SMOKINCHOICES (and other musings)

May 28, 2014

Li’l Bits, May 2014

Filed under: Cat saves boy from dog attack,Coffee taste + many benefits,Legionnaire's Disease update,Placenta importance -use it B4 cutting — Jan Turner @ 1:22 am
Tags: Cat saves boy from dog attack, Coffee taste + many benefits, Legionnaire's Disease update, Placenta importance -use it B4 cutting

 

   BOSTON

   Legionnaires’ disease lurking in washer fluid?

   Windshield-washer fluid might be a breeding ground for bacteria that causes the deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease, according to research released by the American Society for Microbiology at its meeting in Boston.

  •     Past studies have tied riding in automobiles to the illness, although researchers didn’t know how it happened. An investigation into fluid dispersed by school buses in Arizona seems to have provided the answer. Three-quarters of the buses tested in one district in Arizona were positive for the bacteria, the study found.

   “Washer fluid has the traits of a potentially dangerous source of Legionella-exposure needs,” Otto Schwake, a microbiology doctoral student at Arizona State University in Tempe and the study’s lead author, said.

(This has been an ongoing problem which has defied  solution for a very long time.  Wouldn’t this be a fine stroke of luck?)

dividers4

Latest study

Placenta might play larger role in baby’s health

By Denise Grady THE NEW YORK TIMES

The placenta, once thought sterile, actually harbors a world of bacteria that might influence the course of pregnancy and help shape an infant’s health and the bacterial makeup of its gut, a new study has found.  The research is part of a broader scientific effort to explore the microbiome, the trillions of microbes — bacteria, viruses and fungi — that colonize the human body, inside and out. 
Those organisms affect digestion, metabolism and an unknown array of biological processes, and might play a role in the development of obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.

During pregnancy, the authors of the new study suspect, the wrong mix of bacteria in the placenta might contribute to premature birth, a devastating problem worldwide.

Although the research is preliminary, it might help explain why periodontal disease and urinary infections in pregnant women are linked to an increased risk of premature birth. The findings also suggest a need for more studies on the effects of antibiotics taken during pregnancy.

The new study suggests that babies might acquire an important part of their normal gut bacteria from the placenta. If further research confirms the findings, that might be reassuring news for women who have had cesarean sections.   Some researchers have suggested that babies born by cesarean miss out on helpful bacteria that they would normally be exposed to in the birth canal.

“I think women can be reassured that they have not doomed their infant’s microbiome for the rest of its life,” said Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, the first author of the new study, published on Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. She added that studies were needed to determine the influence of C-sections on the microbiome.

Previous studies have looked at bacteria that inhabit the mouth, skin, vagina and intestines. But only recently has attention turned to the placenta, a 1-pound organ that forms inside the uterus and acts as a life-support system for the fetus. It provides oxygen and nutrients, removes wastes and secretes hormones.

“People are intrigued by the role of the placenta,” said Aagaard, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. “There’s no other time in life that we acquire a totally new organ. And then we get rid of it.   “We are just starting to catch a glimmer of this amazing organ.”

(Also wanted to share  (in case you aren’t aware of it,) that James and Laurentine of Hungry for Change/FOOD MATTERS fame  reveal openly their unique take on what and how to best introduce baby to the world. Even at my age, I so enjoyed it.  Their baby is 10 months old now, but they share it all. . . from the water birth,  to the delay in cutting the placental cord and what and why of their decisions regarding vaccinations for their little prince.   I hope this link works, if not, just copy and paste.  Jan)

http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/10-months-on-babies-belly-buttons-breast-milk

dividers41

Coffee keeps liver cancer-free?

By Karen Kaplan LOS ANGELES TIMES 

In their continuing quest to prove that coffee is a healthful food, medical researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 180,000 Americans and determined that the ones with a daily java habit were less likely to get a common type of liver cancer than their less-caffeinated friends.  The study was presented last week at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting in San Diego.Compared with people who drank no more than six cups of coffee per week, those who drank one to three cups per day were 29 percent less likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC, which is the most-common form of liver cancer.Serious coffee drinkers — those who downed four or more cups a day —were 42 percent less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.“Now we can add HCC to the list of medical ailments, such as Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke, that may be prevented by coffee intake,” study leader V. Wendy Setiawan said in a statement. She is an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

(Now please don’t feel that I am advocating that you run out and buy coffee and go headlong into it.  If you are a drinker of java, feel a bit more comfortable about your indulgence.  If you don’t have a taste for it, that’s fine with me.  I’ve been stealing off small sips since I was a small child (from my mother’s coffee), so I’ve kinda always had a thing for it and oh the stories I could tell!

Wanted to share a different but more elaborate rendition of the same studies I found on-line from HuffingtonPost.  I like it as it has more detail with an interesting thrust, down toward the end, there is an informational storyline linked to photos.    Enjoy.)

Coffee Drinkers May Have Lower Liver Cancer Risk

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/coffee–liver–cancer–hepatocellular-carcinom…

Oct 28, 2013 – coffee liver cancerdividers41

CAT SAVES BOY FROM DOG ATTACK

by Jennifer Chaussee  REUTERS

A California child pulled from his bike by an attacking dog on Tuesday was saved by his family’s cat, which rushed in and attacked the dog, a video posted on YouTube showed yesterday.

The video, which quickly spread on the Internet, shows a young boy playing on a bike in a driveway in Bakersfield when a dog lunges at his leg, grabs hold of it with his jaws and drags the boy off the bike.

A dark cat hurls itself onto the dog and chases it down the driveway and away from the child before a woman runs to help him. Local media reported the video was from multiple security cameras and shows graphic pictures of the bite wounds suffered by the boy.

“Thankfully, it wasn’t worse,” his father, Roger Triantafilo, wrote in posting the video. “My son is fine.”

Bakersfield police said the attacking dog, identified as an 8-month-old Labrador-chow mix, had been surrendered by its owner’s family after the attack and would be euthanized.

Police spokesman Sgt. Joseph Grubbs said the dog’s owners, who live in the same neighborhood as the boy, said the dog did not like children or b

VIDEO: Watch A Cat Save A Young Boy From A Vicious Dog …

uproxx.com/webculture/2014/05/cat–saves–boy-from-dog/

May 14, 2014 – This Video Of A Heroic Cat Saving A Boy From A Vicious Dog Attack Is … his hunting dog over one time, and that poor thing almost pissed itself in the …. sap that I am, I would feed him when it got cold) would catapult from the ..

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May 26, 2014

Sugar, Lymph & Decaf -Dr Roach

Filed under: Dr Roach - To Your Good Health,sugar- lymph - coffee — Jan Turner @ 4:58 am
Tags: BulletProof Coffee, Dr Roach - To Your Good Health, sugar- lymph - coffee

 

6-ounce glass of juice hardly a sugar overload

 

 

To Your Good Health
Keith Roach

Q: I’m a 76-year-old woman who enjoys a 6-ounce glass of ruby-red grapefruit juice every morning before my breakfast of cereal, half a banana and coffee. My husband has been trying to convince me I should stop having my morning juice, calling it a “sugar bomb.” Is he correct?

A: A 6-ounce glass of grapefruit juice is a perfectly reasonable serving size. Six ounces would contain about 16 grams of sugar. That is less than half of what is in a can of a soft drink. Your husband should lighten up. I see people drinking 64 ounces of juice or soda. Those are sugar bombs.

Q: I just found out I have lipedema, a rare disease. What can I do about it? Should I find relatives who have it? My mom and dad don’t have it, nor do other family members. Should I try to find which relatives have it? I am told that it is an inherited disease.

A: Lipedema is indeed a rare disease, although it might be under-diagnosed. It is almost always found in women and is suspected with marked fat deposition symmetrically between the waist and the ankles. The areas affected are often tender or painful to the touch. It isn’t the same as lymphedema, a fluid increase caused by poorly functioning or damaged lymph vessels, although people with lipedema can develop lymphedema.

Treatment includes compression garments or manual lymph drainage, often combined with surgical treatments such as liposuction.

Only about 15 percent of people with lipedema have a family history. It isn’t surprising that you can’t find relatives who have it.

More information is available from several support groups and at http://www.curelipedema.org/   lipedema.

Q: Please address the possible health risks of decaffeinated coffee. Is the process used harmful? I try to avoid caffeine and consume a lot of decaf coffee each day, hence exposing myself to greater amounts of what is reported to be residue from the decaffeination process.

A: Of the four ways to decaffeinate coffee, two use organic chemical solvents (methylene chloride and ethyl acetate); the others are carbon dioxide and water. Your question is about the amount of the organic solvents left in the first two methods.

(Incidentally, organic has two meanings. To a chemist, it means “carbon- and hydrogen-containing,” so both methylene chloride and ethyl acetate are organic compounds. The common use of organic means foods grown without synthetic chemicals. These terms are often in direct conflict with each other.)

The amount of residual solvent in decaffeinated coffee doesn’t pose a threat to health, the Food & Drug Administration has found.

If you are still concerned, you can purchase coffee that has been decaffeinated by the water process (sometimes called Swiss water process) or carbon dioxide, neither of which leaves chemical residues.

Dr. Roach answers letters only in his North America Syndicate column but provides an order form of available health newsletters. Write him at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or ToYourGoodHealth  @med.cornell.edu  .

 

(My  Comment:

Can’t stifle my thoughts like Archie Bunker might prefer on Q #1 here, because I regard sugar as one of the great destroyers of health in our modern society. It pervades everything and is in fact one of the major triggers for diabetes 2 (and #3 – Alzheimers disease), obesity and even heart disease.    So, on to:  

Q#1   We don’t have access to this lady’s physical status  (health picture), so we don’t know if there is a weight problem. . . but I bet there is.  The soft drink comparison is irrelevant to this issue.  While the juice is delicious and nutritive — it is high in sugar.   As is the cereal no matter what kind of cereal she is having. . .it is MORE carbs, plus the 1/2 banana = more carbs.  How does she drink her coffee. . . a little sweetener and maybe creamer (what kind of sweetener and what type of creamer non-dairy?   I agree with her husband – sugar bomb!

Everything, she is having in the morning to energize her body and face her day is presenting to her kidneys as carbohydrate which then contributes toward slanting her body toward the acidic state rather than a more neutral alkaline status which is condusive to better health.  It is also an additional burden for her pancreas and isn’t feeding her brain and other vital organs with the deeper nutrition it has a right to expect.   There is a whole lot of  stuff missing here. 

Take the coffee as an example:  Do ya know we don’t have adequate FDA regulation  with regard to coffee as they do all over Europe?  Almost any coffee you can buy in our American stores (even the best ones) come to you with molds and other pathogens.  If we want to be free of that, we must buy “organic coffee.  Try googling the Bulletproof Executive and how he makes coffee.  Organic coffee to start with, pure water,  don’t use paper filters as they prevent the natural (expensive and healthy) coffee oils from getting thru to you — you want that! Use the sheer metal filter instead – one less ongoing product to have to buy –( mine is a Braun item called Swiss Gold).  Then he adds coconut oil (couple of spoonfuls) and a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon to the cup and blend.  I use my stick blender (so versatile – 1000 uses), right in the cup and finish off with a splash of organic whole milk.  First off, it is delicious!  Actually, one cup is all one needs as it is so filling and energizing.  Will be hours before you really want or need food.  And your brain is fed and energized  (the brain needs oil to function well).  Probably the most one could force down at this point would be a few berries.

Q #2   Don’t know much about Lipedema, checked it out in my Merck Manual and it’s pretty much what Dr Roach said.  We know nothing  else regarding her health, but  according to this disease pattern,  the excess weight is borne  in the lower realms of her body  in areas not amenable to easy loss  as would be the case in the upper part of her body.   It is suggested that the lymph vessels aren’t generally damaged, yet the condition is painful or uncomfortable.  The treatment doesn’t sound inviting or agreeable at all.   

The lymphatic system needs to have the body engaged in normal or regular movement patterns which may be difficult due to discomfort.  I would suggest the use of the mini-  trampoline.  This is a gentle, easy rather enjoyable activity and the single primary reason I started with one several decades ago is stimulating the lymph system. Good for those like me who never liked ‘exercise’ per se.  If that lymph system is sluggish, health will be diminished.  So easy to take an effective action on this issue.  It would also be important to ensure that plenty of water is being ingested to help the body in the elimination of its waste.  As an aside, if experiencing problems  one can take some alfalfa tablets,  or my  favorite – Milk Thistle (known as silymarin).  Can buy those capsules everywhere as a single substance or mixed with Yellow Dock or Dandelion — all helpful in cleansing your system and kidneys (or swollen ankles).  Just sayin’ . . . . 

 Q #3   So, we’re back on coffee again (or I am).  I am personally not inclined toward decaf, and honestly don’t see why anyone would want to drink decaffeinated coffee.. . . there are so many lovely teas to enjoy.   Just heard Dave Asprey   (Bulletproof Executive) speaking of this recently on a David Wolfe video (I believe).  Can’t find my notes, so I can not address this.  Sorry.  And I do have this slight memory thing going on.  But I won’t make something up in order to save face or whatever.  

