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Salt through the ages

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Salt through the ages, salt in your food and salt in your body

2020 February health interview by Zulaikha with Health Researcher Sue Visser on radio.

According to an Islamic text, “Salt is the master of your food. God sent down four blessings from the sky – fire, water, iron and salt” (Ibn Maja). Taking a few grains of salt before and after meals was recommended centuries ago by Islamic healers.

Q: Sue, what are the benefits of doing this?

A: Salt before a meal helps to support the intensity of the stomach acid to digest the meal. A pH of 2 (very acidic) is required to close the valve at the base of the oesophagus and salt provides the chloride that is needed to maintain acidity at this intensity. Taking a little salt after a meal can thus help to prevent acid reflux and heartburn. Do not drink a glass of water straight after the meal because it will dilute the stomach acid and other digestive juices like pepsin. A salty finish (as opposed to sugary residues) also helps to fight tooth decay. The mouth can then be rinsed.

Q: Today we are told to reduce our salt intake or even stop using it at the table. Some say it is “white poison”. Do we need any extra salt? The Prophet (May Allah honour him and grant him peace) tells us the following:

“Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein.”
A: Profound words indeed! An excess of salt especially, is associated with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. We need to abide by the rules of excess, otherwise salt will be cause an imbalance of other minerals, especially potassium, calcium and magnesium, causing diseases like hypertension, cholesterol problems and diabetes. However, if you eat enough foods that contain potassium, such as green vegetables and bananas you need to balance the extra potassium with more sodium – from salt. When taken in moderation and balanced to potassium, the sodium in salt does not harm us and without it salt would not be salt – sodium chloride.

Q: Tell us more about the chloride?

A: Pure chloride, or what we know as chlorine kills germs, as we know. Taking chloride by itself would burn every cell in the body, so it is combined with sodium. Salt also kills germs and it tastes good! On hot days when we sweat a lot we lose minerals, especially the electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. That is why sweat tastes salty. One craves salt to replace it and salt is used by the body to conserve our water – lest we shrivel up and dehydrate. Our cells are like bags of salty water and need salt for their stability.

On the other hand, if we consume too much salt, the body retains too much water and we swell up because calcium and magnesium also need to be replaced, along with the pinch of salt. This is what happens when we “omit excess therein”. Too much salt causes not enough potassium, calcium and magnesium. People who are deficient in magnesium are more prone to headaches, blood sugar imbalances, muscle cramps, dyskinesia, and insomnia. Diabetics, especially, are deficient in magnesium.

Q: Can we obtain chloride from other sources?

A: Yes, to maintain our salt cravings but prevent the sodium excess we can use a salt alternative called “no salt” or potassium chloride. This also helps to increase the potassium levels. However, it is a good idea to mix it with a little calcium and magnesium powder as well. It is not a good idea to take a few grains of this into the mouth because it can burn off the skin of the tongue and cheeks. I found that out the hard way, by sprinkling potassium chloride onto my popcorn. It really hurt! Taken as a medicine, it is excellent for correcting hypoglycaemia, as opposed to consuming sugar.

Remedy for hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar emergency) Diabetics can use a ½ teaspoon of potassium chloride in ½ glass of water. This stimulates the release of the glycogen reserves from the liver and raises the blood sugar naturally. Another form of chloride – that tastes awful, is magnesium chloride. It can be “lost” in a smoothie or other guise. It is a great all-round healer, especially for correcting magnesium depletion but it is not a table condiment. The remedy called “Concentrace” contains it. Within 10 minutes is frees up the blood corpuscles and prevents them from sticking to each other. Magnesium chloride flakes are also available from some health shops, or online.

Q: We use bicarbonate of soda as an antacid. Do we also use the sodium in salt for alkalising?

A: Yes, we need sodium bicarbonate to neutralize acidity. Our body has a way of recycling this antacid and only allows the kidneys to excrete what is not needed. So then sodium will be retained if there is a shortfall of potassium. We are constantly reminded that our best sources of potassium are from vegetables. Other valuable sources include apple cider vinegar, molasses and cream or tartar from the grocery store. So to prevent high levels of sodium rather increase the levels of potassium and allow your body to flush out what you don’t need. We don’t have to ask why urine or sweat tastes salty! We excrete a lot of sodium potassium, calcium and magnesium. They ALL need to be replaced and kept in balance.

Q: Now we can see why we need a good balance of these minerals, as it is stated by the Prophet (May Allah honour him and grant him peace)

“But Allah has said that He created no disease without also creating its remedy, except death (meaning old age).”
How is salt associated with remedies?

A: Salt kills germs and we can gargle with salt and it makes a good mouthwash. Perhaps that is why we are reminded by Islamic traditional health practitioners to take a few grains of salt – again, after the meal. People also use a saline solution as a nasal spray or for treating sinus problems. Salt also balances the water levels, both within and without our cells. It is not the salt that is to blame for the water retention. People who stop drinking water to try and correct water retention are telling us that they have a potassium deficiency.

Homeopathic remedies and the 12 tissue salts use salt as one of their chief remedies. Salt is called Natrum (sodium) Muricatum (chloride) – NAT MUR for short. Homeopathy gets the closest to using substances that are both a cause and a cure, as alluded to 1400 years ago. During the 19th century Samuel Hahnemann discovered that a diluted version of a poison – arsenic, for instance became a medicine to treat the symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Thus if salt causes water retention, the same substance when potentized or diluted will cure water retention.

In fact, NAT MUR, the Homeopathic version of salt corrects many other types of water imbalances in a patient. For instance, a dry skin, hay fever, constipation, bloating or a dry cough NAT MUR at a potency of D6 – 300C will be prescribed. Mental symptoms that a homeopath would detect as contributing to the symptom picture would benefit from higher potencies, say 3M show up as weepiness, depression, feelings of hopelessness and people get called hypochondriacs. Being reactive and hyper sensitive or wanting to be left alone are also common symptoms.

