This week on Healthy by Nature we’ll talk with an expert on Homeopathy, a system of safe and effective natural medicines used widely in Europe .

NEWS and VIEWS

Hospitals have not reduced dangerous hospital-acquired infections according to a US Department of Health and Human Services report this month. In fact, rates of three kinds actually increased. For example, “blood stream infections after surgery” went up 8%. Fortunately, “pneumonia after surgery” cases went down. (Maybe they paid attention to a study which showed that routinely giving patients acid-blocking drugs increased the risk of pneumonia by 30%.¹ )

Don’t be one of the thousands that die each year from these infections. First of all, try to stay out of the hospital by implementing the advice of the experts we interview on Healthy by Nature. If someone you care about must go to the hospital, go with them and don’t be afraid to ask everyone coming in the room to sanitize their hands and implements. Here is what we took to the hospital this week for a friend operated on for a broken hip and shattered ankle (ouch) due to a motorcycle accident.

Of course, we took probiotics because she’d been given antibiotics and because those good bacteria protect us from the bad ones hanging around the hospital. Also, I put colostrum in the gift bag because it boosts immune function and supports healing among other things. To shorten her stay, I included Taumeel by Heel, a great homeopathic remedy for swelling, bruising and trauma, plus a box of Longevinex, because that seems good for just about everything. When I saw how skinned up her husband was, I was sorry I hadn’t popped in a tube of Aloe Gelly by our sponsor Lily of the Desert. (You can’t tell from the website, but it contains vitamins A, C and E and is a healing bargain.) Oh, and I also begged her to puleeeze stay off of that motorcycle!

RECENT RESEARCH:

Green Tea Research: At the moment, PubMed (government internet science search tool) lists 3,664 articles about green tea. The benefits seem numerous and varied ², so I’ll just list some examples with a representative reference (in alphabetical order): Blood Pressure ³, Cancer (breast ⁴ and various others), Cardiovascular Health ⁵, Cholesterol ⁶, Depression ⁷, Diabetes ⁸, Mental Function ⁹ and Leukemia ¹⁰. The science is still young, but the sheer volume and consistent positive nature of results is hard to ignore.

My 2 cents: We are just beginning to appreciate the health miracles that God put into plants. Green tea is a great example, and as we discussed on the show last week, red wine is another. Because their antioxidants, polyphenols and other nutrients provide benefits at the cellular level, you could probably study most any aspect of health and see improvement. Green tea is the same plant that when oxidized becomes black tea. If the small amount of caffeine bothers you, you could choose a decaffeinated variety but certain effects like attention span and fat-burning would likely be reduced. Milk apparently reduces the positive effect of green tea while lemon enhances it. If you don’t like the bland flavor, look for combinations with ginger for more zip and additional anti-inflammatory properties.

LISTENER QUESTION

Q: Judy, age 52, from Mesquite , TX asked this related to the April 24 interview with Bill Sardi : Will Longevinex remove the calcium supplement I am taking to prevent osteoporosis? Should I discontinue Tart Cherry and Hyaluronic Acid?

A: Short answers—“no”, “your choice” and “maybe”. Longevinex only removes minerals that are in excess in the wrong place (believed to be a factor in aging and health problems). Often the issue with bone density isn’t low calcium intake but rather lack of the other nutrients like magnesium needed to get the calcium into bone. Your age is in the middle of the range for menopause when the main cause of bone loss is usually too little estrogen. Flaxseed lignans (I suggest the sprouted flax because it’s more stable and the nutrients are more accessible) and the resveratrol in Longevinex help normalize estrogen signaling. (It helps men as well.) I worry about women taking too much calcium especially without magnesium because there is some concern that too much supplemental calcium increases cardiac risk ¹¹. Magnesium is as important to bone building and it provides a lot of cardio protection. If you have gout, arthritis or back pain, Tart Cherry might help. Hyaluronic acid is indeed good for joints, skin and other connective tissue. However, you could just select Longevinex Advantage which contains hyaluronic. (If you contact Longevinex , please be sure to say that Martie sent you. They have great specials and they support the show. )

Don’t suddenly stop medications. Consult your health practitioner. This newsletter is educational and not a substitute for professional advice. Please stay well and help us spread the word that prevention is the best health care reform. You can help the show, as well as family and friends, by forwarding this email to them and encouraging them to subscribe to Health e-Notes. You might also alert your FaceBook friends. Healthy by Nature Radio Show .

Listen live nationwide on Saturday morning and call in with your questions.

My first book: Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments. New Book: Aloe Vera—Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy Newsletter archive

¹ JAMA. 2009 May 27;301(20):2120-8. Acid-suppressive medication use and the risk for hospital-acquired pneumonia. Herzig SJ, Howell MD, Ngo LH, Marcantonio ER.
² Chin Med. 2010 Apr 6;5:13. Beneficial effects of green tea: A literature review. Chacko SM, Thambi PT, Kuttan R, Nishigaki I.
³ Br J Nutr. 2009 Dec 21:1-6. Physiological concentrations of dietary polyphenols regulate vascular endothelial cell expression of genes important in cardiovascular health. Nicholson SK, Tucker GA, Brameld JM.
⁴ Ann Epidemiol. 2010 Jan;20(1):74-81. Is green tea drinking associated with a later onset of breast cancer? Dai Q, Shu XO, Li H, Yang G, Shrubsole MJ, Cai H, Ji B, Wen W, Franke A, Gao YT, Zheng W.
⁵ Curr Med Chem. 2008;15(18):1840-50. Green tea catechins and cardiovascular health: an update. Babu PV, Liu D.
⁶ Arq Bras Cardiol. 2009 Aug;93(2):128-34. Prospective double-blind crossover study of Camellia sinensis (green tea) in dyslipidemias. Batista Gde A, Cunha CL, Scartezini M, von der Heyde R, Bitencourt MG, Melo SF.
⁷ Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Dec;90(6):1615-22. Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly. Niu K, Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Ebihara S, Guo H, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Takahashi H, Masamune Y, Asada M, Sasaki S, Arai H, Awata S, Nagatomi R, Tsuji I.
⁸ J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28(4):355-61. Green tea extract decreases oxidative stress and improves insulin sensitivity in an animal model of insulin resistance, the fructose-fed rat. Hininger-Favier I, Benaraba R, Coves S, Anderson RA, Roussel AM.
⁹ Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Feb;83(2):355-61. Green tea consumption and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project 1. Kuriyama S, Hozawa A, Ohmori K, Shimazu T, Matsui T, Ebihara S, Awata S, Nagatomi R, Arai H, Tsuji I.
¹⁰ Br J Haematol. 2010 Jan 20. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate induces cell death in acute myeloid leukaemia cells and supports all-trans retinoic acid-induced neutrophil differentiation via death-associated protein kinase 2. Britschgi A, Simon HU, Tobler A, Fey MF, Tschan MP.
¹¹Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2010 Jan;19(1):59-64. Calcium supplementation, cardiovascular disease and mortality in older women. Shah SM, Carey IM, Harris T, DeWilde S, Cook DG.