One of the most common questions people with any form of arthritis have is, "What can I eat to help my joints?"
The answer, fortunately, is that many foods can help. Following a diet low in processed foods and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans is great for your body. If this advice seems familiar, it's because these are the principles of the highly - touted Mediterranean diet, which is frequently praised for its anti-aging, disease - fighting powers.
There's good science behind the hype. Studies confirm eating these foods lowers blood pressure and protects against chronic conditions ranging from cancer to stroke. It helps arthritis by curbing inflammation - which benefits your joints as well as your heart. Another bonus: Eating more healthy, whole foods commonly found in Mediterranean cuisine - and fewer package foods - can also lead to weight loss, which makes a huge difference in managing joint pain.Whether you call it a Mediterranean diet, an anti- inflammatory diet or simply an arthritis diet, here's a look at the key foods - and a breakdown of why they're good for joint health.
The typical Mediterranean diet includes small amounts of fish and poultry, but my opinion is that better results occur on a meatless - or limited meat - version of this diet. Hundreds of nutritious and healthy recipes are posted on the Web.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
FRUITS & VEGGIES
How much: Aim for 9 or more servings daily.
Why: Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants. These potent chemicals act as the body's natural defense system, helping neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals that can and will damage cells.
"Our bodies produce 10 to 15 different oxidants every day," says Dr. Tanya Edwards, MD, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "That oxidation process produces inflammation, which in turn produces more oxidants in the body. Fruits and vegetables can defuse those rogue molecules. The darker, more brilliant the fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it has," explains Dr. Edwards.
Just be sure your plate sports many colors of the rainbow, since different colors neutralize different oxidants. "The anthocyanins in cherries, for example, contain enzymes that appear to mimic the effects of NSAIDs without the side effects," says weight loss coach and nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Phd, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. A compound in the allium family of vegetables (onions, garlic, leeks and shallots) called diallyl disulphide also appear to fend off degrading protein enzymes present in people with osteoarthritis.
Other research suggests that eating vitamin K-rich veggies like broccoli, spinach, lettuce, kale, and cabbage dramatically reduces inflammatory markers in the blood.
Best sources: Colorful fruits and veggies like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, spinach, kale, broccoli, eggplant and bell peppers.
OLIVE OIL
How much: Two to three tablespoons daily
Why: Olive oil is made up largely of healthful, monosaturated fat. It's anti-inflammatory, heart - healthy and it's tasty, too. But having the right type of fat isn't the oil's only value. In fact, experts claim at least half of its health benefits come from the olives, not the oil.
"What makes olive oil so healthy is that it's a delivery system for antioxidant compounds called polyphenols in the olives," says Bowden. So it's no wonder this oil has been linked with a reduced risk of a variety of chronic diseases.
Best sources: Extra virgin olive oil. It goes through less refining and processing, so it retains more nutrients than standard varieties.
BEANS
How much: About one cup, four times a week, or more often
Why: Beans are loaded with fiber, a nutrient that helps lower CRP, an indicator of inflammation found in the blood. At high levels, CRP could indicate anything from an infection to R.A.
But fiber isn't the only reason beans help fight inflammation. In a study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, scientists analyzed the nutrient content of 10 common bean varieties in southern Italy and identified a host of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, including quercetin, genistein, soysapogenin and oleanic acid.
Another reason beans are an essential part of an arthritis - friendly diet: They are a great (and inexpensive) source of protein, with about 15 grams per cup, and protein is important for overall health, especially for muscle health. Protein helps prevent muscle shrinkage due to age or inactivity, and stronger muscles make it easier to keep joints moving (movement is medicine!)
This vegetarian source of protein fills you up, meaning less post-meal snacking - and potentially less weight on your joints. Beans also digest very slowly, providing sustained energy and preventing the blood - sugar roller coaster commonly associated with high - carb and/or processed foods. Many bean varieties also boast folic acid, which benefits the heart, as well as immune - boosting minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium.
