Many stories abound about how the tryptophan in turkey or a glass of milk before bed will help you sleep.  Is this true or not?  Let’s look at the information.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in foods.  Many amino acids combine to make a protein.  These proteins are then digested and broken down into the amino acids.  Amino acids are carried by the blood throughout the body.  When we think about sleep, the important organ is the brain.  There is a “blood-brain barrier,”  which substances in the blood need to be transported across.  Tryptophan uses the same transporter as several other amino acids.  If those amino acids are in the blood at the same time, they will compete with tryptophan, so less tryptophan will cross into the brain.

Why is tryptophan relevant to sleep?

Several of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) of sleep rely on tryptophan for their production.  Among these are serotonin and melatonin.  Melatonin has been discussed in other blog posts here.  Increasing tryptophan by taking tryptophan supplements does help treat insomnia.  These supplements provide higher doses of tryptophan than can be found in food.  Cottage cheese has the most tryptophan per serving, at 400mg tryptophan in 1 cup.  A 3oz serving of turkey provides 283mg of trytophan, and 1 cup of milk 110mg.

Does the tryptophan in our Thanksgiving turkey help sleep?

Thinking about the tryptophan basics we first discussed above, the tryptophan in turkey probably doesn’t help you sleep.  This is because there are other amino acids in the turkey, some of which may compete with tryptophan to be taken into the brain.  That said, enjoy the sleepy reverie that often follows the Thanksgiving feast!

I think I need bigger pockets so I can carry a notepad and a pen. Actually no. I think I want to be one of those people who needs bigger pockets so they can carry a notepad and a pen. I wish I were one of those people. Pretentious faux-artiste hipster sheik? Bleh. I have ideas and sometimes I wish I could write them down. But I’m pretty sure if I ever actually had the opportunity to do so I probably couldn’t be bothered. And I’d end up going home, looking through the notes thinking this is all terrible and cry myself to sleep. Or maybe I just want a notebook because I still have that misguided disbelief that material possessions will assist my process. I remember when I was 11 I thought that once I got a computer in my room I would be some creative demi-god and burn out tomes of elegant prose every day.

Ah how time makes fools of us all… Moving on.

I think I should just go ahead and scan the Stuff Book. Stick it on the internet or print copies for the masses. It’s the most popular thing I have ever created. Specifically, the big binder book I carry to every class to scribble in instead of doing work. And I had people gathering around in Drama today to flip through the damn thing. It’s got a better viewership than anything I’ve ever tried to produce. Hence my thesis – I should never try at anything. I’ll screw it up. Best just to get a job doing the cartoons for any newspaper willing to put giant melting lizards to print.

I think I should be doing science revision right now. I have exams the day after tomorrow. Will probably do reasonably on science. Hums I will crash and burn. Math… Urgggh… And I tactfully managed to skip English via Bali. So far teacher hasn’t noticed.

I never mentioned Bali to you kids did I? I go away for a week and garner a truckload of amusing anecdotes about Mr. Swastika and the wild marijuana plants. And you’re never going to hear a word of it. Just cuz I’m spiteful like that. I have now very thoroughly disappointed three people. Suck it those guys.

I think this post has taken on a really poppy 14-year-old-girl tone. It’s anecdotal again, which feels unclean. Also I can’t seem to go a paragraph without hating on myself. It’s Isaac-is-a-Whiny-Bitch week everyone. Didn’t mind the first paragraph, thought that might be going somewhere. Nope. Ah well.

Ooooh meta!

Aah I’m probably just tired. Which is stupid because I’ve been sleeping tons recently. However many months of getting 4-6 hours a night tops, and suddenly I’m going to bed at 10. I yawn all day, and yet I don’t feel like I’m going to die. Still get about as much work done as normal. Think my sleep-debt is finally calling in the taxes? That’s my theory. I don’t know enough about sleep to figure it out. Someone’s slipping melatonin into my toast?

Ach. Seriously though. Unclean. I swear I won’t post again until I’ve got something to say. Maybe I’ll do one of those Drabble things. They kinda fell out didn’t they? I’ve gotten about as much writing practice this year as a mourning porpoise. Ah well. I’ll do something.

This one’s dedicated to my new favorite snack – brought up in 180 Kitchen, recipe #83.  This time, Aurora and I have gotten crazy and added a little nutritional yeast to our coconutty favorite.  Aurora, by the way, is the popcorn princess.  She makes it the best.  Her recipe.  Not mine. 

I must say, there is no finer use for coconut oil.  Say what you will about butter on popcorn, but a light, expeller-pressed coconut oil shatters my best friend butter.  It defies reason I know, but try it sometime, especially if you’re seeking out the metabolic advantages of coconut oil but have failed to find a way to consume it that doesn’t make you gag. 

In the following recipe, I:

1) Place a jar of coconut oil into hot water to liquefy it.

2) Cook about a half cup of Steinke’s heirloom popcorn (awesome) in an air popper.

3) Pour lots of coconut oil (5-6 Tablespoons), 2T nutritional yeast (optional), and some sea salt over the popcorn and mix it all up a bit. 

That’s about all there is to it.  Does anyone really not have time to do this at home?  Makes a great post-dinner snack.  Get’s that ol’ tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier where happy serotonin gets made and transformed into melatonin for a long, dreamy night’s rest. 

Enjoy.

Click on the pictures below to enlarge. 

One of my friends has dubbed the ATI Comprehensive Predictor our program’s “exit exam”. That’s a really good way to look at it, especially considering we’re not eligible to take the NCLEX until pass this 185-question monster.

Which begins tomorrow at 0800. I’m amazed I have fingernails left.

I was going to take one more practice test tonight, but I decided that it would make me completely freak out if I scored lower than last time. And I do NOT need to have a nervous breakdown less than 12 hours before the real thing. So I will take a Melatonin (my Godsend for early bedtimes and earlier mornings) and tuck myself in with my drug and lab values flashcards until I pass out.

I’ll be waking with the roosters and fitting in a little Tae Bo action to get the heart pumping and the blood circulating. It seems fitting to visualize giving this test a knockout punch.

May visions of CVP values and theophylline levels be dancing in my head…

We spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping. Or trying to sleep for millions of people around the world who have trouble getting a good night’s rest every night. Having a good sleep every day is important, but many people have trouble getting a proper sleep without constantly waking up, having trouble falling asleep, or tossing and turning all night. I work a night shift job that requires me to sleep during the day, from about 9 or 10am until 4 or 5 in the evening is when I sleep. Believe me when I say I’ve gone through every scenario you could imagine trying to figure out how to get the best sleep possible. Over the last few years while working this shift I have come to some conclusions about how to get a high quality sleep, even during the day with all the noise and light that goes with it. I suspect that these tips will also help people who have trouble sleeping at night, and also people who sleep during the day like myself.

The most crucial component to getting a great sleep is to sleep in the dark. I know it sounds pretty common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t actually sleep in the dark. When I say dark, I mean dark. If you can see your hand in front of your face when you’re lying in bed trying to sleep, it’s not dark enough. The reason it’s so important to sleep in the dark is so that your pineal gland begins to make melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone with anti-oxidant properties that is produced when you are asleep in the dark. If you’re not sleeping in the dark for periods of longer than 4 hours or so your body will not make enough melatonin. So make sure you block out any light coming in your windows and also turn off or cover any LCD clocks or cell phones or electronics that are plugged in where you are sleeping.

Another thing I found useful was to do a light stretch before bed. Nothing intensive but just to loosen up a little before spending several hours in bed. You don’t want to do anything too stimulating before going to sleep. Watching TV, playing video games, listening to fast paced or dance music, and consuming stimulants (including sugar and caffeine) are all things that you should avoid for at least 2 hours before you want to go to sleep. Things that can help you to fall asleep easier could be meditations, light yoga, reading, journaling, listening to relaxing or meditative music, listening to white noise, keeping the room slightly cool (not warm!), unplug any electronics in the room. Don’t think too much about work or school or anything stressful before bed either, you don’t want to get your mind racing just before bed. Taking a shower or sitting in a sauna before you go to bed could be helpful too, as your body cools down when you get out it will help you fall asleep. Also, don’t drink too much before you go to bed so that you don’t have to get up to pee during the night. If you do have to get up during the night, don’t turn the lights on! Your body will instantly turn off any melatonin production if you do!