As to the FDA saying that anything is fine and not going to harm us, could anything be more ridiculous?  When have they or BIG AG or BIG PhRMA been out there fighting for what serves OUR interests?  Indeed — they serve the corporate structure and their profit picture.   Guess, that’ll do it              . Jan)

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May 22, 2014

Unguarded: 5-pt Investg’n

Filed under: Atty serves self not the wards in care,courts too busy to oversee/regulate,greed personified/system-attys,unscrupulous fees / dble-dipping,wards abused - assets striped — Jan Turner @ 4:07 am
Tags: Atty serves self not the wards in care, courts too busy to oversee/regulate, greed personified/system-attys, unscrupulous fees / dble-dipping, wards abused - assets striped

VULNERABLE  Trapped in LEGAL SYSTEM

When the COLUMBUS DISPATCH does an Investigation, it is really something — upsetting, but very impressive.  These people at the DISPATCH deserve the accolades which are pressed upon them.    The last one a year or two back was on CREDIT WOES.  As I said, upsetting, but impressive.  This one promises no less. . .its kinda moth to the flame, one can’t  help oneself, you just have to read it.  (If you missed reading the Credit Woes multi-part Investigation, you can still go online and access it). . . or search back in my posts, it’s there someplace.  

This one is called “UNGUARDED”  and its a Five-part piece which started Sunday, May 18th.  I’ll try to get a couple more up tomorrow and bring you up-to-date.  Not going to suggest you’ll have a good time in the reading,  but this is vital stuff which could  be  thrust upon any of us at any time.  It is worrisome that our legal system could allow any of us to be so  very badly treated and abused, from our youngest to the helpless and/or aged among us.  Yes, it important to become more aware and also to know what our rights and responsibilities are.   So here you go:

U N G U A R D E D

Most vulnerable trapped in system

   Tens of thousands of Ohio’s defenseless residents are caught up in a legal system that purports to protect them but exposes them to potential neglect and financial abuse.

    They are children and adults deemed incapable of making sound decisions. Their court-appointed guardians operate with little oversight. And even judges say the system is broken,    leaving innocent people open to unscrupulous guardians.

    Anyone can end up in this system. And almost anyone can become a guardian.

 

Investigations launched into billing by lawyers appointed as guardians

By Lucas Sullivan, Josh Jarman, Mike Wagner and Jill Riepenhoff THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

When a woman in his care fell and was injured, an attorney-guardian billed her $135 to talk to her family about what happened and give her father directions to the hospital.

An attorney-guardian charged seniors with dementia legal fees to buy them Christmas presents with their own money.

And another charged an elderly woman $300 for time the lawyer spent eating cookies with her.

  • When attorneys are appointed as guardians by the Franklin County Probate Court, they are supposed to look out for the best interests of the vulnerable adults, known as wards.

But a yearlong Dispatch investigation shows otherwise and has prompted criminal investigations and court audits. Among those targeted by the court is Columbus lawyer Paul S. Kormanik, who says he has more wards than any other guardian in the country.

A Dispatch examination of thousands of court records found numerous questionable bills that Kormanik submitted to the court, including more than $1,600 in legal fees to clean out a ward’s house so he could sell it. He hired his own family members to do that job, using the ward’s money to pay them.

He also billed the wards thousands of dollars for opening their mail and taking their telephone calls.

Every bill from Kormanik included this message to the court: “The services required by this ward required substantial legal skills and experience.”

Franklin County Probate Court rules specifically state that guardians cannot submit bills at legal rates for non-legal activities. Even so, court magistrates approved them. After The Dispatch raised questions about Kormanik’s billing practices, Probate Court officials began auditing some of his cases last month.

  • Probate Judge Robert G. Montgomery, Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine are now investigating how some attorneys treat and bill the people they swore in court to protect — the elderly, the mentally disabled and children.

“Our Economic Crime Unit has met with representatives of the Ohio attorney general’s office in connection with expenditures from guardian estates,” O’Brien said. “Since those matters are ongoing, I am unable to comment further or identify any specific case.”

Like O’Brien, the court officials wouldn’t discuss specific cases, but they confirmed their investigation and said in a statement that “when warranted by the facts or the law, (the court) may make any additional and proper inquiries to ensure that vulnerable wards are protected.”

Franklin County has the highest caseload per judge of any probate court in Ohio, and although two-thirds of the guardians it appoints are not lawyers, finding volunteer guardians is increasingly difficult. So the court relies heavily on lawyers who are willing to take on multiple wards. Kormanik proudly says he has about 400.

The relationship between an understaffed court that is overwhelmed with cases and lawyers who are, in essence, professional guardians has resulted in routine approval of the guardians’ actions without much scrutiny. Records show that the court staff tends to trust lawyers and dismiss complaints by wards.

  • Probate judges have broad powers to fine or jail a guardian for neglect or abuse. That has not happened in Franklin County since 2000.

In that time, about 2,500 Franklin County guardians have been hit with more than 4,500 citations, mostly related to not filing annual reports on time. Of the cases in which a guardian was removed, most were prompted by a third-party complaint from the county’s developmental-disabilities board, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or a concerned family member.

Court officials and others, such as doctors and nursing-home administrators, often call the attorney-guardians directly to get them to take on another ward rather than seeking other potential guardians.

Former Franklin County Probate Judge Lawrence A. Belskis, who served on the bench for 18 years until 2009, said he tried to rein in Kormanik’s caseload.

  • Kormanik “sought out his wards; the court didn’t assign them to him,” Belskis said. “We were trying to restrict him … because I had concerns about him.”

He said he called the Ohio Supreme Court about reviewing the guardianship system, but his concerns did not lead to a review of Kormanik’s court cases.

Montgomery, who became probate judge in January 2011, acknowledges that relying on a few lawyers has created a potential disaster.

Montgomery said that if something were to happen to Kormanik or Groveport lawyer John Mashburn, who has more than 200 wards, Montgomery would have to shut down the court’s normal operations and immediately scramble to find guardians for their wards.

“I know the judge has concerns,” Mashburn said. “Joking, he says, ‘I don’t want you and Paul on the same airplane.’”

Kormanik audit

Kormanik appeared at an April 15 hearing about the court audit of his cases but was not in court for a second hearing scheduled for May 6.

Montgomery wants him to explain why he has collected guardian fees from both a ward’s assets and from the county’s Indigent Guardianship Fund, public money set aside to pay attorneys $420 a year to serve as guardians for poor adults. To collect from both the ward and the county is double-dipping and not allowed.

The Dispatch reviewed six of the cases under investigation by Probate Court. In each case, Kormanik found money belonging to the ward, paid himself and then did not fully reimburse the indigent fund. Or he repaid the money from accounts that did not belong to him, such as a ward’s account at a nursing home where Social Security checks were deposited or financial gifts from loved ones were held.

“I think it is wise and prudent for the court to review these cases to make sure all is in order and to learn more about the repayment practices so that recommendations and improvements can be made in the process,” Kormanik said in an email on Friday. “I welcome the additional review.”

After the April 15 hearing, a magistrate ordered Kormanik to repay more than $3,000 to the indigent fund.

Kormanik also was ordered to provide an accounting by the end of this month on the sources of assets he found for his poor wards. Kormanik used those funds to pay himself more than $12,300 in fees with no explanation of the funding source.

  • “It appears the guardian-attorney Kormanik is placing his interests ahead of the ward’s best interest and the court’s best interest in maintaining a functioning” indigent fund, wrote Senior Magistrate Benjamin F. Suffron III.

Suffron removed Kormanik as the guardian of an estate in one case because he failed to report to the court that the ward had an annuity worth more than $130,000 even as he collected $1,680 from the indigent fund over four years.

  • The ward, Ginger Leppert, has long been suspicious of her guardian. In 2011, she asked the court to remove him because of “neglect. I am upset over my money and no visitation rights with my family,” she wrote.

A different magistrate dismissed her complaint as “not credible.”

Probate courts generally allow guardians to charge wards two types of fees — a guardian fee and an attorney fee.

Guardian fees are determined by formula and amount to a small percentage of the ward’s estate. That fee is meant to be a reasonable charge to cover a guardian’s time and costs to set up and travel to doctors’ appointments and review mail and pay bills, but it should be much lower than legal fees.

Attorney fees are supposed to be for legal work only. The court technically requires a hearing any time a lawyer submits a bill, but it is often waived.

Montgomery said holding hearings is nearly impossible because of the high number of fee applications. Instead, he said, the court’s nine magistrates, who have judicial powers, review the bills on the spot and can question attorneys then.

“They do get reviewed; it’s not a rubber stamp,” the judge said.

Some attorneys don’t submit their bills in person. They send assistants for approval and charge wards $100 to $200 for filing their bills with the court.

Magistrates told The Dispatch that they have encouraged attorneys to file bills even when a ward has no assets, just in case the ward eventually receives an inheritance or wins cash. Because of that pre-approval, some also appear to be tapping small funds their poor wards receive from Social Security or as gifts.

Questionable bills

The court’s inability to follow its own rules has led to hundreds of questionable bills.

Kevin A. Craine, an Upper Arlington lawyer with about 90 wards, has for years charged a majority of them fees for time spent buying them Christmas presents with their own money.

Craine’s practice is to charge the ward between $500 and $600 for a gift. That includes $300 to shop for the gift, $100 for his daughter or a staff member to deliver it, and about $150 in legal fees to file a paper in court to withdraw funds. He does not provide the court with receipts to show what he bought.

Craine said he feels that wards who have money deserve a good Christmas.

“Some of these people have no involvement from anybody at Christmastime, and you get them a planter, you get them whatever, and there’s a little bit of Christmas given to that person,” he said. “It sounds schmaltzy, but that’s what it’s all about.”

In another instance, he turned in a bill for nearly $15,000 that included a “wholesale” or catchall fee of $5,900 — a charge for any phone calls, emails or other correspondence throughout the year for which he had not accounted earlier.

“We don’t do this anymore,” he said. “The court specifically told us, ‘Don’t do that,’ and we don’t.”

But court documents show that magistrates approved such catch-all charges as recently as January.

Some judges in other Ohio counties who saw copies of bills from Kormanik and Craine said they would not accept them.

Thomas A. Swift, probate judge in Trumbull County since 1979 and former chairman of the Ohio Judicial Conference, said lawyers should know better than to bill wards legal rates for guardianship work.

He said he occasionally receives bills with legal fees attached to what he considers guardian work, such as meeting with the ward or coming to the court to file paperwork.

“It comes right off” the bill, Swift said. “That’s not legal work.”

Tangled web ‘looks bad’

Jane Bevington was convinced that distant family members money.  (?)

She had been in good shape and independent until just before her 90th birthday, when she began to fall down.

A family member near Detroit contacted Craine and asked that he become Bevington’s guardian for medical and financial needs, including managing her nearly $3.5 million estate.

Bevington, a former clerk in the Ohio attorney general’s office, was skeptical, so she asked attorney Lorelei M. Lanier to be co-guardian. Bevington did not realize the lawyers would charge nearly $204,000 in fees in four years.

The lawyers billed her thousands just to talk to each other. Lanier charged Bevington a $300 attorney rate to visit and have cookies with her.

Lanier could not be reached for comment.

Craine said he couldn’t explain a clear legal service provided for his fees.

Bevington was living in a Columbus nursing home in June 2011 when Craine wrote the court that she was falling. He hired an outside-care facility, Nightingale Home Care, that placed a specialist in her nursing home at a private-pay rate of $22 an hour. But he didn’t tell the court that he’s on the board of that company.

Craine incorporated Nightingale in 1994, state records show, and he serves as board chairman for the nonprofit company with $1.5 million to $2.5 million in annual revenue.

In one year, Nightingale billed Bevington more than $211,000 on top of the $58,000 a year she was paying the nursing home.

Several of Craine’s wards have been served by Nightingale.

In 2008, Craine was appointed guardian of Peggy Barton, an 80-year-old widow who had more than $705,000 in assets. In three years, Barton’s estate paid more than $500,000 for Nightingale’s around-the-clock care at her Columbus home.

Craine said he doesn’t know why he didn’t disclose his Nightingale connection in his letter to the court about Bevington, but he said he has mentioned his association to the court.

He said he has no financial stake in the company. As board chairman, Craine said he and the other board members have the ability to hire and fire the executive director, who works for the board.

His involvement raises significant questions about conflicts of interest outlined in the Ohio Rules for Professional Conduct. The rules say that a conflict could exist if a lawyer is a board member of a corporation at the same time he represents a client served by that organization.

Craine’s relationship with his ward and Nightingale also could come into conflict in cases of attorney-client privilege. The rules state that a lawyer should not allow or give the appearance that his business interests affect his representation of a client.

“It looks bad, I understand that,” Craine said. “But I assure you it’s, frankly, thankless work working for that agency. It’s completely volunteer, and I look at it as community involvement.”

Montgomery, who would not discuss specific cases, said lawyers should stay away from things that look bad.

“Even if he or she was not benefiting from that financially, the appearance of impropriety as a lawyer is something we typically try to avoid,” he said.

Bevington’s family expressed frustration with the guardianship system and her guardians, but they declined to answer questions about her estate.

Bevington died in July. In one of Craine’s final bills approved by the court, he charged her estate more than $1,200 in legal fees for five hours of work to call the funeral home and talk with her family about the funeral.

