Herbs for a Healthy Immune System

A 2007 study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17464769?dopt=AbstractPlus) documents the incredible effects of the herb Andrographis Paniculata on the immune system. The study reported the following findings:

• Andrographis supplementation increases the production of cytotoxic T cells—an immune cell that destroys caner cells.
• Mice with thymoma—a cancer of the thymus gland (which produces immune cells) live more than twice as long when treated with Andrographis extract for 10 days.
• Andrographis extract exerted beneficial effects on several cytokines (chemical messengers that direct the immune response), resulting in suppression of tumor growth.

Andrographis paniculata is an herb commonly used in China, India, and other countries in subtropical and Southeast Asia. Both the fresh and dried leaves, as well as the fresh juice of the whole plant, have been used in a variety of cultures. In traditional Chinese herbalism, andrographis is used to support healthy digestive, cardiovascular, and urinary systems. In Sweden, andrographis has been used for more than 10 years as a primary herb for the winter season.

A very similar study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12071516?dopt=abstractplus ) was done using another of my favorite herbs, ashwagandha. The results were similar with a large increase in immune function and a suppression of tumor growth. Ashwagandha is known to many herbalists as the Ayurvedic answer to ginseng, this powerful adaptogenic herb has been used in India for hundreds of years to strengthen the immune system and help normalize body functions affected by stress.

I recommend the use of Andrographis or Ashwangandha anytime you feel signs of flu or cold coming. Look for both at Swanson Vitamins.

Be Gentle with Yourself . . .

Do this with me . . . take a deep breath and now hold it while you count slowly to 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . don’t give up . . . keep holding your breath . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . 11 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . .14 . . . 15.

Your body absorbed all the oxygen that it could from that breath in the first two or three seconds. The rest of the time you were holding on to something that was completely useless; air devoid of usable oxygen. How did it feel? A little tight? Constricted? Uncomfortable? That’s how we feel when we hold onto anything that we don’t need.

Are you holding onto old hurts? Resentment? Anger? Holding onto any of those old emotions does about as much good as holding your breath. Let go of those old, useless emotions and memories and forgive. Holding on to old pains is a lot like telling someone, “I’m going to drink this poison so that you will die.” When we fail to forgive we hurt ourselves, not the person whom we think has wronged us.

I can remember years ago when a student came to my office after class one day and said, “Dr. Murphy, you wronged me!” He was upset because I hadn’t given him extra time to finish an exam. He went on to accuse me of being an insensitive and arrogant professor. I could hold onto the bad feelings that I felt at that moment. If I did that the student, who graduate long ago and moved on with his life, would never know. I, however, would be affected by those thoughts every day.

I believe in Hemingway’s book, For Whom the Bell Tolls, he tells the story of a father who had just received a telegram informing him that his son had been killed in the Spanish Civil War. In the book, the father went to a party that night and was confronted by a friend who asked him, how can you be here tonight? You just found out that your son was killed in the war. The father responded with the explanation that he knew if he didn’t let go of the pain sooner or later it would destroy him and that he had chosen to let go sooner. (I need to find the exact quotes for you . . . ) Letting go sooner is a really good idea.

I have found a way to forgive that works for me, it might work for you. I close my eyes and try to visualize the person that I need to forgive. As I tell them, in my mind, “I forgive you, I release you.” I let them slowly break apart and float away before my eyes. It seems that they become a jigsaw puzzle that slowly comes apart and each puzzle piece floats away. By forgiving, I free myself.

Be gentle with yourself . . . forgive.

Feeling Down?

Professor Irving Kirsch, author of The Emperor's New Drugs, (Click on my book recommendations at the left) has researched the efficacy of antidepressant medication. His research indicates, contrary to popular belief, that depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and treating the condition with antidepressant drugs is no more effective than placebos.

Kirsch analyzed data from numerous clinical studies on antidepressants reports that "75 percent of the response to the drugs appears to be a placebo effect." According to Kirsch, patients improved mostly because they believed they were taking a medication that would help them with depression. He concludes that the figure could be as high as 82 percent, with the remaining 'drug difference' accounted for by enhanced placebo effect.

Kirsch stressed that lack of serotonin cannot be the physical cause of depression. As proof, he pointed to a new French antidepressant that works as a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer (SSRE). This drug decreases serotonin levels -- exactly the opposite of how popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medication functions. Kirsch said studies show about 60 percent of patients get better regardless of whether they are on antidepressants that increase, reduce, or do nothing to their serotonin levels. This is a clear evidence to Kirsch that these drugs actually do nothing.

Even if antidepressants were an effective pharmaceutical treatment for depression they come with a host of negative side effects, including insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and increased risk of suicide in children and young adults. Kirsch suggests that alternative treatments for depression like physical exercise (shown clinically to help people get better) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which boasts effectiveness comparable to antidepressants.

Besides its physical health benefits, exercise is often said to help people simply feel good. And a growing number of studies are showing that these mood-boosting effects may even fight clinical depression. For example, researchers found that walking for 30 minutes each day quickly improved the patients' symptoms -- faster, in fact, than antidepressant drugs typically do. (British Journal of Sports Medicine April 2001;35:114-117).

The results indicate that, in selected patients with major depression, aerobic training can produce a substantial improvement in symptoms in a short time. In fact, in one study that compared exercise with antidepressants among older adults, investigators found that physical activity was the more effective depression-fighter.

Here is another idea:

Change your physiology. When you feel down, look up, put on a big, big smile, and high-five in the air. I bet you can’t feel bad while smiling . . . it just doesn’t work.

Safe Plastic

Ever wonder whether your plastic containers are food safe? The connection between plastic and cancer was discovered at Tufts University in 1987. A research team was culturing breast cancer cells in plastic test tubes and the cancer cells grew like crazy. Since then a number of studies have confimed the plastic-cancer link. So, it really is important to find out if your plastic containers are safe.

To find out, check the number that is usually found on the bottom of the container inside a small triangle. Containers with a 1 or 2 on the bottom are the safest. These containers are usually used to store milk, water, and other drinks. These containers are safe for storing food and water.

Continers with a 4 or 5 on the bottom are generally safe, but use the sparingly. Containers with the number 3, 6 or 7 contain the volatile chemical BPA and should never be used for food or beverage storage.

Finally, I don't like microwaves in general (more about why in another blog) but please, never microwave food or beverages in a plastic container.