Health Gallery Nutrition Center

Why do we ignore the most obvious war on drugs? Americans give millions of public and private dollars to organizations that seek cures for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other killers. A significant portion of our taxes fund highway patrol officers, firefighters, safety inspectors and others devoted to curtailing accidents. Billions of dollars have been spent on the "war on drugs." Yet we ignore or we are reluctant to face the most significant threat to our health--the real drug problem in this country -- prescription drug related deaths in this country which are over 200,000 lost lives a year. These numbers make legal drugs the third leading cause of death. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives. How about the 9.6 million adverse reactions in older Americans each year from prescription drugs? According to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, these wrongful side effects account for 28% of all hospital admissions. The New England Journal of Medicine published a landmark study by a team of Harvard University researchers. They discovered that an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Americans die annually from hospital mistakes. The multibillion-dollar drug companies have penetrated our society to such a degree that weÍve come to look to drugs as the answer for everything that ails us. Much of the blame lies with physicians and the pharmaceutical companies, but we the public want those magic bullets that absolve us of taking responsibility for our own health. More than three billion prescriptions were written in the U.S. last year. In 1998, Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 received an average of 11 prescriptions; those over 75 received an average of 13. There are no studies to demonstrate what occurs when several drugs are mixed, and no one, and I mean no one, can predict what will happen in the long run. There are thousands of these drug and treatment catastrophes that happen each day and the public is never informed. You can choose to do nothing or take responsibility for your own health, be prepared to ask questions, be aware of your treatment, be concerned if your doctor is reluctant to answer your questions, ask if there any alternative treatment to drugs and be sure to do your own drug investigation for side effects or any conflict with other drugs you may be taking. The Benefits of L-Carnitine... helps protect you from heart disease. Studies have shown that people with angina, a painful condition brought on when clogged arteries reduce blood flow to the heart, experience better circulation when they take l-Carnitine, which also helps lower circulating blood fats. People with peripheral vascular disease, another circulation problem, in the legs, can increase their walking distances when they take l-Carnitine. Common Questions About Coenzyme Q 10 (COQ 10) Q What are CoQ10's principal uses? A CoQ10 is used primarily in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, mitral valve prolapse, coronary artery bypass surgery, and angina. It is also used for diabetes, periodontal disease, immune deficiency, cancer, as a weight-loss aid, muscular dystrophy, and as a performance-enhancing agent for athletes. Noticeable improvement may require eight to ten weeks taking 100 mg to 300 mg per day. Q How does it improve heart function? A It works by improving energy production in the heart muscle and by acting as an antioxidant. The value of CoQ 10 in cardiovascular disease has been clearly documented in animal studies and human trials. Correcting a deficiency can produce dramatic results in virtually all types of heart disease. Q How much CoQ10 should I take? A The usual dosage of CoQ10 is 60 to 120 mg/day. Although most studies used a dosage of 100 mg per day, larger doses (up to 300 mg daily) may be needed in cases of severe heart disease. Perhaps a more accurate dosage recommendation is based upon the person's weight. Some of the studies used a dosage of 2 mg of CoQ10 for each 2.2 pounds of body weight. Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) Flax Oil is the supreme source of essential fatty acids. EFAs cannot be manufactured by your body. They must be consumed in your daily diet. They serve to help control cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. They play a major role in transporting oxygen to every cell in your body. By virtue of the electromagnetic charge of EFAs, they aid in detoxifying your intestinal tract, kidneys, liver, lungs, and skin. MSM or methylsulfonylmethane, is a natural product without serious side effects. MSM relieves inflammation. It is especially useful for arthritis, back pain, headaches, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, tendinitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and TMJ, according to Dr. Stanley Jacob, MD. Dr. Jacob reports that MSM's therapeutic powers are enhanced when it is combined with glucosamine, another well-studied natural compound for arthritis. Dr. Jacob has used glucosamine in his practice for several years. He is convinced that it is one of the most effective therapies for long-term relief of arthritis pain. Chondroitin sulfate is used with glucosamine to promote cushioning effect. Quercetin: A Unique Bioflavonoid... has a strong affinity for mast cells, the body's main storage unit for histamines. Like many other bioflavonoids, it has the ability to stabilize cell membranes, preventing histamines from spilling out of mast cells into the bloodstream and surrounding tissues. Quercetin usually is used with bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple that is known to increase the body's ability to absorb various substances. Bromelain also is known to have many of the same histamine and leukotriene-inhibiting properties as quercetin, so they enhance each others' performance, relieving allergies, and joint problems such as arthritis. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We hide the Love that is within us from Ourselves and then we seek it outside Ourselves, where it can never be found! Have a great healthy day!

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