I recently tried supplementing melatonin once in a while. I was having a few days of troubled sleeping and decided to give it a try. I am very glad I did. I took equivalent of 3mg of melatonin each night before bed for a week and I can honestly say that those were the best sleeps I can remember.  This may be helpful for people who have little melatonin in their bodies to begin with, but I don’t think it should be used as a long term solution for sleeping. It definitely helps you get a wonderful full nights rest and is much safer than prescription sleeping medications. Melatonin is best taken in strips or an oral spray like Dr. Mercola has in his products section. Taking the tablet form of melatonin takes 20-30 minutes for it to hit your bloodstream, while the other two methods are much more rapid. I hope this article helps somebody get the best sleep of their life!

The following is an excerpt from an actual conversation between Conrad Noir and Marco Sparks last night. Yes, this is what they’re really like…

Marco Sparks: So, you’ll never believe this dream I had the other night…

Conrad Noir: I don’t know if I’m really up for a conversation about your hopes and dreams, man.

Marco: Well, when I say “dream,” what I really mean is sweaty, dread-dripping nightmare.

Conrad: Oh yeah? Shit. Nevermind. You know I’m all ears for that. Shoot.

Marco: Well, I’ll tell you about the nightmare in a second, but first let me tell you about my Saturday night…

Conrad: Always a catch, isn’t there? Shit. Okay, tell me about your Saturday ni-

Marco: It was awesome. But then, later on, I was just trying to go sleep, right? And it’s late, I don’t remember the time, but late. So I turn on the TV and put it on mute, just wanting some flickering light and alpha wave manipulation in the room. Or something.

Conrad: Sure, sure. Perfectly normal.

Marco: So then I lay down on the bed. The room I’m in though, there’s no remote. Or, if there is, fuck if I know where it is.

Conrad: Oh, yeah, man’s constant struggle.

Marco: Right, so I’m stuck with whatever the channel is because, well, I’m lazy.

Conrad: I feel that.

Marco: In this particular case, it was A&E. The former Arts & Entertainment channel.

Conrad: “Former” being the operative word.

Marco: Seriously. Airing that late evening/early morning was a seeming non stop marathon of CSI: Miami episodes.

Conrad: Wow. Ouch.

Marco: Ouch is right. And let me tell you, I could not sleep with that on.

Conrad: How do you mean?

Marco: Every five seconds they cut back to a shot of David Caruso! Constantly! And let me tell you, Caruso has two emotional speeds on that show. The first: Putting on his sunglasses. The second: Taking them off again. People could be on fire, running around screaming, bits of their skin melting off or whatever as creatures of the apocalypse commit homicides or devour souls or just what have you, and Caruso’s cool as Fonzie the whole fucking time.

Conrad: That seems accurate with the little bits of it I’ve caught occasionally.

Marco: Also, it’s freakishly bright. Like, too bright and dayglo for even Miami.

Conrad: Okay.

Marco: It would not let me sleep! I turned over, looked at the flickering light patterns on the wall, like some kind of twisted variation on Plato’s Cave and I felt like Caruso was picking me up from the airport and driving me straight to madness!

Conrad: Caruso’s like that.

Marco: This is the guy from NYPD Blue to subjected America to his ass. Why would you want to see this man’s ass?!

Conrad: Or Dennis Franz for that matter.

Marco: Well… obviously. But, so I lay there, squeezing my eyes shut. But it was no good, man. I knew that Caruso was in the room with me. Putting his fucking sunglasses on. Or worse.

Conrad: Worse?

Marco: He could’ve been taking them off again…

Conrad: Okay, so this was the nightmare?

Marco: Oh, no, this was real. Deadly real. Eventually I must’ve passed out from all the stress of his ontological torture and when I woke up, of course, A&E was still on, right?

Conrad: Yeah, of course.

Marco: So, the sun is shining through the window, birds are chirping little songs and I’m a little tired, but I’m breathing a sigh of relief. I’m all like, “Thank God, it’s morning, I made it. I survived!”

Conrad: This is going somewhere bad, isn’t it?

Marco: You bet your goofy ass it is, my friend. Because there on the TV…

Conrad: Yeah?

Marco: Motherfucking Chris Daughtry was on the TV. Somebody was actually interviewing him!

Conrad: Ugh. Gross.

Marco: Exactly! Why would anyone want to interview that fucker? Why is he on the TV? Why did my day have to start with these violent images? It was like… last night I couldn’t enter the domain of sleep and now… Now I can’t be awake with this in the world!

Conrad: I feel like I need a drink now.

Marco: Me too. From just, you know, reliving that traumatic experience. From being the plaything of the sandman.

Conrad: So what was the nightmare?

Marco: Oh, the nightmare. Yeah, sorry. That was last night. I was like in a room, but I wasn’t. I was like “the camera” or whatever. Anyway, there was a little boy and he was trapped in the room. No windows, yet there was moonlight slipping around. And he was sleeping like a little shit does and then goblins crawled out of the cracks in the walls and out from under the bed and cut off his eyelids or something.

Conrad: Damn. I like that. I mean, that’s seriously creepy.

Marco: Yeah, it was something. When I woke up, I knew you’d love it.

Conrad: You were right. And goblins, you say? Wow. Goblins. That part is especially wild. People don’t throw around the word “goblins” all that much anymore.

Marco: Let me tell you something about goblins, my friend. Something you may not know. Something very few people may actually know.

Conrad: Do it.

Marco: Goblins, man. They’re no joke. They’re fucking scary, and they’re fucked up. And they will fuck you up. You understand me?

Conrad: Yes, I believe I do. But let’s talk about something important now. Let’s talk about me and my dreams. And my nightmares.

Marco: Take aim and fire away, baby.

Conrad: So, you know, I’ve been taking melatonin a lot lately, right?

Marco: Cause you can’t get your hands on ambien, right?

Conrad: Yeah, sorta. I got tricked into trying to go all natural, which is a sham. Whenever in doubt, just go with hard drugs.

Marco: Put that on a t-shirt.

Conrad: Don’t tempt me.

Marco: But I feel you. I have several friends who don’t realize they’re becoming recreational vicodin addicts, which is cool, cause this is America and shit. But I can’t do that stuff anymore. It gives me freaky nightmares. I mean, genuinely freaky nightmares. Like, where the goblins show up and tell me I’ll have erectile dysfunction for the rest of my life and or will be forever locked in a mortgage I can’t afford.

Conrad: As long as you’re not longer dreaming about Avril Lavigne, you’ll be fine.

Marco: I’ll have you know: That was a very special time in my life.

Conrad: Anyway… me. And my nightmare.

Marco: Do it.

Conrad: So, I guess you’re supposed to take melatonin only so much, right? Until it stirs up your… well, I don’t know. Something. Some kind of chemical. I’m not a trained doctor or anything. But you take it short term, you get some rest, you move on.

Marco: Gotcha.

Conrad: But I keep taking it because it gives me juicy nightmares. And I’m a horror movie fan.

Marco: I remember that you were a Freddy guy more than a Jason guy.

Conrad: Exactly! Anyway, so the one I had last night… Wowza.

Marco: Oh?

Conrad: Oh yeah. So I’m like wandering around in this fucked up, dark version of Chuck E. Cheese’s, right?

Marco: This already sounds terrifying.

Conrad: Oh, it was. Believe you me. It so was. And there’s all these fat, sweaty white people around me.

Marco: Your ultimate nightmare.

Conrad: My ultimate daymare, you mean. But there they are. And there’s famous gross white people there too. Like Jeffrey Dahmer.

Marco: I remember that Peanut used to date a guy who looked like Jeffrey Dahmer. Man, I hated that guy.

Conrad: Me too. Well, Dahmer, anyway. But he was the guy who, later on I discovered, didn’t belong in the dream. But there was other famous people too. Like Mary Kay Letourneau. And Roman Polanski. And Joey Buttafuoco. And Debra Lafave. And Pete Townshend. And Bobby Fisher. And Gary Glitter!

Marco: Oh shit. You were at a child molester convention!

Conrad: Exactly. By accident, of course. Once I realized what was going on, I was like, “Oh shit, I gotta get the fuck outta here!”

Marco: Shit. I hope so.

Conrad: So I take off for the door, right? But right as I get to it, I notice the little bulletin board listing who all the speakers are going to be at this thing.

Marco: So, it was like a proper convention then? With speakers and talks and things?

Conrad: Yes! Terrifying, right?

Marco: Very.

Conrad: So I’m running my finger down the board, just looking at all the famous names. I remember that R. Kelly was on there, of course.

Marco: Right. Yeah. “Age ain’t nothing but a number,” after all.

Conrad: And then I get to the end. The keynote speaker.

Marco: Ooh, this is going to be good, isn’t it? Who was it?

Conrad: I’m not bullshitting you here. It was Jon Gosselin.

Marco: Oh… wow.

Conrad: I know, right?

Marco: Yeah. Wow. Eeesh.

