Editor's Letter
Spring cleaning and detox advice
Spring is known as the time for new beginnings and rejuvenation, and for the shedding of winter sluggishness and the traditional concept of ‘spring-cleaning’. It is also an ideal time to engage in cleaning up the internal environment of the body. Please read my article in this issue on how to regularly and naturally take care of your liver – one of the main organs of detoxification, and Detoxification Done Daily.
For more articles on how to detox, read: Detox with the Docs, Detoxifying Health Techniques and Acudetox for Addiction. And if you enjoy spring cleaning, keep it free of toxic cleaning products. For guidance, read our article: Uncovering the Dirt on Cleaning Products
Daily step counts and your health
Researchers monitored 78 500 adults with wearable trackers and found that lowered risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death are associated with achieving 10 000 steps a day. However, a faster stepping pace like a power walk showed benefits above and beyond the number of steps achieved.
Steps as low as 3 800 a day can cut the risk of dementia by 25 percent.1
Exercise hormone halts Parkinson's symptoms
Researchers have shown that irisin, a hormone secreted into the blood during endurance or aerobic exercise, reduces levels of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease and halts movement problems in mice. Endurance exercise has long been found to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
According to researcher Prof Spiegelman: ‘Given that irisin is a naturally produced peptide hormone and seems to have evolved to cross the blood brain-barrier, we think it is worth continuing to evaluate irisin as a potential therapy for Parkinson's and other forms of neurodegeneration.’
Caution to pregnant moms using cannabis
According to research from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences' BRAIN Lab, children who were exposed to cannabis in the womb continue to show elevated rates of symptoms of psychopathology (depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions), even as at ages 11 and 12.
As they age, they remain at greater risk for clinical psychiatric disorders and problematic substance use.2
References
- Matthew Ahmadi et al, Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity with Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-cause Mortality, JAMA Internal Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4000
- David A. A. Baranger et al, Association of Mental Health Burden With Prenatal Cannabis Exposure From Childhood to Early Adolescence, JAMA Pediatrics (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3191
THANK YOU TO OUR EXPERTS
Our authors receive no payment or any other form of remuneration from us or from the industry. They take time out from their busy schedules to write articles – and then we insist that they meet our deadlines, submit extra references, answer endless queries from reviewers and copy editors, and respond to the letters we receive from you, our readers. Here’s to all of them! May their tireless and tremendous efforts bring them well-deserved rewards.
Yours in Healthy Living
Natural Solutions for Heartburn
Table of Contents ↑|We all have stomach acid, and it in fact protects our bodies against bad bugs. In the case of heartburn, the delicate tissue at the entrance to the stomach is being burned by the hydrochloric acid.
Nourishing Connective Tissue
Table of Contents ↑|We have an intricate network of connective tissue running throughout our body that serves a higher purpose than just holding us together. Ian Craig explains why.
Cannabis as Medicine
Table of Contents ↑|I started researching cannabis oil in December 2014 when my fiancé was diagnosed with a very large malignant brain tumour. I needed to see if there is enough evidence for its medicinal use, especially in cancer patients. I interviewed researchers, doctors, users and growers, both locally and abroad, and asked them tough questions.
Outwitting Allergies During Hay Fever Season
Table of Contents ↑|Hay fever season leaves many people feeling miserable with streaming eyes and noses and itchy throats. During this period those with heightened allergic potential also tend to suffer more from other allergens such as food allergens. Patrick Holford offers some good medicine solutions to these irritants.Eating the right foods and taking the right supplements will give you bright eyes and a clear nose during hay fever season.
Don’t let your Back be a Pain
Table of Contents ↑|Don’t let your Back be a Pain Today, back pain can be considered as one of the most common of all physical complaints in the world. It is therefore one of the single most important factors in time lost from work and recreation – the condition should be addressed as soon as possible.
How to Take Care of your Liver
Table of Contents ↑|Liver therapy and liver cleansing is not just for patients with chronic liver disease. It is for the prevention of liver conditions and optimal health. When your liver (the primary detox organ) is healthy and functioning optimally, your body has more energy to carry out its various functions, nutrients become more readily available, and toxins are removed quickly and efficiently. These functions are compromised by sluggish liver function due to a bad diet, insulin toxicity, side effects of medication, overuse of alcohol and smoking.
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