Q: We are discouraged from using salt, yet you say we lose it when we sweat or urinate every day. What happens if we have a deficiency of salt?

A: Yes – insulin resistance and once again, high blood pressure. To the degree that sodium is restricted the hormonal balance between renin and aldosterone is challenged. An unusually high amount of aldosterone is released. Sodium and potassium are balanced by this hormone. If there is not enough sodium to keep the potassium ratio in balance, both potassium and magnesium are then excreted. A loss of these electrolytes makes the blood acidic. Oxidative stress sets in. Muscles cramp up, fingers go numb and up goes the blood pressure! This is scary and enough and a good reason to pass the salt.

Double blind random placebo controlled studies show that a sodium restricted diet in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes resulted in an increase in insulin resistance. Even after a few days, the effects of not eating salt manifested as an average increase of 12% in terms of upping their insulin resistance. Even in normal people this was the case. Cut out the salt and up goes the potential for insulin resistance associated with syndrome X and especially type 2 diabetes.

Last word: Ironically, the doctors who condemn salt also use it to save your life. A saline drip is a familiar sight in a hospital and the food will remain tasteless – without any salt!

“Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food” (Hippocrates)

https://naturefresh.co.za/salt-is-good-for-you/ website article on Salt by Sue Visser

http://www.infobarrel.com/Salt_is_not_white_poison_-_without_it_you_would_be_dead Link to Sue’s online article.

2020 Update on pregnancy advice

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2020 update on natural products that may affect your pregnancy.

Zulaikha’s interview with Sue January 2020

Disclaimer: this information is not to be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please discuss any changes you with to make to your diet or supplementation with an experienced and knowledgeable practitioner.

The first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy is a critical stage and there and many things to help and many more to avoid doing. “ Simply improving the maternal diet before pregnancy can alter gene expression in the offspring and their susceptibility to certain diseases for up to four or five generations. This can help reduce the risk of giving birth to a child who will develop autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, OCD, dyslexia and learning disabilities.”

Q: What supplements and herbs must you definitely stop taking as soon as you fall pregnant?

A: Certain herbs have a direct influence on the womb, causing it to contract or abandon the pregnancy. Parasite treatments that contain Artemisia, like our parasite remedy, for instance. But prior to conception, it is important to eliminate parasites, especially worms and microbes that may be causing a leaky gut. More about that later. The rule with herbs is: when in doubt, don’t. Even mint, rosemary, basil and oregano are viewed with suspicion, but that may be extreme.

Eliminate parasites to prevent intestinal permeability. Parasites like giardia, a protozoa, cause damage to the intestinal wall that increases its permeability. Antigens and microbial fragments leak from the gut into the bloodstream, over-stimulating the immune response, causing allergies and auto-immune disorders. The intestinal permeability can also be caused by antigens within the gut, such as gluten. These factors contribute to inflammation and are linked to disorders that the unborn child may become exposed to via the maternal transmission of antibodies. So if you are not yet pregnant, get rid of giardia ant other parasites and cut out gluten!

Mothers who have a leaky gut or carry certain antigens can have babies that are more prone to: inflammation of the large or small intestine (colitis and enteritis), chronic arthritis , asthma, skin conditions like acne, eczema, hives or psoriasis, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, deficient pancreatic function ( diabetes 1 or 2) and AIDS .

Q: Apart from leaky gut syndrome and the mother’s antigens causing these very common conditions, what about disorders of the brain?

A: The gut and brain are linked and obviously an unhealthy gut produces an unhealthy brain. Research has shown that some children with autism develop autoimmunity within the brain due to antibodies passed to them from their mothers while in utero. A study found that one in 10 mothers of children with autism carry antibodies in their blood that reacts with their children’s brains. Simply improving the maternal diet before pregnancy can alter gene expression in the offspring and their susceptibility to certain diseases for up to four or five generations. This can help reduce the risk of giving birth to a child who will develop autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, OCD, dyslexia and learning disabilities. Here is the full article.

Q: Are there any reasons for taking herbs during pregnancy?

A: Yes! If herbal remedies like our Agnus Castus or Sweet potato have helped to raise progesterone levels and thus enable the mother conceive, then they need to continue taking them to keep the progesterone levels up. There have been a few cases of ladies who stopped using them abruptly after conception and the pregnancy failed, due to not enough progesterone to continue. Under professional supervision, such cases need constant progesterone monitoring to prevent a mishap. The same applies to any woman who receives hormonal treatment for conception; stopping it suddenly may endanger the pregnancy. So the hormones need to be constantly monitored and maintained throughout a pregnancy that may be at risk.

Q: What about nausea – morning sickness, is there anything natural to take?

A: Ginger helps to control nausea and some midwives recommend tea with honey and ginger. The nausea is actually a form of ketosis, whereby the body is breaking down its reserves in the liver, for the transformation that is taking place. The queasy feeling is due to a lack of food, not from eating too much. So eating something fresh, like pineapple of pawpaw that is easy to digest ca help. We all had our personal favourites, like Marmite – on rice cakes!

Q: What are the best supplements to take?

A: Most important is to look after the probiotics, the bacteria in the mother’s body that are transferred to the baby. (see PROBIOTIC-15). The microbiome needs to be well stocked with the beneficial strains of gut bacteria. Also use some liquid probiotics diluted 5 :100 for vaginal rinsing (with a small enema bulb) from time to time for the same reason – especially if you plan to have a normal / natural birth. This will give Baby the leading edge. They say that the most important reason for a natural birth is the transferral of the bacteria to the new born baby. It establishes the immune setup from day 1. After that, touching and breast feeding the baby helps to establish the microbiome.

Because the gut is the seat of the immune system, a leaky gut triggers a cascade of inflammation that extends beyond the gut and into the brain and body. This raises the risk of brain antibodies developing in the mother and being passed to the foetus. Probiotics are the key to a healthy gut and to preventing candidiasis.