Best sources: Red beans, small red kidney beans and pinto beans rank among the U.S. Department of Agriculture's top four antioxidant - containing foods. Other beans you may want to add to your rotation: black beans, garbanzo beans and black - eyed peas.
BROWN RICE
How much: 1 cup several times or more per week
Why: Brown rice is anti-inflammatory and has the following benefits:
1.) Rich in selenium
2.) High in manganese
3.) Rich in naturally - occurring oils
4.) Rich in antioxidants - comparable to blueberries, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables
BROWN RICE
How much: 1 cup several times or more per week
Why: Brown rice is anti-inflammatory and has the following benefits:
1.) Rich in selenium
2.) High in manganese
3.) Rich in naturally - occurring oils
4.) Rich in antioxidants - comparable to blueberries, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables
NUTS & SEEDS
How much: Eat 1.5 ounces of nuts daily (one ounce is about one handful)
Why: "Multiple studies confirm the role of nuts in an anti - inflammatory diet," explains Jose M. Ordovas, PhD, director of nutrition and genomics at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
A study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that over a 15 - year period, men and women who consumed the most nuts had a 51 percent lower risk of dying from an inflammatory disease (like RA) compared with those who ate the fewest nuts. Another study, published in the journal "Circulation," found that subjects with lower levels of vitamin B6 - found in most nuts - had higher levels of CRP and oxidative damage. More good news: Nuts are jam - packed with inflammation - fighting monounsaturated fat.
In addition to taste and texture, nuts boast protein and fiber. Even though they're relatively high in fat and calories, studies show that noshing on nuts promotes weight loss, because their protein, fiber and monounsaturated fats are satiating. "Just keep in mind that more is not always better," says Ordovas.
Best sources: Ground flaxseeds, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and almonds. In towns along the Mediterranean, you'll see these nuts mixed into everything from salads and pilafs to main dishes and desserts.
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NO MORE CANCER - by Gary Null
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NO MORE CANCER - by Gary Null
Page 94) The cornerstone of Dr. Gerson's therapy is detoxification of the body through diet designed to rehabilitate the body's natural immunity and healing process. Dr. Gerson was eulogized by renowned physician and missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer, whose wife was cured of lung tuberculosis in the 1930s.
Page 97) The core of Gerson therapy is a regimen consisting primarily of a salt - and fat - free diet of organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables that are usually served raw or as juices. The primary objective of the diet is to detoxify the body and rebalance the whole metabolism, rather than simply to eliminate the symptoms of the disease.
Page 98) Dr. Gerson's liver therapy is multifaceted. First, animal proteins are eliminated or greatly reduced in the diet because they have been found to interfere with liver therapy and impede the body's detoxification.
The ideal diet for patients on liver therapy, as mentioned above is low in salt and fat, and high in potassium and fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly in juice form. The juice is always prepared freshly and is not mixed with other medications that could alter the PH and thereby decrease its efficacy. Restoration of the liver, which may take from 6 to 18 months, depending on the severity of the illness, allows the liver to detoxify the body and produce its own oxidative enzymes.
Page 97) The core of Gerson therapy is a regimen consisting primarily of a salt - and fat - free diet of organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables that are usually served raw or as juices. The primary objective of the diet is to detoxify the body and rebalance the whole metabolism, rather than simply to eliminate the symptoms of the disease.
Page 98) Dr. Gerson's liver therapy is multifaceted. First, animal proteins are eliminated or greatly reduced in the diet because they have been found to interfere with liver therapy and impede the body's detoxification.
The ideal diet for patients on liver therapy, as mentioned above is low in salt and fat, and high in potassium and fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly in juice form. The juice is always prepared freshly and is not mixed with other medications that could alter the PH and thereby decrease its efficacy. Restoration of the liver, which may take from 6 to 18 months, depending on the severity of the illness, allows the liver to detoxify the body and produce its own oxidative enzymes.
