Category Archives: liver
Turmeric is a powerful anti-cancer agent and your liver’s best friend: Research
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A simple, yet highly effective way to thwart cancer and protect your liver against disease can be found in a common spice that has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years. Turmeric, and more specifically, curcumin, its primary active ingredient, continues to shine as an awe-inspiring, anti-cancer “superfood” spice with a vast array of tangible health benefits, including its ability to induce cancer cell death and prevent cirrhosis.
Research is constantly being published with regards to the nutritive power of turmeric, and some of the latest research highlights the many ways in which this herb battles cancer. A recent study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, for instance, found that a dose-dependent administration of curcumin effectively activated apoptosis of liver cancer cells, meaning it prompted these harmful cells to die. In their conclusion, the researchers involved with this study declared curcumin to be a “promising phytomedicine in cancer therapy.”
Previous studies have arrived at similar conclusions, including a 2007 study published in the journal, Liver International. Researchers from the Department of Gastroenterology at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel tested the effects of curcumin in mice with chemical-induced liver damage. Compared to hepatic damaged mice not given curcumin, those given the spice effectively averted developing liver cirrhosis, an outcome that researchers attributed to turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties.
“As curcumin ingestion is safe in humans, it may be reasonable to assess in clinical studies the beneficial effect of curcumin in slowing the development of liver cirrhosis,” wrote the authors in their conclusion.
One year later, in 2008, researchers out of Taiwan published a study verifying that curcumin can also benefit in the treatment of lung cancer. Not only did the spice demonstrate a unique ability to prevent cancer cells from invading and spreading, but it also activated key proteins responsible for naturally blocking and suppressing tumors from forming. The team from the National Yang-Ming University in Taipei ultimately declared that their findings support the application of curcumin in anti-cancer metastasis therapy.
And again in 2010, a study published in the Journal of Ovarian Research found that curcumin has another unique use in cancer treatment. Patients with ovarian cancer, which is difficult to treat conventionally due to chemotherapy and radiation resistance, can be effectively “pre-treated” with curcumin in order to improve the efficacy of conventional cancer treatment.
“Curcumin pre-treatment enhances chemo/radio-sensitization in … ovarian cancer cells through multiple molecular mechanisms,” wrote the authors, who are from the University of South Dakota, of this particular study. “[C]urcumin pre-treatment may effectively improve ovarian cancer therapeutics.”
Supplementing with curcumin, adding turmeric to food can help you and your family avoid cancer
The Life Extension Foundation (LEF) has conducted extensive research into the anti-cancer properties of turmeric and found that the spice targets an astounding 10 causative factors involved in cancer development, including DNA damage, chronic inflammation, and disruption of cell signaling pathways. Countless hundreds of published studies, it turns out, have also shown that curcumin is a potent anti-cancer food that blocks cancer development in a number of unique ways.
Though a precise cancer prevention dosage of turmeric has not officially been established, studies involving human patients with diagnosed cancer found that curcumin doses of about 3,600 mg (3.6 grams) induced paraptosis; targeted destruction of cancer cell mitochondria; disruption of the cancer cell cycle; cancer cell down-regulation; and arrested stem cell development.
Be sure to check out this extensive and highly-informative LEF report on turmeric to learn more about how it can help you and your family avoid cancer:
http://www.lef.org
Sources for this article include:
http://www.vitasearch.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://www.lef.org
Cleanse the liver to improve health
by Derrell Jones
(NaturalNews) Cleansing is important. It is so important that there are several organs that are responsible for keeping the body cleansed. Chief among these organs is the liver. Responsible for the regulation of our metabolism and purifying our blood, the liver plays a key role in our overall health. It is for this reason that we must strive to keep our livers in proper working order. Some of the ways to accomplish this is through drinking plenty of fresh, clean water, abstaining or moderating alcohol consumption, abstain from consuming products that slow liver function (e.g. artificial sweeteners) and cleansing the liver at least twice a year.