Q: Are you saying that a C-section baby who is bottle fed will lose out?

A: Yes, according to the midwives, so the mother needs to compensate as best she can. Antibiotics also destroy the microbiome, leaving a little baby with a very compromised immune system. At least a baby that is fed with breast milk can benefit from some natural protection, especially from the colostrum that is released as the very first meal. Ideally as nature intended it, directly from the mother.

Q: what about calcium, is it good or bad to take during pregnancy?

A: I am often asked the same question by expectant mothers. We are told that a pregnant Mom eats for two and taking our Calcium Complex helps to build the baby’s skeleton and preserve the mother’s. The magnesium is also important, especially during breastfeeding and it helps with controlling acidity and keeping the urinary system healthy. A herbal tea made from raspberry leaves used to be given in the old days – it was rich in magnesium!

Q: Are vitamins essential to take and do they really help to prevent neural tube disorders?

A: Yes, babies born with an undeveloped spinal cord (spinibifida), for instance have a folic acid deficiency. Mom needs to take a vitamin B complex, as all the b vitamins work together.

Q: Do you know of any eating habits a pregnant Mom has that may turn out to harm the baby?

A: Yes, eating wheat and gluten. https://swbrainpc.com/2017/05/19/autism-could-be-related-to-moms-diet/

Please read this article – before you fall pregnant and warn other people. Autism, diabetes and other autoimmune disorders are caused by the mother, especially during pregnancy by eating gluten and too much sugar or if Mom has a leaky gut. (A friend of mine has a third child who is type 1 diabetic. She admitted that throughout her pregnancy all she ate were biscuits, she kept craving sugar.)

Q: Is there any way of preventing these disorders?

A: A balanced, nutritious but specifically anti-inflammatory diet helps to establish a healthy immune system during pregnancy. It is important to lay this foundation prior to conception, after parasite and heavy metal cleansing protocols. Studies have shown the effectiveness of a gluten-free and dairy-free diet or, more ideally, the immune balancing diet to prevent autoimmune reactivity. It is also important to eat for your blood type, because not everybody is intolerant to dairy or wheat specifically, but other foods or substances may trigger the inflammation.

Q: As a last word, is there any secret to reducing the risk of autism but also the susceptibility to other immune disorders?

A: Try to approach conception and pregnancy with a balanced immune system and control factors that cause reactivity and hence inflammation. Avoid the trigger foods that produce antibodies that may affect the child’s brain and immune system. The main culprits are gluten based, but some lectins are blood type specific, such as chicken for blood type B, beef for type A and so on. Avoiding trigger foods controls inflammation and keeps autoimmune reactivity at bay. Doing this can help to prevent most cases of: asthma, eczema, food intolerances, allergies, and other brain developmental disorders (e.g. Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, ADD/ADHD and of course, autism.)

Q: What impact does the blood type diet have on the developing fetus during pregnancy?

A: Quote from Dr D’Adamo “Under situations of sickness, such as frequent miscarriage or whatever, the appropriate diet for the mother has worked wonderfully. We have had many patients as mothers who have followed the diet with great success. To my knowledge, the diet has resulted in no problems or reactions in these situations. Of course, everyone is different, and you might want to bring the diet to your obstetrician’s attention if there are any other health problems.” Eat right for you and your baby – the book.

“We can also positively influence genes after the child is born by improving external influences, such as by removing inflammatory foods from the diet and supporting good nutrition and brain health.”

Free e-book for repairing the gut-brain. The autoimmune diet.

Last word, in hindsight

“I wish I had known all this when I was pregnant. I wish my Mother had known this. Maybe I would not have suffered from childhood respiratory infections, anaemia and gluten sensitivity. Maybe my sisters would not have had thyroid issues, eczema, and sinus problems. Knowing what I do 40 years after having my own babies, I could have prevented gluten and PCOS from affecting my own daughter and causing her years of battling to fall pregnant. However, it is never too late to make changes, to overcome autoimmune mishaps and to be Healthy and Happy!” (Sue Visser)

Herbal remedies zap drug resistant malaria

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How do we cope with drug resistant malaria?    

Malaria updates for 2019 travellers

Professor Pamela Weathers

Professor Pamela Weathers cured drug resistant malaria in 2017 during an outbreak in the Congo. 18 fatally ill patients had not responded to drug treatments. Her whole leaf Artemisia tablets cured them all after 5 days

Q & A with healthcare researcher Sue Visser         March 2019

Caution: do not take olive leaf or Artemisia products if you are breastfeeding or pregnant unless under the guidance of a doctor. Products containing these herbs may potentize the effects of cardiovascular, thyroid, antimicrobial or anti-diabetic medications, so ask a practitioner to adjust the prescriptions accordingly.

Herbal treatments for malaria – are they original or alternative?

Doctors who use drugs that are made in a laboratory will claim that because of their scientific methodology they provide exclusively reliable, fully tried and tested legal treatments for diseases. They view what they call as “unscientific” alternatives such as herbs with suspicion and have tried to discourage their use, especially in the case of both preventing and treating malaria. Yet thousands of years ago – long before the era of modern medicine the herb Artemisia annua – a member of the wormwood family was the standard cure for malaria.

So what is the alternative to this herb? How about modern, “scientifically proven” pharmaceutical drugs? According to the April 24, 2017 edition of Science Daily:  “Successful treatment of drug resistant cases of malaria with 100% dried leaf Artemisia annua suggests that it should be rapidly incorporated into the antimalarial regimen for Africa.” Further studies were recommended but as we will see from this discussion, Artemisia annua has been used to successfully treat and prevent malaria for thousands of years without any evidence of toxicity or drug resistance. 

Traditional healers in South Africa

Our Traditional healers in South Africa can sell herbs to cure malaria and other ailments and are exempt from legislation. Here you can buy a bundle of Artemisia afra for next to nothing and yes – it dies cure malaria!