Conrad: But, whereas everyone else had their name and like a title of what their speech was going to be about or whatever, after his name… there was just one word. One single word.

Marco: What was it?

Conrad: It was simply… “Gangsta.”

Marco: Oh. My.

Conrad: Uh huh. It shocked me away. And I sat there, in my bed, just catching my breath from the sheer intensity of the thing. And I just whispered it back to myself. “Gangsta.”

Marco: Wow…

Conrad: Yeah, I know.

Marco: Yeah.

Conrad: Yeah.

Marco: Yeah, uh… let’s talk about something else, okay?

Berke Özücer, İstanbul Üniversitesi, Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, İngilizce Tıp Bölümü 5. Sınıf

Florid, kan beyin bariyeri tarafından merkezi sinir sistemine girişi engelleniyor olmasına rağmen; kan-beyin bariyerinden yoksun olan ve fizyolojik olarak kalsifiye olan epifiz bezinde birikmektedir. Buradaki birikimin melatoninin plazma seviyelerini düşürdüğü gösterilmiştir. Melatoninin antioksidan sisteme katkıları düşünüldüğünde floride maruz kalmayla metabolizmada serbest radikallerde artış, oksidan dengede bozulma, genel bir tahribat ve yaşlanmada ivmelenme beklenebilir. Doza bağlı salınımı azalması beklenen beyin-omurilik sıvısı melatonin seviyelerinin oksidatif metabolizması hayli yüksek olan bu organdaki antioksidan ve nöroprotektif etkilerinin ortadan kalkmasıyla Alzheimer-benzeri nörodejenerasyon gözlenmesi mümkündür. Nitekim, yapılan çalışmalarda nörodejeneratif Alzheimer Hastalığı nöropatogeneziyle beyin-omurilik sıvısı melatonin konsantrasyonları arasında anlamlı negatif korelasyon bulunmuştur. Bu bilgiler ışığında uzun süre floride maruz kalmanın, doza bağlı olarak melatonin seviyelerinde düşüşe ve buna bağlı Alzheimer-benzeri nörodejeneratif hasarda bir risk faktörü olabileceği yönündedir.

Giriş

Günümüzde floridin (F) diş çürüklerini önleme amaçlı içme sularına katılması, diş ürünleri, D-Fluoretten ve Zymafluor gibi ilaçlar; maruz kalınan florid dozlarını arttırmıştır [1]. Vücuda giren F, kalsifiye dokulara afinite gösterir ve vücutta flourapatit kristali olarak birikir [2]. Pineal bezde kranial BT taramalarıyla rahatça gözüken Corpora Arenacea isimli kemik benzeri kalsifikasyonlar mevcuttur [5-7]. Epifiz bezinin diğer sirkümventriküler organlarda olduğu gibi kan-beyin bariyeri’nden (KBB) yoksun olduğu düşünüldüğünde burada F birikimi beklemek yanlış olmaz [8,9].

Nitekim epifiz bezinin florid konsantrasyonlarının diğer yumuşak dokulara (iskelet kası) kıyasla anlamlı derecede (p<0.001)  yüksek olduğu gösterilmiştir [10]. Yapılan deneysel çalışmalarda yüksek florid içerikli yem verilen deney hayvanlarında düşük florid içeriklilere kıyasla idrar melatonin metaboliti seviyelerinde anlamlı düşüş bulunmuştur [12]. Bu çalışma; epifiz bezindeki florid birikimiyle doza bağlı olarak melatonin sekresyonunu azaltarak, BOS ve plazma melatonin seviyelerini düşürdüğünü göstermiştir [12].

Önerme

Melatoninin antioksidan ve nöroprotektif özellikleri düşünüldüğünde [13-15] maruz kalınan florid dozuna bağlı olarak azalan melatonin seviyeleri, uzun vadede artan serbest radikallerle bozulan oksidan dengeye ve antioksidan sistemin işleyişindeki yavaşlamalar sonucu serbest radikal hasarına sebep olarak tüm organizmada tahrip edici etkiye ve yaşlanma sürecinin hızlanmasına sebep olduğu öne sürülebilir [14,15].

Son yıllarda yapılan güncel çalışmalarda melatoninin nörodejeneratif hasardaki koruyucu işlevinin antioksidan özellikleriyle sınırlı olmadığını göstermiştir [19-21,23]. Nitekim melatoninin Alzheimer Hastalığı (AH) nöropatogenezini önleyici nöroprotektif etkisini [19] AH nöropatogenezinde temel mekanizmalardan ß-amiloid proteini oluşumunun inhibisyonu [19, 21], tau-protein hiperfosforilasyonu ve nörofibriller yumak oluşumunu engelleyerek gösterdiği deneysel çalışmalarla kanıtlanmıştır [16-21].

Yapılan çalışmalarda, postmortem intraventriküler BOS melatonin seviyeleriyle Alzheimer klinik değerlendirmesinde kullanılan Braak Değerlendirmesi arasında anlamlı (p<0.004) ilişki gösterilmiştir [20][Tablo I]. Fizyolojik olarak yaşlanmayla azalan melatonin seviyeleri [14,15], Alzheimer Hastalığı’nın oluşumunda rol oynamaktadır.

 Bu bilgiler ışığında, melatonin salgılanmasını azaltan floridle, melatonin seviyeleriyle ilişkisi gösterilmiş Alzheimer benzeri nörodejenerasyon arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu ve floride maruz kalmanın Alzheimer Hastalığı’na yakalanmada bir risk faktörü olabileceği mümkün bir hipotezdir.

 Sonuç

Melatonin seviyelerinin yaşla beraber fizyolojik olarak azaldığı düşünülünce [Tablo II] [22] şu öne sürülebilir: İlerleyen yaşla epifizin kalsifikasyonu [10,23] ve buna bağlı florid birikimi, melatoninin yaşla azalan plazma seviyelerini açıklayabilir. Alzheimer Hastalığı ise bu düşüşün yüksek flor maruziyetine bağlı olarak iyice hızlanması sonucu melatoninin nöroprotektif etkisinin ortadan kalkmasıyla ilişkili olarak ortaya çıkabilir.

Bu hipotezle ilgili olarak; içme sularının floridasyonu yapılan ve yapılmayan bölgelerdeki Alzheimer Hastalığı’nın görülme sıklığı arasında anlamlı fark olup olmadığı epidemiyolojik olarak araştırılabilir. Ayrıca D-Fluoretten ve Zymafluor gibi flor tableti kullanımlarının uzun dönemli sonuçları bu hipotez açısından değerlendirilebilir.

Konu, toplum sağlığı açısından önem taşımaktadır. Diş sağlığı ve diş çürüklerini önleme amacıyla gittikçe artan dozlarda kullanılan bu metalin yan etkileri üzerine çalışılması gerekmektedir. Bu önermenin bilimsel literatürde yerini alabilmesi için öncesinde üzerine çalışılması gerektiği açıktır.

Teşekkür

Yazının hazırlanmasındaki katkıları için değerli arkadaşlarım Seha Saygılı’ya, Batuhan Üstün’e ve değerli hocam Prof.Dr. Oktay Seymen’e teşekkürü bir borç bilirim.

Tablolar

Tablo I: BOS Melatonin seviyeleriyle AH Nöropatogenezi Braak değerlendirmesi arasındaki ilişki (p<0.004) Kaynak: [20]

Tablo II: Melatoninin seviyeleri yaşla beraber fizyolojik olarak azalır [22]

Kaynaklar

1. WHO: Fluorine and Fluorides. Environmental Health Criteria 36. Geneva, WHO, 1984.

2. Ekstrand J: Fluoride metabolism; in Fejerskov 0, Ekstrand J, Burt B (eds): Fluorides in Dentistry. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1996,

5. Krstic R: A combined scanning and transmission electron microscopic study and electron probe microanalysis of human pineal acervuli. Cell Tiss Res , 174:129-137,1976

6. Michotte Y, Lowenthal A, Knaepen L, Collard M, Massart DL: A morphological and chemical study of calcification of the pineal gland. J Neurol ;215:209-219,1977

7. Bocchi G, Valdre G: Physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization of carbonate-hydroxyapatite concretions of the human pineal gland. J Inorg Biochem;49:209-220.,1993

8. Wilson JD, Foster DW. The pineal gland and circumventriculer organs. In: Textbook of Endocrinology, West Washington square, Philadelphia, WB Saunders company,535-63,1981

9. Rapoport SI: Blood-Brain Barrier in Physiology and Medicine. New York, Raven Press, p 77-78,1976

10. Luke J, Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Res.Mar-Apr;35(2):125-8,2001

12 Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford.