“Somebody has to commit dollars for the service, and that’s where the legal services came in,” he said.

‘Social worker’

Kormanik said last month that nursing homes and hospitals often contact him about people who need guardians. It’s in part how he has amassed about 400 wards.

“Where these cases come from is we don’t take care of the mentally ill well in our society,” Kormanik said. “So these people are out there walking the streets or not doing very well, and they face some sort of physical breakdown, and that is normally when I get the referral.”

  • Experts on guardianship, including some judges, say they are stunned that a guardian such as Kormanik is allowed to operate, saying it is nearly impossible for one lawyer to handle the needs of so many.

Kormanik described himself as a “social worker” who is always looking out for the best interests of his wards. He said he manages with four full-time employees and 21 part-time support-staff members. He contracts with other lawyers for complex legal matters.

Most lawyers said they average between 20 and 40 wards per full-time staff member in their offices. Kormanik averages 80, if you include him.

Several families complain that Kormanik has too many wards to give any of them individual attention, or even to remember details of the cases.

  • Kormanik was in court to file for fees just days after Richard Williams died in a Columbus nursing home in the fall of 2012. Kormanik contacted a local funeral home to arrange burial, but he didn’t mention Williams’ death to court officials.

In a letter to the court, Williams’ daughter Rachel Fasig wrote, “I am quite concerned that my father’s guardianship and estate has not received appropriate or compliant representation by Mr. Kormanik.”  Fasig’s letter elicited no follow-up from Franklin County Probate Court. Nothing in court rules requires a guardian to notify the court of a ward’s death.  Kormanik said he needed time to pay Williams’ bills and end arrangements before terminating the guardianship — nine months after Williams’ death.

“They aren’t these neatly tied packages with a little bow on them,” he said. “Each one has its own life, and each one has its own complications.”

Couple separated

In another case, Ellen Humbert wanted to spend her final days with her husband at a Westerville nursing home. They had been married for 45 years, and dementia had robbed Ellen of most of her memories.

A nephew pleaded with Kormanik to get Medicaid approved because the nursing home would not take residents with pending applications. Neither court records nor anyone from the nursing home nor Kormanik could explain why the couple was separated.

“We had a hard time getting phone calls returned” from Kormanik, said John Humbert, the nephew. “We went out and found an elder-law attorney and paid him to get Ellen on Medicaid.”

Critical months passed before Ellen was approved for Medicaid and reunited with her husband in spring 2013. Compounding problems from severe dementia left her speechless. She died about six weeks later.

Don Chapin, of Columbus, who is regarded as an expert elder-law lawyer, was the attorney hired by the family to get Ellen on Medicaid. Chapin said lawyer guardians are often “inexcusably ill-equipped” to handle the Medicaid system.

Kormanik said Medicaid “is the hardest thing we do.” As for getting a ward approved for Medicaid, he said, “That’s something that we try to do, but I don’t know if that’s my responsibility.”

  • Meager estate gone

When Kormanik sold Albert Metoyer’s Columbus home at auction for $50,000 in 2008, he kept about $5,800 from the sale for his fees before they were approved by the court. He submitted his bill months later, and it was approved by magistrates.

Kormanik charged attorney rates for reviewing emails and talking to a real-estate agent. He billed $250 to meet with Albert’s son, Phillip.

Albert was a veteran of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars for the Army and the Air Force. In summer 2007, at age 84, his memory was fading and he was having trouble keeping up with his bills. He had been in Heartland Victorian Village for nearly a year.

Phillip was trying to get his father on Medicaid as the nursing-home bills piled up to more than $71,000.

Without the family’s knowledge, someone from the nursing home contacted Kormanik. The home wanted Kormanik to be Albert’s guardian and to get him on Medicaid so it could be paid.

Phillip said he was blindsided when a notice from Franklin County Probate Court came, telling him that a stranger had filed to become his father’s guardian. A hearing was set.

Kormanik was awarded guardianship in July 2007. He made missteps from the start, according to court records.

His Medicaid applications for Albert were denied four times. Kormanik ignored directions from the local Medicaid office staff that, if followed, would have guaranteed approval, according to court records.

Elder-law expert Chapin said that’s unacceptable.

“It’s utter malpractice for a guardian not to know Medicaid enough that they get denied more than once,” he said. In August 2008, Kormanik submitted a 13-page bill for more than $12,000, mostly related to his failure to get Albert on Medicaid and for dealing with the nursing home’s law firm trying to collect the debt.

After numerous letters from the nursing home about Kormanik’s issues with Medicaid, the court held a rare hearing in January 2009. Kormanik was defiant and combative, according to court transcripts.

Kormanik’s testimony also revealed that Albert had died in October 2008, something the court didn’t know.

Albert’s relatives said they repeatedly called Kormanik’s office when Albert was near death to figure out funeral plans.

“He never contacted me or said anything about the funeral,” Phillip said. “I buried my dad. Kormanik didn’t do anything.”

The magistrate found Kormanik negligent for not getting Medicaid approval because he did not heed directions. The ruling meant Kormanik was personally liable for the remaining debt to the nursing home.

Then-Probate Judge Eric Brown overruled the decision but said Kormanik’s actions were “ineffective,” “inefficient” and “inadequate.” Brown’s ruling released Kormanik of any personal liability.

The same nursing home that chastised Kormanik in front of the court about his Medicaid problems also challenged the fees he charged to sell Albert’s house. Visiting Judge Thomas E. Louden agreed that Kormanik paid himself too much on the house sale, and as punishment, he ordered Kormanik to use some of that money to pay $3,300 to cover some of Albert’s nursing-home debt.

“There have been many issues about the guardian’s performance in this matter,” Louden wrote in his ruling. “The court finds the attorney fees … far exceed the quality of service to the guardianship.”

Kormanik defended his work, saying the magistrates and judges who reviewed his cases erred. As for Brown’s harsh words, Kormanik said Brown was “early in his career as judge.”

“I am not going to discuss the Metoyer case; it was an anomaly,” he said. “I have paralegals making these bills out, but ultimately, I am responsible. But sometimes we make mistakes.”

Despite signs of deeper trouble, the court handled the case as an isolated incident.

lsullivan@dispatch.com   jjarman@dispatch.com   mwagner@dispatch.com   jriepenhoff@dispatch.com

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Scholars add New Testm’t books

Filed under: 75+ Gnostic Gospels not in Bible,bks written by Jesus contemporaries,Hal Taussig prof/biblical literature NY,Joe Nocera - NY Times/New Testament — Jan Turner @ 1:10 am
Tags: 75+ Gnostic Gospels not in Bible, bks written by Jesus contemp'y, Hal Taussig prof/biblical literature NY, Joe Nocera - NY Times/New Testament

The Gospel According to Mary

 

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Joe Nocera

Opinion Twitter Logo.
One Sunday morning a few weeks ago, Hal Taussig, the co-pastor of the Chestnut Hill United Church in Philadelphia, chose one of his favorite bits of scripture to build his sermon upon. It’s called The Thanksgiving Prayer, and the portion of it that Taussig chose goes like this:

     ” O light of life we have known you

.O womb of all that grows we have known you

. O womb pregnant with the nature of the Father we have known you

.O never-ending endurance of the Father who gives birth, so we worship your goodness.”

If you are thinking that you’ve never come across such a prayer in the New Testament, you’re right, of course. The prayer was part of a treasure trove of early Christian documents, written in Coptic, discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945.   The Nag Hammadi find was, in turn, among the 75-plus early Christian documents that have been unearthed over the last century and a half. Collectively, these works were once known as The Gnostic Gospels, and they were viewed by many theologians as the work of early Christian heretics, as their interpretation of the life of Jesus was often quite different than the one recounted in the four gospels of the New Testament.

In addition to his responsibilities at the church in Philadelphia, however, Taussig is a professor of biblical literature at Union Theological Seminary in New York. One of his areas of expertise is those early Christian texts that are not part of the New Testament. Along with Karen King of Harvard Divinity School and others, he has championed the idea that the Gnostic Gospels were not necessarily heretical but were rather  an example of the diversity of thought and ideas that Christians were grappling with in the first and second centuries. Many of the academics who study these texts no longer use the term “gnostic” because of its connotation of heresy.

What’s more, Taussig believes that many of these texts are, in their own way, scriptural, as worthy of meditation and prayer as the texts in the 27 books of the New Testament. He often preaches from the early Christian texts. And in February 2012, he and a group of nationally known spiritual leaders and scholars got together in New Orleans to conduct an interesting exercise: to choose texts that might integrate well with the New Testament itself. They chose 10 of them, and the results were published in a book entitled “A New New Testament.” Earlier this year, the book landed on my desk, which is how I stumbled across Taussig and his work.

Those early Christian texts can seem quite astonishing. Several of them are told from the point of view of a woman, something that is not true of any of the New Testament. The Gospel of Mary, for instance, tells the story of Mary Magdalene, “who is portrayed as one of Jesus’s closest associates,” as Taussig writes in an introduction to that gospel, and has been given teachings from Jesus that she passes on to his male disciples. A second book that is written mostly in the female voice is “The Thunder: Perfect Mind.” A poetic work, what is particularly amazing about it is that the female voice is that of the deity Herself.

Another book, The Gospel of Thomas, has no narrative at all; it is, instead, a collection of 114 of Jesus’s sayings, some of which are familiar and many of which are not. In “A New New Testament,” Taussig and the other spiritual leaders decided to place it in front of the four traditional gospels because, as Taussig writes, “it is a near perfect example of how these additional books offer both … strong connections to the traditional New Testament and eye-popping new content not previously known.”

One point Taussig and other academics make is that we really have no idea why certain books are in the New Testament and others are not. “The making of the New Testament took 500 years,” Taussig told me, who also notes that we have no idea, in fact, who wrote many of the books that make up the New Testament — or the early Christian texts. What is almost surely true is that they were not written by Luke or Mark — or Mary Magdalene, for that matter. Even the earliest of them was written decades, if not centuries, after Jesus’s life. The matter of heresy came centuries later as well.

In his sermon about The Thanksgiving Prayer, Taussig used it to offer a meditation on the difficulties of both societal and personal growth. “There is a womb pregnant with divinity itself,” he said as he neared the end of his sermon, “making us ready for taking that next step forward, in the relationship that is hurting, the psyche that doesn’t know what to do, and the society that needs help.”

Scripture indeed.

 

(My Comment:

Been saving this article of Joe Nocera’s since December 2013 and frequently tried to access it.  Today, I was lucky and was able to import it from the NYTimes, so here it finally is.   Very much enjoyed using the link herein to read the Table of Contents  and having read thru it, must confess,  I’m gonna need to acquire a copy of this treasure.     My ragged, dog-chewed Scofield Reference Bible     from 60 + years ago won’t mind,  my treasured  ‘original’ is such a friend and so precious to me that it can’t be shaken from it’s primary position of prominence.  They can gleefully co-exist.   Jan)

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May 19, 2014

Know why we need Enzymes?

Filed under: barring 100% Raw diet - all shd take Enzymes,Dr Edward Howell started Enzyme research,enzymes - smart to do 4 many reasons — Jan Turner @ 5:57 pm
Tags: barring 100% Raw diet - all shd take Enzymes, Dr Edward Howell started Enzyme research, enzymes - smart to do 4 many reasons

(This file is a part of my personal ‘saved items’ in a collection of studies which I have used to further my own understanding.  Dr Howell is the true pioneer of this vitally important and often overlooked field revealing the Importance of Enzymes.  Because of the quality  of his inquiring  mind and his need to know “why” stuff happens, he has forged a path which is foundational to everything else which happens in and to our health.    His studies and research have been ground-breaking and enriching to us all.  I do have a couple of his books as well — why?. . . because It makes perfect sense, it works for me.

After  re-reading. . . .don’t know why I never presented it to you, my readers with whom I share almost everything,  Better late than never they say,   Jan)

Interview with Dr. Edward Howell on Enzymes

In this interview, Dr. Edward Howell tells what enzymes are, what they do in our bodies, why he believes a state of enzyme deficiency stress exists in most people, and finally, what he believes you can do about it. 
Date of Publication:1/5/2002

Enzymes and Longevity…

“Enzymes may be the key factor in
preventing chronic disease and
extending the human lifespan.”

Dr. Edward Howell was born in Chicago in 1898. He is the holder of a limited medical license from the state of Illinois.

The holder of a limited practice is required to pass the same medical boards as a medical doctor. Only surgery, obstetrics and materia medica are excluded.

After obtaining his license, Dr. Howell joined the professional staff of the Lindlahr Sanitarium, where he remained for six years. In 1930, he established a private facility for the treatment of chronic ailments by nutritional and physical methods.

Until he retired in 1970, Dr. Howell was busy in private practice three days each week. The balance of this time he devoted to various kinds of research.

Dr. Howell is the first researcher to recognize the importance of the enzymes in food to human nutrition. In 1946, he wrote the book, “The Status of Food Enzymes in Digestion and Metabolism”. Dr. Howell’s latest book is entitled “Enzyme Diet”.

