National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

Congress first designated November 1983 as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month .  At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s; since then, that number has more than doubled.  Each November, we recognize the 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and honor the more than 15.4 million caregivers, families and friends who support them.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that causes brain cells to degenerate and die, leading to memory loss and a decline in thinking skills.  Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 50-80% percent of dementia cases. Most individuals with the disease have late-onset Alzheimer’s, which begins to develop after reaching age 65.  Nearly 5% of people with the disease have early-onset Alzheimer’s, which can appear when someone is in their 30s, 40s or 50s.
Alzheimer’s disease is progressive.  Its symptoms move from mild to severe over a period of years, and people in its later stages may lose the ability to talk, walk and eat.  The average life expectancy of people with Alzheimer’s is anywhere from three to eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, although in some cases survival can extend up to to twenty years.  One in three seniors passes away with a form of dementia.
Some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease look similar to those commonly expected with aging.  However, memory loss caused by nerve damage gets progressively worse over time.  To learn more about Alzheimer’s warning signs, see this article comparing Alzheimer’s disease and age-related memory changes.

Treatment Options
Unfortunately a cure for Alzheimer’s disease has not yet been discovered.  However, there are ways to help manage its effects both with and without medication:

• Some prescription medications have been shown to help slow the decline of mental functions and memory loss. Currently the U.S. FDA has approved two types of medications that treat the cognitive symptoms: cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne, Cognex) and memantine (Namenda).
• Medications such as anti-depressants, anxiolytics (for anxiety/restlessness), antipsychotic medications (for hallucinations) or sleep aids may help with behavioral problems
• Individuals coping with Alzheimer’s that are still in its early stages can help maintain muscle strength and improve coordination through repetitive activities such as walking and weeding
• Incontinence aids can help caregivers with routine bathroom functions and help prevent infections
• Nutrition therapies, whether oral or enteral, can help patients meet their dietary needs

Glutathione and Alzheimer's Disease 

 The Alzheimers glutathione connection holds promise for a treatment that could truly help.

There are numerous research papers and studies on the causes of Alzheimers. Science does not fully understand the causes of Azheimers disease. There is growing evidence that life time exposures to toxins, diet, genes, and oxidative stress are all suspects. If fact, they may be co-conspirators in this greatest of all thievery, the stealing of our memories.

The national institute of aging has funded research to help better understand the genetic aspect of Alzheimers.

Low CG Syndrome

One of the main concerns of the disease is oxidative stress. Since glutathione helps fight oxidative stress, it is natural to find it depleted in conditions where there is such oxidation.
Cataracts, Parkinsons disease, glaucoma, and Alzheimers disease are all associated with what is becoming known as Low CG syndrome.
Numerous chronic diseases are associated with a low levels of glutathione. There are currently 68 that can be found in studies. The reality is there may be many more.

• immune disorders
• HIV
• cancers

Glutathione deficiencies are also a part of toxicity as occurs with medication overdose, decreased liver function, eating disorders and malnutrition.

Credits to: Glutathionediseasescure.com and Shield Health Care

10 Amazing Facts About Green Tea

Green Tea has many health benefits and is rightly now considered to be a superfood. Many reports and research show that there are some incredible properties contained in green tea, which can help to cure or prevent some serious health conditions.

1. Green tea can help to stop the growth and spread of cells that cause cancer. Research has also suggested that because Japan has a comparatively low rate of cancer, it could be down to drinking tea.

2. Tea can be a weight loss aid as there are no calories in tea without milk. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, drinking tea can be a good way to lose weight.

3. Tea can help to prevent diabetes, as it stops as much sugar being broken don, and being absorbed into the blood stream. For those with diabetes, it can also reduce the risk of cataracts.

4. Tea is very effective at thinning the blood, in fact, as effective as aspirin. This means that it can be a good alternative to taking medication on a daily basis in order to thin the blood.

5. Antioxidants contained in tea can help to prevent arthritis. The antioxidants block the enzymes which attack and destroy the bones. For those people who already have arthritis, drinking green tea can help to lessen the effects, and make the condition less painful.

6. Tea is believed to have anti aging properties. The Japanese have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, and this is partly attributed to drinking green tea. In addition, there are many new anti-aging beauty products that include tea extracts.

7. The growth of bad bacteria in the body can be slowed down by drinking this tea. This helps to speed up the growth of good bacteria, and can even help prevent viral strains of clostridia and E. coli.