How to cleanse
Master herbalist and acupuncturist Dr. Christopher Hobbs provides additional insight into the liver cleansing process. Dr. Hobbs states that flushing the liver allows for the elimination of waste while stimulating the production of bile. Cleansing also has a cooling effect on the liver which increases high functioning and necessary repairs. Follow these instructions from Dr. Hobbs for a homemade cleanse:
Ingredients
• Lemons or limes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Olive oil
Directions
Squeeze one cup of fresh citrus juice (lemon and/or lime; grapefruit juice can be blended to help with taste). Mix the juice of one or two cloves of garlic and raw ginger juice into the citrus juice. Add one tablespoon of high quality, organic olive oil. A small amount of spring water can be added but the more sour the mix, the more helpful it will be for your liver. Do this for 10 days followed by three days off and then another 10 days for two cycles (will total 20 days of cleansing total). This cleanse should be completed twice a year once in the spring and once in the fall.
Consuming three to eight ounces of the juice for each serving should prove very beneficial. In addition, drink a cup of a cleansing tea such as Polari tea or any other high quality organic liver detoxification tea one hour after consuming the juice. No food should be consumed in the hour between consuming the juice and drinking the tea.
Whether you make your own liver detoxifying juices or follow a different preparation, make sure it is of the highest quality possible to assist in proper assimilation of the nutrients so you can achieve the desired results. If you have any questions about quality preparations or if you are currently experiencing chronic liver dysfunction please consult with a trusted professional healthcare provider with knowledge of holistic practices and be sure to ask all the questions you desire.
Seven ways to supercharge your immune system fast
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) In a 2002 Jon Rapoport interview of a retired vaccine industry researcher turned whistleblower, the whistleblower, whose identity is protected, dismisses the false premise of vaccinations creating immunity by stimulating antibodies.
Here is part of what he told Jon, … “the immune system is much larger and more involved than antibodies and their related killer cells.” Jon responded with, “The immune system is?”
The scientist/whistleblower responded with, “The entire body, really. Plus the mind. It’s all immune system, you might say. That is why you can have, in the middle of an epidemic, those individuals who remain healthy.” (http://educate-yourself.org)
Supercharging your actual immune system
A foundation of a happy mind and heart is necessary to support the seven ways listed in this article. Don’t allow anger and despair with all that’s wrong in our upside down world keep your spirits down.
Steady, spiritual pursuits, meditation, yoga, and chi-gong go a long way toward helping you be positive. Strive for the quality of equanimity or non-attachment. That’s not the same as indifference. It’s a state of mind that allows you to perform well without anxiety or excessive expectation, which can lead to major disappointment.
Levity helps. A woman diagnosed with cancer decided to let the doctors focus on the disease, while she simply watched ridiculous comedies day after day and laughed her way to healing. A little mirth goes a long way.
(1) A good basic diet is vital. Consuming unprocessed, vegetarian and organic foods while shunning the sugar and artificial sweeteners frees your immune system from fending off processed and junk food toxicity.
(2) Juicing veggies or making green smoothies allows you to consume more nutrients and complete enzymes in one sitting than you would in a few meals. Either one should be consumed immediately after juicing or blending.
(3) Supplement magnesium, enzymes, and vitamins C and D3. Most of us are magnesium deficient, yet magnesium is involved with over 300 metabolic functions in our body, including absorption of vitamin D3.
(4) Probiotics: Although many good probiotic supplements are available, some health experts advise not to rely on them permanently. They should be used during or after a period of antibiotic use.
But for normal, daily consumption, homemade fermented foods and beverages provide enough good bacteria to balance your intestinal flora. A properly balanced intestinal flora (bacteria) helps promote good digestion and more.
It’s estimated that probiotic bacteria are involved with 60 to 80 percent of our total immune system.
(5) Garlic: Bad for vampires; but good for humans. It should be eaten raw on food or with honey. If you’re tough enough, raw alone works well too. Garlic has been around as a natural antibiotic for ages.
Even modern clinical testing reveals garlic’s potency, sometimes superior to pharmaceuticals while not destroying probiotic bacteria.
(6) Your liver is a large and major organ for detoxifying your body. Avoid acetaminophen pain killers such as Tylenol and minimize alcohol consumption and corn syrup (fructose) sweeteners.
Herbs such as dandelion and milk thistle are tonics that help detoxify and strengthen the liver. Coffee enemas are used by the Gerson Institute and Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez in their safe and highly effective cancer curing protocols to detoxify the liver.
Glutathione is the master antioxidant manufactured by the liver. It actually rejuvenates and recycles spent antioxidants to be used again. There are supplement precursors such as NAC to help the liver manufacture more glutathione.
