Editor's Letter
Why you should really listen to your body clock, stop taking Zanac and don’t drink the rainwater!
Zantac a possible carcinogen
Sanofi, GSK and Haleon have lost a combined $40 billion in market value since Tuesday’s close amid mounting concerns about litigation around the recalled heartburn drug Zantac. Zantac was a once-popular antacid that has drawn a flurry of US personal-injury lawsuits alleging it causes cancer. Zantac was withdrawn from the market in 2019 after the FDA said it appears to produce unacceptably high levels of a cancer-causing chemical NDMA when exposed to heat for as little as five days.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has learned about the safety concerns but decided that we can all still use it.
Rainwater is no longer safe to drink
Rainwater, rainwater everywhere on the planet – and not a drop is safe to drink. Levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS (commonly known as ‘forever chemicals') exceed the latest drinking water guidelines, according to a new study by Stockholm University scientists. Even in Antarctica or the Tibetan plateau, the levels in the rainwater are ‘14 times higher’ than the US drinking water guidelines. Sadly something else we all have to learn to live with.
Our biological clock and tumor progression
There has been an alarming rise in early-onset colorectal cancer among people younger than 50 years, and this trend is on a steady rise. Suspected risk factors include environmental aspects, such as lifestyle and dietary factors, which are known to affect the circadian clock.
‘As a society, we are exposed to several environmental factors that influence our biological clock, including night shift work, extended light exposure, changes in sleep/wake cycles and altered feeding behavior,’ said Selma Masri, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological chemistry at UCI School of Medicine.
Natural therapy for chronic pain
According to a paper published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, electrical stimulation of the body combined with sound may treat chronic pain. Activating the brain's somatosensory or ‘tactile’ cortex, increases the potential for using the technique to treat chronic pain and other sensory disorders.
For more on music as therapy, read the articles by the brilliant physiotherapist Dr Frances le Roux on Music as Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease and The Healing Power of Beethoven’s Music.
In this issue we look at osteoarthritis, cancer, dandruff, growing your own food, herbal medicine and what to do with your pet when you work all day. Enjoy!
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Yours in Healthy Living
Can I Own a Pet and Work all Day?
Table of Contents ↑|Dogs and cats are sociable animals when it comes to humans, and need your attention. Don’t think that having more than one pet will be enough to replace you. Also, not all dogs and cats like other animals, so getting a ‘friend’ for your dog or cat could make matters worse. Some do cope better than others being on their own for extended periods but this very much depends on what they have been taught at a very young age.
Herbal Medicine – a doorway into a sacred world
Table of Contents ↑|I am passionate about herbs, the various extraction methods and their medicinal properties. How wonderful it must be to go to work and walk around in nature, identifying and collecting herbs! Herbalism for some people – the herb itself or the cup of tea – becomes a doorway into a sacred world, a path to healing.
Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Table of Contents ↑|Osteoarthritis tends to creep up on you, gradually increasing over months or years. Stiff and painful joints are the main symptoms. The pain tends to be worse on exercising the joint and at the end of the day. Joints tend to be stiff after resting but this usually passes in just a minute or two as the joint gets moving again. A joint may not move as freely or as far as normal, and often 'creaks' or 'cracks' when moved.
Natural Ways to Treat Dandruff
Table of Contents ↑|I have dandruff and it’s a real embarrassment. Are there some natural ways to treat it and is it curable? Would expensive scalp treatments help? I've read somewhere that it’s caused by a fungus, or excessive heat or cold. Would tea tree oil help? How did I get it? I don't use other people's combs and have excellent hygiene.
A Participatory Approach to Cancer Therapy
Table of Contents ↑|Do the mind and the emotions influence the development of cancer? Can the mind be harnessed to help fight cancer? Dr Goldberg explores the impact of the psycho-spiritual on both the development and treatment of cancer. When cancer patients learn to take full responsibility for their own healing and to participate in their healing transformation, the outcome of their illness can be shifted significantly.
Grow your Own
Table of Contents ↑|Mankind is a relative newcomer on this earth, yet in a short period of time has achieved remarkable things. As a result of our successes, however, we have lost touch with many simple pleasures – such as working with Mother Nature to provide food from our gardens. Natalie Becker aims to empower you to feed yourself from your own backyard!
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