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Message
from the What Really Works Team |
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With
this in mind, we have made detoxification
our main homepage theme for For
those who wish to plan a personal detox programme, make sure you
read the following articles by Susan Clark before you embark on
your plan: |
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Many of you have been writing in to us asking for health information - and we have found that the most common topics of interest are arthritis, menopause, and allergies. For more information on any of these topics, simply type a relevant keyword into our search panel (now located at both the top and bottom of the main menu on the left-hand side of the homepage) and click on the Find it button or press enter on your keyboard. The keyword arthritis, for example, comes up with over 70 relevant items from our various zones - including 26 Sunday Times Q&A.
We have had a number of emails enquiring about a combined Vitamin C and Quercetin supplement for allergies and colds, as recently recommended by Susan in Saga Magazine (September 2003). In her online eczema factsheet, Susan suggests Source Naturel’s Vitamin C and Activated Quercetin, which costs £13.99 for 50 tablets and is available from Revital (0800-252875). To specifically tackle allergies you should also consider Country Life's Aller-Max, which includes stinging nettles, vitamin C, quercetin, and bromelain. 50 capsules cost £16.45. If you wish to email us with any health queries that you would like to be considered for publication in Susan Clark's Sunday Times What's the Alternative? weekly column, then please send your queries to editor@whatreallyworks.co.uk. Remember that you are welcome to remain anonymous upon request. Although we do not answer individual emails from the site, most answers to your queries can be found by using the search function on the homepage.
For information and ordering, visit Neal’s Yard Remedies online.
Earlier this week a study from the University of Reading was released which linked synthetic chemicals called parabens, used in some deodorants, with a risk of breast cancer. This is the second report published in the last year which suggests a link between the use of deodorants and an increased health risk, and raises further concerns about the wide range of other ingredients such as Aluminium chloride and Aluminium chlorohydrate that are commonly used in personal care products. To
avoid potential health-risks, be sure to only use personal-care
products that don’t use ingredients such as Parabens, Pore-Clogging
Green People Deodorants - 75ml No Scent Gentle Control, Rosemary Gentle Control, Stay Fresh, Stay Cool all £6.49, Deokrystal 100g £7.50 and new Deokrystal Spray £6.49. Visit Green People online for information and ordering.
A man’s general health is just as important to conception as a woman’s, says fertility expert Zita West, although this often gets overlooked by fertility doctors, who tend to be gynaecologists and obstetricians - specialists in female, not male, reproductive health. Very often, problems in conception are thought to be wholly the woman’s, but this is not the case. When a couple have a problem with conception, the problem is only with the woman in around 35 to 40% of the time, with the man between 30 to 35% of the time, and results from a combined problem for the rest. Over the last 50 years, there has been a worldwide reduction in average sperm counts, from 113 million per 1ml, to 70 million per 1ml. Not only that, but the percentage of sperm being produced with abnormalities has gone up 12-fold, and sperm motility has deteriorated. Recent research suggests there is a general decline in sperm production by up to 50% in some men - so given this information it’s well worth every man reviewing how his health might affect production of sperm in order to make lifestyle choices that will improve it, especially when it comes to wanting to conceive. The
good news is that through lifestyle and nutritional changes, the
quality and quantity of sperm produced by a man can be greatly improved.
It takes around 100 days for sperm to go from its first developmental
stage to readiness, so allow a 3 month period, and take For information and ordering, visit Zita West online.
This is the first and the largest trial of its type ever undertaken. It is a randomised, placebo controlled, double blind, cross over trial - which means that the doctors do not know what they are prescribing and the patients do not know what they are receiving - thus avoiding any bias. The trial will involve over 200 patients who have not responded to conventional treatments and will last for over 12-18 months. By the end of this trial (early 2004) the team expect to be in a position to make a formal announcement as to the clinical benefits of drinking aloe vera gel to help with IBS. For more information on Aloe Vera Gel drinking juice, contact Forever Living Products (020-8875-9915).
