Is Vitamin C Really As Effective As Exercise?

Exercise is an inexpensive, natural preventative approach that you can implement into your daily schedule at your own pace. Hundreds of health benefits are associated with physical activity, ranging from weight loss to mood support. Even if you are eating a 100% organic, raw vegan diet, without exercise you’re missing an integral piece of the puzzle. A recent study presented at the American Physiological Society Conference is suggesting that taking vitamin C could promote similar heart effects as seen with exercise. ^[1] Those that shun exercise, however, may want to hold off their rejoicing.

Is Vitamin C as Effective as Exercise?

While certainly optimistic, the recent research comparing vitamin C supplementation to the benefits received from exercise are by no means conclusive. Researchers showed that while vitamin C could produce some cardiovascular benefits that are seen during and after exercise, it doesn’t offer the same metabolism-boosting, mind-supporting, and immune-boosting benefits that physical activity provides. Yes, vitamin C may produce these effects to some degree, but it’s exercise that shows a more noticeable shift toward these benefits. In fact, the combination of exercise plus a healthy diet maximizes the positive health effects.

Since this study merely looked at a single marker responsible for vascular health in obese people, it doesn’t show the wide-ranging metabolic benefits associated with vitamin C supplementation. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely that vitamin C can produce substantial weight loss benefits as seen in exercise, nor should vitamin C be seen as a substitute for physical activity. Researchers also didn’t examine the effects of vitamin C on blood pressure or cholesterol, two things that are naturally regulated by exercise. ^[2] Vitamin supplementation is a great insurance plan for your health but should never be seen as a replacement for anything a healthy diet and exercise routine can provide.

The Best Exercises for Heart Health

All exercise that increases your heart rate is going to benefit heart health, but walking, sprinting, and yoga are excellent heart-strengthening exercises you can enjoy regardless of your fitness level. Stress reduction is another “exercise” that you should practice daily in order to reap benefits for heart health. Since stress impacts the heart dramatically, it’s important to practice meditation or any other stress-management technique. Also, be sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and are exercising out in the sun to gain vitamin D-producing benefits. Vitamin D is another excellent vitamin that may protect the heart.

What are your thoughts about using supplements as a replacement for exercise and/or a healthy lifestyle? Give us your two cents in the comments.

References:

1. American Physiological Society. Vitamin C: The Exercise Replacement? The American Physiological Society Press Release.


2. Fagard RH, Cornelissen VA. Effect of exercise on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2007 Feb;14(1):12-7.

The post Is Vitamin C Really As Effective As Exercise? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

What Is Camu Camu?

Camu camu, or Myrciaria dubia, is a fruit tree native to the Amazonian rain forest. It grows as a small shrub alongside the river and produces berries that resemble cherries. Like many other Amazonian fruits, camu camu has earned quite a bit of interest due to its active compounds, phytochemicals, and amino acids. The best offering of the camu camu fruit is usually identified as its extremely high amount of vitamin C, up to 2-3% of total weight. However, high vitamin C content is not the only quality camu camu has to offer.

Camu Camu for Vitamin C

Camu camu contains the most vitamin C of any plant in the world. Put it this way, oranges often have 1,000-3000 parts per million of vitamin C. The camu camu berry can reach concentrations up to 50,000 parts per million. Yes, you read that correctly, camu camu berries contain well over 10x the vitamin C concentration of oranges. The extreme amount of vitamin C in the camu camu berry has spawned very active discussions concerning potential benefits of vitamin C therapy. Certainly one of the most popular advocates in this regard is Dr. James Duke, who has authored a number of definitive books concerning herbs, superfruits, and rainforest botanicals. He has explored large-serving vitamin C therapy and its potential application for addressing symptoms of depression, degenerative diseases, immune system support, eyesight, and more. Vitamin C therapy is beyond the scope of this article but I’d encourage you to investigate his work, he has some very interesting ideas.

Camu Camu for Antioxidants

Oxidative stress can lead to the development of many diseases and using natural methods to reduce those markers is of great interest. The good news? The formal inquiries into camu camu have observed strong antioxidant action, yielding further support for the historical placement of camu camu in the category of Amazonian plants with health benefits.

The Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Science at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology in Japan conducted preliminary studies with mice and reported observing camu camu seed extract reduce oxidative stress and provide resistance to irritation. ^[1]

Additionally, Japan’s Saga University Faculty of Medicine evaluated the effect of camu-camu on 20 human males who smoked and had accelerated oxidative stress. After 7 days of consuming camu camu juice, oxidative stress decreased significantly and researchers concluded that camu-camu juice may be a powerful antioxidant. ^[2]

Supplementing With Camu Camu

Finding camu camu fruit is easy in Japan but can be very difficult in the United States. But, fear not, camu camu is available in powdered or extract form and it’s also an ingredient in many foods and supplements. Have you tried camu camu? What were your impressions? If you have some input on this interesting Brazilian fruit, please weigh in and leave a comment below!

References (2)

1. Yazawa K, Suga K, Honma A, Shirosaki M, Koyama T. Anti-inflammatory effects of seeds of the tropical fruit camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2011;57(1):104-7.


2. Inoue T, Komoda H, Uchida T, Node K. Tropical fruit camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. J Cardiol. 2008 Oct;52(2):127-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2008.06.004. Epub 2008 Jul 29.

The post What Is Camu Camu? appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Jamie Dimon Should Learn About Lemons

By Chris at www.CapitalistExploits.at

A tale of two James".

What does this guy:

Captain James Cook

...have in common with this guy:

Two things:

1. Same first name, and


2. similar opportunities.

Let me explain.

Captain James was probably just another ruffian salty with poor hygiene and bad teeth. But you know what the catalyst to his fame was? And by extension what turned muddy old Britain into an empire?

These:

You see, the thing holding back Captain Jamie from extended ocean going voyaging was a nasty disease called scurvy. We know now that Jamie was dead eager to get out there and bring nasty European diseases to natives in faraway lands and upon arrival announce, "By George it"s nice and lush here, we"ll take it."

And so when Scottish physician James Lind figured out via controlled experiments that, in fact, a diet including vitamin C rich foods cured this pesky disease, the advantage presented to sailors was enormous. After all, those poor sods used to routinely lose up to 60% of their crews to scurvy on voyages.

Imagine setting out knowing such odds.

Da Gama, for instance, lost 116 if his 170 crew, and Magellan 208 of his 230. You"d have better odds skulling a bottle of Absolut and then playing chicken with Mack trucks on a freeway.

It took the Brits about 40 years to put this knowledge to good use, but it has been argued by historians to have been a catalyst to the founding of the British Empire. At the time, there were plenty other countries who could quite easily have stacked up some lemon juice in the hull, set sail, and begun planting flags. But they didn"t.

Isn"t that amazing? The bloody British Empire owes its fortunes to the humble lemon. And, by golly, old Jamie Cook took advantage of that didn"t he? And the rest, as they say, is now history.

And this brings me to the other Jamie.

You see, Jamie (the old Brit Jamie), used something quite revolutionary at the time to alter the course of history and become a major player in it.

And Jamie (the not so old yank), Captain of the JPM ship has a similar opportunity today.

It"s why he should learn about lemons.

It seems he knows little about modern day "lemons" and their properties. Here"s some major ignorance points he shared with us all on his views just recently.

I think Alex Gurevich said it best:

I was mentioning this all to my lovely wife the other night, and you know what she said?

She said that if he was a she (Jamie that is), he probably wouldn"t be so arrogant and may look at the manual. Which in this case is, of course, Satoshi"s white paper.

And, as usual, she"s right. When we got our last DVD thingy player she immediately pulled out the manual to learn about how it all works so that when she wants to, she"ll be able to play exactly what she wants without delay and mess and fuss.

Me? I stabbed away at the buttons, safe in the knowledge that even if I"m trying to get the Blu-ray to play, I"ll probably get the USB figured out, and who knows what excellent films are on the thumb drive I"ve shoved in there.

I console myself with the fact I"m male, and as such, reading the manual is against my religion. But I tend to make up for it by diving in and learning by doing.

Jamie, bless him, isn"t even prepared to do either, and that"s fine.

It just means that when Bitcoin hits another all time high and history books are written (by the robots, of course), he won"t even make the pages. He"ll simply be like all those other sailors in Portugal, Spain, France, and the Netherlands who, in the 1800s, were sailing around at the same time Captain James Cook was.

And you know what? We don"t know anything about them, and neither will future generations know anything about the present Captain of the USS enterprise JPMorgan"s Jamie "I don"t know isht about Bitcoin" Dimon.

And that"s probably how it should be.