Are our modern scientific drugs winning the battle against drug resistant malaria? Are they safe?

Unfortunately, the recent and now widespread epidemic of drug resistant malaria has spread from Asia into Africa and is claiming many lives. There are no effective preventative drugs for travellers to take that can guarantee their safety anymore. Therefore we are all at risk of contracting malaria should we have to rely solely on what modern medicine has to offer. We can use mosquito nets and poisonous insecticides and gamble with our lives or refrain from visiting malaria infested areas.

 We can choose from a number of standard prophylactic drugs that can prevent the onset of malaria but there is no guarantee that they are 100% effective against the latest strains. A further risk is death or debilitating illnesses as a result of taking amodiaquine and Fansidar because fatalities have occurred.

Many of the side effects from the drugs are so unpleasant that some travellers (including our family) refuse to take them anymore. The four most popular drugs used by travellers are: mefloquine, doxycycline, chloroquine-proguanil and atovaquone –proguanil (Malarone). These more recent formulations are a better option, but are not free of risks, side effects and contra-indications.

Melfloquine for instance is associated with neurological disorders that include headache, dizziness, confusion, vertigo and seizures. Peripheral neuropathies such as paraesthesia, tremors and ataxia have also been reported. The psychiatric disorders may include insomnia, strange dreams, restlessness, anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Doxycycline is an antibiotic and its long-term use will obliterate entire colonies of beneficial gut flora – 80% of the immune system as well as the gut microbiome we need to aid digestion, produce neurotransmitters and prevent candidiasis as well as neural disorders in the first place! Malarone is basically the best option for long term use and has fewer side effects other than gastric upsets, so it should be taken with meals. But it is very, very expensive.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3395692/

Is it safe enough to rely 100% on insecticides, sprays and mosquito nets?

Kinsley Holgate, the famous explorer who travels throughout Africa to distribute mosquito nets has had malaria over 30 times. Now doctors have no standard cure for drug resistant malaria so is it worth taking the risk? Mosquitoes don’t only attack people who sleep in beds. You may get zapped by a mosquito in the shower – after you have washed off all the insecticides! They love dark, damp places. Malaria plasmodia are developing a resistance to all the silver bullets, and will continue to do so unless we find a better solution.

What about the use of artemisinin and ACT – has that also failed?

Around the world, Malaria claimed over 407 000 lives in 2016 despite the ubiquitous use of artemisinin, an extract of Artemisia annua combined with partner drugs. These drugs were assessed for quality, safety and efficacy by means of the regulatory procedure known as Article 58 of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at the time. The increasing death toll is due to the spread of partial artemisinin resistance combined with what they call partner drug resistance.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation promoted the use of an Artemisia annua extract combined with a number of anti-malarial drugs, called ACT. But the very expensive artemisinin extract proved to be unstable with a rapidly diminishing half-life. As a solo chemical, it is easier for plasmodia to develop a resistance to it. ACT tablets were sold to people who could barely afford food and clothing. The medication cost 20 US$ and families only earned a dollar a day. In terms of sustainability, the whole Artemisia annua or Artemisia afra plant can be cultivated in their own back yards and would save them from malaria and a host of other diseases. It does not cost 20 US$ per person per month and no drug resistance has ever been reported.

The malaria death toll is still rising and the use of Artemisia annua has been discredited by the WHO despite its efficacy when taken in adequate doses. Anamed recommends 20g of 100% dry leaf per litre of tea per day to be sufficient according to their evidence based methodology.

https://www.who.int/malaria/media/artemisinin_resistance_qa/en/

https://www.who.int/malaria/position_statement_herbal_remedy_artemisia_annua_l.pdf

How did the Chinese treat malaria thousands of years ago?

The same Artemisia annua was used – as a tea or 100% leaf remedy. In other words not with unstable, very expensive and not very effective artemisinin! Ironically, it was the modern Chinese opportunists who developed artemisinin to supply to Bill and Melinda Gates for their very pricey ACT. However, Professor Pamela Weathers and her research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) produced the evidence we now so badly need as more recent – in situ proof of the efficacy of this treatment in the face of drug resistant malaria.

Artemisia consumption in the form of dose-related tablets, powder or capsules from the whole dried aerial parts has never led to any resistance in long duration trials. The Artemisia annua plant contains at least 20 active ingredients which work as a synergy. So it makes no sense to whip out an extract and mislead people in terms of stability or efficacy or cost effectiveness. Yet the WHO suggests that even if these constituents do act in concert with with artemisinin, these interactions are insufficient to eliminate Plasmodium parasites and cure malaria. 

Traditional medicine embraces medicinal plants that are combination therapies. The 100% content guarantees the stability and bioavailability of their active substances. As opposed to a single extract, the combined anti-parasitic components of Artemisia can treat and prevent malaria. The rapid action of this herb against plasmodia means that travellers can start taking the product a few days before they leave. It is very affordable and side effects, if any, are minimal.

http://nordman.co.za/artemisia.html

We often hear that the use of Artemisia is ineffective and can be toxic. Is this true?

No, there were many such attempts to discredit the use of Artemisia annua: saying it could contain toxic substances, it doesn’t work and its use against malaria was unorthodox if not unlawful. In 1998 a law even prohibited the use of Artemisia annua herbal tea in Belgium! Yet for two thousand years and among thousands of people using the herbal tea against malaria, the phenomena of resistance – let alone toxicity has never been established.

Pharmaceutical research institutes did their best to invalidate Anamed, (Action for Natural Medicine in The Tropics) the worldwide association that empowers low-income groups of people with Artemisia annua DIY treatments. Anamed believe it is their God-given responsibility to share their expertise (over 30 years of it) with people who cannot afford elitist medicine for tropical diseases. In 2019 they aim to work on a project in South Africa to cultivate Artemisia for the treatment of malaria and HIV AIDS – despite opposition from controlling bodies.

https://anamed.org/en/

https://malariaworld.org/blog/artemisia-against-malaria-efficient-banished

Is there any scientifically acceptable research to justify the medicinal use of Artemisia?

