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| In our April newsletter we look at an Indian herb used to boost fertility levels, a c-section recovery kit, how to boost your child's brain power with just one supplement, and we uncover research on how HRT and salt impact our health. Time to dust off your juicer and boost your nutrients? Read on to discover important facts and tips about carrot juice! And remember to check out the Patrick Holford seminar about simple kitchen cures for mental and emotional wellbeing. April has been a busy month in the world of health, kicking off on April 2nd with a Intestinal health, seen by most health practitioners as the key indicator of general welbeing, is also in the spotlight, with April being both Bowel Cancer Awareness and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Awareness month. With nutrition becoming a significant area of concern, many people are now taking charge of their wellbeing by moving towards a healthier diet, effectively healing their bodies from the inside out. Check out our article, Top Tips for Good Gut Health, for ideas on healthy habits worth adopting. May is also packed full of health campaigns, many of which will be featured on our homepage throughout the month, but one charity in particular caught our eye here at What Really Works...
The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID; www.fsid.org.uk) is the UK’s leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote infant health. FSID have developed 48 fundraising ideas all based on the Great-48 theme - How about doing a 48-hour chocolate detox, a 48p cake sale or a 48-minute sponsored jog? If you are interested in Save a Baby Month 2007 please email fundraising@fsid.org.uk or call 020 7222 8003. FSID funds research (nearly £10 million to date); supports bereaved families; promotes baby care advice; and works to improve investigations when a baby dies. |
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Seminar 1 - Kid Life Crisis (1.30pm - 3 pm) Seminar locations and dates: The 'New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind' seminars will include: Holford says "The drugs used today for the treatment of schizophrenia are nothing more than chemical straight-jackets. They don't cure anything. Today's anti-depressants have been clearly shown to more than double suicide risk. Ritalin increases risk for substance abuse in later life and is no cure for ADHD. We have more than enough evidence to show that these specific nutritional strategies are a safer and more effective alternative. Yet few doctors even know about these breakthroughs. Why? Because there's no money in it and no drug reps knocking on their door trying to sell oats or B vitamins. It is vital we use every means to let doctors and sufferers know about the nutritional approach."
Revised and updated, New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind by Patrick Holford (Published by Piaktus; £12.99), reveals really what good nutrition can do for the mind and shows how what you eat does affect your brain function and can transform how you think and feel. Visit www.patrickholford.com for details and bookings.
Shatavari, botanical name asparagus racemosus, is a climbing plant with fern-like foliage and a fibrous root found at up to 1,200 metres in the Himalayas and in broad-leaved forests along streams or mountain valleys in western China. In Hindi, shatavari means ‘she who possesses a hundred husbands’. According to Ayurvedic specialist Dr Vivek Wayse, stress, pollutants in our food and drink, long term use of the contraceptive pill, alcohol consumption and poor diet can all contribute to infertility. We now delay starting our families, with many women having children at 35 years and over, when ovulation and progesterone production are already in decline. It is believed that Shatavari, which contains precursors to sex hormones, can help boost fertility in both men and women, increasing both egg and sperm production. It has a long tradition of use not Shatavari’s other uses include the treatment of ulcers and other digestive problems, as a diuretic, to reduce fever and alleviate coughs. It has no known side effects and is considered an ideal daily supplement for busy working women.
A percentage of the proceeds from the C-Section Healing Kit are being donated to The International Caesarean Awareness Network, Inc (ICAN). ICAN is a nonprofit organization to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary caesareans through education, providing support for caesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC). The kit is available at www.babywishbox.com priced at £49.80, or you can purchase the healing salve separately for £29.85.
Startling new research has shown that omega fatty acids can actually boost the brain development of children by three years in as little as three months. Brain scans were used to record the changes, along with tests in reading, concentration, and short-term memory. The children in the trial were aged between 8-13 years. Even the scientists monitoring the trial were astonished by the extent of additional branching in the nerve fibres of the brain, evident in the scan results. It has been suggested that children today are deficient in essential fats because of highly processed and refined diets. Not only does EPA help with learning power, it also improves The supplement used in this trial was VegEPA, containing a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The children were given 2 capsules daily for three months and were also encouraged to cut back on fried foods, fizzy drinks, junk foods, and increase their activity levels. VegEPA is currently on special at The Nutri Centre, www.nutricentre.com, where a triple pack (3x60 capsules; 500mg) costs £30.85.
