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| Thanks to the huge success of the site, we have been able to appoint Harriet Griffey as the new editor-in-chief with responsibility for the homepage which we now change every fortnight. Harriet originally trained as a nurse with the NHS and moved on to a career in health publishing, broadcasting and journalism so to say the site is in very capable hands would be an understatement! If you have information on natural health which you think we should know about, email her direct at harriet@whatreallyworks.co.uk The Monday night chats (8pm, GMT) mean we are getting to talk to more of you in person. If you've not tried it, come on line with your questions and comments. Again, we've refined the technology to make the system more efficient.
In December, we launched a new offline WhatReallyWorks subscription newsletter so you can build your own natural health encyclopedia over the year. If you would like a sample copy, email us your request via the site and we'll get one sent out to you. At the start of last month, I was in India investigating the amazing herbs and treatments that form part of the Ayurvedic tradition and some of you will have heard me talking about that on LBC radio at the weekend. Next month, I am off to New Zealand to speak at the Natural Health conference there and so I will be reporting back on my findings on my return. I am also going back to India in April to visit more Ayurvedic centres and make this information available to you through the website, my columns and books. We are now developing a WRW Message Board where you will be able to post your questions, comment on each other's health concerns and build your own natural health community to exchange information on this fascinating topic. Keep an eye on the site and we'll let you know as soon as we go live. In the meantime, if you've survived another long UK winter with the help of some of the remedies we write about, well done you. I saw daffodils in Devon at the weekend, which has to be one of the most cheering sights after six long months of rain, grey skies and yet more rain. Even my geese are fed up with the mud. I think we'll all be relieved to see the spring!
If you’re worried by damage caused by free radicals - those unstable oxygen molecules that are a by-product of our normal metabolism – you’ll be glad to know that cell damage (some of which can cause cancer in susceptible people if left unchecked) can be prevented and even reversed by antioxidants. To increase your intake in antioxidants, your diet needs to be rich in foods containing Vitamins C and E, Beta-carotene and plant sources of Vitamin A – use the search at www.whatreallyworks.co.uk for additional information on antioxidant supplements for specific conditions. These dietary antioxidants bind with free radicals and neutralise them, so preventing and reversing damage. This knowledge is now being put to good use by a research team at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, which is a centre of excellence for the treatment of cancer, who are testing whether grapeseed extract, an antioxidant thought to be even more powerful than vitamin E, can protect against painful tissue damage that occurs as a side-effect of breast cancer radiotherapy. More about this interesting research is on the WRW site’s Homepage. There is also a factsheet covering Breast Cancer available on the site, which covers the value of antioxidants in cancer treatment and prevention. Also, try searching on the site for Breast Cancer for more information.
To contact these companies via their websites, visit the links page.
Like every mother, when you are pregnant you want the best nutrition for you and your developing baby. One of the most important nutrients, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, is DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), an Omega 3 essential fatty acid. Development of the brain and eye function is at its greatest during this period, and evidence suggests that healthy development of these is directly linked to the availability of DHA during this time. In addition, the breastfeeding mother provides fatty acids in her milk essential to continuing brain and eye development after birth, so continuing to supplement her diet is beneficial to both her and her baby. The importance of DHA during pregnancy is becoming increasingly
apparent. Now there is a great new product available to them, and other mothers-to-be who want to avoid fish oils. The Sage Organic Pregnancy Dual Pack food supplement contains DHA sourced directly from marine algae, thus providing a Vegetarian and Vegan source of this fatty acid. Each multivitamin and mineral tablet provides 10mg of DHA, as well as other nutrients such as folic acid that are important for a healthy development of the baby. The accompanying herbal capsule also provides beneficial botanical extracts and organic herbs such as flax seed and spirulina to provide extra nutritional support.
The South America rainforests are home to some of the most amazingly effective herbs known to man, and in a hidden valley in the Peruvian Amazon there grows a unique strain of a herb known as Cat's Claw, called Samento. Its active ingredients have made it the leading herb for arthritis, the immune system, and detoxification but what is really interesting is that Samento is missing one group of alkaloids, the tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids, known as TOAs. However, far from inhibiting its healing action, the absence of these alkaloids seems to increase the power and efficacy of Samento. Now researchers in Austria have been evaluating this TOA-free Samento. They have carried out a trial on 40 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Against a placebo, the TOA-free Samento brought significant relief from painful and swollen joints. The improvement in this condition continued throughout the full year of the trial, and also alleviated the morning stiffness common to rheumatoid arthritis. Although initially this herb seemed to have a missing ingredient, it is to our advantage, and clearly nature has many inventive ways of providing us with effective healing herbs! Samento is available exclusively in the UK through Rio
Health Direct at
Acne is a tough condition to deal with, as any adolescent will tell you. But it’s not just adolescents who are affected. More and more people are suffering late-onset acne in their twenties or later. If you are one of the many acne sufferers who are being, or have been treated with the anti-acne drug Accutane (oral isotretinoin), you may heal more slowly and actually be at greater risk of scaring. Although it can be very effective, Accutane is a powerful drug that treats acne by reducing oil production. This in turn makes the skin very dry and extremely fragile, impairing its ability to regenerate new surface skin cells. A good way of regenerating cells is using a water splashing routine, advocated by the Sher System, where temperature controlled water is used to gently exfoliate skin and also boost the circulation of oxygenated blood to the skin’s surface, both of which helps the healing process. To treat the side effects of Accutane, try taking the Sher System’s Skin Support Formula, three times daily for a few months. This has the ability to support and detox the liver, with herbs like dandelion and chicory root. Also used in this Sher System formula is a probiotic to prevent ‘leaky gut syndrome’ caused by a strong drug like Accutane, and burdock powder known for its anti-inflammatory properties. All of which makes it an ideal complementary support for the skin, both in aiding and maintaining recovery from acne. For more information about the water treatment, or to order the
Skin Support
Who would have thought that the exotic pineapple would be good news for knees! Footballers take note! New research from the University of Reading in the UK confirms the efficacy of the pineapple extract supplement Bromelin, in the management of mild but acute knee pain in adults. The study, published in the December issue of Phytomedicine, involved a group of volunteers who had suffered knee pain for no more than three months and who were otherwise healthy. Volunteers were given either a 200mg or 400mg daily dose of Bromelin over a 30-day period. Results showed an overall 59% reduction in pain and stiffness and a vast improvement in general health and well being, with the best results coming from the higher dosage group. Bromelin contains bromelain, a digestive enzyme that is extracted
from the Lichtwer
Pharma's Bromelin tablets cost £7.99 for a pack
of 30 One-A-Day
* Disclaimer: The advice in this newsletter should not be taken
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Vitamins and Minerals for Kids