All substances can be put through their paces to prove various points but many products fail to deliver results in a real life situation. A typical case being drugs involved with malaria. Extensive studies have been and still are undertaken to produce the evidence we need today, should we wish to use Artemisia as a medicine – not only to treat malaria. We can also consult the European Monographs in this respect.

African Universities that are studying Artemisia afra as opposed to Artemisia annua have found it to contain the highest concentration of the flavone luteolin, a molecule with demonstrated antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. We also have well documented results on the effectiveness of herbal tea against leishmaniosis (sand fly bites) in Antioquia University in Colombia, against cancer at the University of Belgrade, against Trypanosoma cruzi at the University of Cumana in Venezuela, against diarrhoea and bilharzia in Senegal and against AIDS at the University of Leiden.

In South Africa, herbal remedies are preferred by 80% of the local population. Traditional uses for our local Artemisia afra include treatments for bacterial infections such as sore throats, ear infections and respiratory diseases.  The aerial parts contain various phenolic compounds that have anti-bacterial and anti-viral infections such as measles and influenza and parasitic infections like malaria, worms and flukes.  Non-pathogenic conditions traditionally treated with Artemisia afra include diabetes mellitus, gout and neuralgia, autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation and asthma. It is now being scrutinized for its immune regulating effects.

http://etd.uwc.ac.za/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11394/2020/Kriel_MSC_2010.pdf;sequence=1

Nature Fresh Parasite Remedy

In South Africa, over 80% of the local inhabitants prefer Traditional or herbal medicine. Remedies made from plants. They use Artemisia for many ailments especially HIV/AIDS

Can you give a specific, well documented example of how well Artemisia annua works?

A good example of how effective it is for drug resistant malaria comes from the Congo in 2017. Tablets made from the whole dried Artemisia annua leaves were used to successfully treat 18 cases of advanced malaria (symptoms that can include loss of consciousness, respiratory distress, convulsions, and pulmonary oedema and in this case, one child was already in a coma). The much publicised and over promoted ACT treatment had failed to cure them and none of the other standard drugs made any difference to what had become a near fatal situation.

None of patients even responded to artesunate, the frontline medication for severe malaria. Yet after five days on the Artemisia tablets all 18 of the patients fully recovered. Laboratory tests showed they had no parasites remaining in their blood. During 2017 over 100 other drug-resistant malaria patients were also successfully treated with the experimental Artemisia tablets, thanks to the pioneering work of Professor Pamela Weather and her lab team. Her research has shown that whole leaf Artemisia therapies are more effective and less expensive than standard malaria medications. They are a lot safer and do not have life threatening or debilitating side effects.

It is a pity that legislation does not allow these remedies to be offered at travel clinics throughout the world as an alternative for malaria-proofing travellers as well as their pets. The Artemisia pills help to ward off traveller’s gut bugs as a bonus!

https://clinicalnews.org/2017/04/24/patients-with-drug-resistant-malaria-cured-by-plant-therapy-developed-at-wpi/

 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424141222.htm

http://nordman.co.za/artemisia.html

Artemisia Afra plants

We can buy Artemisia afra plants and wild olive trees from South African nurseries. These local subspecies are hardier and contain stronger active ingredients in many cases, according to analytical tests. 

Are there any other plants growing in the garden that can ward off malaria?

Yes, if you have olive trees you can use the leaves!  When quinine lost favour as the earliest treatment for malaria, olive leaf tea became a popular substitute in the 1820′s. Later on chemists isolated a compound they called oleuropein that protects leaves against the lacey-winged olive fly that attacks the fruit.

By 1906, scientists claimed that olive leaf extracts were superior to quinine , the primary treatment for malaria at the time. A case report from a clinic in Mexico announced a complete cure of a full-blown case of malaria in a 34-year-old woman after taking two 100% olive leaf supplements every six hours for six months. There are a host of other valuable phytochemicals present in whole olive leaf products, such as the anti-malarial agent cinchonine. No wonder it worked!

https://www.quantumbalancing.com/oliveleaf.htm

 http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/14/1/62.pdf 

In 2002 my husband Jim was relieved of malaria within a few days using only whole olive leaf tablets. He was on holiday in China, and the breakout occurred on top of a high mountain we had just climbed. That night, in the remote hotel, his fever broke loose and he became delirious.  Luckily we had olive leaf tablets with us and he took 2 every 2 – 4 hours. The next morning he was able to climb down unassisted. We did not use them to prevent malaria – we hadn’t discovered that yet! A few weeks later Jim’s malaria backlash was once again alleviated using only the olive leaf tablets. We were then at home and could get the proper diagnosis. He recovered fully.

Olive leaf, as in the case of Artemisia is more potent as a 100% dry leaf remedy. Ever since that bout of malaria, we have always taken our herbal remedies with us and have visited many malaria infested areas without further mishaps. Ironically people who take olive leaf tablets every day for blood pressure, candidiasis and so on have built-in malaria protection.

https://naturefresh.co.za/the-olive-leaf-story/ 

https://naturefresh.co.za/products/nf-025-olive-leaf-tablets-90-tablets/

After visiting Thailand, Jim contracted malaria while climbing the Yuang Shan mountains in China. That night in the hotel at the summit he nearly died, until we gave him olive leaf tablets

So ideally one needs to consume the whole dried leaf to receive the most benefit?

Now that malaria has developed resistance to many of our present day drugs, clinicians may once again turn to olive leaf remedies in addition to Artemisia. Many scientific studies have been performed throughout Europe and the United States to show that olive leaf extracts have strong antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic activity. 