This book contains the reference and source materials for the enzyme theories which Dr. Howell has collectively called The Food Enzyme Concept. The manuscript for “Enzyme Diet” reviews the scientific literature through 1973. It is approximately 160,000 words long and contains 47 tables and 695 references to the world’s scientific literature.

In this interview, Dr. Howell tells what enzymes are, what they do in our bodies, why he believes a state of enzyme deficiency stress exists in most people, and finally, what he believes you can do about it.

“Neither vitamins, minerals nor hormones can do any work — without enzymes.”

Biser: What are enzymes?

Howell: Enzymes are substances which make life possible. They are needed for every chemical reaction that occurs in our body. Without enzymes, no activity at all would take place. Neither vitamins, minerals nor hormones can do any work — without enzymes.

Think of it this way: Enzymes are the “labor force” that build your body just like construction workers are the labor force that builds your house. You may have all the necessary building materials and lumber, but to build a house you need workers, which represent the vital life element.

Howell: I believe it’s one of the paramount causes of premature aging and early death. I also believe it’s the underlying cause of almost all degenerative diseases.

To begin with, if the body is overburdened to supply many enzymes to the saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice and intestinal juice, then it must curtail the production of enzymes for other purposes.

If this occurs, then how can the body also make enough enzymes to run the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, muscles and other organs and tissues?

This “stealing” of enzymes from other parts of the body to service the digestive tract sets up a competition for enzymes among the various organ systems and tissues of the body.

“The resulting metabolic dislocations may be the direct cause of cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic incurable diseases.”

This state of enzyme deficiency stress exists in the majority of persons on the civilized, enzyme-free diet.

Biser: Did human disease begin when man started cooking his food?

Howell: This is what the evidence indicates.

For example, the Neanderthal Man of 50,000 years ago used fire extensively in his cooking. He lived in caves and ate mostly roasted meat from the continuous fires which warmed the caves. These statements are documented by scientific evidence in my published and unpublished works.

From fossil evidence, we know that the Neanderthal Man suffered from fully-developed crippling arthritis.

It’s possible that the Neanderthal Man also had diabetes or cancer or kidney disease and so forth. However, we’ll never know since all soft tissue have disappeared without a trace.

Incidentally, another inhabitant of the caves was the cave bear. This creature protected the Neanderthal Man from the cave tiger, who also wanted the protection of the cave to avoid the frigid weather. The cave bear, according to paleontologists, was a partially domesticated animal and most likely lived on the same roasted meat that the cave man ate. Like the cave man, the cave bear also suffered from chronic, deforming arthritis.

Biser: Isn’t it possible that cold weather, not cooked food, was responsible for the arthritis of the Neantherthal Man?

Howell: No, I don’t think weather had much to do with it.

For example, consider the primitive Eskimo. He lived in an environment just as frigid as that of the Neanderthal Man. And yet, the Eskimo never suffered from arthritis and other chronic diseases.

Incidentally, another effect associated with food enzyme deficiency is that the size of the brain decreases. In addition, the thyroid overenlarges, even in the presence of adequate iodine. This has been shown in a number of species. Of course, you can’t prove it on human beings. The evidence, however, is very suggestive.

Biser: What else is there?

Howell: Next, consider that the human pancreas is burdened with enzyme production far in excess of any creature living on a raw food diet. In fact, in proportion to body weight, the human pancreas is more than twice as heavy as that of a cow.

Human beings eat mainly cooked foods, while cows eat raw grass.

Then there is evidence that rats on a cooked diet have a pancreas about twice as heavy as rats on a raw diet.

Moreover, evidence shows that the human pancreas is one of the heaviest in the animal kingdom, when you adjust for total body weight.

This over enlargement of the human pancreas is just as dangerous – probably even more so — than an over enlargement of the heart, the thyroid and so on. The overproduction of enzymes in humans is a pathological adaptation to a diet of enzyme-free foods.

The pancreas is not the only part of the body that over secretes enzymes when the diet is cooked. In addition, there are the human salivary glands, which produce enzymes to a degree never found in wild animals on their natural foods.

In fact, some animals on a raw diet do not have any enzymes at all in their saliva. The cow and sheep produce torrents of saliva with no enzymes in it.

Dogs, for instance, also secrete no enzymes in their saliva when they’re eating a raw diet. However, if you start giving them cooked starchy food, their salivary glands will start producing starch-digesting enzymes within ten days.

In addition, there is more evidence, that the enzymes in saliva represent a pathological and not a normal situation. To begin with, salivary enzymes cannot digest raw starch. This is something I demonstrated in the laboratory.

The enzymes in saliva will only attack a piece of starch once it is cooked. Therefore, we see that the body will channel some of its limited enzyme producing capacity into saliva only if it has to.

Incidentally, there is some provocative animal research which I have done in my own laboratory some years ago. If you’d like, I can explain it now for your readers.

Biser: Yes, please do.

Howell: I fed one group of rats a cooked diet and one group a raw diet and let them live out their lifespan to see which group would live longer.

*                *                *

Howell:  Although most nutritionists claim that enzymes in food are destroyed in the stomach, they overlook two important facts.  First of all, when you eat food, acid secretion is minimal for at least thirty minutes. As the food goes down the esophagus, it drops into the top portion of the stomach. This is called the cardiac section, since it’s closer to the heart.

The rest of the stomach remains flat and closed while the cardiac section opens up to accommodate the food. During the time the food sits in the upper section, little acid or enzymes are secreted by the body. The enzymes in the food itself go about digesting the food. The more of this self-digestion that occurs, the less work the body has to do later.

When this 30 to 45 minute period is over, the bottom section of the stomach opens up and the body starts secreting acid and enzymes. Even at this point, the food enzymes are not inactivated until the acid level becomes prohibitive. You see, food enzymes can tolerate chemical environments many times more acid than neutral.

Biser: Do animals also have a special section of the stomach where food digests itself?

Howell: Absolutely. In fact, some creatures have what I call a food enzyme stomach.

These are the cheek pouches of monkeys and rodents, the crop of many species of birds, and the first stomachs of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

When birds, for instance, swallow seeds or grains, these grains lie in the crop for 8 to 12 hours. As they sit, they absorb moisture, swell up and begin to germinate. During germination, enzymes are formed which do the work of digesting the seeds and grains.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises have a first stomach which secretes no enzymes. Whales, for example, swallow large quantities of food without chewing it. The food simply decomposes and digests itself. In the flesh of the fish and other marine life the whale eats an enzyme called cathepsin, which breaks down the fish once it has died. In fact, this enzyme is present in almost all creatures.

After the whale’s catch has liquified itself, it passes through a small hole into the whale’s second stomach.

It mystifies scientists how the whale’s catch can get through that small hole into the stomach. They have no idea that self-digestion was at work.

“Vegetables and fruits are not concentrated sources of enzymes.”

Biser: Most–if not all of us, eat lots of cooked foods every day. Can we make up for this enzyme loss by eating raw foods in addition?

Howell: No. Cooked foods cause such a large drain on our enzyme supply that you can’t make it up by eating raw foods. In addition, vegetables and fruits are not concentrated sources of enzymes. When produce ripens, enzymes are present to do the ripening. However, once the ripening is finished, some of the enzymes leave and go back into the stem and seeds.

For example, when companies want to get enzymes from papaya, a tropical fruit, they use the juice of unripe papaya. The ripe papaya itself has no great concentration of enzymes.

Biser: Are there any foods particularly high in enzymes?

Howell: Bananas, avocados and mangos are good sources. In general, foods having a higher calorie content are richer in enzymes.

“Enzyme Inhibitors”

Biser: Do you recommend all raw foods as sources of enzymes?

Howell: No. There are some foods, seeds and nuts, that contain what are called enzyme inhibitors.

These enzyme inhibitors are present for the protection of the seed. Nature doesn’t want the seed to germinate prematurely and lose its life. It wants to make sure that the seed is present in soil with sufficient moisture to grow and continue the species.

Therefore, when you eat raw seeds or raw nuts, you are swallowing enzyme inhibitors which will neutralize some of the enzymes your body produces. In fact, eating foods with enzyme inhibitors causes a swelling of the pancreas.

All nuts and seeds contain these inhibitors. Raw peanuts, for example, contain an especially large amount. Raw wheat germ is also one of the worst offenders. In addition, all peas, beans and lentils contain some.

Potatoes, which are seeds, have enzyme inhibitors.

In eggs, which are also seeds, the inhibitor is contained mainly in the egg white.

As a general rule, enzyme inhibitors are confined to the seed portions of food. For instance, the eyes of potatoes. The inhibitors are not present in the fleshy portions of fruits or in the leaves and stems of vegetables.

There are two ways to destroy enzyme inhibitors. The first is cooking, however, this also destroys the enzymes. The second way, which is preferable, is sprouting. This destroys the enzyme inhibitors and also increases the enzyme content from a factor of three to six.

Some foods, like soybeans, must be especially well heated to destroy the inhibitors.

There is one other way to neutralize enzyme inhibitors, but we’ll get to it in just a minute.

Biser: You said that it’s not possible to overcome the enzyme drain of cooked foods just by eating other raw foods. What then can people do?

Howell: The only solution is to take capsules of concentrated plant enzymes.

In the absence of contraindications, you should take from one to three capsules per meal. Of course, if you are eating all raw foods, then no enzyme will be necessary with that meal.

  • Incidentally, taking extra enzymes is the third way to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors in unsprouted seeds and nuts.

Concentrates of plant enzymes or fungus enzymes are better for predigestion of food than tablets of pancreatic enzymes. This is because plant enzymes can work in the acidity of the stomach, whereas pancreatic enzymes only work best in the alkalinity of the small intestine.

If the enzyme tablet has an enteric coating, then it’s not suitable, since it will only release after it has passed the stomach. By this time, it’s too late for food predigestion. The body itself has already used its own enzymes to digest the food.

“We see that diets deficient in enzymes cause a 30% reduction in animal life span.”

Biser: Would people benefit from taking enzymes, even if they have no problem with digestion or if they eat mainly raw foods?

Howell: They probably would benefit. Our bodies use up enzymes in so many ways that it pays to maintain your enzyme bank, regardless of what you eat. For example, enzymes are used up faster during certain illnesses, during extremely hot or cold weather, and during strenuous exercise.

Also, keep in mind that any enzymes that are taken in are not wasted since they add to the enzyme pool of your body. Furthermore, as we pass our prime, the amount of enzymes in our bodies and excreted in our sweat and urine continues to decline until we die. In fact, low enzyme levels are associated with old age and chronic disease.

So far, there’s not much hard evidence on whether taking additional enzymes will extend the lifespan. However, we do know that laboratory rats that eat raw foods will live about three years. Rats that eat enzymeless chow diets will live only two years. Thus, we see that diets deficient in enzymes cause a 30% reduction in lifespan.

If this held true for human beings, it may mean that people could extend their lifespans by twenty or more years — just by maintaining proper enzyme levels.

Editor’s Note: While not much in the way of evidence, at the time of this interview, Dr. Howell and his wife Evangeline can be offered as examples of the benefits of taking enzymes. She looks about twenty years younger than her age. And Dr. Howell, though he was well over 70 at the time, felt as alert and vital as 30 years previous. He even jogged frequently at this age.

Twelve Points On Enzymes

1. Enzymes rule over all other nutrients. Enzymes are responsible for nearly every facet of life and health and far outweigh the importance of every other nutrient.

2. Enzymes are needed to help control all mental and physical functions. Each body cell has in excess of 100,000 enzyme particles necessary for metabolic processes.

3. Enzymes cannot function properly without the presence of other substances which are known as coenzymes. Coenzymes are minerals, vitamins and proteins.

4. Once enzymes have completed their appointed task they are destroyed. For life to continue, you must have a constant enzyme supply which requires continual replacement of enzymes.

5. Enzymes are found in all living cells including raw foods or those that are cooked at a temperature lower than 116 degrees

Fahrenheit. Enzymes begin to perish when the temperature increases beyond 116 degrees. The degree of enzyme destruction is a function of time and temperature.

6. Enzymes are primarily proteins, yet enzymes need amino acids for their normal function. Hormones are primarily proteins which require interaction with enzymes to regulate bodily processes.

7. Enzymes aid in transforming proteins into amino acids. Protein does not perform its function unless broken down into amino acids. Amino acids can be considered as an enzyme carrier whose function is to transport enzymes to various functions in the body.

8. Enzymes help extract minerals from food. Enzymes transform minerals into an alkaline detoxifying agency which combines with acid cellular wastes and toxic settlements within the body thus neutralizing them and preparing them for elimination.

9. Enzymes use minerals to create an even balance of dissolved solids both inside and outside the cells, thus equalizing both internal and external pressures which we call osmotic equilibrium.

10. Vitamins are required as coenzymes to work with enzymes in every chemical reaction in every cell of the body. Without mineral extracted from food by enzymes, vitamins would be unable to perform their function.

11. An enzyme deficiency must be carefully considered as a possible precursor of bodily imbalance and consequent disease symptoms.

12. Enzymes are, therefore, justified as a supplemental dietary substance which need is parallel with mineral, vitamin and all other supportive therapies.

From “Body Electronics Fundamentals” by Douglas Morrison – page 101-102.

It Does Not Have To Be That Way!