- Chris

"Do just once what others say you cannot do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." — Captain James Cook

--------------------------------------

Liked this article? Then you"ll probably like my other missives on

this topic as well. Go here to access them (free, of course).

--------------------------------------

Vitamin C Infusions Could Be Essential for Treatment of Sepsi

Earlier this year, a Virginia doctor claimed to have found that vitamin C could be an essential part of treatment for sepsis, a life-threatening complication of infection in which the pathogenic load and immune response are too great. As sepsis kills thousands every year, including over 44,000 in the U.K., it’s time to take notice of the power of vitamin C. [1]

Dr. Paul Marik, a critical care specialist, says he came up with the treatment as a last resort when a 48-year-old woman arrived with a case of sepsis that would have otherwise killed her. Her kidneys and lungs were failing; but after his “outside the box” treatment, she left the hospital after two days.

The treatment? An injected infusion of vitamin C, a low dose of steroids, and vitamin B1, also known as thiamin. [1]

While other experts believe that this is “too good to be true,” Dr. Marik has already published some results of his own research showing that this was not a once-off miracle. In his team’s retrospective, before-after clinical study, 47 consecutive patients were treated with this infusion over a seven-month time frame and were compared with 47 control (no infusion) patients from the previous seven months. [2]

Study Results

The treated group had a mortality rate of only 4 out of 47 patients (8.5%), compared to 19 out of 47 (40.4%) in the control group. This is about an 80% reduction! No patients in the treated group developed progressive organ failure. All treated patients also stopped needing vasopressors after an average of 18 hours, whereas the control patients used them for an average of 54 hours, a bit over two days.

Although these findings were described as preliminary and in need of larger follow-up studies, they were clinically significant and seen as a way to prevent organ failure and death from sepsis. [2]

The dismissal of this case as “too good to be true” is also frustrating because of just how far research on vitamin C and infections goes back. In an article from over 60 years ago, a doctor describes studies and cases of vitamin C injections resolving a range of infections.

One case, which was similar to prior research, saw a young girl’s chickenpox disappear in a day or 2 as opposed to the typical “7 to 9 days.” Children with polio and encephalitis from severe cases of infections were also described as having rapid, uneventful recoveries after beginning vitamin C injections. Even a baby recovered from measles in 60 hours, without developing a rash or having to deal with a fever for long.

Many studies and case reports on vitamin C and infections came in the decades after, including three controlled studies analyzed in a review showing an 80% drop in pneumonia incidence. In another study of several hundred young adults, vitamin C administration cut cold and flu symptoms by 85%.

Even a report on New Zealand’s 60 Minutes of a man saved from viral pneumonia by vitamin C after doctors initially refused to administer it seems to have failed to change opinion on using the vitamin as a mainstream medical treatment.

However, despite censorship and narrow-mindedness, there’s real hope for the future when it comes to using natural medicines in the fight against infections, whether they be deadly or just inconvenient.

Sources:

[1] Independent

[2] ScienceDirect

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“Germs” Help The Body Produce Vitamin C: Breakthrough Discovery

Groundbreaking new research indicates that humans are capable of synthesizing vitamin C via their highly complex and capable microbiome.

We live in a time and age where decades old assumptions about the human body are being overturned on a surprisingly regular basis. For instance, bodily cells were recently found to communicate inheritable information to sex cells (e.g. sperm) capable of being passed down to the next generation, effectively challenging the exclusivity of Darwinian forms of inheritance in favor of including the long denied Larmarckian view. Last year, edible plant material was found to ‘talk’ to the cells in our body via nanoparticles known as exosomes that regulate the expression of our DNA, as well as other important physiological pathways. This month, we reported on research showing that mammalian cells are capable of extracting energy directly through the sun with the help of the ‘plant blood’ molecule chlorophyll. Even more amazing may be Gerald Pollack’s notion that water’s hypothesized fourth phase acts like a battery within the body, providing a continuous source of sunlight-driven energy that requires no intermediary to convert directly to biochemical energy through the charge separation it affects in water.

These are only small sampling of new, scientifically confirmed discoveries that fly in the face of conventional scientific wisdom, opening up possibilities in nutrition and medicine that may contribute to radically safer and more effective therapeutic interventions in the near future.

‘Germs’ Makes Us Supra-Human?

