Wellness

Vitamin D prevents heart disease, too

(NaturalNews) An increase in blood levels of vitamin D can significantly reduce a person's risk of heart disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City and presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.

Researchers reviewed the health records of more than 9,000 people who had been diagnosed with vitamin D insufficiency and who had also undergone vitamin D testing at a later date. They found that approximately 50 percent of all patients had achieved healthy vitamin D levels of at least 30 nanograms per milliliter by the second test. Rates of heart disease were significantly lower in this group than among patients who were still deficient in the vitamin.

Prior studies have shown a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of heart disease. Yet researchers have been unable to determine whether there is any direct connection between the two factors, since low vitamin D levels might also correlate with a number of other cardiovascular risk factors such as general poor health, poor diet or lack of exercise.

The only way to firmly establish a connection would be to conduct an experiment where only half a group of vitamin D-deficient participants is supplemented while the rest receive a placebo. Because vitamin D deficiency has been proven to increase the risk of other diseases, such a study would not be ethical and cannot be conducted.

"What we did was observational and not definitive, but we think it adds significantly to the story," said lead author J. Brent Muhlestein. "It's at least a reasonable piece of evidence to add to the hypothesis that low vitamin D is causative of cardiovascular risk and treatment can reduce cardiovascular disease risk."

The body synthesizes vitamin D naturally upon exposure to sunlight. Low levels of the vitamin have been linked to weakened bones and higher risks of infection, cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Sources for this story include: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-sci-vitamind16-2010mar16,0,3491955.story?track=rss.

MSM body care products soothe joints, nourish skin

(NaturalNews) Every time I walk through a regular store like Wal-Mart, Target or CVS, I'm struck by the extreme toxicity of the personal body care products carried by these retailers. It's especially true in the "pharmacy" sections of these stores where it's virtually impossible to find a product that doesn't contain at least one toxic synthetic chemical.

And that's a shame because there are many very effective ingredients in body care products -- such as MSM or capsaicin -- that would be great if they were only available in truly natural formulations that contained no synthetic chemicals or harmful substances of any kind.

As someone who cares deeply about what I put on my skin, I'm always on the lookout for exceptional body care products that deliver effective ingredients without the toxicity of synthetic chemicals. Believe it or not, it's rare to find such products, but they do exist -- and today I'll bring you news about two of them that I personally recommend.

MSM in a gel
The first is called MSM-Aloe Gel and it's a truly natural pain reducing gel that I've found to be really effective on joints and muscles immediately after workouts. It contains 12% MSM (a form of organic sulfur that's outstanding for supporting body health for active people), organic aloe extract, plus a number of herbal extracts like green tea, turmeric, arnica, ginger root and peppermint leaf. It also contains menthol crystals which give it that menthol cooling effect.

Notice what's not in it? No fragrance chemicals, no artificial colors, no SLS, no parabens, no petrochemicals, no junk! Just effective, natural ingredients combined with supportive herbs and aloe. Try this on your own muscles or joints -- especially after exercise -- and you'll see why I'm so impressed with this formulation!

As you've come to expect, we've put together a great deal on this for NaturalNews readers. MSM-Aloe Gel normally sells through our store for $12.95 for a 4-oz. bottle. For this special announcement, we're offering that same 4-oz. bottle for just $8.95 (a 30% savings).

When you buy three MSM-Aloe Gel bottles, the price per bottle drops to just $8.06 per bottle (a savings of 38%).

Take advantage of this special pricing right now by clicking here to visit the NaturalNews Store.

MSM lotion for supporting skin health
In addition to supporting the healthy function of joints and muscles through topical use, MSM is also commonly used on minor skin irritations such as bug bites, rashes, mild sunburn and even scars.

We've found a truly natural MSM lotion that's enriched with vitamins A, E and D (all fat-soluble vitamins) and naturally scented with kiwi, strawberry and vanilla. It smells so good you almost want to eat it!

But you don't eat it, of course: You rub it on your hands, shoulders, knees, feet or anywhere else that could use a little tender loving care. This MSM formulation doesn't have the menthol found in the MSM-Aloe Gel mentioned above, so it's gentle enough to use almost anywhere (not in your eyes, of course) and yet so nourishing that you'll actually feel a difference.

As always, this MSM lotion contains no synthetic chemicals, parabens, alcohol, petrochemicals, etc. It is not tested on animals, either (of course). No junk, no oily feel on your skin, just soothing, nourishing MSM lotion with a gentle fragrance and real nutrients.

We have three types of this MSM lotion, and you can buy them each individually or together as a discounted three-pack (which is what I recommend because then you can try each of the three varieties). We have Berry Vanilla, "Medicinal" (with extra MSM and tea tree oil) and Coconut Rose.

Each of these normally sells for $12.95, but through this special announcement, we're making them available to NaturalNews readers for just $8.95 (a 30% savings).

When you purchase the three-pack of these MSM Lotions, the price per bottle drops to just $8.06 (a savings of 38%).

Click here to get some during this special discount.

I think you'll be really happy with these MSM gel and lotion products.

Body care products I recommend
See, I'm really picky about the body care products I recommend. That's why I've remained such a strong supporter of companies like Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps (www.DrBronner.com) and of course Pangea Organics (www.PangeaOrganics.com). AnnMarie Gianni's body care products recently joined my list, and we hope to bring you more news about those soon.