Extensive research at hundreds of the best medical centers in the world has proved that by taking supplements of eight enzymes, you can help alleviate or prevent the majority of these and other diseases.

We Would Die Without Enzymes

No Side Effects! Over 15,000 people in Europe and Japan have been given enzyme supplementation or therapy with enormous success, all with no important side effects! The reason there are no side effects is because enzymes are food forms, not drugs. Much of the serious scientific interest began when Dr. Ernst Freund noticed that most cancer patients get thrombolysis (blood clots that cause heart attacks), and most thrombolysis patients get cancer. He suspected that the common connection might be enzymes. On testing their blood, he found both patient groups to be lacking in three important enzymes. Recently researchers found that two of those enzymes destroy blood clots and the other creates macrophages which break down fibrin. Cancer cells hide under a coating of fibrin. Once the cover is removed, our bodies killer cells destroy the cancer cells.

Everyone Has Cancer Cells–Normally!

Normally, in our bodies there are 100 to 10,000 cancer cells floating around at all times, according to medical school professor and well-known immunologist, Dr. Michael Williams. But if your immune system weakens sufficiently, the cancer cells attach themselves to an organ, building a covering of fibrin so antibodies can’t find them –and you’re in trouble!

The good news is that Dr. A.E. Leskovar reported that supplementation with enzymes increases the macrophages by 700% and killer cells by 1300% in a short time. That’s why people with healthy immune systems don’t get cancer.

European doctors have had significant success in stopping early onset cancer by oral supplementation of enzymes and by injecting the enzymes directly into the tumor.

Works Better Than Chemotherapy!

Dr. Chin Po Kim, a highly respected scientist and internationally recognized immunologist, cited a remarkable 23% overall mortality rate in cancer patients who took oral enzymes. This is about the same rate achieved by chemotherapy and radiation treatments — but with none of the side effects.

Also, several studies conducted by European scientists show that oral enzymes taken with chemotherapy and radiation improves the response rate and reduces the side effects significantly.

In published reports in several medical journals, 141 physicians participated in multicenter controlled studies treating 1004 patients with enzyme mixtures. Depending on the type, 76% – 96% were classified as improved. The enzymes reduced stiffness, joint swelling, improved ability to bend and slowed down or completely halted deterioration of the joints.

Heal Faster From Injury or Surgery!

Professor Raas of the University of Innsbruck, who is responsible for the health of Austrian athletes in the Winter Olympic games, also confirmed those findings. He stated that, “A good portion of the success achieved by the athletes under his care would not have been possible without enzymes.”

He advises even casual athletes to take enzymes daily to lessen the effects of potential injury. Another benefit of enzymes is that they regulate your metabolism. The fewer enzymes in your body the lower your energy level. Those with chronic fatigue can improve with enzymes. Doctors elsewhere have found that oral enzymes taken prior to surgery accelerates healing, allowing patients to leave the hospital quicker and resume normal routines sooner.

Weight Loss and a Cause of Obesity!

Lipase is an enzyme that aids the body in breaking down fats and removing fats from storage. Without this enzyme, fat stagnates and accumulates not only in the obvious places, but in the arteries. The fats in the arteries contribute to cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

Dr. David Galton at the School of Medicine of Tufts University tested people weighing an average of 230 pounds. He found that every one of them was lacking enzymes in their fatty tissue.

Veterinarians conducted an experiment with hogs. One group of hogs was fed only raw potatoes, the other cooked. The group eating raw lost weight; the other group eating cooked gained weight. This clearly shows the effect of enzymes on weight because even though potatoes are high in enzyme content, cooking destroys the enzymes.

Enzymes have so many functions that it takes an encyclopedia size volume of books to cover all that is known today.

As we have shown, enzymes really are essential to life. As you age, the reduced ability of your body to produce the required amounts of enzymes from their limited sources in foods makes you more vulnerable to illness and disease.

Now You Can Fight Off the Worst Diseases

Many scientists have proven that oral supplementation of enzymes builds up the immune system to fight off the worst diseases as well as improve the function of the entire body.

–

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May 18, 2014

Benefits of Juniper and Amla berries

Filed under: Indian Gooseberry or AMLA 4 cardio,Juniper berries 4 Kidneys/bladder etc — Jan Turner @ 7:23 pm
Tags: Indian Gooseberry or AMLA 4 cardio, Juniper berries 4 Kidneys/bladder etc

Juniper berries are great for your kidneys, bladder and urinary tract

by: P. Simard

(NaturalNews) Juniper berries grow from shrubs in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe and North America. There are many different kinds of juniper berries but the most common one to North Americans is known as juniperus communis. The berries’ popularity has primarily come from the fact that they’ve been added to gin in order to enhance its flavor, but as the years have gone by, many interesting health benefits have also gotten well deserved attention.

The Pharmacognosy Research medical journal states that juniper berries are great antioxidants for the body that can help contain the free radicals often responsible for many diseases. They also have quite potent antibacterial, antiviral, diuretic and antiseptic properties while displaying promising, although preliminary, results with diabetes. In general, the berries are considered extremely useful to alleviate health conditions associated to the kidneys, bladder or urinary tract.

The juniper berries are exceptionally healthy and can be consumed on a daily basis in various forms, such as teas, capsules, ointments or lotions. Researchers from the University of Michigan are on record saying that bitter herbs such as juniper do improve digestion by increasing saliva, digestive enzymes and stomach acid secretions that all contribute to breaking down food. On the other hand, they recommend taking them in moderation in order to make sure they don’t end up irritating the kidneys.

Urinary tract infections may be prevented by juniper berries

The University of Michigan has validated through research that juniper berries help increase urine output, therefore normalizing water retention. Not only can they be seen as excellent diuretics but they can also help get rid of bloating symptoms. The university comes to the conclusion that by facilitating liquid output, including toxins and unwanted bacteria, the berries most likely prevent possible urinary tract infections. The diuretic action can also help get rid of the body’s excess uric acid while also reducing fluids around joints.

The Shiraz University of Medical Sciences demonstrated how juniper berries can help protect the organism from bacteria generally responsible for the development of either E. coli, pneumonia, gonorrhea and staphylococcus aureus. The latter is an infection that often spreads in hospitals and antibiotics usually cannot get rid of it. It would certainly make sense to continue research on juniper berries to see if they could become an effective option to help control such infections.

Researchers from the University of Gazi in Turkey studied the effects produced on rats by feeding them with juniperus oxycedrus leaves. They noted that blood glucose levels were steadily falling on a daily basis over the course of their ten day experiments. Korea’s Pai Chai University did a similar study on diabetic rats by feeding them a single dose of juniperus chinensis. Following the ingestion of the berry extract, for nine straight hours the rats’ blood glucose levels would continuously diminish.

 

(My Comment:
We so often overlook the bounty available to us in plain, natural, wonderful plants, especially fruits.  We should remember that these fruits give us so much more than  sweet taste — quite often, there is fabulous “healing energy” bestowed upon us as we enjoy these flavors.  How long have we been told to have “berries” in our morning shakes and smoothies.  Not an admonishment, just a reminder.   

 Recently, both in email and snail mail,  I have received written word (advertisements) about a fairly new treatment (they say) of the Indian Gooseberry called Amla or Amalaki which is being currently used in cardiac care among other things.  Maybe its considered new by Americans because we  are just recently becoming aware of this berry which has been in use abroad for over a thousand years and greatly revered in Ayurvedic medicine.   Had never heard of these berries til now, nor have I tasted the Juniper berries.

Nothing earth shattering here, just thought you might like to know.  Jan)

Organic Facts

The health benefits of Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, can be partially attributed to its high vitamin-C content. Amla enhances food absorption, balances stomach acid, fortifies the liver, nourishes the brain and mental functioning, supports the heart, strengthens the lungs, regulates elimination of free radicals, enhances fertility, helps the urinary system, increases skin health, promotes healthier hair, acts as a body coolant, flushes out toxins, increases vitality, strengthens eyes, improves muscle tone and, acts as an antioxidant.

The Indian Gooseberry belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. This fruit ripens in the autumn in wet, forested, hilly areas on the Indian subcontinent. In India it is considered a sacred tree. The fruit is very nourishing, but it tastes sour.   Both dried and fresh fruits can be consumed for their health benefits.

It provides remedies for many diseases, so it is widely used in Ayurvedic treatment. Gooseberry is very rich in Vitamin C, and contains many minerals and vitamins like Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Carotene and Vitamin B Complex. Amla is also a powerful antioxidant agent.

Many health problems are caused by oxidative damage (when body cells use oxygen, they produce by-products called free radicals that can cause damage). Antioxidant agents prevent and repair these damages. Vitamin-C is a good antioxidant agent, which makes gooseberries a powerful tool against a variety of conditions, including various types of cancer.

 

Plus the following from WEBMD:

INDIAN GOOSEBERRY Overview Information

Indian gooseberry is a tree that grows in India and the Middle East. Indian gooseberry has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Today people still use the fruit of the tree to make medicine.

Indian gooseberry is used for high cholesterol, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), diabetes, pain and swelling of the pancreas (pancreatitis), cancer, upset stomach, eye problems, joint pain, diarrhea, dysentery, obesity, and “organ restoration.” It is also used to kill germs and reduce pain and swelling caused by the body’s reaction to injury or illness (inflammation).

How does it work?

Indian gooseberry seems to work by reducing total cholesterol levels, including the fatty acids called triglycerides, without affecting the “good cholesterol” called high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

 

And this from WIKIPEDIA:

General Info:
This tropical tree reaches 8-18 meters in height. It has gray bark and reddish wood and produces small fruits, which ripen in autumn.
All parts of the plant are used in various Ayurvedic herbal applications.
Nutrients & Applications:

Amla is helpful for a variety of digestive problems, regeneration of cells and is well known for its antioxidant properties. It supports a healthy heart and promotes good blood circulation as well as nourishes the brain improving mental functions. Fortifying for the liver, Amla is excellent for helping to flush out toxins.An aid for maintaining a healthy respiratory system, it is also used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for fertility and supporting healthy blood sugar levels. Amla is also useful in the cosmetic industry due to being an excellent moisturizer and promoting healthy luster on the skin, hair and nails. Amla reportedly also improves eyesight.Amla is highly nutritious and contains the most concentrated form of vitamin C found in the plant kingdom. Its tannins also help even dried forms of Amla to retain most of its vitamin content.

Amla is also high in chromium, zinc and copper.*

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Credit Union Financ’l Justice

Filed under: bill 2 get equal access 4 all Cred.Unions,equality is what ALL want - only fair,sb open 2 all but must qualify — Jan Turner @ 3:36 pm
Tags: bill 2 get equal access 4 all Cred.Unions, equality is what ALL want - only fair, sb open 2 all but must qualify

Congress

Bill would help some credit unions

By Jessica Wehrman THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WASHINGTON — Two central Ohio lawmakers teamed up yesterday to pass a bill that they say would allow small, privately insured credit unions to offer more loans, as well as loans at lower rates.

Reps. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, and Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township, both members of the House Financial Services Committee, were co-sponsors of a bill that would allow privately insured credit unions to have more access to credit. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, also was listed as a co-sponsor on the bill.

Their bill aims to tweak what Stivers’ office calls a “legislative oversight” that has blocked a small number of privately insured credit unions — 133 in nine states, including 58 in Ohio — from joining the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which has been a source of credit and liquidity for mortgage lending since it was created in the 1930s.

  • While federally insured credit unions have been able to join the system for decades, their privately insured counterparts, which represent groups including firefighters, teachers, churches and small businesses, have not.

Patrick Harris of the Ohio Credit Union League said his organization supports the bill. He said he believes the exclusion of privately insured credit unions was “unintentional,” but it’s resulted in 334,000 credit-union members in the state of Ohio alone being unable to access the credit offered by the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

  • The legislation, he said, “would provide all credit unions additional lending capital to better serve their members.”

But James Thurston, a spokesman for the Ohio Bankers League, said his organization has concerns. He said the credit unions in question are not federally examined or federally insured, and the organization is concerned about giving such credit unions access to the Federal Home Loan Bank System. The league’s member banks, he said, “have a real interest in the health of the system and would not like to see anything jeopardize that health.”

  • Stivers said that although the bill would allow the affected credit unions to apply, “it does not guarantee they will receive membership.” They would have to go through the same application process as everyone else.

And because the number of credit unions affected is so small, there’s “no real concentration or risk” involved with the bill, he said. The bill passed the House 395-0. In the Senate, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced a similar measure last year. jwehrman@  dispatch.com

 

(My comment:    

Isn’t this a great idea?    And the sponsorship is bi-partisan which makes it more delicious.  I’m such a fan of credit unions.  Jan)

 

 

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May 14, 2014

HBP/Heart therapy update

Filed under: Amino acid therapy 4 heart disease,amino acid therapy for pain/energy,arginine/d-ribose/L-carnitine/taurine,fix A-Fib & arrhythmia/CHF ease w/AA — Jan Turner @ 3:59 am
Tags: Amino acid therapy 4 heart disease, amino acid therapy for pain/energy, arginine/d-ribose/L-carnitine/taurine, fix A-Fib & arrhythmia/CHF ease w/AA

FUNCTIONAL,  NATURAL  HBP/Heart therapy update

This so-called “update” may become a bit tedious or tricky for me as I haven’t structured too far ahead, hence, I can’t see the end.  Only had in mind a bit more clarification of what I am personally doing and  and the changes I have made.  All premised upon the desired outcome of enhanced well-being,  more energy. . . without which, I would undoubtedly, be unable to sustain my life-style.  Kinda important as I am the only one responsible for what is happening.  I’d prefer to do it for ultimate good.  .   . yours and mine.  