Alternative Medicine Review Monograph Volume 14, Number 1  2009, states that olive leaf can successfully treat bacterial, protozoan, and fungal Infections as well as  viruses that include colds and flu as well as HIV/AIDS and of course, malaria. Olive leaf does not harm beneficial bacteria as is the case with regular antibiotics and they also help to eliminate biofilms that shield off colonies of bacteria, causing drug resistance.

http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/14/1/62.pdf

https://www.shiftfrequency.com/olive-can-cure-malaria-and-who-doesnt-know/

Apart from preventing malaria for travellers, are there other benefits from using olive leaves?

Many people drink olive leaf tea to lower their blood pressure but heating up the leaves destroys many of their other active ingredients. For the equivalent of one standard 500mg whole leaf tablet you would need 7 dried and finely crushed and screened olive leaves. The powder can be mixed with a little honey or something similar to help it go down. Traditionally only European olive leaves were used for treating malaria but Olea afra, a local African species is also effective. Olive leaves are a potent cardiovascular medicine in their own right as they not only reduce blood pressure, they also help to thin the blood, clear out microbes and parasites and reduce inflammation.

Studies show that olive leaf helps reduce symptoms relating to age-related disorders, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As an antioxidant it helps to combat the damage caused by free radicals and protects the brain from memory loss. Olive leaves help reduce blood sugar as well as “bad” cholesterol. Chronic swelling, inflammation and pain that are associated with osteoarthritis can be reduced. As an antioxidant, olive leaf reduces the production of cytokines and enzymes that are markers for the inflammatory process.

Tablets and tinctures are easier to take. The choice is yours and according to the monographs there are no serious side effects. Olive leaf has not been officially tested for pregnancy but for over 20 years, many ladies have taken them to good effect, after the third trimester. It is best to ask a doctor. As a treatment for yeast infections such as candidiasis they can help to cure long-term patients who have given up on diets and medications.

In a 2003 study of the antiviral activity of olive leaf against HIV-1 infection and replication, it was found that olive leaf extract inhibits acute infection and cell-to-cell transmission. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harms your immune system by destroying the white blood cells that fight infection. In a 2016 study it was found that olive leaf extract can modify the response of white blood cells called peripheral blood mononuclear cells (a class of immune cells which includes T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes). It was able to influence the expression of genes in inflammatory and metabolic pathways. This helps to explain why we call olive leaf an immune booster.

https://draxe.com/olive-leaf-benefits/

https://naturefresh.co.za/doctors-love-olive-leaves-2/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12878215

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/17/12/2019

Nature Fresh olive leaf products

Jim back home, fully cured of malaria in 2002. No plasmodium parasites were found after 5 days of taking the olive leaf tablets for his relapse 3 weeks later.

Are there problems with taking Artemisia or olive leaves if you are on medications?

Please bear in mind that herbal remedies can duplicate the effects of medications, so ask your doctor about using them as part of your protocol.  Due to the blood pressure lowering  and antiplatelet aggregating properties of olive leaf extract, using them with the full dose of blood-pressure lowering medications and blood thinners may exaggerate the effect; so caution is advised. Refer to the monographs for more details.

Some people have weaned themselves off hypertensive medications and take 2 olive leaf tablets in the mornings and evenings. They say it is cheaper and are happy to have no unpleasant side effects and it also helps to prevent colds and flu. Some practitioners of Natural Medicine use them to ward off colds and flu – especially those who no longer believe in vaccinations. Olive leaf seems to zap all strains of “latest” colds and flu bugs, as it does with drug resistant malaria!

Olive leaf Monograph  http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/14/1/62.pdf

They say that monotherapies are not effective for malaria. How about herbs, could we combine them?

Now that we have discovered just how effective 100% olive leaf and Artemisia leaves are as very versatile remedies, combining them would provide an even wider therapeutic spectrum. However, sufficient quantities must be present – lest we fall into the trap of making claims and not delivering enough of the active ingredients per dose. 

For Traditional Medicine in South Africa, no strict regulations or efficacy testing is required. For the average supplement manufacturer however, the cost of undertaking efficacy, safety and drug interaction trials of herbal combinations is exorbitant – if not crippling. Here is a typical example: for the past 20 years a 4 – part combination of Artemisia afra, olea Europa / afra, cloves and ivy leaf is sold in pharmacies and health shops as a Parasite Remedy*.

When taken as capsules or a tincture, the herbal combination has helped many people suffering from respiratory ailments, HIV / AIDS and tropical diseases such as malaria, leishmaniosis and malaria. It has also been used by travellers to prevent malaria on many occasions – even to places like Mozambique and Zanzibar. It was also used by a team of cyclists who travelled from Cape to Cairo.

In all cases, the parasite remedy also helped to prevent traveller’s diarrhoea, colds and flu.  Yet the manufacturer may not even say what the product does on the label! Apart from dosage guidelines, the compulsory warning must be visible in English and Afrikaans: this product has not been evaluated by the Medicines Control Council and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness.

 

Meanwhile on the pavement one can buy a huge range of wild harvested herbs from our local “inyanga” medicine men. They are practitioners of Traditional Medicine and seem to be exempt from MCC regulations. They harvest their medicines – usually without supervision, at the expense of threatening plants that are nearly extinct. Their packets of herbal tea are freely distributed and are sold as a – z remedies for many common ailments. You can buy bundles of Artemisia afra cuttings from them – plus a bag of tea leaves to treat diabetes, gut problems and drive away evil spirits*.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicine

http://www.infobarrel.com/Traditional_Medicine_Grows_in_the_Ground_and_Cannot_be_Legislated

http://nordman.co.za/stockists.html  (Artemisia)

https://naturefresh.co.za/products/nf-051-parasite-capsules-40-capsules/  (Parasite capsules and olive leaf) https://naturefresh.co.za/products/nf-042-parasite-remedy-200ml-tincture-20-alcohol/

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

 

                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pineapples: for food and medicine

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Use every part of a pineapple for food and medicine

Preparation

We are going to extract some interesting chemicals from parts of a pineapple that we usually toss away. Welcome to the art of therapeutic eating. Do it with a pineapple!