According to Dr. Gerson, patients on the therapy actually begin to break down, assimilate, and eliminate cancer tumors. This is accomplished when the repaired liver is adequately producing oxidative enzymes, the general detoxification process - of which the liver is a critical part - is active, and potassium levels throughout the body are adequate.
Page 105) A 40 to 50 percent improvement rate was recorded in terminal patients, and an 80 percent improvement in early to moderate cancer cases.
Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables in the cruciferous family include kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, watercress, turnips, mustard plants and bok choy. Cruciferous vegetables contain detoxifying compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which have been proven to help prevent and reverse cancer.
Seaweed: Recently, research has shed light on the powerful mix of micronutrients, including Vitamin C and Vitamin E, as well as minerals, iodine, fiber, and polysaccharides in seaweed, which make it a powerful nutritional tool in combating cancer.
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LIFE OVER CANCER - by Keith Block, M.D.
Page 59) One of my earliest breast cancer patients was Maryann, a 44 - year - old chemist and single mother bringing up 3 teenagers when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1983.
Maryann refused the radiation, fearing its side effects, but agreed to the 6 cycles of standard chemo. No one on her medical team gave her any nutritional guidelines. Still, she did fine for 3 years. Then a bone scan revealed numerous metastases throughout her rib cage and spine; she was told she had one year to live.
The shock sent Maryann to our clinic. She refused chemo, telling me that earlier rounds had caused vomiting, fatigue, and hair loss.
I laid out a low - fat, high - fiber diet consisting mainly of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, plus foods rich in anti - cancer nutrients such as shiitake mushrooms, sea vegetables, ginger and green tea. Maryann eliminated all dairy, meat, and refined sugars and never looked back. Within weeks, she experienced a major boost in energy and overall well - being. Four months after her first visit, a bone scan showed reduction of cancer in her spine, and scans every few months kept showing reductions or the outright disappearance of metastatic spots on her ribs and spine. Sixteen months in, Maryann appeared to be in complete remission. As I write, 22 years after Maryann walked into our clinic with bone metastases, she remains cancer - free - and still adheres to the cancer - fighting diet.
An important caveat: diet alone should never be regarded as the answer to cancer. We have had a number of patients who ended up at our door after attempting a diet as their only cancer treatment. Although some show improvement, especially in the short term, an experience like Maryann's is more the exception than the rule. Let me again say: combining conventional treatments with complementary therapies in an integrative system buys the best odds for a successful outcome.
For best results, dieticians at the Block Center recommend that patients with advanced cancer lean toward a more vegetarian diet, with the exception of small amounts of fish, egg whites, and supplemental whey. In place of animal protein, add vegetable protein: legumes, soy foods, seitan ("wheat meat"), nuts, and seeds. When you eat fish, limit your serving to a 4 - ounce portion (about the size of the palm of your hand). Emphasize deepwater, northern ocean fish such as salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel, and sardines. By removing meats and most other animal products from your diet, you will keep levels of tumor - sustaining iron, cholesterol, and estradiol in check.
Everything I just said about meat also pertains to dairy products, which can increase levels of cholesterol and tumor - stimulating growth factors and cause digestive problems in some chemotherapy patients.
You do not need to learn chemistry to identify foods containing the most powerful phytochemicals: many are plant pigments.
Mom was right when she told you to eat your broccoli: it and other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, watercress, collards, brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, and turnips) contain a veritable pharmacopoeia of phytochemicals with important cancer - fighting properties.
The red - purple color in berries comes from the pigments called anthocyanins. Like lycopene, found in tomatoes, these red - purple berries also contain antioxidants.
Page 112) Since it may be a challenge to get all these anti - cancer compounds from food alone, you may find it easiest to get half or more of your powerfoods in concentrates, mixtures of concentrated juices, or extracts of these foods. To do this, I recommend that you find an organic powerfood concentrate (often called a "green drink") that you enjoy and make it a part of your diet. These "green drinks" are widely available in health stores. Some cancer patients do make their own vegetable juices, but it is hard to get the diversity of foods you need at home.