13. Yazıcı C, Köse K, Melatonin: Karanlığın Antioksidan Gücü Erciyes Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi (E.Ü.Journal of Health Sciences) 13(2) 56-65, 2004

14. Poeggeler B, Reiter RJ, Tan DX et al. Melatonin, hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidative damage, and aging: a hypothesis. J Pineal Res 1993; 14:151–168

15. Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Poeggeler B et al. Melatonin as a free radical scavenger: implications for aging and age-related diseases. Ann NY Acad Sci 1994; 719:1–12.

16. Wu YH, Feenstra MG, Zhou JN, Liu RY, Torano JS, van Kan HJ, et al. Molecular changes underlying reduced pineal melatonin levels in Alzheimer disease: alterations in preclinical and clinical stages. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003; 88: 5898–906.

17. Rousseau A, Petren S, Plannthin J, Eklundh T, Nordin C. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of melatonin: a pilot study in healthy male volunteers. J Neural Transm 1999; 106: 883–

18. Halliwell B, J Neurochem, Oxidative stress and neurodegeneration: where are we now? J Neurochem 2006 Jun;97(6):1634-58

19. Pappolla MA, Chyan YJ, Poeggeler B, Frangione B, Wilson G, Ghiso J, Reiter RJ: An assessment of the antioxidant and the antiamyloidogenic properties of melatonin: Implications for AD. J Neural Transm 2000; 107:203–231

20. Zhou JN, Liu RY, Kamphorst W, Hofman MA, Swaab DF. Early neuropathological Alzheimer’s changes in aged individuals are accompanied by decreased cerebrospinal fluid melatonin levels. J Pineal Res 2003; 35: 125–30.

21. Role of melatonin in Alzheimer-like neurodegeneration, Wang JZ, Wang ZF. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2006 Jan;27(1):41-9

22. Turek F, Melatonin hype hard to swallow Nature. 1996 Jan 25;379(6563):295-6

[23. Wu YH, Swaab DF. The human pineal gland and melatonin in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. J Pineal Res ; 38: 145–52,2005

The brain cells of mice don’t age if the mice are given melatonin in their drinking water, write researchers from the Universidad de Granada, Spain, in the Journal of Pineal Research. The researchers gave their lab animals a hefty dose of 10 mg per kg bodyweight. 

Melatonin is a hormone that the pineal gland produces when there is no daylight. The diagram here shows it biosynthesis. Melatonin induces sleepiness and helps the body to prepare for the night time. And because melatonin is also an antioxidant and can protect genetic material from damage, researchers have been studying the hormone for years.

The same is true for the Spaniards, who gave melatonin to mice, because they age quickly. The mice were given a placebo for 5 or 10 months [p5v or p10v] or melatonin for 10 months [p10m]. The treatment started immediately at birth. After 5 and 10 months of placebo treatment, and after 10 months of melatonin, the researchers examined the mitochondria in the mice’s brain cells. Mitochondria are the cells’ energy generators. In the process of ageing, brain cells’ functioning starts to deteriorate, which is why older people’s brains often function less well than the brains of young people.

The researchers noticed that, in the mitochrondria of the mice that had not had melatonin, the production of endogenous antioxidants declined increasingly as the animals aged. The figure below shows what happened to the glutathione peroxidase. Melatonin had almost the same effect on glutathione reductase as well.

The researchers also found more oxidised fats in the membranes of the mitochondria in the older mice. Melatonin inhibited this increase. The concentration of the free radical NO also increased as the mice aged – and once again melatonin inhibited this increase.

In the mitochondria there are four important enzymes that generate energy together. These enzymes and the molecules that help them are referred to as Complex 1, 2, 3 and 4 by scientists. Complex 1, 2 and 3 started to work less well as the mice aged – and, again, melatonin improved this situation.

The energy that the mitochondria produce is released in the form of ATP. And, you guessed it: ageing leads to a decrease in ATP production, except in the mice that were given melatonin.

“Melatonin showed marked beneficial effects against brain mitochondrial dysfunction with age”, the Spaniards conclude in their article. “These effects, and the fact that melatonin virtually lacks toxicity even at large doses, supports its clinical use in preventing the impairments of aging.”

Source: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mksg/jpi/2009/00000047/00000002/art00010

You have probably heard of melatonin, one of our bodies’ endogenous hormones. Today we’ll talk about natural melatonin cycles, how melatonin relates to health, and also how melatonin is taken as a supplement.

Your Natural Melatonin Cycle
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. It also acts as a neurotransmitter. In dim light conditions melatonin levels will start to rise about 2 hours before your habitual bedtime, and peak about 2 hours afterwards. This increase is partly responsible for tired feelings before bedtime. It will decline during the night and be at very low levels during the day. Melatonin is suppressed by bright light, such as sunshine.

People who are either “larks” or “owls,” have a melatonin rhythm that is different from the norm. This causes them either to get sleepy much earlier in the day – “larks”, or much later than usual – “owls.” An example is found during puberty in teenagers whose melatonin rhythm shifts later, causing their sleep and wake times to shift later.

Uses of Melatonin
Melatonin can be taken as a supplement to improve sleep. In the past, higher doses (5-10mg) were used like a pharmaceutical drug, and some people experienced a hang-over effect the next morning. Newer research has shown that much lower doses (.3-3mg), which are in line with the levels naturally found in the body, are just as effective.

- Precisely timed melatonin can be used to shift the habitual sleep time for those people who are “owls” or “larks.” Exposure to bright light can also be used to shift sleep times as it will suppress melatonin.
- Melatonin can be used by travelers to reduce jet-lag symptoms. It is especially effective when used in combination with a well-thought out sleep schedule, bright light exposure and limiting light with sunglasses.
- Melatonin can be a gentle aid in promoting sleep for those who have sleep onset insomnia. There are also time-released formulas for people who have difficulty staying asleep through the night.

You can always take advantage of your endogenous melatonin rhythm by going to bed at approximately the same time each night, and getting bright light exposure in the morning. This is one way to naturally keep your sleep healthy!

just me and my lamp, havin breakfast…
i found this article on SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder…
now i know this term gets bandied about rather freely and that there are some people that get a legitimate clinical taste of it, but certainly everyone feels a little SAD and hates waking up in the dark morning…
the author of this article reports on scientists that believe that the symptoms of SAD, like fatigue, difficulty getting up in the morning, difficulty concentrating, a reduced sex drive and an increased need for sleep may all be programmed biological responses…

Our earliest ancestors made it through dark winter days by imitating the animals who hibernated during the cold, food deprived months of winter. It made sense, during prehistoric winters, for humans to spend more time sleeping and avoiding activities that would burn up precious calories. Carbs provide a good source of energy to combat the cold and are easy to digest. These were the most sensible foods to crave.
Besides taking many calories, in pre-birth control days, sex invariably lead to babies being born. Those who experienced a lower sex drive in winter produced more offspring who were born in the spring and summer months. These babies had a greater chance to survive.

its interesting!! we’re all animals…
other scientists talk about the involvement of Melatonin which is part of the process that sets our biological clock…morning sun signals your brain to wake up and get going but if theres no sun in the morning, you dont release it!…or whatever.
so thats why theres a big push for sunlamp therapy…
she certainly looks sunny…

…………………………………….

so heres some ska revival Madness to help you pickitup pickitup pickitup pickitup…haaaaa awful
i think Madness lives in the same neighborhood as The Young Ones…
love you Rik Mayall…

One of our Diamond leaders recently talked about ImmuPro and how powerful it was in fighting cancer so I decided to do a bit of research and found some information to share with everyone about ImmuPro.  I think you will agree there are some very powerful cancer fighting properties in a lot of the ingredients/compounds found in ImmuPro.  I have taken it just to enhance my immune system.  The first time I took the ImmuPro was in the early afternoon and found myself falling asleep.  I now use ImmuPro only at night. I would be interested to hear if anyone else is using ImmuPro and the results they are experiencing.

Here is an excerpt from Training Tape # 41 “Amazing New Products” 2002. 

On this tape Gary talks about CortiStop, ImmuPro and Longevity.  The following is an excerpt on ImmuPro and following the excerpt is scientific studies I found.

“…ImmuPro…Our next product..one that I am really excited about, because again, it is a product we have used at the Clinic and with which we have seen phenomenal results.  We have tremendous research documenting the effects of this product, and now it will be yours.  This product is primarily made up of lycium polysaccharide.  It is the primary element in the wolfberry that has been found to augment and enhance the immune system, decrease tumor cell growth, and help in the promotion of longevity.  It is one of the most important immune stimulating discoveries that has been made in the last decade–even in the last two decades.   Research at the Department of Microbiology tested wolfberry polysaccharide and immune therapy on 79 advanced cancer patients.  Treatment using the polysaccharide markedly increased in natural killer cells.  In addition, polysaccharide more than doubled the effectiveness of interleukin-2 immune therapy.