To test if a pineapple is ripe enough pull out one of the leaves in the crown. If this comes out easily then it is ready to eat

Just a word of caution: pineapples thin the blood, so if you are on commercial blood thinners, going in for surgery or suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding please inform your doctor. Very few people are allergic to pineapple and if this is the case your mouth, skin or lips may become red, itchy or inflamed. This may also be a reaction to pineapple skin because it contains natural yeast spores and is quite prickly. Pineapples are healthy to eat and as medicine, they do not have nasty side effects – only benefits!

The skin of the smaller, sweeter Queen pineapples should have a lovely orange colour. At other times of the year we get the green skinned the Cayenne Pineapple. They are larger and not so sweet.

Pineapple is an acidic fruit and so is the juice. Citric, ascorbic and malic acids are found in high concentrations. This acidity reduces the strain on the pancreas so the demand on insulin is kept to a minimum. This is good news for diabetics! Pineapples are also rich in potassium and this helps to balance out diets that are too high in sodium (salt). Beta-carotene and vitamin A help to maintain healthy skin and lungs and are good for eyesight. Pineapple juice is a natural diuretic and helps to enhance kidney and urinary health as well as flush toxins out of the body.

Pineapples are rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and vitamin C, manganese, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, folic acid and citric acid. This helps to boost immune functions, is good for digestion and contributes to healthy skin. Generous levels of manganese (almost 75% of the RDA ) promote bone growth and the production of steroid hormones like progesterone. The overall effect helps to strengthen bones.

Pineapples are good for the heart and help to control blood viscosity as well as blood pressure. The fruit is rich in soluble and insoluble fibre and is beneficial to gut health as well as the removal of toxic waste. So eat a few pieces of pineapple a day and chew them well for a healthier alternative to taking fibre supplements that contain harmful chemicals like phytic acid.

Bromelain is one of the most beneficial chemicals we get from pineapples

Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme. It is present in pineapples and other members of the bromeliad family. These plants have the unique ability to consume insects! Their crown of leaves forms a central well that collects rain water. Insects drown in it and are digested by the enzyme we call bromelain so the plant can take up the nutrients. For us, it is thus an excellent digestive enzyme and that is why it is good to eat pineapple with foods that are rich in protein.

To get more bromelain, we use the leaves, skin and central core of the pineapple for making juice. It is important to add water to the chopped up pieces. When all this material is macerated in an old-fashioned blender the bromelain as well as saponins and other beneficial alkaloids and phytochemicals are released into the liquid. This is strained through a cloth and voilà!

Cut the pineapple into attractive dishes – just bend the tip of a cheap old steak knife with pliers! Halve the pineapple and then cut out the flesh in one piece. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the juicy flesh that remains against the skin of your new dish – leaving the burs behind! This pulp is great as a topping for ice cream. You can’t add it to a jelly powder because it won’t set. That should tell you something about pineapple enzymes. Add this pineapple pulp to mixtures of rice, cheese and vegetables before grilling them in these dishes.

Beauty from pineapples goes more than skin deep

Pineapple is a beauty food – bursting with extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These help to firm up the skin, boost collagen production and tighten up those wrinkly little lines. Get into the habit of rubbing the inside of the freshly cut pineapple skin over your face to help tone, tighten and treat the blemishes. Also rub it onto your hands if you notice any brown patches. You can take this treatment a step further by using the residue in the cloth after making juice out of the pineapple as well as the leaves and skins. Rub the cloth bundle all over your skin to help remove tired old dead cells (exfoliate). Allow the juice to stay on your face for as long as possible before rinsing it off. This treatment can also be used for treating psoriasis and nasty skin lesions and as always, those iffy brown patches. Make a poultice by wrapping the mixture in some paper towel.

Therapeutic juicing with pineapple offcuts and important phytochemicals

This juicing protocol is important for people who are serious about treating a chronic condition such as a respiratory or digestive disorder, candidiasis or any form of cancer. Juice is the foundation for daily micronutrition and it has to be freshly made and consumed within 2 hours to deliver optimal benefits. Forget the sugary juice pressed out of apples, carrots, grapes and beetroot. With devices that grind up only the fruit one loses the plot! No offence intended but that is not the way to extract over 90% of the vital nutrients because many of them are water soluble.

At best, those expensive Oscar juicing machines supply the compost heap with therapeutic levels of bromelain, antibiotics and vital nutrients. They cannot spin extracts out of parsley, olive leaves or ginger, let alone lemon skins. People go on about the vitamins and minerals (and lots of sugar) – forgetting all that has been left behind. Make glasses of Oscar juice by all means, but also use what comes out of Oscar’s ass – the fibre you are designed to chew. Carrot and apple residue is rich in precious organically produced food that still has so much to contribute to the medicine chest.

Apple juice by itself is not really beneficial. Why? Apples are best to chew as is so you get enough soluble fibre and pectin from the fruit. Apples form the cornerstone of detoxification protocols because of their pectin content and that is in the part you throw away when juicing them. Apple juice is often blended with other fruit juices to sweeten them up, so what you are drinking is a load of sugar and that is the problem. But always keep the apple cores, pineapple tops, skins and other offcuts for therapeutic juicing! Add them to Oscar’s organic residue and use it as part of my therapeutic juicing protocol.

What you will need is:

A simple, cheap and tough old fashioned electric blender jug.

Some water, preferably reverse osmosis or rain water.

To strain it you use a piece of cloth resting in a sieve over a jug. Or use a nut milk bag.

Good quality probiotics. I prefer the liquid brands as they contain a lot of bacterial strains.

Blackstrap molasses – the bitter stuff, is best. Otherwise the sweet molasses. Both are rich in minerals and are used in protocols to help shrink fibroids.