1.) Carotenoids are red, yellow, and orange plant pigments such as those found in carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash. Carotenoids have important anti - cancer properties. For instance, lycopene, which makes tomatoes red, has the ability to inhibit the cancer - promoting growth factor IGF - 1.
2.) Cruciferous vegetables are rich in glucosinolates, a veritable treasure trove of anti - cancer compounds. These vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, and kale. Among the glucosinolates are indole 3 - carbinol, which increases the activity of enzymes that make estrogen less effective, thereby blocking the growth and progression of hormone - responsive cancers of the breast and endometrium. The sulforaphane in broccoli also targets breast cancer: at least six studies have demonstrated that women with breast cancer who consume high amounts of sulforaphane - containing vegetables have significantly better survival rates, lower recurrence rates, or both. Since cooking glucosinolates breaks them down, I recommend eating them raw whenever possible or, even easier, taking them in green drinks.
3.) Allium family vegetables are rich in organosulfides such as allicin, which helps the body remove toxic compounds, including carcinogens, enhance immune function, reduce blood clotting, and lower blood pressure. They include fresh garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, and chives.
4.) Leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses, containing compounds that have strong antioxidant activity. Good sources are parsley leaf, watercress, dandelion greens, chard, and turnip or beet greens.
5.) Fruits are rich in flavonoids that can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy. The ellagic acid in raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, and strawberry extracts, for instance, has been shown to act synergistically with chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer: a 2005 study found statistically better treatment responses and less treatment - related toxicity for patients receiving ellagic acid along with chemotherapy than for those undergoing chemotherapy alone.
Ellagic acid has also been shown to trigger apoptosis in many types of cancer cells and to curb tumors of the lung, liver, skin, and esophagus in the lab. Good sources of flavonoids include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, tart cherries, apples and apple skins, and Concord grapes.
Page 114)
6.) Sprouted seeds and cereal grasses contain powerful compounds including antioxidants, a number of enzymes, and chlorophyll. Excellent choices are broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, kale sprouts, sunflower seed greens, wheatgrass juice, barley grass juice, cabbage sprouts, and cauliflower sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are particularly important as a source of the cancer - fighting phytochemical sulforaphane.
7.) Medicinal mushrooms contain compounds that can enhance the effectiveness of chemo while reducing side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite, as well as suppress metastasis and increase levels of natural killer cells. One type of mushroom compounds, beta - glucans, has been shown to boost the cancer - fighting powers of the immune system's cytotoxic T cells.
Again, it is difficult to obtain clinically meaningful quantities of the mushroom phytochemicals from even the healthiest diet, which is why I recommend getting them in the form of extracts. Look for those containing maitake (Grifola frondosa), agaricus (Agaricus blazei), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), or turkey tails (Trametes versicolor).
Page 115)
8.) Essential fatty acids : There are also plant forms of omega - 3s. While fish oil is generally a more potent anti - inflammatory, the plant omega - 3s can also be useful. Black currant oil contains gamma - linolenic acid (GLA), and ground flaxseeds contain alpha - linolenic acid (ALA), both of which can help reduce inflammation and thus make your internal biochemistry more hostile to cancer cells.
9.) Sea vegetables and algae are excellent sources of minerals, amino acids, and cancer - fighting phytochemicals. Fucoidan, for instance, found in kombu and other seaweeds, can inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Seaweed phytochemicals can boost the activity and the number of important cancer - fighting immune cells called T - cells and natural killer (NK) cells. It is important to pick sea vegetables from a reputable source that grows them in clear, clean waters, since they can soak up heavy metals. Good choices are chlorella, spirulina, kelp granules or powder, dulse, and mekabu. - from "Life Over Cancer" by Keith I. Block, M.D.