Recently, I had a rather stimulating email exchange with my colleague Stephanie Seneff, PhD, who pointed out a study she had found wherein it was discovered that the human microbiome is capable of producing vitamin C. This is a remarkable possibility, as the human body is not believed capable of producing this essential vitamin, long since our hominid ancestors lost the genetic ability to do so about 60 million years ago.  The microbiome, however, is part of the new definition of the human body as a meta-organism, consisting of trillions of other microbial organisms and viruses without which we would never have survived. Also known as the hologenome theory of evolution, the idea is that the object of natural selection is not the individual organism, but the holobiont, i.e. the individual organism plus its associated microbial communities which include a mind numbingly complex web of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminths and fungi. In fact, if one looks at the genetic contribution of the human genome versus the total set of genes represented by the other organisms that make up the holobiont our genes only account for about 1%.

Not only is this a real ego challenge to anthropocentric and germophobic thinkers, but it reveals just how many capabilities we may borrow from these tiny co-inhabitants. For instance, recent research shows that our body draws from over 90 different bacterial strains in our gut to digest the gluten proteins in wheat that our own genome does not readily enable us to break down with any efficiency. Another cool example of how ‘germs’ help us to compensate for our genetic defects is the discovery that a certain Lactobacillus strain of food importance is capable of producing the active methylated form of folate — 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate — that those with MTHFR mutations are notoriously poor at producing in optimal quantities. We can assume, therefore, that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are not the final story on nutritional deficiencies or aberrations, but that our microbial friends may fill in gaps or voids epigenetically that our genes are not capable satisfying.

In this sense, the microbial portion of the holobiont significantly extends our genetic and/or epigenetic capabilities, making it possible to survive the ever-shifting ecological, environmental, nutritional niches that we have traversed in our seemingly infinitely long march (biological time stretching back millions of years) to our present-day incarnation. Whereas the primary nucleotide sequences in our DNA may require tens, hundreds and even millions of years to be significantly and/or functionally altered, microbial DNA contributions may shift in years, months, weeks, minutes and perhaps even in real-time in a matter of seconds. Can you see why Nature has compelled us into collaborating and even incorporating ‘germs’ into our body (note: the mitochondria in our body, according to the endosymbiotic view, were once proteobacteria outside of us!).

How We Produce Vitamin C

And so, it was within the context of this new understanding of the human body and it’s physiological capabilities that Seneff and I explored the possibility of vitamin C producing bacteria in our gut.

(click image to enlarge)

The paper where this idea first emerged was published in Current Opinion on Biotechnology titled, “Bacteria as vitamin suppliers to their host: a gut microbiota perspective.” The remarkable paper focused on the role of food-related lactic acid bacteria (as found in cultured foods such as yogurt) as well as human gut commensal such as bifidobacteria and their ability to produce the vitamins we are not able to produce ourselves. The highlight, of course, was the discovery that bacterial isolates from human gut samples were capable of producing a wide range of vitamins, including vitamin C (ascorbate):

Notably, vitamin metabolism pathways were shown to be highly represented in all enterotypes, while two enterotypes were particularly  enriched in genes that specify the biosynthetic enzymes for biotin, riboflavin, pantothenate, ascorbate, thiamine and folate production. These phylogenetic and functional differences among enterotypes thus reflect different combinations of microbial trophic chains with a probable impact on synergistic interrelations with the human host.” [emphasis added]

Unfortunately, the paper did not discuss the methodological details as to how exactly they uncovered this fact. And so, in an effort to validate this study I did an extensive database search until I discovered a concrete example of a bacterial strain known to inhabit the human body that is capable of producing ascorbate: Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum (ATCC 51867), which contains an L-ascorbate biosynthesis pathway depicted below.

(click image to enlarge)

Interestingly, most Corynebacterium species are considered benign, but C. glucouronolyticum has been been linked to human urogential infections, and C. diphtheria is associated with opportunistic diphtheria infections. Emerson once said that a weed is an herb whose virtues have yet to be discovered. So too may be the case with ‘germs.’ A nuisance, perhaps, may grow into greater numbers when the body is suffering from a deficiency of one of its primarily biosynthetic pathways and associated biomolecule, be it a vitamin, anti-tumor agent, or antibiotic. It is possible that C. glucuronolyticum grows into ‘infectitious’ proportions when the body is starved in vitamin C, and that when the body is replete with vitamin C the normally benign strain does not contribute to urogenital infection.