As I recently posted in “Daily aspirin. . . ya sure?”.   .   .  I want to provide some extra substantiation or documentation about the various amino acids and other material with which I am working.  Need to repeat, it was Dr Blaylock’s 2-part dissertation on what he did for cardiac patients that changed my world, even tho it took me 8 years to finally hear the message.  There is an old saying,  when the student is ready, the teacher will come, . . . how else can I justify my slow learning curve?    Then, on fire, I leaped in with both feet and dug in ‘on-line’ til I found Dr Harry Elwardt [a Naturopathic physician].  Then his book with the strange title  “Let’s STOP The #1 Killer of Americans TODAY.”  [why do I pick doctors with strangely-named books?. .e.g. Dr Clark’s “Cure for All Disease”]. .  . . .became my best ‘teacher’.. . .favorite book for this purpose. [tho I have so many more] 

While Dr Elwardt, Dr Stephen Sinatra and Dr Blaylock  all go deeply into a well-rounded protocol entailing so much more than the few items I want to  discuss here, I once again, just assumed anyone who actually had any of these problems under discussion e.g.  hypertension or any of the various forms of heart disease including pulmonary and circulation, etc.,. would know about these essentials and be already taking them as part of their personal regime.  I was wrong about that;  not everybody DOES know,  nor does every doctor stress the importance say of Vitamin D,  EFA’s,   let alone the amounts to be taking for adequate usage.  One doesn’t need to be having palpitations  or allowing ‘family history of heart disease and/or dementia  dominate their activities and choices — if one has hit middle-age,  we should all be taking C0Q10 because the body gradually looses the ability to make enough for our aggressive needs.  I take  UBIQUINOL which is the preferred form of CoQ10.  And the B Vitamins.   EVERYBODY needs those B vitamins, for balance, brain, our emotional needs to be able to balance all the demands made upon us by the world, let alone our family and job.  The mental-emotional harmony can’t be achieved without the B’s. All of this is in addition to eating a wholesome, well-balanced and nutritious assortment of vital foods.  Its been decades since I have taken a multi vitamin — never liked them.  But some stuff, we must supplement.  (About those B’s,  its best to ingest a “balanced” B. . .I take a balanced B-100. . . because this class of vitamin seems rather competitive and will usurp or compromise the others if given the chance.)  

All three  doctors being referenced herein stress the usage of Nattokinase over any other form of blood thinner or aspirin usage.  All speak at length about the importance of exercise and body movement  (and I personally would like to add the need for love, fun, enjoyment or pleasure and beauty to the mix. . . for what good is life without these joys?)  So please understand,  I’ve been speaking about various forms or aspects of most all of these things for over six years now with a voluminous 2100 posts to stumble  through and it can’t be squashed  down into one small post such as this.    All three of them had a similar thrust they were having success with in treating people with various forms of heart disease from onset to end stages.  Most of these individuals were helped with this  metabolic, functional and totally natural therapy.  

One could say that their bodies had been starved of the nutrients which were needed for it to be viable, fully functioning and often, the bodies were  toxic as well.  Won’t go fully into what has gone wrong, we live in a toxic world now.  Much of it is modern agriculture (we need to get back to basics),  its GMO’s, pharmaceuticals, toxic vaccinations harming the immune systems  — even OTC stuff, the chlorinated water we all must drink per the “ins” in Washington,  And part of it is just the body giving out under its load.

This AMINO ACID Therapy:    

ARGININE   5 TO 7 GMs a day

So now those Amino Acids I’m using and the changes I’ve made:   Let me start with  ARGININE.  Dr Elwardt  practically wrote a chapter on this one and is in his opinion the most important thing in the entire book [he is that impressed with it]. . .good enough for me!  He stressed the safety of it saying that body-builders have been using far more than any dosage he uses with his cardio patients — he recommends 5 to 6 grams a day, taken in divided dose first thing in the morning upon awakening  and the last thing at night before bed.  He says drinking one to four ounces is a lot easier than taking 20 to 50 pills. . .consequently, he advises buying your arginine supplement in liquid form, followed by a powder form and is also much better absorbed.  One must separate taking arginine from any other amino acid by at least two (2) hours  (before or after), or any other form of protein as Arginine can be blocked from absorption by any of its fellow amino acids.  One can take a little carbohydrate, if necessary, to prevent any stomach upset (which I have had to do upon occasion).

There have been many clinical trials  conducted in United States hospitals and abroad as of his writing of this book — some 69,000 of them, using 30 to 50 grams daily with no side effects whatsoever, so this is extremely safe  to take.

When I searched online, I couldn’t find the liquid or powder, so took a capsule product, seemed Okay and reordered several times.  Re-reading Dr Harry’s book,  it finally registered that I may have delayed my progress by buying pills instead of liquid or powder so off I went again and in time found what I needed.   So much easier to take and the reliability factor is more consistent.  Also, I am trying to be measurably cautious as this is new territory for me.  After rereading much in the books and research online, I now realize that hugely greater dosage is not only allowable, but in many cases, advisable. . . .  even so, I inch along.  The two products I found for Arginine:    1) LIQUID  “Got Arginine?” by Morning Star Minerals, quart jar (32 oz), one ounce = 5,000 mg. (= 2 Tblsp),  I do this in AM, return to bed for 2 hours, then can coffee, eat and start my day along with L-Carnitine and Taurine plus my AM supplements.  The 2nd ARGININE product is made by NOW  and this powder is pharmaceutical grade, 100 % pure in a 1 # container, is Free Form. (Free form means the amino acid is in its purest form, needs no digestion, and is easily and immediately absorbed into the bloodstream.) ( 2 Tblsp = 4.6 gms.)  So, be cautious — start small with 5 to 6 gms a day or increase as your needs appear to be.  I’m doing 6 – 7 gms day now.

L-CARNITINE  2 – 3 GMs daily

Think of CARNITINE  as an ‘energy shuttle.’      Remember,  mostly, the Heart’s problems have generally come about because our Hearts have enormous energy needs which aren’t being met.  When problems arise, procedures and pharmaceuticals are given — none of which the heart is seeking.  Our hearts are “hungry,” they are starved for ENERGY.   Carnitine enhances fatty acid metabolism, preventing f.a.metabolites from accumulating which impairs the oxygen utilization  by heart cells.  It lets the heart do more with less oxygen.  Ischemia by definition is insufficient oxygenated blood flow to heart cells — a truly serious condition. Heavily impacts the mitochondria which can become dysfunctional.  Take your two divided doses with morning and evening meals.  Not complicated. What I do. Took Dr Sinatra’s Carnitine and its great.  But to get 1K, need toi take 3 capsules.  So I look for convenience to me and price points as I maintain a budget. 

TAURINE  2 TO 3 GMs a day

For TAURINE,   Dr Harry recommends 1K a day in the AM at the food/supplement part of morning.  But based on research I’ve found online and this lovely article I’ve brought over from  Hans Larsen who works with the excellent people at http://www.afibbers.org entitled the AFIB REPORT, . . .this article on the Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure”  I am feeling quite encouraged to go a good deal higher on Taurine for not only my heart, but the brain and my COPD and especially my hypertension.  This man has done his homework!  So, I’m upping this one.  It not only strengthens the heart muscle, regulates heartbeat and maintains cell membrane stability and comprises over 50% of the free amino acids content of the heart.  I’m using a JARROW 1K mg capsule.  Jarrow is a brand I respect.  Next, lets move on to one of my favorites. . . D-RIBOSE

D-RIBOSE 5K  ONCE, TWICE OR THREE TIMES DAILY (Huh?. . .let me explain)  

Got pain?  No Energy?  Doubt you’re gonna make it much longer?  Stop all that!  Get some D-Ribose.  The D-Ribose I’ve been using is from Jarrow, 200 grams, or 7.05 oz.   Dr Elwardt’s book advised taking 5K, divided into 2 doses. . . so that’s what I did.  My focus was singular  — solve this heart problem.. . anything else would just be gravy.  What he said is what I did.  My body was so starved that it did respond and was grateful.  All that I was doing brought the A-Fib down, eased my breathing and according to the doctor I saw about the mole on my face — also really brought my BP down too.  Couldn’t believe it.  And I was more energized.  As time passed, I believed I needed some more tweaking, so I dug in again.    On D-Ribose,  I’m sharing another treasure here with you. . go to the following link:        http://www.endfatigue.com/tools-support/D-ribose.html

 This is such a great article written in 2007 by Dr Jacob Teitelbaum on the many uses of D-Ribose.  I simply had no idea that D-Ribose could have such an empowering effect on pain.  That’s why I’ve imported it.  How many people do you know who fights pain? In their trials, they are using 5 MG – three times a day for a minimum of three weeks.  Pain gone!  Can wait to try it.  But there are others who take it routinely as it keeps the pain down which returns when they stop it.  Having this theme repeated, it seems clear that there is no harm to be  felt by using the larger dosage, so now, I am feeling more comfortable in venturing out.  This about does it, I no longer feel obsessed about touting someone wrong in giving it a go with these amino acids.  Athletes and body builders among us have done it for a very long time  (the higher dosage amounts) and they have mostly profited from it.   If we can try to better our lives with the same attempt, or as in my own case, trying to save my life, doing what I feel is safe and within reason financially as opposed to PhRMA with its exorbitant cost and side effects that can maim or kill. . . well, guess what I’m gonna do?

glyph

 

 

Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure

by Hans R. Larsen, MSc ChE

Heart failure is defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. The term �congestive heart failure� implies that the impaired blood flow is causing fluid retention in the lungs, legs, ankles or feet. Other common symptoms include shortness of breath when lying down or during exercise, fatigue and weakness, reduced exercise capacity, and rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis) and heart attack are the most common causes of heart failure along with high blood pressure, faulty heart valves, damage to the heart muscle, inflammation (myocarditis), and congenital heart defects. Untreated chronic heart arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, may also lead to heart failure as may the presence of diabetes, severe anemia and thyroid problems. Finally, there is evidence that heart failure is associated with a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) which is exacerbated with the use of thiazide diuretics.

The primary diagnostic markers of heart failure are left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40% and a blood (plasma) level of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in excess of 100 pg/mL. An elevated blood (serum) level of C-reactive protein is also associated with heart failure.

Conventional Treatment

Regardless of the cause and manifestation of the disease (left-sided heart failure, right-sided heart failure, systolic heart failure or diastolic heart failure) the medications commonly prescribed for heart failure are as follows:

ACE inhibitors such as enalapril, lisinopril and captopril which dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and decrease the workload on the heart.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers such as losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan) which have effects similar to those of ACE inhibitors.

Beta-blockers such as bisoprolol and carvedilol which slow heart rate and reduce blood pressure.

Digoxin (Lanoxin) which slows the heart beat and increases the strength of heart muscle contractions. Unfortunately, it has many serious adverse effects and is probably not that effective. Further reading on digoxin

Diuretics such as butmetanide and furosemide which help prevent and eliminate fluid build-up.

Aldosterone antagonists such as aldosterone and eplerenone. These are potassium-sparing and may help reverse scarring of the heart and help patients with severe heart failure live longer.

The most recent AHA/ACCF Guidelines for the Management of Heart Failure[1] recommend the following treatment protocol for patients with structural heart disease (valve problems) and symptoms of heart failure[2]:

Treatment of hypertension if present
Treatment of high cholesterol if needed
Regular exercise
No smoking and limited alcohol intake
Restricted salt intake
Routine drug therapy with diuretics, ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers
Selected drug therapy with aldosterone antagonists, angiotensin II receptor blockers, digoxin.

The following comments in the guidelines regarding potassium are of particular interest[3]:

�Patients with HF (heart failure) should be monitored carefully for changes in serum potassium, and every effort should be made to prevent the occurrence of either hypokalemia or hyperkalemia, both of which may adversely affect cardiac excitability and conduction and may lead to sudden death. Activation of both the sympathetic nervous system and rennin-angiotensin system can lead to hypokalemia and most drugs used for the treatment of HF can alter serum potassium. Even modest decreases in serum potassium can increase the risks of using digitalis and antiarrhythmic drugs, and even modest increases in serum potassium may prevent the use of treatments known to prolong life. Hence, many experts believe that serum potassium concentrations should be targeted in the 4.0 to 5.0 mmol per liter range.�

Alternative Treatment

The goal of alternative and complementary therapies is to increase the pumping efficiency of the heart and to alleviate the adverse effects of conventional treatment. Several natural substances have been found effective in the treatment of heart failure. Substantial evidence of efficacy is available for the following:

Coenzyme Q10
Pycnogenol
L-carnitine
Thiamine
Magnesium
Potassium
D-ribose
Fish oil
Hawthorn
Vitamin D
Arginine
Taurine

Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone, ubiquinol) is an essential component of the mitochondria, the energy-producing unit of every cell of our body. Heart failure is associated with a pronounced coenzyme Q10 deficiency, and low coenzyme Q10 levels are associated with increased mortality in heart failure patients.[4,5] There are several clinical trials which clearly show that supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (150 � 650 mg/day) markedly improves heart function in heart failure patients.[6-9] More recent research has shown that ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 is even more effective in the treatment of heart failure.[10]

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation is of extreme importance in heart failure patients on statin drugs. Research has shown that these drugs seriously impede the synthesis of coenzyme Q10 leading to such adverse effects as myalgia (muscle pain), fatigue, breathing difficulties, memory loss, and peripheral neuropathy. Fortunately, supplementation with coenzyme Q10, preferably in conjunction with discontinuation of statin drugs, can completely reverse these effects.[11-14]

Well-functioning heart cell mitochondria are essential to heart health. Coenzyme Q10 is the �spark plug� that powers the mitochondria. Recently, a new supplement, chloroquine quinone (PQQ) has been developed which markedly increase the formation of new mitochondria.[15-17] Thus, it would seem that a protocol which combines ubiquinol (3 x 100 or 3 x 200 mg/day) with PQQ (20 mg/day) would be greatly beneficial.

Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory extracted from the bark of the French Maritime pine tree. It has an amazing range of beneficial effects including reduction of glucose levels, management of chronic asthma, reduction of platelet aggregation (as effective as aspirin, but without the negative side effects), and regeneration of vitamins C and E. Of more immediate interest is a recent finding that pycnogenol, in combination with coenzyme Q10, materially improves the health of heart failure patients. An Italian clinical trial recently concluded that the combination of pycnogenol and coenzyme Q10 (50 mg/day Q10 and 15 mg/day pycnogenol) increased left ventricular ejection fraction and walking distance in a group of heart failure patients.[18]

Carnitine
Carnitine is a vitamin-like compound responsible for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. Thus it, along with coenzyme Q10, is essential for cellular energy production. There is evidence that l-carnitine itself reduces symptoms of chronic heart failure[19], but research into the benefits of carnitine supplementation has largely focused on propionyl-l-carnitine, a naturally occurring derivative of l-carnitine. Several clinical trials have concluded that treatment with orally administered propionyl-l-carnitine (3 x 500 mg/day) is effective in increasing exercise capacity and left ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure patients.[20-22] Not surprisingly, a combination of l-carnitine and ubiquinol has also been found effective in reducing breathlessness, fatigue and palpitations, and improving walking distance in heart failure patients.[23]

Thiamine
Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is a prominent member of the water-soluble B-complex. It is required for the proper metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and is intimately involved in ATP production (energy generation) in every cell. Clinical research has shown that about a third of hospitalized heart failure patients are deficient in thiamine and that from 55 to 98% of patients on the diuretic furosemide suffer from severe thiamine deficiency.[24,25] Fortunately, it is possible to reverse the adverse effects of thiamine deficiency by supplementing with 300 mg/day of thiamine.[26]

Magnesium
Magnesium is of key importance to human health. It participates in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. A deficiency has been linked to conditions such as irregular heartbeat, asthma, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, mitral valve prolapse, stroke and heart attack, diabetes, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, migraine, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and probably many more. About 99% of the body’s magnesium stores are found in the bones and tissues and heart tissue is particularly rich in this important mineral. Only 1% of the body’s magnesium is actually present in the blood so a standard blood analysis is a very poor way of determining overall magnesium status.

Magnesium deficiency is widespread in the general population and especially pronounced in atrial fibrillation and heart failure patients, especially if treated with loop diuretics (thiazides), digoxin and ACE inhibitors.[27,28] There is evidence that magnesium deficiency is associated with a much lower survival rate in heart failure patients.[29] Fortunately, there is also evidence that replenishment of magnesium with oral supplementation, specially magnesium orotate, can markedly improve both clinical symptoms, survival and quality of life.[30]

A growing body of evidence points to a close connection between magnesium deficiency and mitral valve prolapse and, perhaps even more importantly, clinical trials have shown that supplementation with magnesium can partially or fully eliminate the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse.[31,32]

Intramuscular injections of magnesium sulfate and oral supplementation with chelated magnesium (magnesium glycinate) are effective means of increasing magnesium level in heart cells.

Potassium
Potassium is a very important electrolyte and an adequate level is essential to ensure proper heart function. As in the case of magnesium, potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) is widespread among heart failure patients and is further exacerbated if the patient is on loop diuretics (thiazides), digoxin and ACE inhibitors.[28] Scottish researchers have found that the optimum potassium level for heart failure patients is between 4.5 and 5.5 mmol/L (mEq/L). Levels lower than this increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and death. For those with low potassium levels, the researchers recommend supplementation with potassium and magnesium combined with aldosterone blockade to prevent increased potassium excretion.[33] Aldosterone blockade can be achieved through the use of ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, or aldosterone receptor blockers (spironolactone and eplerenone). Excessive potassium excretion can also be prevented through the use of potassium-sparing diuretics such as triamterene (Dyrenium) and amiloride (Midamor).[34]

Whichever protocol is used to achieve a potassium level between 4.5 and 5.5 mmol/L, it should be kept in mind that a low magnesium level (hypomagnesemia) increases potassium excretion, and it is very difficult to remedy hypokalemia without first attaining normal magnesium levels. One study found that 42% of people with low magnesium levels also had low potassium levels.[35,36]

D-ribose
D-ribose is a simple, five-carbon sugar which acts as fuel in the production of ATP, the body�s source of energy. Clinical studies have shown that d-ribose is highly effective in increasing ATP production in heart failure patients and thus ameliorating symptoms of fatigue, improving the heart�s pumping capacity, and generally resulting in a better quality of life.[37] Two clinical trials have found that supplementation with 5 grams of d-ribose 3 times daily is effective in improving heart failure symptoms.[38,39]

Fish oil
There is overwhelming evidence that consumption of fatty fish and supplementation with fish oil are highly beneficial in maintaining heart health. A fish oil intake of at least 1 gram/day reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death by as much as 80%, most likely through the ability of fish oil to increase heart rate variability, which is usually too low in heart failure patients.[40] The large GISSI-HF clinical trial found that supplementation with 1 gram/day of fish oil reduced hospital admissions and death in a group of 7000 heart failure patients.[41] A more recent trial involving 133 heart failure patients concluded that supplementation with fish oil increases left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise capacity, and reduces annual hospitalization rate from 30% to 6%.[42]

Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is a powerful heart tonic widely used in Germany in the treatment of heart failure, either on its own or in addition to standard medical treatment. Hawthorn increases the strength of the heart�s contraction (inotropic effect similar to that exhibited by digoxin). It also increases blood flow in the heart, increases left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise tolerance, and relieves other symptoms of heart failure. The German Commission E has approved the use of hawthorn in stage II (NYHA classification) heart failure.

The product most widely used in Germany is WS1442 which is an extract of hawthorn leaf and flower standardized to contain 18.75% of oligomeric procyanidins. A recent Cochrane review of 10 clinical trials evaluating the effect of hawthorn in heart failure patients concluded that supplementation with hawthorn (most likely 450 mg of WS1442 twice daily) improved exercise tolerance and significantly reduced symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue. Most of the clinical trials used hawthorn as an adjunct to standard medical treatment. Adverse effects were infrequent, mild and transient. The Cochrane researchers conclude that �there is a significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes from hawthorn extract as an adjunctive treatment for chronic heart failure�.[43]

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, but rather a hormone which the body can make using sunlight. The skin contains a cholesterol derivative, 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D), which is converted to vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is converted in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] which in turn is converted, mostly in the kidneys, to the active hormone 1,25(OH)2D or calcitriol. There are two forms of vitamin D supplements � vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol and vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol. Vitamin D2 is synthetic and has only about half the efficacy of vitamin D3 when it comes to raising blood levels of 25(OH)D, the commonly used measure of vitamin D concentration.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread and has been implicated in cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Most researchers now consider a 25(OH)D level below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) to be deficient and an optimum level to be about 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL). A low vitamin D [25(OH)D] level is common among heart failure patients and is an indicator of a poor prognosis. Dutch researchers have found that heart failure-related mortality increases by 10% for each 10 nmol/L decrease in 25(OH)D level.[44] Fortunately, it is relatively simple to correct a vitamin D deficiency. It can be achieved slowly through oral supplementation with 2000 to 4000 IU/day of cholecalciferol over a 6-month period, or quickly by using one-time doses as high as 500,000 IU.[45,46]

Arginine
L-arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that acts as a physiological precursor of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, in turn, plays a crucial role in regulating blood circulation, dilates blood vessels, and helps prevent the formation of blood clots. The effect of supplementation with arginine has been studied extensively and it has been found useful in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders including mild and moderate heart failure.[47] Supplementation with l-arginine has been found to increase exercise tolerance and improve right ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure patients.[48-50] Improvement may be seen in as little as 7 days using dosages of 2 to 3 grams three times daily.

Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid widely distributed in human tissue. It is essential for proper cardiovascular function, and the development and function of the central nervous system, retina and skeletal muscle. It is a powerful antioxidant and protects against toxicity of lead and cadmium. It has also been found effective in lowering cholesterol and by keeping potassium and magnesium inside of heart cells and excessive sodium out, it helps prevent arrhythmia (including atrial fibrillation), and acts as a diuretic.

Taurine deficiency is common among heart failure patients; thus, it is not surprising that Japanese researchers, 30 years ago, reported that taurine supplementation (2-3 grams/day) is effective and entirely safe in the treatment of congestive heart failure.[51-54] More recent research has shown that taurine supplementation (500 mg three times daily) for 2 weeks significantly increases exercise capacity in heart failure patients.[55] There is also evidence that taurine exerts an inotropic effect similar to that of digoxin (without the side effects), and that it has diuretic effects and counteracts the adverse effects of angiotensin II.[56,57] Thus taurine supplementation could potentially reduce the need for treatment with ACE inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers and digoxin.

Summary

It is clear that heart failure patients are often deficient in nutrients crucial to proper heart function. In many cases, these deficiencies are exacerbated by drugs (digoxin, diuretics, statins and ACE inhibitors) prescribed as part of the standard medical treatment for heart failure. It is thus of utmost importance that patients

confirm that their medications are indeed needed and that dosages are optimum � minimizing digoxin dosage is particularly important.

determine when possible if they are deficient in any of the critical nutrients discussed.

rectify confirmed and likely deficiencies with appropriate supplementation.

gradually wean off redundant medications as their condition improves as a result of the elimination of nutrient deficiencies.

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May 9, 2014

T-Cell path to Cancer-cure?

Filed under: Dr Rosenberg of NCI / brilliant work,harnessing cancer-fight'g T-cells,KUDOS 2 Nat'l Cancer Institute,new path in research 4 cancer = XLNT — Jan Turner @ 4:24 pm
Tags: Dr Rosenberg of NCI -immune cells, harnessing cancer-fight'g T-cells, KUDOS 2 Nat'l Cancer Institute, new path in research 4 cancer = XLNT

Latest research

Patient’s immune cells shrink her cancer tumors

By Denise Grady THE NEW YORK TIMES

Doctors have taken an important step toward a long-sought goal: harnessing a person’s own immune system to fight cancer.

An article published yesterday in the journal Science describes the treatment of a 43-year-old woman with a deadly type of cancer that had spread from her bile duct to her liver and lungs despite chemotherapy.

  • Researchers at the National Cancer Institute sequenced the genome of her cancer and identified cells from her immune system that attacked a specific mutation in the malignant cells. Then, they grew those immune cells and infused billions of them back into her bloodstream.

The tumors began “melting away,” said Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, senior author of the article and chief of the surgery branch at the cancer institute.

The woman is not cured: Her tumors are shrinking but not gone. And an experiment on one patient cannot determine whether a new treatment works.         (scientific mind @ work..Jan)

  • Rosenberg’s patient, Melinda Bachini, of Billings, Mont., learned in 2009 that she had bile-duct cancer and it had spread to her liver. She had surgery to remove about two-thirds of her liver, but within a few months the disease had turned up in her lungs. She went through one grueling regimen of chemotherapy, then another. Her tumors began growing again.

In March 2012, Rosenberg’s team removed tumors from her lungs to extract tumor-infiltrating T cells, then cultured the cells in a lab. A month later, more than 42 billion T cells were infused into Bachini.

But by last summer, the lung tumors were growing again.

  • By then the team had sequenced the genome of her cancer, and done extensive studies on her immune system. And it had found what researchers had long hoped for: a mutation in the cancer that was unique to it and not found in normal cells, and a type of T cell that would attack the mutation.

Again, the team cultured Bachini’s T cells. In October, she received more than 120 billion T cells, 95 percent of which were the highly specific ones.

Her tumors quickly began shrinking and have continued to do so for the past six months, Rosenberg said.

Bachini said she was grateful for every day. “I pretty much can do anything I want,” she said.

Rosenberg said the team has identified unique mutations and T cells ready to attack them in three of four other patients with cancers in the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment plans are underway.