Page 105) A 40 to 50 percent improvement rate was recorded in terminal patients, and an 80 percent improvement in early to moderate cancer cases.
Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables in the cruciferous family include kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, watercress, turnips, mustard plants and bok choy. Cruciferous vegetables contain detoxifying compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which have been proven to help prevent and reverse cancer.
Seaweed: Recently, research has shed light on the powerful mix of micronutrients, including Vitamin C and Vitamin E, as well as minerals, iodine, fiber, and polysaccharides in seaweed, which make it a powerful nutritional tool in combating cancer.
______________________________________________________________________
LIFE OVER CANCER - by Keith Block, M.D.
Page 59) One of my earliest breast cancer patients was Maryann, a 44 - year - old chemist and single mother bringing up 3 teenagers when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1983.
Maryann refused the radiation, fearing its side effects, but agreed to the 6 cycles of standard chemo. No one on her medical team gave her any nutritional guidelines. Still, she did fine for 3 years. Then a bone scan revealed numerous metastases throughout her rib cage and spine; she was told she had one year to live.
The shock sent Maryann to our clinic. She refused chemo, telling me that earlier rounds had caused vomiting, fatigue, and hair loss.
I laid out a low - fat, high - fiber diet consisting mainly of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, plus foods rich in anti - cancer nutrients such as shiitake mushrooms, sea vegetables, ginger and green tea. Maryann eliminated all dairy, meat, and refined sugars and never looked back. Within weeks, she experienced a major boost in energy and overall well - being. Four months after her first visit, a bone scan showed reduction of cancer in her spine, and scans every few months kept showing reductions or the outright disappearance of metastatic spots on her ribs and spine. Sixteen months in, Maryann appeared to be in complete remission. As I write, 22 years after Maryann walked into our clinic with bone metastases, she remains cancer - free - and still adheres to the cancer - fighting diet.
An important caveat: diet alone should never be regarded as the answer to cancer. We have had a number of patients who ended up at our door after attempting a diet as their only cancer treatment. Although some show improvement, especially in the short term, an experience like Maryann's is more the exception than the rule. Let me again say: combining conventional treatments with complementary therapies in an integrative system buys the best odds for a successful outcome.
For best results, dieticians at the Block Center recommend that patients with advanced cancer lean toward a more vegetarian diet, with the exception of small amounts of fish, egg whites, and supplemental whey. In place of animal protein, add vegetable protein: legumes, soy foods, seitan ("wheat meat"), nuts, and seeds. When you eat fish, limit your serving to a 4 - ounce portion (about the size of the palm of your hand). Emphasize deepwater, northern ocean fish such as salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel, and sardines. By removing meats and most other animal products from your diet, you will keep levels of tumor - sustaining iron, cholesterol, and estradiol in check.
Everything I just said about meat also pertains to dairy products, which can increase levels of cholesterol and tumor - stimulating growth factors and cause digestive problems in some chemotherapy patients.
You do not need to learn chemistry to identify foods containing the most powerful phytochemicals: many are plant pigments.
Mom was right when she told you to eat your broccoli: it and other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, watercress, collards, brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, and turnips) contain a veritable pharmacopoeia of phytochemicals with important cancer - fighting properties.
The red - purple color in berries comes from the pigments called anthocyanins. Like lycopene, found in tomatoes, these red - purple berries also contain antioxidants.
Page 112) Since it may be a challenge to get all these anti - cancer compounds from food alone, you may find it easiest to get half or more of your powerfoods in concentrates, mixtures of concentrated juices, or extracts of these foods. To do this, I recommend that you find an organic powerfood concentrate (often called a "green drink") that you enjoy and make it a part of your diet. These "green drinks" are widely available in health stores. Some cancer patients do make their own vegetable juices, but it is hard to get the diversity of foods you need at home.
