Antidepressants Blog

The tissue appears normal under a microscope, but important changes have occurred in the cell nucleus, or command centre. Proto-oncogenes, which regulate cell growth and development, are corrupted and switch off the restraints on overdevelopment. Oxidative damage, a major corrupter of DNA (our genetic make-up), can be minimized by nutritional means. The immune system, which searches out and destroys the corrupted cells, can be enhanced, and enzymes which detoxify carcinogens can be boosted.     Promotion-Visible changes to the tissue can be detected under the microscope. This stage is sometimes referred to as a pre-cancerous stage and is reversible. Nutrition can help to strengthen healthy cell membranes, encourage communication between cells at sites called gap junctions (which is necessary for them to recognize their boundaries), enhance the immune system’s ability to cope with the pre-cancerous cells, and balance hormones in order to discourage cell proliferation.     Progression-The tumour is still too small to be detected with the naked eye, but has begun to signal to the surrounding blood supply, encouraging it to link the tumour to the blood network, so that it can feed itself and eliminate waste material. This process is called angiogenesis. Some nutritional measures, as well as new drugs that are being developed, can help to interrupt this malignant form of blood vessel growth, and in so doing starve the tumour.     Detectable tumour-This is the stage at which most breast cancers are discovered. To get to this point will have taken several years depending on the ‘doubling time’, or growth rate, of the cancer. This stage is deemed irreversible, and the treatment is usually surgical, with radiation, drugs and possibly hormone treatment as well. Nutrition can support the patient’s ability to manage conventional treatment and enhance the immune function to help deal with any cancer that the medical treatment may not have totally dealt with. It can change the circumstances that lead to the disease developing in the first place, thereby discouraging recurrence.*37\240\2*

Answer: Let’s look at several possibilities:A. You may be consuming a food to which you are reacting; i.e., a wheat or dairy product. If you are still eating some grains or dairy products, try to eliminate them totally from your diet for a few days and see if the problem resolves itself. Both are common causes of constipation.B. You may not be drinking enough water. Try increasing your water consumption to eight to ten glasses each day. Make sure you are drinking the water between meals.C. You may not be eating enough fiber. Make sure you are eating at least five to six servings of raw or lightly steamed vegetables per day, in balance with your protein. The menu suggestions include several servings of vegetables each day. If you find that you simply can’t do this, use a sugar-free fiber supplement with an additional eight ounces of water. Take the fiber supplement before you go to bed each night at least three hours after your last meal.D. Certain mineral deficiencies can cause constipation, particularly deficiencies in magnesium and potassium. Use a magnesium supplement (not magnesium oxide) to increase your magnesium intake to about 500 milligrams per day. Take about 99 milligrams of potassium per day. (Avoid potassium chloride. Use both a magnesium and potassium ion bonded to an amino acid combination, or use magnesium glycinate. These mineral forms are typically well absorbed.) And remember that magnesium helps reduce craving for chocolate and sweets.E. After following these suggestions, if you still can’t get things moving again, you may need to resort temporarily to an herbal laxative that contains dandelion root, burdock, ginger, fennel, buckthorn, and small amounts of cascara sagrada. Sometimes it helps to take an herbal fiber supplement with psyllium husks and other fibers. Be sure to drink plenty of water with them!Avoid all herbal laxatives that contain senna or large amounts of cascara sagrada. Most reputable herbal companies have formulated an herbal laxative that will stimulate the bowels without creating dependence on them.*62\319\2*

Counter-irritationSimilar in effect to acupuncture are various techniques which employ counter-irritation of the painful area. Some techniques use vibration and the patient stimulates the painful area for a few minutes each day. The efficacy of these techniques has yet to be assessed, particularly as they carry a potent placebo effect.
ManipulationManipulation of the spine, which may help backache, has been tried on patients with migraine, on the premise that the pain which arises at the back of the neck is brought about by malfunction of the cervical spine. No controlled trials have been done and the theoretical basis for this treatment is not scientifically proven.Osteopathy is also based on spinal manipulation. Osteopaths ascribe a whole host of disorders to bad posture, e.g. disorders of digestion. Osteopaths are not recognized as medical practitioners in the U.K. by the General Medical Council, although in the United States their position is more accepted. Many medical schools there have recognized departments of osteopathy, and the course of studies is similar in length and content to that required for a medical degree.Although many of the claims for efficacy of manipulation are exaggerated, it has a place in treatment of certain conditions of the neck producing headache, by relieving muscle tension. Care must be taken because there are two vertebral arteries which run through the spine in the neck to supply the base of the brain; manipulation can lead to the blockage of these vessels causing a stroke.Although many migraine patients claim to have had relief by osteopathic treatment, there is no clear-cut proof that this method has any higher percentage success rate than would be expected from the placebo response.
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