 

(My Comment:

This appears to be absolutely spectacular AND  the direction in which “science” should be probing.  Ms. Bachini’s   story  presented herein, demonstrates how ineffectual the standard,  traditional  treatment of chemotherapy along with surgery has proved to be.     Further assault on a sick and wounded body can never help it.

Dr Rosenberg’s theory and  treatment of working “with the body rather than against it” is apparently at least a part of the magic here.  The body could accept this as it was familiar to it!

Bravo Dr Rosenberg and National Cancer Institute!  B R A V O  !            .  Jan)

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Daily Aspirin. . .ya sure?

Filed under: nattokinase lowers viscosity aids blood flow,nattokinase superior to prescr. meds — Jan Turner @ 2:32 am
Tags: Natto lasts longer - no side effects, nattokinase lowers viscosity aids blood flow

Heart health

Aspirin’s preventive value is challenged

By Will Dunham REUTERS

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration yesterday questioned the value of taking aspirin to try to ward off a first heart attack or stroke in people who never have had cardiovascular problems.

The FDA’s statement follows its decision last week to turn down a request by German drug maker Bayer AG to change the labeling on packages in order to market aspirin’s value in preventing heart attacks in people who never have had cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Robert Temple, the agency’s deputy director for clinical science, said in an FDA “consumer update” that people should use daily aspirin therapy only after talking to a health-care professional who can assess the benefits and risks.

Such aspirin therapy reduces the clumping action of the blood’s clotting cells, called platelets, and may prevent a heart attack, experts say. But experts also warn that there may be serious side effects from daily use of aspirin, including internal bleeding.

“Since the 1990s, clinical data have shown that in people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke or who have a disease of the blood vessels in the heart, a daily low dose of aspirin can help prevent a reoccurrence,” Temple said on the FDA website.

  • But the agency added, “After carefully examining scientific data from major studies, FDA has concluded that the data do not support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called ‘primary prevention.’”

The FDA said that in these people, “The benefit has not been established but risks such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach — are still present.”

The American Heart Association recommends, “People at high risk of heart attack should take a daily low dose of aspirin if told to by their health-care provider, and that heart-attack survivors regularly take low-dose aspirin.”

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a UCLA cardiologist and a representative of the association, said there is potential for confusion among the general public resulting from the FDA statement.

“I think it’s really important that before anybody initiates an aspirin regimen — and most critically before any individual considers discontinuing their aspirin regimen — that they speak specifically to their physician who knows their medical history,” he said.

 

(My Comment:

It is gratifying to see  some doctors taking a bigger, broader view of studies which have been done.  Don’t know why this is coming to light only now,  I have been predisposed to this thinking for perhaps forty years and rather thought it was common knowledge. . . .   .   speaking here of the awareness that aspirin can cause this silent bleeding and it can be unknown when it happens.  Not a good thing.

Like many others, I too have been bullied into the taking of blood thinners — the rat poison kind,  (Coumadin or Warfarin) and protested every prescription I filled for years.  Never found a doctor who would listen to me with regard to Nattokinase.  Nattokinase is a natural product made from fermented soy (not GMO), which is not only as good as any blood thinner —  but far, far better.  It was difficult for me to know the science behind it and not be able to avail it for myself.   Eventually, I won out by just quitting the pharmaceutical on my own.   It may break some PhRMA company’s  heart, but it doesn’t break any laws.  

While I have often spoken of Nattokinase and stressed that I DO take this product, perhaps I have erred in not going an extra mile in finding some evidence as to why I take it in the first place.  Well, I’m doing that now; have two here which should reveal the soundness of choosing this over expensive rat poison, etc.,.  I’ve selected the first one because it was Dr Sumi who first found it, isolated it and did the research, ultimately bringing it to market.  .  .  which is when I heard about it around 10 years ago, from Ron Pelligrini   of Vital Nutrients over in Chicago.  Spoken of him before (my go-to-guy when I really need to know something)  Ron knew that I had been taking blood thinners (unhappily) and he cautioned me not to just jump in and start taking Natto;  had to stop that first and because the two products taken simultaneously could lead to inability to clot blood which is necessary under certain circumstances.  Of course, it is best to be under the supervision of an integrative physician who is able to supervise this.

The 2nd one is from Dr Stephen Sinatra detailing how he uses this successfully in his ‘Metabolic Cardiology”  . . .   .   .  so here we go.   .    Jan)

Nattokinase

 

A great food derivative for those have had heart attacks and strokes due to clotting

What Is Nattokinase?

Nattokinase is a potent clot dissolving substance (an enzyme) extracted from a traditional Japanese food called Natto. It is produced by a fermentation process after adding Bacillus natto, a friendly bacteria, to boiled soybeans. This produces a fermented cheese-like food that has been used in Japan for over 1000 years for its popular taste and as a folk remedy for heart and vascular diseases. It contains nattokinase enzyme, a great clot buster that may be even superior to current drugs, such as Warfarin and Urokinase.

The Discovery of Nattokinase

Doctor Hiroyuki Sumi had long searched for a natural agent that could successfully dissolve thrombus associated with cardiac and cerebral infarction (blood clots associated with heart attacks and stroke). Sumi discovered nattokinase in 1980 while working as a researcher and majoring in physiological chemistry at Chicago University Medical School. After testing over 173 natural foods for clot-dissolving potential, Sumi found what he was looking for when Natto was dropped onto artificial clot (thrombus) in a Petri dish and allowed it to stand at 37 C (approximately body temperature). The thrombus around the natto dissolved gradually and had completely dissolved within 18 hours. Sumi named the newly discovered enzyme “nattokinase”, which means “enzyme in natto”.

Potent Thrombolytic Activity

The human body produces several types of enzymes for making thrombus, but only one main enzyme for breaking it down and dissolving it – plasmin. The properties of nattokinase closely resemble plasmin. According to Dr. Martin Milner, from the Center for Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, what makes nattokinase a particularly potent treatment, is that it enhances the body’s natural ability to fight blood clots in several different ways; Because it so closely resembles plasmin, it dissolves fibrin directly. In addition, it also enhances the body’s production of both plasmin and other clot-dissolving agents, including urokinase (endogenous). “In some ways, Milner says, nattokinase is actually superior to conventional clot-dissolving drugs, which are only effective when taken intravenously and often fail simply because a stroke or heart attack victim’s arteries have hardened beyond the point where they can be treated by any other clot-dissolving agent. Nattokinase, however, can help prevent that hardening with an oral dose of as little as 100 mg a day.” 1,7

The Prolonged Action of Nattokinase

Nattokinase produces a prolonged action (unlike antithrombin drugs that wear off shortly after IV treatment is discontinued) in two ways: it prevents coagulation of blood and it dissolves existing thrombus. Activity of NK has been determined to last from 8 to 12 hours.

The Mechanism Behind Thrombus

Blood clots (or thrombi) form when strands of protein called fibrin accumulate in a blood vessel. In the heart, blood clots cause blockage of blood flow to muscle tissue. If blood flow is blocked, the oxygen supply to that tissue is cut off and it eventually dies. This can result in angina and heart attacks. Clots in chambers of the heart can mobilize to the brain. In the brain, blood clots also block blood and oxygen from reaching necessary areas, which can result in senility and/or stroke.

Thrombolytic enzymes are normally generated in the endothelial cells of the blood vessels. As the body ages, production of these enzymes begins to decline, making blood more prone to coagulation. This mechanism can lead to cardiac or cerebral infarction, as well as other conditions. Since endothelial cells exist throughout the body, such as in the arteries, veins and lymphatic system, poor production of thrombolytic enzymes can lead to the development of thrombotic conditions virtually anywhere in the body.

It has recently been revealed that thrombotic clogging of the cerebral blood vessels may be a cause of dementia. It has been estimated that sixty percent of senile dementia patients in Japan is caused by thrombus. Thrombotic diseases typically include cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, cardiac infarction and angina pectoris, and also include diseases caused by blood vessels with lowered flexibility, including senile dementia and diabetes (caused by pancreatic dysfunction). Hemorrhoids are considered a local thrombotic condition. If chronic diseases of the capillaries are also considered, then the number of thrombus related conditions may be much higher. Cardiac infarction patients may have an inherent imbalance in that their thrombolytic enzymes are weaker than their coagulant enzymes. Nattokinase holds great promise to support patients with such inherent weaknesses in a convenient and consistent manner, without side effects.

Nattokinase is capable of directly and potently decomposing fibrin as well as activating pro-urokinase (endogenous).

Research In The United States

Dr. Martin Milner of the Center for Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon and Dr. Heinous Makise of the Imadeqawa Makise Clinica in Kyoto, Japan were able to launch a joint research project on nattokinase and write an extensive paper on their findings. “In all my years of research as a professor of cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine, natto and nattokinase represents the most exciting new development in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular related diseases,” Dr. Milner said. “We have finally found a potent natural agent that can thin and dissolve clots effectively, with relative safety and without side effects.” 1

Animal & Human Studies

Nattokinase has been the subject of 17 studies, including two small human trials.

Dr. Sumi and his colleagues induced blood clots in male dogs, then orally administered either four capsules of nattokinase (250 mg per capsule) or four placebo capsules to each dog. Angiograms (X-rays of blood vessels) revealed that the dogs who received nattokinase regained normal blood circulation (free of the clot) within five hours of treatment. Blood clots in the dogs who received only placebo showed no sign of dissolving in the 18 hours following treatment.1

Researchers from Biotechnology Research Laboratories and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. of Kobe, Japan, tested nattokinase’s ability to dissolve a thrombus in the carotid arteries of rats. Animals treated with nattokinase regained 62% of blood flow, whereas those treated with plasmin regained just 15.8 percent of blood flow.

Researchers from JCR Pharmaceuticals, Oklahoma State University, and Miyazaki Medical College tested nattokinase on 12 healthy Japanese volunteers (6 men and 6 women, between the ages of 21 and 55). They gave the volunteers 200 grams of natto (the food) before breakfast, then tracked fibrinolytic activity through a series of blood plasma tests. The tests indicated that the natto generated a heightened ability to dissolve blood clots: On average, the volunteers’ ELT (a measure of how long it takes to dissolve a blood clot) dropped by 48 percent within two hours of treatment, and volunteers retained an enhanced ability to dissolve blood clots for 2 to 8 hours. As a control, researchers later fed the same amount of boiled soybeans to the same volunteers and tracked their fibrinolytic activity. The tests showed no significant change.

The Benefits of Nattokinase on Blood Pressure

Traditionally in Japan, Natto has been consumed not only for cardiovascular support, but also to lower blood pressure. In recent years, this traditional belief has been confirmed by several clinical trials. In 1995, researchers from Miyazaki Medical College and Kurashiki University of Science and Arts in Japan studied the effects of nattokinase on blood pressure in both animal and human subjects. In addition, the researchers confirmed the presence of inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), which converts angiotensin I to its active form angiotensin II within the test extract, which consisted of 80% ethanol extract of lyophilized viscous materials of natto. ACE causes blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise – by inhibiting ACE, nattokinase has a lowering effect on blood pressure.

Conclusion

  • The traditional Japanese food Natto has been used safely for over 1000 years. The potent fibrinolytic enzyme nattokinase appears to be safe based upon the long-term traditional use of this food. Nattokinase has many benefits including convenience of oral administration, confirmed efficacy, prolonged effects, cost effectiveness, and can be used preventatively. It is a naturally occurring, food based dietary supplement that has demonstrated stability in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as to changes in pH and temperature.

 

glyph

How to Improve Blood Circulation with Nattokinase

by Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Filed Under: Heart Health, Circulation
Last Reviewed 03/27/2014

Nattokinase is an enzyme derived from natto, a traditional Japanese soybean dish that is made by boiling or steaming soybeans and then fermenting them. This process yields a dish that Westerners don’t find particularly appealing; however, taste aside, natto is probably one of the world’s healthiest foods and certainly deserves a place within any good cardiovascular nutrition program due to its ability to improve blood circulation in the body.

How to Improve Blood Circulation with Nattokinase Nattokinase helps address one of the most overlooked problems in the development of coronary artery disease: Hyperviscosity, which refers to thick and sticky blood that moves slowly through the circulatory system. Hyperviscosity feeds the inflammatory process that damages arteries and sluggish blood flow also makes it difficult to prevent blood clots from forming.

Enter nattokinase. It reinforces the actions of plasmin, which is your body’s own enzyme that breaks down the body’s clotting agent called fibrin, thereby preventing abnormal thickening of the blood in order to improve blood circulation.

Because of its clot-busting and blood-thinning properties, nattokinase is used to treat coronary artery disease and prevent heart attack and stroke. I also recommend it to any of my patients with high blood pressure levels. I have seen it result in such significant improvements in blood pressure levels that patients are usually able to cut down, and sometimes even cut out, their blood pressure medication. Typical results are reductions of 10–20 systolic points and 5–10 diastolic points.

Recommended Dose of Nattokinase to Improve Blood Circulation: Start at 50 mg of nattokinase a day and increase the daily dosage to 100 mg after a week.

Caution: You should not combine nattokinase with Coumadin, a blood thinning drug, because it may result in you having too little fibrin to form any clots at all, putting you at risk for bleeding events.

Read more: http://www.drsinatra.com/improve-circulation-with-nattokinase/#ixzz31CAQs01f

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