8. Drinking tea helps to lower cholesterol, and can help to widen the arteries reducing the risk of heart disease.

9. Drinking around 4 cups of tea a day can help slow down tooth decay as tea contains fluoride which is important for the health of teeth.

10. Tea has around half the caffeine of coffee, which means that it can be drunk all day long without the drinker experiencing the effects of drinking too much coffee.

In order to get the health benefits of green tea, it needs to be made properly. Steeping it for too long, or not long enough, or using water at the wrong temperature can dramatically affect the taste of the tea. If you don' like the taste of the tea, then you're less likely to drink it. Why not purchase some green tea, and enjoy the taste and the amazing health benefits of green tea today?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2640254

Medical Uses of Glutathione

According to WebMD, Glutathione is a substance naturally produced by the liver. It's also found in fruits, vegetables, and meats.
People take glutathione by mouth for treating cataracts and glaucoma, preventing aging, treating or preventing alcoholism, asthma, cancer, heart disease (atherosclerosis and high cholesterol), hepatitis, liver disease, diseases that weaken the body's defense system (including AIDS and chronic fatigue syndrome), memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson's disease. Glutathione is also used for maintaining the body's defense system (immune system) and fighting metal and drug poisoning.
Glutathione is breathed in (inhaled) for treating lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and lung disease in people with HIV disease.
Healthcare providers give glutathione as a shot (by injecting into the muscle) for preventing poisonous side effects of cancer treatment (chemotherapy) and for treating the inability to father a child (male infertility).
Healthcare providers also give glutathione intravenously (by injection into the vein, by IV) for preventing "tired blood" (anemia) in kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis treatmen, preventing kidney problems after heart bypass surgery, treating Parkinson's disease, improving blood flow and decreasing clotting in individuals with "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis), treating diabetes, and preventing toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

Glutathione: An introduction

GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh-own") is the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system. It's the secret to PREVENT AGING , cancer, heart disease, dementia and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease.

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.

This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

References: 

(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29

(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. 

Sleeping Positions

Ever woke up feeling tired as if you never got to rest? This may be caused by your sleeping position. Each of us sleeps on a different angle and have our own favorite position. No matter how comforting it feels to lie on that favorite position, it'll help to know the pros and cons of each for you to decide which one will be beneficial for you. There are basically three types of position.

First is SIDE SLEEPING:
There are many proponents to this position. With the right pillow that fills up the space between the head, neck and shoulder, plus another one to be used in between the knees, this position when done right, could save you from headaches, and neck and upper back pain.
BEST FOR YOU IF: the possibility of wrinkles, and/or saggy breasts don't bother you. Gravity will pull on your skin, stretching it over time.

Next is BACK SLEEPING:
Many experts recommend this position because unlike side sleeping, this doesn't require a lot of pillows for positioning support. Plus, it helps you avoid upper and lower back problems. As a matter of fact, the only way you can possibly injure yourself is by placing your head too high when you stack pillows so that the angle of your neck is too steep. This in effect leads to misalignment and spasms- both of which are painful.  

BEST FOR YOU IF: you don't have breathing problems. Back sleeping can worsen both snoring and sleep apnea.

Lastly is STOMACH SLEEPING:
While this is very comforting for some, this also offers most chances for injury and other discomfort. Sleeping this way flattens out the natural curvatures of the spine which can distort the spinal alignment over time. This misalignment can also put pressure on the nerves in your back, leading to tingling and numbness in the body. In addition, sleeping in your stomach puts stress on your vital organs as they're forced into the most unnatural positions. While it probably won't damage your organs, it can cause discomfort and lead to restless sleep, depriving your body from resting and healing the way it needs to.
BEST FOR YOU IF: saggy breasts and wrinkles are fine with you, plus worsened acid reflux is negligible.

There you have it, the 3 common sleep positions we're all accustomed to. I'm a stomach sleeper myself and I definitely don't want to end up with a misaligned spine. The first few nights of shifting to back sleeping might be uncomfortable at first, but a few nights of discomfort is better than a lifetime of it, don't you think?

Green Tea

It doesn't take much to start living the healthy way. You can begin with your choice of drinks. Choose water over fountain drinks when dining out. Drink green tea instead of coffee as it not only helps in detoxification, it also helps you stay focused. So next time you feel like taking a shot, try a shot of green tea for a cool, healthy change. =)

Mango-Carrot Juice

For this concoction, we used carrots and mangoes. Carrots contain antioxidants that fight free radicals and help with anti-aging, while mangoes are great for digestion, skin care, memory and concentration. This sweet drink could also be mixed with oranges for added flavor and Vitamin C.