Brain Damaging Events

Consuming large amounts of sugar, overeating, not sleeping enough and smoking are all brain damaging habits.

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Cinnamon Beats Ibuprofen For Pain, Study Says

Why risk using a pain killer with deadly side effects? Natural alternatives are often not only safer but more effective, and cinnamon is no exception. 

New research reveals that cinnamon powder is more effective than ibuprofen at reducing symptoms of painful period (primary dysmenorrhea) in college age students.

Published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research and titled, "Comparative effect of cinnamon and Ibuprofen for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized double-blind clinical trial," Iranian researchers evaluated the effect of either 420 mg of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), 400 mg of ibuprofen, or a starch placebo, in three groups of 38 females. Both pain intensity and duration were monitored in all groups, with the results reported as follows:

"The mean pain severity score and mean duration of pain in Ibuprofen and Cinnamon were less than placebo group respectively (p< 0.001). Of 4 hours after the intervention there were no statistically significant differences between the Cinnamon and placebo group (p> 0.05). Of eight hours after the intervention, the mean pain severity in the cinnamon group was significantly lower than placebo group (p< 0.001). At various time intervals the mean pain severity in the Ibuprofen group were significantly less than Cinnamon and placebo groups (p< 0.001)."

The researchers concluded:

"Cinnamon compared with placebo significantly reduced the severity and duration of pain during menstruation, but this effect was lower compared with Ibuprofen. Cinnamon can be regarded as a safe and effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. More researches are recommended to study the efficacy of Cinnamon on reducing menstrual bleeding."

Discussion

Considering the well known dangers of ibuprofen, which is estimated to kill several thousand a year from its cardiovascular side effects alone, cinnamon's potential role as a natural alternative to this drug is highly promising. Unlike ibuprofen, cinnamon is not known to have cardiotoxic properties. To the contrary, it is known to have both blood pressure lowering and blood sugar lowering properties, both which may confer protection against cardiovascular disease.

As far as the question of its role in menstrual bleeding addressed in the conclusion above, a recent randomized, double-blinded clinical trial found that it actually reduced the severity of menstrual bleeding in women, making it a win-win as far as difficult or inconvenient menstruation symptoms go.

For more information about either cinnamon's health benefits, or other natural interventions for painful periods, consult the articles and database on Greenmedinfo.com

SOURCE: Greenmedinfo.com (AUTHOR: Sayer Ji)

Just How Unsafe are NSAID Painkillers?

The FDA has added to its warning about the risks of certain painkillers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its warning that certain painkillers can cause heart problems.

On Thursday, the FDA updated its warnings for prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to say they increase the chance of heart attack or stroke. The drugs, like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), already carry warnings that they “may cause” increased risk of heart attack and stroke, but the new labels will say that they “cause an increased risk” of heart failure, the New York Times reports. The FDA came to the decision after reviewing new evidence about the risks.


How great is the risk?
“There is no period of use shown to be without risk,” said Dr. Judy Racoosin, deputy director of FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Addiction Products, in a statement. Research suggests that higher doses of the drugs can be more problematic.

One 2013 study looked at more than 600 trials and found that compared to placebos, high doses of NSAIDs like coxibs and diclofenac increased the risk of serious heart problems, including heart attacks, by one-third. The research also showed that ibuprofen more than doubled the risk of major coronary events, and all NSAIDs studies were linked to a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of gastrointestinal complications.

Who is most at risk?
According to the FDA, people who have underlying heart disease are at greater risk, but the risk exists for everyone. “Today we know that the risk of heart attack and stroke may occur early in treatment, even in the first weeks,” the FDA says.

The FDA is also planning to add additional warnings for people who have already had a heart attack. “This vulnerable population is at an increased risk of having another heart attack or dying of heart attack-related causes if they’re treated with NSAIDs, according to studies,” the FDA said in a statement.

What should I do?
To keep risk lower, the FDA recommends users take the drugs at the lowest dose for the shortest duration possible. People should consult their doctor about whether or not they should take them if they have high blood pressure and should stop taking them if they have any symptoms of a heart-related issue, the FDA says.

SOURCE: TIME
Author: Alexandra Sifferlin

Ten Signs That You Are Resisting Being Happy

Are you missing out on happiness? Well, your subconscious may be getting in the way. Beliefs that are buried deep in your subconscious mind kick out knee-jerk responses to situations you experience, that block you from can  beliefs that make it impossible to experience happiness. These beliefs create resistance to happiness, even if your potential to be happy is great.

Resistance to happiness can become a psychological attachment, a pattern so familiar that it literally becomes a self-sabotaging a way of life. How can you tell if this is the case? You need to look at the signs!

Think of these as 10 signs as manifestations of something deeper within your psyche. The underlying cause is an attachment to something negative. Negative attachments form in childhood when you learn what is right and wrong. Sometimes, you learn that it is wrong, or not advantageous (or just plain pointless) to be happy!

They key to resolving these issues is to make them conscious, where conscious choice resides. Do any of the following apply to you?

1. When you feel happy, you feel anxious that it won't last: Many people believe that if they allow themselves to be happy, they are setting themselves up to get blindsided by something terrible.

2. When you feel good, you feel guilty: Some people feel guilty when they enjoy themselves, as if they were doing something wrong.


3. You don't express your needs: Ignoring your needs is a sign that fulfillment is not something you are seeking.
 
4. You are overly focused on the needs of others: Focusing solely on the needs of others at the expense of your own is a disservice to you and others.


5. You cannot enjoy the moment: If you avoid the here and now, you are avoiding peace and presence.
 
6. You attract emotionally unavailable or self-centered people: A sure way to NOT be happy is to attract emotionally unavailable or narcissistic people.
 
