Rheumatoid Arthritis And The Vegan Diet

Here's some interesting research on the benefits of a vegan diet for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis published in the journal Arthritis Research And Therapy:

Introduction
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on blood lipids oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and natural atheroprotective antibodies against phosphorylcholine (anti-PCs).

Methods
Sixty-six patients with active RA were randomly assigned to either a vegan diet free of gluten (38 patients) or a well-balanced non-vegan diet (28 patients) for 1 year. Thirty patients in the vegan group completed more than 3 months on the diet regimen. Blood lipids were analyzed by routine methods, and oxLDL and anti-PCs were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data and serum samples were obtained at baseline and after 3 and 12 months.

Results
Mean ages were 50.0 years for the vegan group and 50.8 years for controls. Gluten-free vegan diet induced lower body mass index (BMI) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and higher anti-PC IgM than control diet (p <0.005). In the vegan group, BMI, LDL, and cholesterol decreased after both 3 and 12 months (p <0.01) and oxLDL after 3 months (p = 0.021) and trendwise after 12 months (p = 0.090). Triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein did not change. IgA anti-PC levels increased after 3 months (p = 0.027) and IgM anti-PC levels increased trendwise after 12 months (p = 0.057). There was no difference in IgG anti-PC levels. In the control diet group, IgM anti-PC levels decreased both after 3 and 12 months (p <0.01). When separating vegan patients into clinical responders and non-responders at 12 months, the effects on oxLDL and anti-PC IgA were seen only in responders (p <0.05).

Conclusion
A gluten-free vegan diet in RA induces changes that are potentially atheroprotective and anti-inflammatory, including decreased LDL and oxLDL levels and raised anti-PC IgM and IgA levels.

Read the full article.

nausea/ pregnancy please help all 9 months

I received this email this mroning:

I was wondering if you had any advice or some sort of a consulation available. I was sick all nine months of my first pregnancy and now I am on my second and am sick again, I have been doing EFT and eliminating offending foods, but I am still very sick.

and this was my reply:

sorry to hear about your problem. It's always difficult to advise and, of course, what I am about to write does not replace the advice of properly qualified health and medical professionals, but some people find that vitamin B complex really helps. Also it might be a good idea to consult a homeopath - they seem to do well with this sort of problem.

We have lots of good products to help with other aspects of pregnancy - a self-hynosis pregnancy CD, a TENS machine for childbirth and a homeopathic kit for labour.

Recycle Your Mobile Phone

If you're in the UK you can recycle your old mobile phone and help WaterAid raise money for its much needed work. Each phone is worth about £5.00 to them.

Remove the SIM card
Put it in a sturdy enevelope and send to:

WaterAid, Freepost LON16281, London WC1N 3BR

Don't include the charger.

40% of the world's population do not have a safe, clean or private place to go to the toilet.

Flower & Gem Essences

I've added a new section to our online shop for therapists - we've started to sell flower and gem essences and sprays.

So far we've got:

• Australian Bush Essences
• Alaskan Flower Essences and Sprays
• Bailey Acupuncture Essences
• My own Earth Energies
• Healing Herbs Flower Remedies And Creams - based on the work of Dr Edward Bach
• Indigo Essences

I haven't got much in the way of descriptions yet, but I hope over the next few weeks to add more detailed descriptions and extend the range, but don't let that stop you buying right now!

Adventure Cycling Holidays

Last year I went on a cycling holiday in Kenya and Tanzania with a great company called Escape Adventures, who are based in New Zealand but who do fantastic cycling holidays in Africa, Tibet, South America, New Zealand, etc. I cannot recommend this company too highly - well organised, great routes, great support. Check out their new web site and may be you'll be tempted to do one of their adventure cycling holidays too.

Holiday in Romania and help a children's charity

The White Cross Mission, to aid Romania's abandoned children and orphans, can now offer top-quality holidays in a brand new guest house in the Carpathian Mountains.

All profits go directly to the charity to help the children. Independent travellers are welcome, or you can attend one of the courses on wildlife, art, relaxation etc. For more details see www.casadelureni.com (the 'house in the hills').

They tell me:

Fantastic scenery and food in relaxing company awaits you. Spaces are still available on all the courses.

Coconut Cures

I received this email from Hannah Shine, so i thought I'd pass it on:

Hi Jane.....

just wanted to share with you a book called "Coconut Cures" by Bruce Fife. Coconut oil is absolutely amazing as it is an antibiotic, antiseptic, anti viral and anti fungal. Since finding the book, I have incorporated virgin coconut oil into my diet; I have recommended it to patients to apply to eczema, psoriasis, bites, stings, itches, etc. with great results....... Other books are the Coconut Oil Miracle.

I have now made a salve with coconut oil, Rescue Remedy, Vitamin E capsules and this is an allround healing balm. Vit. E is great taken orally as it dissolves scar tissue (one a day - 400 ius - will make even the worst scar tons better in 10 - 12 weeks. Hope this is helpful to share
Best wishes Hannah

Fragrance, Perfumes And Health

Quite a long time ago I published an article entitled fragrance - is it natural? on my Health web site. At the time I received this email from Peter Drew (Connecticut, USA). It disappeared in my Inbox (sometimes it's like a black hole!), but I've now located it again and thought I'd like to share what he says with you:

Thank you for publishing your article on fragrances,highlighting the fact that most of them are man-made chemicals.

From my understanding of the situation, it's not even so much the artificial scents that are the real culprits in perfumes. It's the volatile organic compounds used to waft the fragrance into the air and make it stick to virtually everything with which it makes contact. Things like benzene, xylene,formaldehyde, toluene -- lots of "enes" that cause cancer and neurological problems.

I spoke with a pyschopharmacologist regarding this topic and, as an expert in brain toxins, he said that if it were up to him, fragranced products, especially perfumes and colognes would be banned from the work place. He cited studies that indicate perfume in the office reduces productivity by about 10 percent,lung capacity in normal people by 15 percent, and in people with compromised lungs, e.g. asthma, it can reduce lung capacity by up to 50 percent. The doct old me these scents are designed to affect a person's brain and not in a productive way.

Recently, I also discovered that the chemists are creating molecular "hooks" in fragrances, so they stick to everything. The idea is to make perfume or cologne long-lasting, so that it doesn't need to be re-applied during the day or evening. Old-style,perfumes, nothing but essential oils and alcohol, used to wear off after a couple of hours and would need to be re-applied. Now people can apply it once and it lasts for hour upon hour, and, worst of all, it sticks to everything, including food, chairs, drinking containers, etc. There's nothing like ordering a beverage, only to smell and taste someone's stinky perfume coming from the container or glass. Mmmm-mmm!

Oh, and don't get me started on scented candles!

Sorry for the rant. Just wanted to pass along a few things I've learned about the onslaught of fragrances in Western countries. As my wife said this past week,"When did artificial become the new natural?"