The results of a 15-year study on salt consumption are finally in. While it comes as no surprise to most of us that cutting your intake of salt reduces the risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke, scientists have concluded that our general salt consumption is still too high. Despite campaigns to reduce salt intake, such as that run by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), actual evidence of any benefit has been limited up until this point. This has enabled the salt industry to contest vigorously the value of such campaigns. The long-term study found that people who ate less salty food have a 25 percent lower risk of cardiac arrest or stroke, and a 20 percent lower risk of premature death. Ellen Mason, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Salt intake amongst many adults and children in Britain is way too high. Many people could lower the level of salt in their diet by reducing the amount of processed food they eat. Also, by simply checking the labels and switching to a lower salt option, you'll be doing your heart a favour." Exactly how salt increases blood pressure is still in dispute. The simplest explanation is that when salt intake is too high, the kidneys cannot pass it all into the urine and some ends up in the bloodstream. This then draws more water into the blood, increasing volume and pressure. The maximum recommended daily salt intake is:
HRT has been found to increase the risk of ovarian cancer by 20 percent. Previous results from the same study have linked HRT with an increased risk of breast and womb cancer. The latest findings suggest that HRT raises the combined risk of all three diseases by more than 60 percent. Despite a sharp decline in recent years in HRT use, there are believed to be about one million women in Britain still on it. Valerie Beral, director of the Cancer Research UK epidemiology unit at the University of Oxford, said: "The results of this study show that not only does HRT increase the risk of getting ovarian cancer, it also increases a woman’s risk of dying of ovarian cancer." Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women in Britain. Each year about 6,700 women develop the disease and 4,600 die from it. The findings come from a study of 948,576 post-menopausal women, or a quarter of all women aged 50 to 64 in the country. It was largely funded by Cancer Research UK. About a third of those in the study were taking HRT, and another fifth had taken it in the past. The women were followed for an average of more than five years for signs of ovarian cancer, and seven years for death. During the follow-up period a total of 2,273 women developed ovarian cancer and 1,591 died from it. HRT is used to combat unpleasant symptoms of the menopause, including hot flushes, vaginal dryness and night sweats. It was promoted strongly by doctors in the 1970s, and many women claimed that it had transformed their lives. The number of women on HRT in Britain dropped from 2 million in 2002 to 1 million in 2005 following a series of health scares. John Toy, the medical director of Cancer Research UK, said: "Considering this alongside the increases in risk for breast and endometrial cancer, women should think very carefully about taking HRT. Women who choose to take HRT should aim do so for clear medical need and for the shortest possible time."
If you are receiving this newsletter as text only, you can now view the full online version by clicking here. You can also access our entire archive of newsletters by clicking here. * Disclaimer: The advice in this newsletter should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice or treatment, especially if you know you have a specific health complaint. Our advice is that you find a GP who is sympathetic to the usefulness of natural medicine. |
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Next month is Save a Baby Month, highlighting the importance of further research into sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and asking people to get involved in the Great 48 Challenge raising a minimum of £48 to help save a baby's life. Why £48? Because FSID have discovered that £48 is the exact amount that could save a baby’s life!
An estimated one in ten people in Britain use prescription medication - anti-depressants, sleeping pills, tranquillisers and stimulants - to lift their mood, reduce anxiety or get a good night's sleep.
The focus of the seminars will be precisely what works best for beating mental health problems, with strong recommendations for sufferers, or those who have family or friends who suffer from depression, schizophrenia, fatigue, memory decline, or simply want to ensure that their children are healthy, happy and smart. Patrick will explain how anyone can maximise their memory, mood and mental health at any age with the combination of five key diet factors, plus specific supplements, which vary depending on your age and current mental health. 
Patrick Holford's Top Diet Tips for Mind and Mood:
With one in seven British couples having trouble conceiving, Nutrition Herbs has introduced a standardized preparation of 
only to prevent miscarriages but to relieve PMT, boost lactation, support for women going through the menopause, and as an aphrodisiac for men suffering from impotence.
The new 
concentration and behaviour.
Women were advised earlier this month to think "very carefully" about taking 