Oaktree Wellness Center Blog

Author Dan Carter, ND, in the March 2008 issue of Naturopathic Doctor News and Review discusses the notable effects of the cayenne pepper herb and its use in treating heart and circulatory symptoms.

One of the first to pioneer the use of this herb was Dr. John Christopher, a well-known herbalist who is most remembered for his knowledge, faith and extensive experience with the use of herbs to heal even the most serious of conditions.

Dr. Christopher worked with cayenne and found it restores arterial elasticity, and could both prevent and correct arteriosclerosis. According to Christopher, it also stabilized blood pressure and had the potential to stop a heart attack in its tracks.

There’s a scientific basis to Christopher’s cayenne usage. The active chemical component of cayenne pepper is capsaicin, which stops platelet aggregation without interfering with the coagulation of blood. Sometimes daily aspirin is prescribed to heart patients. Capsaicin serves the same purpose but lessens excessive bleeding risks that can be associated with aspirin. Thick blood is a cause of arterial thrombosis.

Japanese studies have shown that cayenne stimulates neurons that halt the growth of bacteria as well as prevents the thickening of blood. Pennsylvania researchers show that cayenne acts on heart via sensory nerve endings. With both the thinning of blood and binding of receptors, thrombi are stopped thus ending the heart pain.

With all the healthy, noninvasive effects of capsaicin on the body, the Material Safety Data Sheet information is enough to deter someone from ever using it. It instills fear of use by describing it as an extremely hazardous product that can seriously affect the eyes, skin, lungs (if inhaled), and pain if ingested. It goes so far as to say it can kill you if overexposure occurs.

A published study from Drug and Chemical Toxicology observed the “danger” of capsaicin in tabasco sauce. They came to the conclusion that one would have to ingest a half gallon amount of this sauce for it to become dangerous and lethal.

You can use it on everything from salads to meats to eggs, as well as in your juices. Keep a high-potency tincture on hand in your home. It may one day just save your life.

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Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage) have shown to be preventative of cervical, thyroid, colon, prostate, breast and other cancers. These vegetables fight cancer due to chemicals known as glucosinolates.

Compounds in broccoli are rich in nutrients such as minerals, potassium, magnesium and manganese. These same compounds support the body’s ability to detoxify. They also interrupt the ability of cancer cells to reproduce, thus stopping them in their tracks.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/jun2007_sf_broccoli_01.html

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Do you enjoy raw foods eating? Do you like to dabble occasionally in raw healthy delights? Whether you eat raw foods 20%, 50% or 100% of the time, it’s great to have somewhere to go to for good raw products, recipes, community, and articles of interest. If you’ve never dabbled in raw fare, this is a good place to start. This living and raw foods site boasts of being the largest internet community dedicated to providing information on all aspects of “living raw”.

www.living-foods.com

For those raw, or even semi-raw, foodists the site contains a wealth of information on their extensive list of links (for yourself or your pets) to hook up to for even more raw delights!

http://www.living-foods.com/links.html

If you’re among those who have never tried raw, a great place to start is with the desserts. It’s hard to believe that something so yummy is so loaded with enzymes that are good for you. But remember…….one can’t live on dessert alone!

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For many women, yeast infections and urinary tract infections are a frequent cause for distress and pain that most often times leads them to use antibiotics to correct the problems. The “problem” with this too-often-times used approach is that the drugs used to counteract the problem many times creates an even bigger issue.

When using antibiotics for any reason, the flora in the gut and vagina that normally protect women from these yeast and bacterial organisms get destroyed in the process. By keeping this flora in balance we approach the infections from a more proactive, preventative standpoint by using oral probiotics. Beneficial bacteria taken orally keeps things in balance and serves as a safeguard against getting these infections in the first place.

Probiotics help restore the internal ecology to a state of balance and harmony, thus protecting you from ever having to deal with the beasties ever again.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/mar2008_Warding-Off-Chronic-Yeast-And-Bacterial-Infections_01.htm

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