoma cells by Sherer C1, Tolaymat I2, Rowther F3, Warr T3, Snape TJ. (PubMed)

Thursday 18 April 2019

The 25 Health Benefits of Herbal Anise

By Kyle J. Norton

Anise is a flowering plant of the species of Pimpinella anisum, genus Pimpinella, belonging to the family Apiaceae native to Egypt and the Mediterranean region.

The 14 Health Benefits of Phytochemical Allicin

By Kyle J. Norton

Allicin is phytochemical containing sulfur in the class of organosulfur compound, found abundantly in onion and garlic.