(7) Draining toxins from lymph nodes with body weight bearing exercising such as walking, running, or rebounding on a mini-trampoline is necessary because lymph nodes don’t have pumps. Rebounding works best.
PS: You can enter most bold lettered items individually into the Natural News search box at the top right for more on each.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035439_lymph_nodes_detox_immune_system.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/028395_colostrum_superfoods.html
http://educate-yourself.org
>Liver Let Die
>
I’m not just a bodybuilder, I’m also a health nut, and for that reason I put considerable effort into keeping my liver healthy.
Anyone who’s ever watched Oprah or the Dr. Oz show (okay, not many of you, but still…) likely knows that the liver is essential for filtering out the thousands of toxins we ingest every day, but there’s another, less popular reason why I make my liver a top priority: a healthy liver burns more body fat.
The liver is one of the major fat burning organs in the body, and is often referred to as a “fat pumping” organ. What this means is that the liver can carry fat into the small intestine through bile, where it gets taken out of the body by bowel action.
But if it’s forced to constantly clear out the toxins and other garbage you throw at it, it has a harder time doing the fat metabolizing part of its job description.
So it makes sense, from both a health and body composition perspective, to keep your liver operating at 100% efficiency. Here are some tips to assist you in that quest.
Phase 1 – Detoxification and Cytochrome P-450
One of the liver’s roles in detoxification involves a two-step enzymatic process for the neutralization of unwanted chemical compounds called Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification.
The Phase I detoxification system, often referred to as the “bagging of garbage” phase, starts with cytochrome P450, a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation (break down) of organic material (gas, liquid, or solid that contains carbon). These enzymes are found primarily in the liver, but can also be found to some degree in the adrenals and testes.
In Phase 1, cytochrome enzymes try to neutralize toxins to get them ready for excretion by way of Phase 2. In some cases, toxins are neutralized and converted from fat soluble to water soluble and then excreted out by the kidneys. Those toxins that were just neutralized and not excreted in Phase 1 will enter Phase 2.
Without employing adequate free radical defenses, every time the liver neutralizes a toxin it’s subject to damage by the free radicals produced. Antioxidants help to manage this, so be sure to incorporate nutrients like lipoic acid, Vitamin A and E through red palm oil, and selenium through Brazil nuts, just to name a few.
Phase 2 – Detoxification
Phase 2 is where the garbage gets taken out. In this phase, cytochrome enzymes break down toxins from a fat soluble form to a water soluble form, which makes them easier to dispose of. This is where liver cells add other substance carrier molecules like sulfur molecules to assist in the disposal. The “garbage” is then taken out by urine or bile.
So, how do we help facilitate this process?
Drink REAL Cranberry Juice
No, I’m not talking about the artificial, sugar-laden crap like Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail. Many times these juices are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which actually stresses the liver. Find an organic cranberry juice that is unsweetened and 100% real.
To say that the real stuff is tart would be an understatement. I get mine from Trader Joe’s, and when I’m feeling particularly wealthy (a rare occasion) I buy it at Whole Foods. The 32 ounce bottle shown below is under $4 at Trader Joe’s.
I first read about cranberry juice helping dieter’s lean out in Ann Louise Gittleman’s book “The Fat Flush Plan.” Gittleman maintains that cranberry juice cleanses the lymphatic system, which can help eliminate stubborn fat.
Specifically, it helps provide nutritional support through phytonutrients (anthocyanins, catechins, luteins, and quercetin) for the liver’s cytochrome P450 Phase 1 and 2 detoxification pathways discussed earlier.
Gittleman’s claims include that cranberry juice will noticeably improve cellulite due to this mechanism. Now I must admit, I was skeptical but I gave it a shot with a female client and to my surprise, her cellulite lessened. It didn’t go away completely but her improvement was very noticeable within four weeks. I experimented with a few other female clients, and while it was not a miracle solution, it did help.
How does it work? The lymphatic system is responsible for carrying toxins away from the cells and body tissues. The phytonutrients in cranberry juice help to keep your liver’s detoxification pathways open, so they aren’t jammed up cleaning up the mess left behind by the host of environmental pollutants, trans-fats, sugars, etc. In other words, it helps “take out the trash.”