Of course this discovery does not prove that the gut flora are capable of producing physiological relevant quantities of vitamin C via this strain alone. But it does prove that it is possible for the human body to produce vitamin C — further exemplifying how little we know about the human body, and again, how vitally important the ‘germs’ may be in helping us to compensate for our genetic impairments. I’ve always struggled with the idea that our ancestors were somehow able to survive 60 million years completely dependent on dietary sources of vitamin C, when an extreme deficiency (an inevitability given the famine-fast fluctuations of hunter-gatherer modes of subsistence) could result in severe debilitation or even death. That our body may contain a means to produce vitamin C — perhaps small but still life-saving amounts — makes intuitive sense, given the intelligence shot through the infinite complexity of Nature. And so, perhaps we are now only beginning to understand how much more energetic and biomolecular independence we have than conventional science has claimed we have.

© GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

“Germs” Help The Body Produce Vitamin C: Breakthrough Discovery

Groundbreaking new research indicates that humans are capable of synthesizing vitamin C via their highly complex and capable microbiome.

We live in a time and age where decades old assumptions about the human body are being overturned on a surprisingly regular basis. For instance, bodily cells were recently found to communicate inheritable information to sex cells (e.g. sperm) capable of being passed down to the next generation, effectively challenging the exclusivity of Darwinian forms of inheritance in favor of including the long denied Larmarckian view. Last year, edible plant material was found to ‘talk’ to the cells in our body via nanoparticles known as exosomes that regulate the expression of our DNA, as well as other important physiological pathways. This month, we reported on research showing that mammalian cells are capable of extracting energy directly through the sun with the help of the ‘plant blood’ molecule chlorophyll. Even more amazing may be Gerald Pollack’s notion that water’s hypothesized fourth phase acts like a battery within the body, providing a continuous source of sunlight-driven energy that requires no intermediary to convert directly to biochemical energy through the charge separation it affects in water.

These are only small sampling of new, scientifically confirmed discoveries that fly in the face of conventional scientific wisdom, opening up possibilities in nutrition and medicine that may contribute to radically safer and more effective therapeutic interventions in the near future.

‘Germs’ Makes Us Supra-Human?

Recently, I had a rather stimulating email exchange with my colleague Stephanie Seneff, PhD, who pointed out a study she had found wherein it was discovered that the human microbiome is capable of producing vitamin C. This is a remarkable possibility, as the human body is not believed capable of producing this essential vitamin, long since our hominid ancestors lost the genetic ability to do so about 60 million years ago.  The microbiome, however, is part of the new definition of the human body as a meta-organism, consisting of trillions of other microbial organisms and viruses without which we would never have survived. Also known as the hologenome theory of evolution, the idea is that the object of natural selection is not the individual organism, but the holobiont, i.e. the individual organism plus its associated microbial communities which include a mind numbingly complex web of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminths and fungi. In fact, if one looks at the genetic contribution of the human genome versus the total set of genes represented by the other organisms that make up the holobiont our genes only account for about 1%.

Not only is this a real ego challenge to anthropocentric and germophobic thinkers, but it reveals just how many capabilities we may borrow from these tiny co-inhabitants. For instance, recent research shows that our body draws from over 90 different bacterial strains in our gut to digest the gluten proteins in wheat that our own genome does not readily enable us to break down with any efficiency. Another cool example of how ‘germs’ help us to compensate for our genetic defects is the discovery that a certain Lactobacillus strain of food importance is capable of producing the active methylated form of folate — 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate — that those with MTHFR mutations are notoriously poor at producing in optimal quantities. We can assume, therefore, that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are not the final story on nutritional deficiencies or aberrations, but that our microbial friends may fill in gaps or voids epigenetically that our genes are not capable satisfying.

In this sense, the microbial portion of the holobiont significantly extends our genetic and/or epigenetic capabilities, making it possible to survive the ever-shifting ecological, environmental, nutritional niches that we have traversed in our seemingly infinitely long march (biological time stretching back millions of years) to our present-day incarnation. Whereas the primary nucleotide sequences in our DNA may require tens, hundreds and even millions of years to be significantly and/or functionally altered, microbial DNA contributions may shift in years, months, weeks, minutes and perhaps even in real-time in a matter of seconds. Can you see why Nature has compelled us into collaborating and even incorporating ‘germs’ into our body (note: the mitochondria in our body, according to the endosymbiotic view, were once proteobacteria outside of us!).

How We Produce Vitamin C

And so, it was within the context of this new understanding of the human body and it’s physiological capabilities that Seneff and I explored the possibility of vitamin C producing bacteria in our gut.