It is important for you to know that when they are using natural ingredients they always try to couple it with another compound.  This was very interesting to me because I also have found that when I compound ingredients that is when we find the greatest results, and we have definitely seen and proven that over the years with our blends of oils.

Medical college researchers concluded that lycium polysaccharides were highly effective in promoting immunity.  The lycium fruit was effective in avoiding the decrease in the number of white cells.  We have watched this with our patients at the Clinic and we have taken another step further again.  Mark is the one who pushed this forward and brought it to completion for us.

Agarius, one of the most powerful stimulants yet to be discovered, is a medicinal mushroom from Brazil that contains a rich complex of betaglukins, a type of polysaccharide which stimulates both humoral B-cells and cell media T-cells immunity.

University studies in Japan identify betaglukin polysaccharides that raised levels of immune cells. Populations of pan T-cells jumped 43%, helper T-cells 37% and killer T-cells 50% following oral administration of this polysaccharide. 

Folks, is this interesting to you?  I shared with you earlier and told you that this year was about documentation and the proof of the products that we are putting into your hands, so that when you go out there with it, this is not folklore medicine and you are not going to be talking about it as such. 

You are going to talk about it with the backup of hard copy, university documented research.

The Marvelous Maitake

The Maitake mushroom, according to Raymond Chang, MD of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has various degrees of immune modulating, lipid-lowering anti-tumoral and other beneficial health effects without any significant toxicity. A 2001 study conducted at the Toya Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Japan found that Maitake  polysaccharides drastically increased the killing power of macrophage immune cells. 

A recent study by researchers at the New York Medical College, found that polysaccharides from Maitake drastically slowed the growth of prostate tumor cells.  Even more surprising, it was determined that vitamin C enhanced the effect of polysaccharides by 8 to 16 times. Again, what did that just say..that vitamin C enhanced the effect?  And what is in wolf-berry, and how many times higher is it than natural ascorbic acid?  Do you see what happens here when we start compounding these formula?

Extraordinary Polysaccharides

We have research at the Veterans’ General Hospital in Taiwan showed that the gamaderma polysaccharides stimulated human immune cells, macrophages and T-lymphacytes, too, dramatically increase their output of Interleukin-1, Interleukin-6, T and F and gamma interferon.

Recent studies at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai found that Reishi polysaccharides multiplied T-cells by over 50%, B-cells by 55%, immuglobulan-G by almost 10%.  Further studies identified 1.3 beta glucans, 1.4 beta glucans, and 1.6 beta glucans which dramatically enhance counts of T- and B-lymphocytes involved in both cell mediated and humoral immunity.  Larch polysaccharides derived from the larch accidentalists larch tree grows in St. Maries.  The tree uses the polysaccharides to heal itself after lightning strikes.  Larch polysaccharides occur naturally in other immune stimulating herbs.

Research of an institute in Germany has shown that the polysaccharides activate NK (natural killer) cells by increasing levels of gamma interferon.

More About ImmuPro

Zinc.  The experimental depletion of zinc has been shown to produce a number of deficiencies, including impairment of antibody response, decreased numbers of T- and B-lymphocytes, loss of cyrotoxic T-lymphocyte response and finding embolution in T-cell depletion in spleen and lymph nodes.

Every ingredient in your ImmuPro is documented for its effectiveness..not just one or two, but every single ingredient.  Cancer patients who were mightily deficient in zinc were also found to have markedly lower Interleukin through gamma interferon and natural killer cell levels. 

John Hopkins research recently examined the effect of zinc on 1154 low birth weight infants and found that daily doses of 5 mg. of zinc reduced mortality from infectious disease by over 68% compared with non-supplemented children.

Selenium..multiplies Interleukin-2 receptors according to the New York University research.  This is where the oils play such an integral part of your formulations because when people have a disease  (regardless of what it is) the receptor sites are greatly compromised, and when they are compromised they can’t pick up those nutrients and ingredients that are important for them to create the replicating of healthy cells, so you can be eating good things and taking good things into your body, but if the body can’t receive it and utilize it, naturally it doesn’t have much value.

ImmuPro is Chewable!

This has been an exciting project..and it is chewable!  The Longevity oil blend that was our blend for convention last year, we were very excited about it and wanted to do this last year, but you now have your Longevity oil blend in a capsule!  I have been asked for recommendations for dosage..and it shouldn’t be over a bottle a day!  It depends on what age you are shooting for.  One a day is quite adequate just for normal balance four to five times a week.  Thyme, which has been recognized and researched as a powerful antioxidant, prevents degeneration of the brain, eyes, and heart according to research in Scotland and Hungary.  If you can see and your heart can thump, the rest of your body almost has to keep up with it, so it is a powerful oil and I know you are all using it.

Powerful Limonene

It was interesting that after September 11 last year we sold out of Thyme in just a matter of three or four days.  There was a big rush on it.  Clove, the strongest antioxidant, is highest on the ORAC of the Essential Oils.  Orange, rich in limonene. 

There is tremendous research coming out now on Orange and Grapefruit oil, and naturally Lemon oil on the value of limonene as an anti-tumoral agent and even some case studies.  This was a case study that was conducted several years ago at the Wisconsin University.  Dr. Michael Ghoul’s colleagues found that 5% limonene (a diet fed to test animals for 18 to 30 weeks) resulted in a 66% drop in mammary tumor incidence and a 42% drop in animals with a palatable tumor. 

I received this research a number of years ago and I got really excited and called and tried to talk to the department about it, but it was sad that the research was being conducted on a synthetic limonene to see what the results were.  When they saw the results were so effective they went on to do studies with natural limonene extracted from Orange peel oil. It was very exciting!  You see here again the effects of Orange oil and the limonene on tumor incidents.  Of course, the cortisol levels shoot and the antioxidant activity and the limonene, how it brings that down, so it is really a powerful anti-tumoral agent.

In 1997 in the Department of Medical Oncology at the Taurene Cross Hospital in London 32 patients with advanced breast and colon cancer completed 99 courses of limonene administrated orally.  Dosages ranged from 1 gram to 16 grams per day and researchers found promising results….”

ImmuPro contains some of the following:

Ningxia wolfberry polysaccharide (Lycium barbarum)

• lycium polysaccharide…is the primary element in the wolfberry that has been found to augment and enhance the immune system, decrease tumor cell growth, and help in the promotion of longevity.  It is one of the most important immune stimulating discoveries that has been made in the last decade–even in the last two decades.  
•  Research at the Department of Microbiology tested wolfberry polysaccharide and immune therapy on 79 advanced cancer patients.  Treatment using the polysaccharide markedly increased in natural killer cells.  In addition, polysaccharide more than doubled the effectiveness of interleukin-2 immune therapy.
• The following were found on www.Pubmed.com
  • Lycium barbarum polysaccharides induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells and inhibits prostate cancer growth in a xenograft mouse model of human prostate cancer. Luo Q, Li Z, Yan J, Zhu F, Xu RJ, Cai YZ.  College of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
  • Growth inhibition and cell-cycle arrest of human gastric cancer cells by Lycium barbarum polysaccharide. Miao Y, Xiao B, Jiang Z, Guo Y, Mao F, Zhao J, Huang X, Guo JMed Oncol. 2009 Aug 11.
  • Lycium barbarum inhibits growth of estrogen receptor positive human breast cancer cells by favorably altering estradiol metabolism. Life Sci. 2005 Mar 18;76(18):2115-24.
  • Effect of lycium barbarum polysaccharide on human hepatoma QGY7703 cells: inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis  Zhang M, Chen H, Huang J, Li Z, Zhu C, Zhang S. Department of Food Science and Bioengineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300222, PR China. zm0102@sina.com
  • Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP), extracted from Lycium barbarum that is a kind of traditional Chinese herb, is found to have anticancer activity. In this study, the effect of LBP on the proliferation rate, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in the human hepatoma QGY7703 cell line were investigated. The effects of this compound were also tested on the concentration of calcium in cells. LBP treatment caused inhibition of QGY7703 cell growth with cycle arrest in S phase and apoptosis induction. The amount of RNA in cells and the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ were increased. Moreover, the distribution of calcium in cells was changed. Taken together, the study suggests that the induction of cell cycle arrest and the increase of intracellular calcium in apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of LBP in QGY7703 cells.