I don't recommend junk products and I don't use junk products. You won't see me walking into a Wal-Mart and picking up some lame "natural" lotion product that's loaded with fragrance chemicals. I don't even have such products in my house!

Every single product that I recommend to you is something that I put on my own skin or take into my own body in the case of foods and supplements. These MSM gels and lotions, in fact, are the kind of thing I give to family and friends as gifts, and when they see these bottles, they get really excited and they say things like, "Wow! What's in this?"

That's when I explain about all the toxic chemicals found in popular body care products, and then I ask them to read the ingredients label of their favorite skin lotion product. They can't read it! Why? Because they can't pronounce all the chemicals!

Then I ask them to read the ingredients on this MSM-Aloe Gel, and it's just simple things like green tea, turmeric, aloe vera, and so on. Suddenly they get it. Their eyes get really wide and a little light goes off in their heads as if they were suddenly saying, "So I don't have to poison myself anymore?"

Nope, you don't. You can soothe your joints, ease sore muscles, and nourish your skin with these truly natural MSM lotions -- all without subjecting your skin to toxic synthetic chemicals.

That's why everybody loves these MSM lotions once they realize the difference. And that's why we've worked to bring you these lotions so that you can share in their enjoyment, too.

Try them yourself and you'll see what I'm talking about. If you don't like them for any reason, we always offer a satisfaction guarantee on any purchase from our store. But I personally think you'll love these MSM gels and lotions. They have taken up a permanent position on my own medicine cabinet, alongside my cayenne pepper tincture, comfrey healing cream, pitch tar ointment, freeze-dried aloe vera gel and various herbal tinctures.

My medicine cabinet, after all, is a treasure chest of herbs and natural products. And these MSM gels and lotions are among my favorite products there.

Whatever you use on your skin, make sure it doesn't contain synthetic chemicals!

Socially active environment can cause cancer tumors to shrink and even disappear

(NaturalNews) If you or someone you know ever receives a cancer diagnosis, especially one that is labeled "incurable" or fatal, take heart in the fact spontaneous regression (remission) has been reported in the medical literature numerous times for virtually all cancers. Spontaneous regression has been documented most often in neuroblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, lymphoma and malignant melanoma. And, as NaturalNews has previous reported, scientists have also discovered recently that some invasive breast cancers appear to simply go away on their own (http://www.naturalnews.com/024901.html). Now comes research from Ohio State University that could help explain what triggers spontaneous remissions.

The new study, published in the July 9th issues of the journal Cell found that when mice with cancer were given enriched living conditions and a boost in their social life, their tumors shrank -- and some of their cancers disappeared completely. That's powerful evidence, the scientists say, that social connections and an individual's mental state, play an important role in the way the body responds to malignancies. "Animals' interaction with the environment has a profound influence on the growth of cancer -- more than we knew was possible," Matthew During, who headed the study, said in a statement to the press.

The lab rodents were originally housed in groups of about five, given all the food they wanted and allowed to play all day. However, for the research project, mice with cancer were placed in an even better, enriched environment. They had bigger living groups with 15 to 20 other animals to interact with. They also had more space and extra toys, hiding places and running wheels.

During and his colleague, Lei Cao, found that malignant tumors in animals living in this enriched environment started to shrink. In fact, tumors decreased by an impressive 77 percent in mass and decreased in volume by 43 percent, the researchers report. Moreover, five percent of mice with cancer showed no evidence of the disease at all after just three weeks of living in their new home. That seemingly spontaneous cancer cure never happened in control animals kept in standard housing.

So what specifically is going on here that impacts cancer? Animals in a regular mice environment in the lab who exercised more didn't experience improvements in their cancer, so the scientists say more exercise isn't the total explanation. Instead, they think the complex social dimension in the new living arrangement was apparently the key.

The enriched living environment appears to have sparked more, but apparently cancer-fighting, stress in the cancer-stricken mice. The animals showed higher levels of stress hormones called glucocorticoids. What this means, the researchers said in statement to the media, is that low levels of stress, or certain kinds of stress, are probably beneficial.

"A lot of people think stress is bad, but our data show the animals aren't just happy. Antidepressants won't give you the same effect," the scientists said in the press statement. "The goal isn't to minimize stress, but to live a richer life, socially and physically. You want to be challenged."

In addition, the rodents had lower levels of a hormone produced by fat called leptin, indicative of a significant shift in metabolism. Their immune systems also appeared to be "ramped up a bit," During said.

During and his colleague pinned down an increase in a growth factor expressed in the hypothalamus called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the mice living in the improved mouse environment. Further study revealed that manipulations designed to increase BDNF levels also reduced tumor burden. If animals lacked BDNF, the benefits of an enriched environment were not apparent. The findings could ultimately lead to advances in the way cancer and other diseases are treated -- perhaps through environmental modifications that offer mental and social stimulation. "We're really showing that you can't look at a disease like cancer in isolation," During said in the media statement. "For too long, physicians and others have stuck to what they know -- surgery, chemo, radiotherapy. Traditionally working on the area of lifestyle and the brain has been a 'soft area'. This paper really suggests if we look at people more in terms of their perceptions of disease, their social interactions and environment, we could realize a profound influence on cancer..."

For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20603014 http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/10/1031.abstract http://yalepress.typepad.com/fightingcancer/2009/11/can-cancer-undergo-spontaneous-regression-1.html http://www.opednews.com/articles/Spontaneous-Remission-Canc-by-Jeffrey-Dach-091105-43.html