1.) Carotenoids are red, yellow, and orange plant pigments such as those found in carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash. Carotenoids have important anti - cancer properties. For instance, lycopene, which makes tomatoes red, has the ability to inhibit the cancer - promoting growth factor IGF - 1.
2.) Cruciferous vegetables are rich in glucosinolates, a veritable treasure trove of anti - cancer compounds. These vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, and kale. Among the glucosinolates are indole 3 - carbinol, which increases the activity of enzymes that make estrogen less effective, thereby blocking the growth and progression of hormone - responsive cancers of the breast and endometrium. The sulforaphane in broccoli also targets breast cancer: at least six studies have demonstrated that women with breast cancer who consume high amounts of sulforaphane - containing vegetables have significantly better survival rates, lower recurrence rates, or both. Since cooking glucosinolates breaks them down, I recommend eating them raw whenever possible or, even easier, taking them in green drinks.
3.) Allium family vegetables are rich in organosulfides such as allicin, which helps the body remove toxic compounds, including carcinogens, enhance immune function, reduce blood clotting, and lower blood pressure. They include fresh garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, and chives.
4.) Leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses, containing compounds that have strong antioxidant activity. Good sources are parsley leaf, watercress, dandelion greens, chard, and turnip or beet greens.
5.) Fruits are rich in flavonoids that can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy. The ellagic acid in raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, and strawberry extracts, for instance, has been shown to act synergistically with chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer: a 2005 study found statistically better treatment responses and less treatment - related toxicity for patients receiving ellagic acid along with chemotherapy than for those undergoing chemotherapy alone.
Ellagic acid has also been shown to trigger apoptosis in many types of cancer cells and to curb tumors of the lung, liver, skin, and esophagus in the lab. Good sources of flavonoids include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, tart cherries, apples and apple skins, and Concord grapes.
Page 114)
6.) Sprouted seeds and cereal grasses contain powerful compounds including antioxidants, a number of enzymes, and chlorophyll. Excellent choices are broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, kale sprouts, sunflower seed greens, wheatgrass juice, barley grass juice, cabbage sprouts, and cauliflower sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are particularly important as a source of the cancer - fighting phytochemical sulforaphane.
7.) Medicinal mushrooms contain compounds that can enhance the effectiveness of chemo while reducing side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite, as well as suppress metastasis and increase levels of natural killer cells. One type of mushroom compounds, beta - glucans, has been shown to boost the cancer - fighting powers of the immune system's cytotoxic T cells.
Again, it is difficult to obtain clinically meaningful quantities of the mushroom phytochemicals from even the healthiest diet, which is why I recommend getting them in the form of extracts. Look for those containing maitake (Grifola frondosa), agaricus (Agaricus blazei), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), or turkey tails (Trametes versicolor).
Page 115)
8.) Essential fatty acids : There are also plant forms of omega - 3s. While fish oil is generally a more potent anti - inflammatory, the plant omega - 3s can also be useful. Black currant oil contains gamma - linolenic acid (GLA), and ground flaxseeds contain alpha - linolenic acid (ALA), both of which can help reduce inflammation and thus make your internal biochemistry more hostile to cancer cells.
9.) Sea vegetables and algae are excellent sources of minerals, amino acids, and cancer - fighting phytochemicals. Fucoidan, for instance, found in kombu and other seaweeds, can inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Seaweed phytochemicals can boost the activity and the number of important cancer - fighting immune cells called T - cells and natural killer (NK) cells. It is important to pick sea vegetables from a reputable source that grows them in clear, clean waters, since they can soak up heavy metals. Good choices are chlorella, spirulina, kelp granules or powder, dulse, and mekabu. - from "Life Over Cancer" by Keith I. Block, M.D.