(click image to enlarge)

The paper where this idea first emerged was published in Current Opinion on Biotechnology titled, “Bacteria as vitamin suppliers to their host: a gut microbiota perspective.” The remarkable paper focused on the role of food-related lactic acid bacteria (as found in cultured foods such as yogurt) as well as human gut commensal such as bifidobacteria and their ability to produce the vitamins we are not able to produce ourselves. The highlight, of course, was the discovery that bacterial isolates from human gut samples were capable of producing a wide range of vitamins, including vitamin C (ascorbate):

Notably, vitamin metabolism pathways were shown to be highly represented in all enterotypes, while two enterotypes were particularly  enriched in genes that specify the biosynthetic enzymes for biotin, riboflavin, pantothenate, ascorbate, thiamine and folate production. These phylogenetic and functional differences among enterotypes thus reflect different combinations of microbial trophic chains with a probable impact on synergistic interrelations with the human host.” [emphasis added]

Unfortunately, the paper did not discuss the methodological details as to how exactly they uncovered this fact. And so, in an effort to validate this study I did an extensive database search until I discovered a concrete example of a bacterial strain known to inhabit the human body that is capable of producing ascorbate: Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum (ATCC 51867), which contains an L-ascorbate biosynthesis pathway depicted below.

(click image to enlarge)

Interestingly, most Corynebacterium species are considered benign, but C. glucouronolyticum has been been linked to human urogential infections, and C. diphtheria is associated with opportunistic diphtheria infections. Emerson once said that a weed is an herb whose virtues have yet to be discovered. So too may be the case with ‘germs.’ A nuisance, perhaps, may grow into greater numbers when the body is suffering from a deficiency of one of its primarily biosynthetic pathways and associated biomolecule, be it a vitamin, anti-tumor agent, or antibiotic. It is possible that C. glucuronolyticum grows into ‘infectitious’ proportions when the body is starved in vitamin C, and that when the body is replete with vitamin C the normally benign strain does not contribute to urogenital infection.

Of course this discovery does not prove that the gut flora are capable of producing physiological relevant quantities of vitamin C via this strain alone. But it does prove that it is possible for the human body to produce vitamin C — further exemplifying how little we know about the human body, and again, how vitally important the ‘germs’ may be in helping us to compensate for our genetic impairments. I’ve always struggled with the idea that our ancestors were somehow able to survive 60 million years completely dependent on dietary sources of vitamin C, when an extreme deficiency (an inevitability given the famine-fast fluctuations of hunter-gatherer modes of subsistence) could result in severe debilitation or even death. That our body may contain a means to produce vitamin C — perhaps small but still life-saving amounts — makes intuitive sense, given the intelligence shot through the infinite complexity of Nature. And so, perhaps we are now only beginning to understand how much more energetic and biomolecular independence we have than conventional science has claimed we have.

© GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

Study: People Eating 1 of These a Day are ‘35% Less Likely to be Obese’

There’s nothing better than a health regimen that tastes great, so here’s one almost all of us can get on board with. Researchers have found that those who eat a pear a day are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight when compared to their non-pear-eating conterparts.

In a one study, scientists from Louisiana State University used 9 years of data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving 24,808 participants aged 19 and above, and found that people who ate pears were 35% less likely to be obese than individuals who did not consume pears regularly.

The study abstract concludes with:

“Consumers had a higher percentage population meeting the EAR for vitamins A and C, copper, and magnesium; consumers had a higher percentage above the AI for fiber (p<0.01). HEI-2010 [Healthy Eating Index-2010] was higher in consumers…Compared to non-consumers, consumers were 35% less likely to be obese (p<0.05). Fresh pears should be encouraged as a component of an overall healthy diet.”

‘Pear Eaters More Diet-Conscious’

In general, people who regularly ate pears were older, consumed less alcohol, and smoked fewer cigarettes than those who never ate the delicious fruit. These individuals were also found to be more diet-conscious, and they consumed more fiber, vitamins, and less fat and sugar. They also ate less total monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids and added sugars.

Yet, the pear eaters weren’t necessarily more active than non-pair eaters.

‘There was no difference in energy intake or level of physical activity between the fresh pear consumers and non-pear consumers,” said Dr. Carol O’Neil, who led the study.

Dr. O’Neil added that her team believes the high fiber content in pears explains why pear eaters tended to have a healthier body weight than those who didn’t indulge once a day in the healthy treat.