 Reishi mycelia (Ganoderma lucidum)

• Ganoderma lucidum extract induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell.  International Journal of Cancer, Volume 102 Issue 3, Pages 250-253.
• Gao Y, et al. Effects of Ganopoly ( Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide Extract) on the Immune Functions in Advanced-Stage Cancer Patients. Immunol Invest 2003;32(3): 201-15.
  Thirty-four patients with advanced-stage cancer of various tissues were given 1800 mg of oral Ganopoly three times daily before meals for 12 weeks. Cytokines, T-cell subsets, and natural killer activity were measured to assess the effects of Ganopoly. Researchers found a significant increase in T-cell populations and NK activity at the 12-week period compared to baseline although the mechanism is unclear. More studies are needed to confirm these observations.
•  From Wikipedia:
  • May possess anti-tumor, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic activities, supported by studies on polysaccharides, terpenes, and other bioactive compounds isolated from fruiting bodies and mycelia of this fungus (reviewed by R. R. Paterson and Lindequist et al.).
  • It has also been found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure (via inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme), cholesterol and blood sugar.
  • Laboratory studies have shown anti-neoplastic effects of fungal extracts or isolated compounds against some types of cancer. In an animal model, Ganoderma has been reported to prevent cancer metastasis, with potency comparable to Lentinan from Shiitake mushrooms.
  • The mechanisms by which G. lucidum may affect cancer are unknown and they may target different stages of cancer development: inhibition of angiogenesis (formation of new, tumor-induced blood vessels, created to supply nutrients to the tumor) mediated by cytokines, cytoxicity, inhibiting migration of the cancer cells and metastasis, and inducing and enhancing apoptosis of tumor cells.
  • Additional studies indicate that ganoderic acid has some protective effects against liver injury by viruses and other toxic agents in mice, suggesting a potential benefit of this compound in the treatment of liver diseases in humans, and Ganderma-produced sterols inhibit lanosterol 14α-demethylase activity in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.
  • Ganderma compounds inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity in the biosynthesis of dihydrotestosterone
  • Besides effects on mammalian physiology, Ganoderma is reported to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral activities. Ganoderma is reported to exhibit direct anti-viral with the following viruses; HSV-1, HSV-2, influenza virus, vesicular stomatitis.
  • Ganoderma mushrooms are reported to exhibit direct anti-microbial properties with the following organisms; aspergillus niger, bacillus cereus, candida albicans, and escherichia coli.

Maitake mycelia (Grifola frondosa)

•  The Maitake  mushroom, according to Raymond Chang, MD of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has various degrees of immune modulating, lipid-lowering anti-tumoral and other beneficial health effects without any significant toxicity.
• Clinical Summary from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • The active constituent is thought to be a beta-glucan polysaccharide. The whole mushroom is used primarily as a dietary element, but extracts and supplements are sold as immune stimulants for patients with HIV or cancer. While no adverse effects have been reported, some studies reveal a hypoglycemic effect following administration of maitake extract.
  • Maitake was shown to enhance bone marrow colony formation, reduce doxorubicin toxicity in vitro, and to inhibit tumor metastasis.
  • In a small non-controlled study, tumor regression or significant symptom improvements were observed in half of the subjects using Maitake extract.
  • In another study of postmenopausal breast cancer patients, oral administration of maitake extract was shown to have immunostimulatory as well as immune inhibitory effects.
  • Research is underway to test its anticancer effects and toxicity in humans
  • Maitake is thought to exert its effects through its ability to activate various effector cells, such as macrophages, natural killer cells, and T cells, as well as interleukin-1 and superoxide anions.
  • Maitake extract enhanced the growth and differentiation of mouse bone marrow cells treated with doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent.
  • In addition, maitake extract may modulate antigen presentation as evidenced by protection of mice against tumor implantation following transfer of dendritic cells from tumor-bearing mice that were treated with maitake extract.
• Info from PubMed
  • Can maitake MD-fraction aid cancer patients? By Kodama N, Komuta K, Nanba H.Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan. Altern Med Rev. 2002 Dec;7(6):451; author reply 452-4.
  • Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) MD-fraction containing beta-1,6 glucan with beta-1,3 branched chains has previously exhibited strong anticancer activity by increasing immune-competent cell activity.1,2 In this non-random case series, a combination of MD-fraction and whole maitake powder was investigated to determine its effectiveness for 22- to 57-year-old cancer patients in stages II-IV. Cancer regression or significant symptom improvement was observed in 58.3 percent of liver cancer patients, 68.8 percent of breast cancer patients, and 62.5 percent of lung cancer patients. The trial found a less than 10-20 percent improvement for leukemia, stomach cancer, and brain cancer patients. Furthermore, when maitake was taken in addition to chemotherapy, immune-competent cell activities were enhanced 1.2-1.4 times, compared with chemotherapy alone. Animal studies have supported the use of maitake MD-fraction for cancer.
  •  A 2001 study conducted at the Toya Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Japan found that Maitake  polysaccharides drastically increased the killing power of macrophage immune cells.
  • A recent study by researchers at the New York Medical College, found that polysaccharides from Maitake  drastically slowed the growth of prostate tumor cells.
• Wikipedia Researchers have also indicated that whole maitake has the ability to regulate blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and both serum and liver lipids, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids, and may also be useful for weight loss.
  • Maitake is rich in minerals (such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium), various vitamins (B2, D2 and Niacin), fibers and amino acids. One active constituent in Maitake for enhancing the immune activity was identified in the late 1980s as a protein-bound beta-glucan compound.
  • This year, a phase I/II human trial, conducted by Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, showed Maitake could stimulate the immune systems of breast cancer patients. Small experiments with human cancer patients, have shown Maitake can stimulate immune system cells, like NK cells. In vitro research has also shown Maitake can stimulate immune system cells. An in vivo experiment showed that Maitake could stimulate both the innate immune system and adaptive immune system.
  • In vitro research has shown Maitake can induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines (human prostatic cancer cells, Hep 3B cells, SGC-7901 cells, murine skin carcinoma cells) as well as inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells (canine cancer cells, bladder cancer cells).
  • Small studies with human cancer patients, revealed a portion of the Maitake mushroom, known as the “Maitake D-fraction”, possess anti-cancer activity.
  • In vitro research demonstrated the mushroom has potential anti-metastatic properties.
  • In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Investigational New Drug Application for a portion of the mushroom.
  • Research has shown Maitake has a hypoglycemic effect, and may be beneficial for the management of diabetes. The reason Maitake lowers blood sugar is due to the fact the mushroom naturally contains a alpha glucosidase inhibitor.

Agaricus blazei mycelia

• Agarius, one of the most powerful stimulants yet to be discovered, is a medicinal mushroom from Brazil that contains a rich complex of betaglukins, a type of polysaccharide which stimulates both humoral B-cells and cell media T-cells immunity.
•  University studies in Japan identify betaglukin polysaccharides that raised levels of immune cells. Populations of pan T-cells jumped 43%, helper T-cells 37% and killer T-cells 50% following oral administration of this polysaccharide.
• Info from Wikipedia
  • Due to the fact Agaricus blazei contains a high level of beta glucans, compounds known for stimulating the immune system, Agaricus blazei is used in oncological therapy in Japan and Brazil. In addition to beta-glucans, Agaricus blazei’s effect on the immune system is believed to be due to other polysaccharides such as alpha-glucans.
  • In Japan, Agaricus blazei is also the most popular complementary and alternative medicine used by cancer patients.
  • Many researchers have studied Agaricus blazei, as well as other medicinal mushrooms for close to 50 years, due to laboratory tests which show they can stimulate immune system cells and immune system cytokines. A substance that could stimulate the immune system could have major implications for human health, and this is why mushrooms have gained attention from the international research community. Below is a summary of this research, which is often based on animal or cellular models. Research conducted on the mushroom’s ability to impact the human immune system or human diseases is limited.
  • Research into potential cancer protective properties

(Results primarily from cell and animal model experiments)

A human study of 100 gynecological cancer patients revealed Agaricus blazei consumption resulted in a significantly higher level of NK cell activity with a reduction in chemotherapy associated side effects.

Arabinogalactin (larch tree extract)

Larch Arabinogalactan is a Novel Immune Modulator  by Peter D’Adamo, NDOriginally published in: J. Naturopath. Med 1996 (4);32-39

 Dr. D’Adamo says “…Generally, larch arabinogalactan pretreatment induced an increased release of interferon gamma (IFN gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and IL-6 but only IFN gamma was involved in enhancement of NK cytotoxicity (1).  He further states that arabinogalactan inhibits metastatic cell formation.  Please read his study at the following website:  http://www.dadamo.com/science_larch.htm

The following are also found in ImmuPro and were discussed in the excerpt.
limonene (from orange essential oil)
melatonin
calcium
zinc
selenium
copper

As you will probably agree, ImmuPro is a cancer fighter.