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GARY NULL WRITES on ARTHRITIS & NATURAL HEALING
Our current arthritis treatment paradigm is locked into a model that creates patients for life out of people suffering from arthritis symptoms. It relies exclusively on a variety of expensive, toxic medications to ease pain and temporarily retard tissue destruction and even more expensive joint replacement surgery when patients believe there is nothing more that can be done. Arthritis is big business. NSAIDS are some of the top-selling products for the pharmaceutical companies, and the industry relies heavily on arthritis sufferers for a steady income stream.
The popular nutraceuticals glucosamine and chondroitin have finally been accepted by mainstream healthcare providers and are commonly recommended as an adjunct to help maintain cartilage. There is a growing body of new evidence that a radical diet change along with exercise can actually provide a superior alternative to unnecessary, harmful drugs.
Because joint destruction appears to be caused primarily by inflammation and oxidative stress, antioxidants and foods that lower arachiondic acid can be the key to turning off – or more to the point – preventing the inflammatory cascade. This goes a long way in bone health and maintaining cartilage so that arthritis doesn’t develop or progress.
Studies funded by industry continue to conclude that foods make no difference in alleviating the symptoms of any type of arthritis. In actuality, quite the opposite has proven to be true. In the few independent studies that have examined the subject, diet has been shown to be of the utmost importance in causing, halting and reversing arthritis. Symptoms of arthritis can be alleviated and often reversed by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet high in anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant rich foods.
In the case of gout, it is critical to avoid high-purine foods, especially meats, fish, caffeine, sugar and alcohol, in order to halt the inflammatory process.
In rheumatoid arthritis, it is likewise crucial to avoid animal proteins and processed foods, known for inciting the damaging immune process that causes the body to destroy its own healthy tissue.
There has been anecdotal evidence over the years that avoiding meat, dairy, eggs and processed foods can bring enormous relief to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Dr. Colin Dong successfully cured his own arthritis by adopting what he referred to as a Chinese peasant diet. He wrote two books about the benefits of eating rice, vegetables, nuts , seeds and a little fish, while forbidding meat, dairy, soft drinks, alcohol and all additives and chemicals.
Research shows that certain oils, fish and fresh vegetables were commonly associated with improvements while red meat, white flour and soft drinks aggravated symptoms. A number of recent studies show that adopting a low-fat vegan diet can immediately reduce symptoms of pain, swelling and limited range of motion.
One group of researchers from Norway did a controlled study in a supervised setting whereby a group of rheumatoid arthritis sufferes began the program with a 7-to-10-day fast. After the fast, half the group was assigned to a vegetarian diet, and the other half resumed their normal diet. They found significant improvement in the vegetarian group, and especially in the participants who chose to continue the diet beyond the study.
Joel Fuhrman M.D. – a leading proponent of the vegetarian diet – monitored over 500 fasts in a variety of clinical conditions, followed by a vegan diet. He reported in Alternative Therapies journal that fasting can offer both reduction in pain and lower inflammatory markers in patients with autoimmune illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis. He also found that if the fasting period is extended long enough, a substantial number of patients actually experience total remission of autoimmune symptoms that do not return in about half of the cases.
John McDougall, M.D. has had notable success in treating sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis with the McDougall diet, a vegan diet based in unprocessed plant foods and whole grains. The conclusion of T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.’s China Study is that the people who ate a diet low in animal proteins were the healthiest and lived the longest lives. Correspondingly, in 2002, there was a comparative study done between elderly in China – where the prevailing diet consists mostly of fruits and vegetables, rice and other grains and fish – and the U.S. for hip osteoarthritis. The conclusion of the study was that the Chinese experienced hip osteoarthritis 80-90 percent less frequently than Caucasians in the United States.
To maintain joints, it is necessary to avoid the Standard American Diet. Joint function is maximized with a diet high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, low in omega-6 fatty acids and rich in nutrients supplied by greens, grains, legumes, fruit and other plant foods. Likewise, it is crucial to avoid inflammatory foods such as meat, dairy, eggs, high fructose corn syrup, unhealthy fats, white flour, and processed foods. - by Gary Null
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