Just one medium pear has higher percentages of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and potassium, and leads to higher mean intakes of total sugars. Pears are free of fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Past studies have shown people who regularly eat pears and apples have a 52% reduced stroke risk.

Per the USDA Guidelines for Americans, people who eat more fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are less likely to develop chronic diseases. The researchers found, however, that only 2% of Americans ate a single, medium-sized pear a day. And that’s all people need to eat to get the recommended daily fruit intake!

The team concluded:

“consumption of fresh pears should be encouraged as part of an overall healthy diet, since pears are nutrient-dense and can help individuals meet the fruit recommendation.”

Sources:

Daily Mail

The Nation

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Mainstream Science Finally Admits Vitamin C’s Ability to Cure Cancer is Not a Conspiracy Theory

Albert Szent-Györgyi discovered the chemical, ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, in the 1930s. One of Vitamin C’s chief advocates, who won twice the Nobel (Chemistry and Peace), was Linus Pauling. Pauling advocated for high doses of Vitamin C to treat various illnesses, including cancer, but was ridiculed by doctors and scientists alike when he claimed it could help prevent cancer. In fact, an essay entitled “The Dark Side of Linus Pauling’s Legacy”, written by psychiatrist and anti-quackery advocate Stephen Barrett, M.D., claimed, “Pauling is largely responsible for the widespread misbelief that high doses of vitamin C are effective against colds and other illnesses.”

Barrett scoffed at the notion, even going so far as to conclude, “Pauling’s megavitamin claims lacked the evidence needed for acceptance by the scientific community, they have been accepted by large numbers of people who lack the scientific expertise to evaluate them.” Going even further, Barrett suggested, “Pauling’s irrational advice about supplements continues to lead people astray.”

Barrett’s conclusions about Pauling’s claims on Vitamin C now paint an entirely different picture. According to researchers from the University of Iowa, ascorbate, derived from Vitamin C, was successfully observed increasing hydrogen peroxide levels in cancer cells, which in turn had a toxic result with cancer cells, killing the cancer cells in lab rats yet not damaging normal cells in the process. The researchers concluded that Vitamin C might, indeed, be lethal to some cancers. 

According to the scientists, “These results indicate that an in vivo measurement of catalase activity in tumors may predict which cancers will respond to pharmacological ascorbate therapy.” Once the exact cancers are identified, which are killed by vitamin C, the researchers concluded, “this information can also be used in finding combination therapies that may increase the efficacy of treatment for those tumors with higher catalase activities.” In other words, extremely high doses of the Vitamin C derivative may potentially be added to conventional cancer therapies to help kill more cancer cells.

READ MORE:  Landmark Study Shows Half of Cancer Patients are Killed by Chemo -- NOT Cancer

Of course, the medical establishment, major oncology organizations, the federal government, as well as organizations of physicians, often oppose any discussion of alternative treatments for cancer. That’s because cancer treatment, not cancer cures, are big business for drug companies, hospitals, and physicians. The word “cure” is hardly ever used, and treatment is only blessed by physicians if it goes along with the long-accepted notion that cancer can only be treated by chemotherapy and radiation.

But, as The Free Thought Project has faithfully reported, the eyes of the people are being opened by anecdotal stories from people finding relief and healing from cancer and other illnesses by using alternative means. Stories of survivors treating their cancer with cannabis, vitamin K, turmeric, and other supplements are popping up all over the Internet. Now, it seems, those who are going with alternative treatments may want to explore Pauling’s original conclusions that mega-doses of Vitamin C has the power to help aid in killing cancer cells.

Pauling himself, suffered from prostate cancer, an illness he says was delayed for 20 years because of his consumption of Vitamin C. He took a reported 12,000 grams of Vitamin C daily. Pauling’s critic, Dr. Barrett, scoffed at Pauling’s cancer claims and even made a point to mention in his essay that Pauling died from prostate cancer. He wrote, “He died of the disease in August 1994.”

But what Barrett didn’t tell his readers is that Pauling lived to be 93 years old.

All too often, differing research is ridiculed, suppressed, and even outlawed in the medical field. Instead of being open to the idea of a new treatment for cancer, Barrett, and the medical community at large, scoffed at the notion — setting back progress for decades.

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For now, however, it seems that the internet, and its ability to disseminate information instantly, has turned the tables on those who wish to remain in the stone age. Please share this article so that others may benefit from the brave research of Dr. Linus Pauling.