A clinical study has been published in the latest edition of Vascular Medicine (2002; 7: 265-267) which shows that taking a unique high potency Ginkgo biloba phytosome extract can help in the treatment of Raynaud’s disease. Professor Jill Belch and Dr Andrew Muir from the University of Dundee’s Institute of Cardiovascular Research conducted the trial using Seredrin, a high potency Ginkgo biloba phytosome which was supplied by Health Perception, the company founded by David Wilkie MBE. Twenty-two
Raynaud’s sufferers participated in the ten-week double-blind,
For further information on the Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association, call 0800 917 2494. For further information on Seredrin, visit Health Perception online.
Today, scientific evidence shows that extracts of lapacho offer protection against a wide range of bacterial and fungal organisms, including Candida albicans. In many parts of the world, physicians are recognising it as an aid to patients with immune-deficiency illnesses such as ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr, and Tired All The Time Syndrome, due to its positive effects on the immune system. Lapacho (Pau d'arco) is available from Rio Trading in many formats, from vegicaps (60 x 2500mg, £9.99) and an elixir (60ml, £12.99), to teabags (40 for £5.99). For information and ordering, visit Rio Health online or phone 01273-570987.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is a well-known traditional gentle and effective herb used to benefit children of all ages experiencing everyday symptoms of irritability, restlessness, colic, wind, other gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, and over-excitement. Kiwiherb
Children’s Organic Chamomile is wholly natural, using
organic Kiwiherb Children’s Organic Chamomile costs £8.35 for 50ml and £12.60 for 100ml. For information and ordering visit Xynergy online, or phone 08456-585858.
Foot Odour is most often caused by bacteria on the skin reacting with moisture (sweat) to release unpleasant odour. Bacteria multiply - particularly in warm weather - so that even after washing your feet or using a typical foot deodorant, the odour will not disappear because the bacteria are still present.
PediTech has been developed with a unique two-step proactive formula that gets to the root of the problem by first killing the offending bacteria and then guarding against its return. It is simply sprayed onto each foot every day for one week to kill the bacteria, then re-applied once or twice a week to keep feet fresh and prevent unpleasant odour returning. PediTech costs £9.95 for 50ml. For online ordering, contact Passion For Life (0800 0961121). You can also find out more about PediTech at www.peditech.com.
* 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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the start of 2004 - you can find out when is the best time to detox,
take a look at the products our links companies have recommended
to help you boost your detox programme, and we also provide a detailed
look at the most important detoxification tool of all - water.
On
the subject of menopause, Dr Sarah Brewer has just released a new
book: Menopause - What You Really Need to Know
(published by Robinson, £9.99). In this thorough guide, Sarah
Brewer offers balanced, reassuring advice on the physical, emotional
and psychological symptoms of menopause, examining the latest evidence
on both conventional treatments and alternative and complementary
approaches. You can purchase Menopause - What You Really
Need to Know from 
Aluminium,
and Ethanol. All Green People products are guaranteed
free from these and other unnecessary synthetic ingredients.
Zita
West’s specially formulated supplement, VitaMen,
which contains vitamins A, C, E and B12, Lycopene,
Zinc, Co-Enzyme Q10, amino acids Arginine
and Carnitine, to improve your chances of conception.
placebo
controlled study, with one half taking 120mg Seredrin
three times a day, and the other half taking a matched placebo.
The study showed a clear and statistically significant reduction
in the number of attacks per day suffered by the volunteers –
the number of attacks per week prior to treatment with Seredrin
was 13.2 +/- 16.5 reducing to 5.8 +/- 8.3, a reduction of 56%, whereas
placebo reduced the number by only 27%.
Also
called 
and wild-crafted herbs from its native clean, green New Zealand.
Unlike many other chamomile tinctures, Kiwiherb’s version
is pleasant to the taste, alcohol-free and sweetened with blackcurrant,
vanilla and malt. Its fast-acting formula
lies firmly in centuries of anecdotal and scientific knowledge of
the New Zealand pharmacists and medical herbalists who developed
the product. Like all Kiwiherb remedies Children’s Organic
Chamomile is a practitioner strength formula designed
to deliver its benefits where and when needed.
PediTech,
unlike most foot odour products that only temporarily mask the problem,
attacks the cause of the smell, leaving feet odour free. Contrary
to popular belief, foot odour or Bromohydrosis as it is also known,
is not just sweaty feet but is caused by naturally occurring bacteria
reacting with moisture to form unpleasant smells.