Soak the chopped up leaves, skins and offcuts (prebiotics) with 2 cups of water, a teaspoon of 15-strain probiotic liquid and a tablespoon of bitter blackstrap molasses overnight. The next morning you macerate this in the blender and sieve it through a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Now drink ye all of this not so tasty recycled juice because it is very medicinal! Preferably on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Have a second glass from the same mixture two hours later. Then drink a glass of spring or filtered water. Some people keep this juice but do not allow it to get too old because the water soulble components become inactive after a day.

Collect and freeze components for your medicinal juices

We can collect all kinds of chopped up leaves and keep them in a plastic bag in the freezer. It is fun to gather fresh dandelion leaves, olive leaves, ivy leaves, parsley (especially the stems we throw away), celery and other fresh herbs you find. Add fresh ginger offcuts, chopped up lemon skins, apple cores and other bits and pieces that are full of nutrients we normally discard. But most important of all is to combine all of this with chopped up pineapple skins and the leaves so we get the full thrust of bromelain. Use a pair of scissors to chop it into little bits.

I like to soak the mixture in 2 cups of water a few days before making the juice. This is to allow the probiotics you add to multiply like crazy. Adding a spoon or two of bitter black strap molasses to this brew makes the fermentation process even more efficient. Then when you tip this into the blender jug, toss in any apple cores and loose grapes that are lying around. Last but not least is a cunning trick – open up your used green tea bags or herb teas for more phytochemicals at no extra cost. Enjoy your new juicy medicine and soon you will notice how much better you feel.

 

What is Hyaluronic Acid ?

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What is Hyaluronic Acid ?

1 Hyaluronic Acid provides continuous moisture to the skin by binding up to 1000 times its weight in water. With age, the ability of the skin to produce it decreases. This chemical is found in both the deep underlying dermal areas as well as the visible epidermal top layers of the skin. Young skin is smooth and elastic and contains large amounts of HA that helps keep the skin stay young and healthy.

50% of the Hyaluronic Acid in our body is found in the skin. HA and Collagen are vital to maintaining the skin’s layers and structure. It is the collagen that gives the skin its firmness but it is the HA that nourishes and hydrates the collagen. Young skin is smooth and highly elastic because it contains high concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid, which helps skin stay healthy.

As we grow older, the body loses its ability to maintain this same concentration in the skin. With decreasing levels of HA in the skin, so goes the ability of the skin to hold water. The skin becomes drier and loses its ability to maintain adequate hydration.

Hyaluronic acid acts as a space filler by binding to water and thus keeping the skin wrinkle-free. The collagen in our skin also loses its moisture, and the skin sags and wrinkles. By the age if 50, it is estimated that we can have as little as half the amount of Hyaluronic Acid in our skin as compared to our 20’s. https://www.hyalogic.com/about-ha/about-hyaluronic-acid/

Many skin care products use Hyaluronate or Hyaluronic acid as a key ingredient to enhance the skin, remove wrinkles and restore its elasticity – is all this true? Are these claims scientifically based and does adding HA justify such exorbitant prices? Yes, HA works and people pay a fortune for products that contain this very expensive ingredient. Our new Nature Fresh Skin food also contains HA but it is still affordable.

We strive to keep our prices in line by including a lot of other active ingredients and selling them at a reasonable price. The new Face Food is a unique vegan friendly combination of plant-based oils and skin nutrients. The use of calcium, vitamins and enzymes ensures a more rapid turnover of skin cells so the visible effects are seen in a shorter time – fresh new skin. We do not test on animals – so we being with ourselves. For over 1 ½ years the formulations have been shared with friends and family and now they keep asking for more!

 

NF 055 FACE FOOD with Hyaluronic Acid – 75ml tube.

 

Plant based oils with herbs, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Skin nutrition with Hyaluronic acid for improved skin hydration to help restore lost collagen and maintain a youthful, firm skin tone. Herbal extracts and key nutrients help to fight wrinkles, age spots and inflammation. Vitamins, enzymes, minerals and other beauty aids are directly absorbed via the skin. They help to protect the skin from sun damage, inflammation and clogged pores.

Lecithin combined with natural plant oils rich in vitamins and antioxidants help to soften, soothe and replenish elasticity and moisture for mature, dry, over stretched and weather beaten skin. Herbal extracts from rooibos, liquorice, plantain and calendula are well known for their antioxidants, enzymes and soothing properties. The addition of calcium stimulates the turnover of skin cells. To the degree the outer skin layer (keratin) lacks calcium it begins to age, dehydrate and becomes prone to thinning and stretching.

The product is free of mineral oil, animal components, synthetic colours and “parfum”. Deep penetrating plant-based oils include: canola, sunflower, grapeseed and safflower oil mixed with shea butter, lecithin and plant  sterols. Essential oils: bergamot, rose geranium and lavender tone the skin, soothe inflammation and smell so good! Herbal extracts: olive leaf, rooibos, liquorice, plantain and calendula with colloidal silver also help tone and protect the skin from infections and inflammation. Nutritional supplements are absorbed directly by the skin: vitamin D, Panthenol

 

INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Shea Butter, Canola Oil, Sebacic Acid Copolymer (from Castor oil), PEG-20 Stearate (from Coconut/palm oil), Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil,  Carthamus (Safflower) Oil,  Zitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Colloidal Silver,  Ceteareth-20, (plant sterols) Lecithin, Ethylhexylglyein / Phenoxyethanol, (preservative)  Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Perlargonium Roseum (Rose Geranium) Leaf Oil, Calcium D-Pantothenate,  Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Calcium Phosphate, Zinc Oxide, Co-enzyme Q10, Cholecalciferol, Selenium, Olea Europa/Afra ( Olive) leaf, Calendula officinalis, Plantago (Plantain) leaf Aspalathus linearis,  (Rooibos ) Glycyhrizza (Liquorice) root. Vitami B5) selenium, zinc, Co enzyme Q -10 and calcium phosphate (to boost cell turnover)

 

Try Nature Fresh Face Food today!

Link to FACE FOOD PRODUCT