7. You expect disappointment: Expecting disappointment keeps happiness at a distance.
 
8. You don't know your purpose in life: Lasting happiness comes when you are in contact with a meaningful purpose.
 
9. You avoid intimacy: When you avoid close relationships or shy away from deeper connections with people, you miss out on this aspect of life.
 
10. You relive the bad times, but observe the good times from a mental distance: Happy people tend to relive happy memories up close and view upsetting memories as if from a distance, like a neutral observer.

 

Read the full story by Mike Bundrant here at Natural News. It's a fascinating and very useful introduction to self-defeating behaviour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Public Health Screenings May Harm More Than Help

The tests can potentially do more harm than good, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel that recommends evidence-based treatments. Even though the screening tests are generally noninvasive, follow-up exams and procedures often are not, and can increase a person's odds of being injured or overtreated.

One of those questionable tests is carotid artery screening, which looks for plaque buildup in a neck artery that can cause a stroke. It's on the American Academy of Family Physicians' list of procedures to avoid.

With that test, "the patient is more likely actually to have a stroke because of the screening and subsequent testing and possible surgery than if they'd never been screened at all," says Dr. Glen Stream, who chairs the academy's board.

The problem, he says, is that many of the findings are false positives — in other words, things that may be abnormal but won't ever hurt you. But once you find something, he says, it's hard not to aggressively treat it, even when that's not the right approach.

Read the full story by Jenny Gold of Kaiser Health News at NPR SHOTS Health News

Nature and Healing

 

Medicines from Nature heal the body and mind; chemically derived medicines suppress the symptoms of illness. Sadly, drug manufacturers have, over past generations, moved Hippocrates' successors away from the healing powers of Nature

Nine pharmaceutical drugs that can cause chronic fatigue

There are many different factors and underlying health conditions that can affect energy levels from day to day, as well as trigger the condition that is now commonly known as chronic fatigue.

In addition to poor diet, irregular sleeping patterns, and preexisting health conditions, a common but unexpected cause of chronic fatigue is pharmaceutical drugs, which many people are likely unaware could be draining them of their energy and life.

Here are nine types of pharmaceutical drugs that are linked to causing chronic fatigue:

1) Blood pressure medications. Millions of people now take blood pressure medications like lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and furosemide (Lasix) to ease the overall burden on their cardiovascular systems in the hopes of preventing future health problems like heart attack and stroke. But blood pressure drugs also tend to depress the entire nervous system, as well as deplete the body of the vitamins and nutrients it needs to produce energy, which can be a major trigger of chronic fatigue.

2) Statin drugs. Many people suffering from systemic inflammation take statin drugs to artificially lower their cholesterol levels, in accordance with their doctors’ orders. Besides all the other extreme negative side-effects of taking statins (http://www.naturalnews.com/statins.html), one major side-effect that is often overlooked involves the drugs’ tendency to inhibit muscle growth and the production of energy at the cellular level. As a result, many people who take statins experience a steady decline in energy levels over time, which can develop into chronic fatigue.

3) Benzodiazepines. Commonly prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, benzodiazepines tend to sedate or hypnotize patients in order to treat conditions like depression, insomnia, and severe muscle spasms. But it is this induced sedative effect that tends to elicit drowsiness, which often worsens as patients develop a tolerance to benzodiazepines and begin taking higher doses of these drugs. The end result for many taking benzodiazepines is a chronic lack of energy and drive, also known as chronic fatigue.

4) Proton pump inhibitors. Poor diet and a lack of vital nutrients tends to cause acid reflux and various other digestive disorders in many people. And while proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) can offer immediate relief from such symptoms, these drugs also tend to deplete magnesium stores from the body. And magnesium deficiency can lead to a host of severe illnesses, including extreme weakness and fatigue.

5) Antihistamines. Allergies are on the rise in modern society, and many people are obeying the television commercials they see that advise them to take drugs like loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) to manage their allergy symptoms. But these histamine blockers often induce tiredness and drowsiness in patients as well, which over time can worsen and develop into chronic fatigue.

6) Antipsychotics. In mainstream Western medicine, serious behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often call for harsh anti-psychotic medications. But because drugs like aripiprazole (Abilify) and risperidone (Risperdal) are powerful depressants, they tend to induce extreme fatigue, lethargy, and overall weakness in many patients. Anti-psychotics also tend to artificially lower dopamine levels in the body, which can also lead to chronic fatigue.

7) Antidepressants. At least 30 million Americans now take some type of antidepressant drug to manage anxiety disorders such as depression, as well as to treat chronic pain and other related conditions. And while common antidepressants like fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) mask undesired symptoms in some patients, they also tend to trigger fatigue, especially during the first few weeks of treatment. By inhibiting the normal function of brain neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, antidepressants also obstruct natural hormone levels, which in turn can lead to chronic fatigue.

8) Antibiotics. There are many reasons why taking antibiotic drugs is a bad idea, particularly because they destroy good intestinal bacteria and also trigger the emergence of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” (http://www.naturalnews.com/superbugs.html). But another common, yet unsuspected, side-effect of taking antibiotics is that they often cause extreme fatigue and tiredness. Taking natural antibiotic alternatives like colloidal silver, oil of oregano, and garlic is much safer and more effective than taking antibiotic drugs, and these options will not cause chronic fatigue.

9) Diuretics. Many people who have trouble urinating or who have high blood pressure take diuretic drugs to help boost the elimination of water from their bodies. But diuretics also tend to draw out necessary electrolytes like sodium, potassium and chloride from the body as well, which can lead to severe mineral deficiencies. And it is these deficiencies that can bring about chronic fatigue, as the body struggles to produce enough energy due to a lack of proper nutrients.

SOURCE: Jonathan Benson, Natural News and Healthy Life