The way I suggest most people try this is to take a 32-ounce container and put 4 ounces of the juice in it, along with 28 ounces of water. Drink this once a day, trying to build up to twice a day as you get accustomed to it.
This only amounts to 10-20 grams of extra carbs a day, and the additional water is also beneficial as the liver is more efficient at burning fat when you’re well hydrated.
Drink Warm Lemon Water
Lemon juice, specifically the phytochemical d-limonene, acts as a liver tonic and assists in digestion by clearing the detoxification pathways and helping the liver produce more bile.
D-limonene is found in the essential oils of citrus fruits and many other plant species and has been shown in animal studies to be cancer protective. The theory is that limonene’s protective effects are due to it being a strong inducer of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification enzymes that neutralize carcinogens.
Limonene also promotes the health of the GST (Glutathione S-transferase) system in the liver and small intestine, decreasing the negative effects of carcinogens. Another interesting fact is that d-limonene isa solvent of cholesterol, so it’s been used clinically to dissolve cholesterol-containing gallstones.
The best way to use lemon juice appears to be in the mornings, when our bodies are in a natural cleansing phase. Use the juice of a fresh lemon in a cup of hot water and the lemon juice should be 100% real, namely fresh squeezed, not “from concentrate.” Fact is, consuming anything sour makes the liver and gallbladder get rid of toxins, so real lime juice can also work.
Mix the juice of half a lemon with warm water. Cold water causes vasoconstriction in the stomach, resulting in less blood flow to the area, whereas warm water causes vasodilatation and will help increase metabolic rate.
D-limonene’s half life is 12-24 hours, so one warm cup of lemon water every morning should be sufficient.
Consume Insoluble Fiber
I’m not a believer in using ground flax seed to obtain your EFA requirements, but its insoluble fiber content does make it useful for moving food and waste through your intestinal track. Insoluble fiber absorbs water in your digestive track and builds up stool bulk, helping it move quicker through the digestive system. Without insoluble fiber, food can move so slowly that it literally starts to rot in your intestine. Soluble fiber also helps slow digestion, allowing you to absorb more nutrients.
When you don’t get enough fiber, up to 90% of your cholesterol and bile acids get reabsorbed and recirculated. This is just additional liver stress that can take away from its ability to metabolize fat. As fat and toxins are left in your body, they recirculate back into the liver in a process called “enterohepatic circulation,” which means recirculation of bile back into the liver from the gut/small intestine.
It’s normal for bile to go through this process and it occurs six to eight times a day, but if the bile is carrying a load of chemicals with it, problems like fatty liver disease and poor regulation of cholesterol levels can arise. A healthy fiber intake can help prevent this from happening as it can transport the bad stuff out of your body so that it’s not put back into circulation and your liver.
How to Keep Your Liver Detoxification Pathways Clear
Now that you know a few things that help assist in liver detoxification, what kind of things should you do to keep your detoxification pathways running smoothly?
- Avoid the Terrible Trifecta: trans-fats, commercial vegetable oils high in omega 6, and sugar. Simply minimizing consumption of these three categories of “foods” and you’ll be light years ahead of the pack!
- Eat organic whole eggs. Whole eggs are loaded with sulfur-based amino acids cysteine, methionine, and taurine. These help the liver to regulate bile production. It can also help Phase 2 of the detoxification pathway as the sulfur-based aminos act as carrier molecules to take out the trash.
Egg yolks also are loaded with phoshatidylcholine, a great nutrient for overall liver health. It helps to prevent fatty liver, and helps maintain gall bladder function. PC plays a very important role in the transport of fats throughout the bloodstream.
- Eat kale! Kale is my all-time favorite veggie, mainly due to its antioxidant power. It also contains sulforaphane, a substance that helps convert toxins into nontoxic waste for elimination.
Wrap-Up
As bodybuilders, often our tendency is to focus only on the things that add weight to the bar and inches to our arms. But if your internal health doesn’t match the external, those pretty pecs and bulging biceps aren’t much more than sugar coating.
Fresh juices, fiber, eggs, and avoiding the junk you know you should be avoiding. Who says keeping your body’s filter squeaky clean needs to be complicated?
As always, send any questions you may have to the Livespill.
FROM FAT TO FIT 