To Order ImmuPro 

Healthy Happy Blessings,

Connie Bynum, LMT

No…I’m not kidding. Life Force International has a product called Dream Away. Dream Away is a nutritional supplement as well as a weight management product. Its collagen-based formula supports the body in building lean muscle tissue.

Most people need a supplement like this and here’s why…

At any given time, over 50 million Americans are on a diet of some kind, and most are completely frustrated! The body stores fat because humans have always evolved under the constant threat of famine. So the body makes sure it has a reserve it can draw from. As a result of this, the human body responds to caloric restriction as if starvation were imminent.

After only a few weeks on a low calorie intake the body reduces its metabolic rate, and begins to consume muscle mass for fuel in an effort to conserve fat. Why? Because, given the choice, the body would rather store fat than burn it so that there is always a reserve.

The average person takes in over nine million calories in a ten-year period. That is equivalent to more than a ton and a half of fat! Diet and exercise certainly play a role in weight management, but only to a point. Beyond this is the hereditary factor.

Our genes play a major role in our body size. One person’s normal healthy weight range may be low, while another’s may be relatively high, depending on heredity. Most people don’t need to look like an advertisement for the fashion industry! And most people will NEVER look like that, and it is a stressful, fruitless exercise to even try. The important thing is to have a balance with good nutrition and exercise. When there is an inadequate intake of essential nutrients, fat cannot be properly burned and accumulates in the body.

This points up how important it is to use ALL the Life Force products, because each one is important for optimum use of the others.

A few more examples of this are… calcium and magnesium (OsteOmegaCare), which are needed for carbohydrate metabolism. Also, without adequate calcium, lipase cannot be activated. This is the enzyme that breaks down fat. Without trace minerals (Body Balance), insulin cannot utilize blood sugar. And so it goes on…

For those who carry around excess weight, the building of lean muscle tissue assists the body in burning sugars and fats more efficiently. For those who are trim, Dream Away supports the body by building strength and vitality. Dream Away can actually be supportive for ALL body types. It is a food supplement that enhances the body’s natural mechanism of regeneration and repair.

Regeneration and repair occur when we go to bed at night, during the first hour or so of sleep. Dream Away, when taken on an empty stomach with eight ounces of water, directly before going to sleep, fuels and feeds the regeneration process. Just like any protein that builds the body, Dream Away enhances the building process when used as directed.

Every person is different and every person will experience unique results. Some will notice immediate changes while others may have to wait up to three months. Others will lose weight steadily, then plateau for a while.

Dream Away helps support the process regardless of your body type. A small percentage of people may experience no weight reduction because of problems related to their personal chemistry (thyroid conditions). Nevertheless, these few will still benefit from the nutritional support.

Dream Away

As the sun dips below the horizon earlier and earlier every day now we seem to start hibernating habits.  We stay inside because of the cold and eat more, because of stress that comes with school and…what else is there to do.  People even begin symptoms of depression over the fall and winter months.

All I have to say is GO FOR A WALK!

Any day that is remotely sunny I will try and spend as much time outside even if it’s freezing.  I can feel my mood instantly improve on my 20 minute walk to school.

The reason for the change of mood and behavior is directly correlated to the amount of sunlight we get.

We have a hormone in our bodies called serotonin.  What it does is affects our mood because it’s a neurotransmitter.  Sunlight helps create it.  So when summer  to exist, we aren’t spending as much time outdoors and there isn’t as much sunlight, thus lowering our serotonin levels.

We have another hormone called melatonin.  This is the hormone that tells us when it’s time to sleep.  Sunlight reduces the effects of melatonin, but when the sun goes down melatonin levels raise and it makes us sleepy.  This is usually helpful but when all of a sudden we lose sunlight we feel groggy more often.

So get out there and get some sun!

Mayo Clinic does a great job describing this process through Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  You probably don’t have SAD but the process and symptoms are similar.

On Monday, after we had done the usual things we do on days we don’t have anything planned, Lizzie asked: “Hey, should we visit my parents; get out in the country and relax, get away from the city?” I were a bit surprised by the question, but gave it a few seconds and answered: “Sure, why not?” I can’t remember what we were doing that day, or  what we had done, but going to the in-laws is kind of the only thing we can afford, at the moment.

We left around 2-3 pm, or something, and the traffic was just perfect. Not too many cars on the road and most people actually followed the traffic rules; most of the way anyway. I can’t remember any time I’ve been so relaxed driving that almost three-hour drive. We arrived about 5-6 pm, and I was really tired from driving that far; but still enjoy it though.

Walking inside we noticed there were toys and crackers spread out on the floors in most of the rooms. The sister of my wife is living there with her (not so) better half and shared offspring. Knowing my wife’s parents I were a bit shocked, as her mother is extremely tidy. I didn’t manage to wrap my head around why she had let this happen. It’s not my house and not my business really, so I just ignored it; but still a bit difficult to ignore seeing all that shit lying around.

Lizzie had a very sore throat and were thinking about maybe going to the doctor the next day; which meant we had to get up early. I surrendered, took a triple dose of melatonin and came to bed at 10 pm to read Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson. Lizzie’s dear sister had also brought her untrained dogs with her too. I have no clue what type of dogs they are, but they are two; one of them seem to be a bit stupid. The stupid one barked and growled at everything that night. When I say everything, I mean everything; some animal passing by or the roof cracking. Waking up in the middle of the night and then unable to sleep is not good if you have taken any type of sleep inducing drug.

It were also the first time in years I thought about forfeiting my veganism and seeing to it the dog having an “accident”.

* * *

Tuesday morning I woke up by the alarm at 7 am, but I just turned it off and not willing to give a waking state a chance, yet. I think Lizzie came in and asked me something and I might have told her why I couldn’t be bothered going out of bed, yet; but I honestly don’t remember what was said at all. Eventually I managed to drag myself unwillingly out of bed around 9 am I think, grumpy as an old man who had his window broken by a baseball owned by a bunch of shit-for-brain kids.

A mix between sleep deprivation and a triple dose of melatonin is far from pleasant. I wouldn’t complain if it was trippy, but it wasn’t. It was just awful. I was dazed, confused, moody, grumpy and whatever you might think that is unpleasant and linked to sleep deprivation and too much melatonin. I spent most of the morning wandering around the house muttering to myself and avoiding people; spent some time swearing at the dogs too. Also having nothing in common with my wife’s sister’s hubby doesn’t help. The only thing we have in common is that we are both homo sapiens, I think.

I decided that Lizzie and I had to go to the store to get some food for the last night here and some much-needed tea. Did I mention I had sleep deprivation and took a triple dose of melatonin? Any how, driving in that state was very interesting indeed. I kept the car on the correct side of the road, but I had no sense of speed at all (I didn’t speed). At one point there is a gravel road which is very uncomfortable to drive on, so I prefer to not exceed 40-50 km/h; but that day I was flying over it in around 80 km/h, and my mind didn’t really take notice other than keeping me on the road. It was an interesting feeling; both scary, but also exciting.

Earlier that day I had made it clear I would prefer to leave that day or the day after; so we came to a mutual agreement that we would leave the next day. I pointed out I would not take any responsibility if something happened to the dog.

I had a very interesting talk with my wife’s dad about Doctor Who, Torchwood and WW2. After sharing WW2 knowledge we all decided to call it a night. The same procedure as last night; triple dose of melatonin and going to bed reading Hell’s Angels by HST.

* * *

Around 6 am this morning I woke up hearing my wife, her sister, her mum and her dad screaming at each other. I tried to filter it out, but it was a bit difficult when one of the shit-for-brain dogs wanted to join the choir. When they finally calmed down I managed to fall back to sleep again, I think.
I didn’t managed to make out what the main argument was about, so according to me it could be anyone who started it; but according to my wife it was her sister who were chucking a tantrum in the morning, lashing out on everyone around her for some silly reason.

I think I was woken up around 7 am or something by Lizzie and I felt surprisingly rested. The day before I had ordered that we were to leave 10 am as I wanted to get home early. It was a nice a quiet morning, compared to the other days being there.

We managed to leave at 10 am and the traffic was great. Barely any cars on the road, and the few of them actually followed the traffic rules (again), most of the time though.

“Let’s not go there until your sister and her family has found their own place, as your parents seem to getting stressed already having them there,” I told Lizzie. She agreed with me on that one.
The irony here is that we went there to relax, but came back ten times more exhausted than we left. Usually you go to the country to relax, not the other way around.
I could for sure write another 1000 words about how annoyed we both were and why about certain things we experienced those few days, but I’m not in the mood and I don’t want to seem too petty and mean. I can say that we are both shocked, frustrated, angry, disappointed, annoyed and so on; but having those feelings makes us feel very fortunate, mature, normal and happy for who we are. I always try to avoid criticising how other people are living their life, but when it has a negative effect on everyone around them I can’t keep my big mouth shut; or at least my fingers from writing about it.
We’ve also learned that before you start popping out kids you should see to it you can take care of yourself economically and that you have steady job. Unless your want to end up as white trailer trash.

Note: This is yet another attempt from me trying to add some Gonzo style to my writing. Not sure If I succeed or not, but I do enjoy it. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
I must also add it’s extremely warm tonight, so I’m sorry for any grammatical errors; I’m far from focused and rested after that hideous trip we took.

Sleep is a generous thief; he gives to vigor what he takes from time.

- Elizabeth, Queen of Romania

Is lack of sleep robbing you of your goals?

If you surveyed the millions of us who don’t get much sleep, chances are they’ll say that the #1 reason they don’t is “lack of time.” In other words, people have too much to do to sleep. Late hours and frantic mornings are the rule. Who has time for more sleep? What this tired group doesn’t realize is that a sleep debt is probably keeping them from acting and thinking at full strength, making even the easiest tasks harder to do. And take longer. Believe it or not, you can probably get more done in your day by getting more sleep. The mental and physical pick-up more than make up for that extra hour or two in bed.

Brought to you by SPARKPEOPLE

——————————————————————————-

Oh boy, does this strike a chord with me or what? I can’t remember when I decided going to bed at midnight and waking up at six am was a good idea, and totally enough sleep. I think it was somewhere around November 2007, when my step dad, so generously gave me a laptop as an early Christmas gift.

Yeah, I think that was it. Suddenly, the world of no cable, no internet from the previous seven months, was greatly widened. The beckoning beam of the computer screen sucked me in, I haven’t been able to shut it off since.

That’s my excuse anyway, “It’s a gift. What? Am I not supposed to use it? Phsss.”

Once the obsession newness wore off, I had met Jason by then. My new time killer was him. With work, kids, and living apart – we squeeze in time when we can. That means driving home 11-12 at night after watching TV and catching up on Survivor, Flash Forward, and Grey’s Anatomy.

If that wasn’t enough, THEN, I got an iPhone. The newness obsession was mind boggling. Please don’t ask Jason about it. It is embarrassing how much I love my iPhone, I think he is a little jealous.

Despite all that, if I am too look at my health, I have to admit. I could use more sleep. I could turn off the Look! Something shiny! call of the computers and get some more shut-eye. It is easier said than done.

I don’t have a problem sleeping either. That is not it. I sleep very soundly. I go to sleep instantly. You’re jealous right? Pssst. Melatonin. Works wonders, alleviates stress. It’s been a lifesaver for me – I hate laying awake at night – now I never do. Enlyten has dissolvable strips, works instantly. Instantly. Heaven. Simply Heaven.

I guess what it boils down to, I need to slow down for my health. I don’t feel lacking but, possibly, I could perform better. This reflection resonates in my life. I hope it did yours too.

*I pre-blogged this Saturday, so I could sleep in this morning AND it was time change night. Cha-ching! Extra, extra sleep. I feel like I could jump from rooftop to rooftop singing and I haven’t even have coffee yet. Yahoo!*

Exercise can actually help people recover from their depression. With depression increasingly becoming a growing problem among people today, relying always on prescription drugs for treatment would not be a good long-term solution in itself. Exercise? can provide an alternative means of treatment especially for those who are suffering from mild depression. Here are some of the benefits that exercise can provide to help battle depression in people.

Exercise produces endorphins in the body.
Endorphins are considered to be the body’s feel good hormones. It is usually produced by the body in response to physical stress and help lessen pain. Regular exercise is known to enable the body to release more of such hormones.

Exercise helps decrease fatigue.
Fatigue can make people feel more depressed. Lack of activity can actually lessen the body’s ability to handle stressful situations and make people prone to depression. Exercise can help build up the body’s ability to handle stress as well as increase its energy capacity. People are less prone to feel tired and depressed if they do exercise routines regularly.

Outdoor exercise increased melatonin levels.
Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that may have an effect on mood, sleep and energy. Sunlight is known to trigger the body to release and produce melatonin. Exercising more outdoors can help increase the level of production of melatonin and the body which can also help people as a natural mood enhancer.

Exercise can be a form of distraction.
Depression can worsen if people continue to spend time focusing on themselves and on what they are thinking and worrying about. Exercise can help provide a good distraction that would help depressed people keep their minds off things that can worsen their own condition.

Exercise can actually help people recover from their depression. With depression increasingly becoming a growing problem among people today, relying always on prescription drugs for treatment would not be a good long-term solution in itself. Exercise? can provide an alternative means of treatment especially for those who are suffering from mild depression. Here are some of the benefits that exercise can provide to help battle depression in people.

Exercise produces endorphins in the body.
Endorphins are considered to be the body’s feel good hormones. It is usually produced by the body in response to physical stress and help lessen pain. Regular exercise is known to enable the body to release more of such hormones.

Exercise helps decrease fatigue.
Fatigue can make people feel more depressed. Lack of activity can actually lessen the body’s ability to handle stressful situations and make people prone to depression. Exercise can help build up the body’s ability to handle stress as well as increase its energy capacity. People are less prone to feel tired and depressed if they do exercise routines regularly.

Outdoor exercise increased melatonin levels.
Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that may have an effect on mood, sleep and energy. Sunlight is known to trigger the body to release and produce melatonin. Exercising more outdoors can help increase the level of production of melatonin and the body which can also help people as a natural mood enhancer.

Exercise can be a form of distraction.
Depression can worsen if people continue to spend time focusing on themselves and on what they are thinking and worrying about. Exercise can help provide a good distraction that would help depressed people keep their minds off things that can worsen their own condition.

Exercise can actually help people recover from their depression. With depression increasingly becoming a growing problem among people today, relying always on prescription drugs for treatment would not be a good long-term solution in itself. Exercise? can provide an alternative means of treatment especially for those who are suffering from mild depression. Here are some of the benefits that exercise can provide to help battle depression in people.

Exercise produces endorphins in the body.
Endorphins are considered to be the body’s feel good hormones. It is usually produced by the body in response to physical stress and help lessen pain. Regular exercise is known to enable the body to release more of such hormones.

Exercise helps decrease fatigue.
Fatigue can make people feel more depressed. Lack of activity can actually lessen the body’s ability to handle stressful situations and make people prone to depression. Exercise can help build up the body’s ability to handle stress as well as increase its energy capacity. People are less prone to feel tired and depressed if they do exercise routines regularly.

Outdoor exercise increased melatonin levels.
Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that may have an effect on mood, sleep and energy. Sunlight is known to trigger the body to release and produce melatonin. Exercising more outdoors can help increase the level of production of melatonin and the body which can also help people as a natural mood enhancer.

Exercise can be a form of distraction.
Depression can worsen if people continue to spend time focusing on themselves and on what they are thinking and worrying about. Exercise can help provide a good distraction that would help depressed people keep their minds off things that can worsen their own condition.

Exercise can actually help people recover from their depression. With depression increasingly becoming a growing problem among people today, relying always on prescription drugs for treatment would not be a good long-term solution in itself. Exercise? can provide an alternative means of treatment especially for those who are suffering from mild depression. Here are some of the benefits that exercise can provide to help battle depression in people.

Exercise produces endorphins in the body.
Endorphins are considered to be the body’s feel good hormones. It is usually produced by the body in response to physical stress and help lessen pain. Regular exercise is known to enable the body to release more of such hormones.

Exercise helps decrease fatigue.
Fatigue can make people feel more depressed. Lack of activity can actually lessen the body’s ability to handle stressful situations and make people prone to depression. Exercise can help build up the body’s ability to handle stress as well as increase its energy capacity. People are less prone to feel tired and depressed if they do exercise routines regularly.

Outdoor exercise increased melatonin levels.
Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body that may have an effect on mood, sleep and energy. Sunlight is known to trigger the body to release and produce melatonin. Exercising more outdoors can help increase the level of production of melatonin and the body which can also help people as a natural mood enhancer.

Exercise can be a form of distraction.
Depression can worsen if people continue to spend time focusing on themselves and on what they are thinking and worrying about. Exercise can help provide a good distraction that would help depressed people keep their minds off things that can worsen their own condition.