Karen Newton Complementary Therapist

14/02/2022

Crush, don't chop, your garlic. Doing this releases more sulphur phytochemicals from the cell walls. These phytochemicals promote an anticlotting effect which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

28/08/2021

Despite its presence in an abundance of foods, studies show that around 50% of the Western population do not consume enough magnesium.
It can be difficult to tell whether you are lacking this key mineral as one of the first signs of magnesium deficiency is fatigue, which can be indicative of so many conditions. Muscle spasms, cramps, weakness and stiffness may also present in the case of a deficiency, as well as loss of appetite and nausea in the early stages.
Whilst magnesium can be found in several foods, such as spinach, nuts and wholemeal bread, supplementation is another way to boost body stores of this mineral, providing the supplement provides magnesium in the highly bioavailable citrate form, that the body is able to utilise.
(Source: Article by Katy Sewell in the Express, August 17th)

28/07/2021

Having had the flu or a cold may lessen the severity of a Covid infection.
A lot of people are walking around not knowing they have Covid, whilst others become very ill or die. The reason could be to do with a previous coronavirus infection, which our immune systems remember and are primed when we catch the more deadly Covid virus.
People who suffer the worst Covid symptoms also have T-cells that don’t show signs of a previous run-in with a coronavirus, such as the common cold. In blood samples taken from Covid patients, those with the mildest symptoms had many more memory T-cells, which targeted peptides that are shared by all the coronaviruses, including Covid’s SARS-CoV-2. Conversely, those with the most severe symptoms had T-cells that had to learn how to combat the Covid virus, so they were starting from scratch with the coronavirus.
T-cells are really important.
The focus on antibody levels can be a false flag because antibody proteins are easily fooled by invading viruses which can evolve quickly.
T-cells are a better indicator and provide a stronger defence from the next coronavirus infection. The cells produce ‘daughter cells’ that retain a memory of a previous infection and persist in our blood and lymph system for more than a decade. Memory cells are by far the most active in infectious-disease defence.

(Source: Science Immunology, 2021; July 1, 2021; doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abg5669)

11/05/2021

Rhubarb has several health benefits, in fact it was originally grown and traded for medicinal purposes. A serving of rhubarb will provide 45% of your daily vitamin K requirement and its also rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. There are also good concentrations of B vitamins, including folate, riboflavin, pantothenic acid. Other key minerals include calcium, manganese, iron, potassium, phosphorous.

However, if you have osteoporosis or are osteopenic watch your intake because rhubarb contains oxalic acid. This can bind to calcium. This can also be an issue for those with, or have a tendency towards, kidney stones. Rhubarb leaves (which shouldn't be eaten) contain the most oxalic acid whereas the stalks contain much less. This doesn’t mean you should never eat rhubarb, just do so in moderation.

08/05/2021

It may be possible to see changes that are happening in your brain with a simple eye test.

Researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and at Oxford University have looked at the thickness of the layer of neurons on the retina (at the back of the eye) in 33,000 people aged 40 to 69. The same group of people has also been asked to complete tests in memory and reasoning. Researchers have found that those people who had a thinner layer of neurons on their retina did not do as well on the cognitive tests.

Marilyn Glenville "Natural Solutions for Dementia and Alzheimer's

08/05/2021

Eating mushrooms daily nearly halves your chances of getting cancer.
Those who eat 18 grams of mushrooms, roughly equivalent to four teaspoons, each day reduce their cancer risk by 45 percent. It doesn’t seem to matter too much which type you eat as they all have a similar protective effect, say researchers from Penn State College of Medicine.
They contain ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer, and mushrooms are the richest dietary source around, said lead researcher Djibril Ba.
His researchers analysed 17 cancer studies that involved more than 19,500 cancer patients. Those who ate mushrooms daily had the greatest protection, especially against breast cancer, although this may be because most of the studies focused on the cancer.
Participants were eating many varieties of mushroom, and although shiitake, oyster, maitake and king oyster had the highest levels of ergothioneine, all types of mushrooms seemed to have a similar protective effect.

(Source: Advances in Nutrition, 2021; doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab015)

03/05/2021

Try to avoid products containing the antibacterial agent Triclosan. It is often used in toiletries like hand wash, hand sanitisers and even mouthwash.
It is known to be a hormone disrupter and could also increase the risk of developing osteoporosis according to a study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Data from 1,848 women were used for the study where scientists found women with higher levels of triclosan in their urine were more likely to have bone issues.
Interestingly in 2016 the US Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of antibacterial hand washes containing triclosan but we haven't followed suit in the UK.
It is also possible that triclosan could weaken your immune system making you more vulnerable to infection.

Source: Association Between Urinary Triclosan With Bone Mass Density and Osteoporosis in US Adult Women, 2005‒2010
Shaofang Cai, Jiahao Zhu, Lingling Sun, Chunhong Fan, Yaohong Zhong, Qing Shen, Yingjun Li
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 104, Issue 10, October 2019, Pages 4531–4538, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2019-00576
Published: 25 June 2019

We accessed the relationship between urinary TCS concentration and BMD and osteoporosis in US adult women. We found a negative association with BMD and a positi

16/04/2021

Placebo pills can help IBS.
The healing powers of our mind have been proven once again by a study of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) sufferers who reported major clinical improvements, after knowingly taking a ‘sugar’ pill, or placebo.

Sufferers who were given placebo pills and were told they had no active ingredient, had ‘strong’ or ‘very strong’ clinical reactions. Their symptoms improved by an average of 70 percent over other sufferers who weren’t given any pills to take.

Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre enrolled 262 IBS sufferers, aged between 18 and 80, who were given either a placebo, and were told they were, or were given peppermint oil or a placebo, and not told which they had been given, or weren’t given any pills.

The improvements were similar in both the placebo groups, although the researchers were surprised that the results from those who knowingly took the placebo were just as strong as those who didn’t know whether they were taking peppermint oil.

Both the placebo groups reported a 150 percent improvement in symptoms compared to a 12 percent score in the no-pill group. “If the presumption that deception is necessary for placebos to be effective is false, then many theories about the mechanisms that drive placebo effects may need modification,” said Ted Kaptchuk, one of the researchers.

(Source: Pain, 2021; doi: 10/1097/j.pain; 00000000000002234)

16/04/2021

Heart health and the Mediterranean diet.

A study published in the journal PLOS Medicine investigated the effects of two different healthy diets on the walls covering the arteries (the endothelium). The study included 1002 patients with a previous history of myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Half the study participants were asked to follow a Mediterranean diet using plenty of extra virgin olive oil, fruit, vegetables, three portions of pules, three portions of fish and three portions of nuts. They were told to reduce meat, particularly red meat and avoid additional fats like margarine as well as foods high in sugar.

The other half followed a low-fat diet based on limiting all kinds of fat; animal and plant sources and increasing their intake of complex carbohydrates. They were told to cut down on red meat, eat low-fat dairy products, avoid nuts, and lower sweet foods and pastries.

The results clearly showed that the Mediterranean diet improved endothelial function so the arteries are more flexible when more blood flow is required. The endothelium was also able to regenerate more efficiently and showed less damage even in patients who had a high risk of another heart attack.

Source: Mediterranean diet and endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease: An analysis of the CORDIOPREV randomized controlled trial
Elena M. Yubero-Serrano , Carolina Fernandez-Gandara , Antonio Garcia-Rios, Oriol A. Rangel-Zuñiga, Francisco M. Gutierrez-Mariscal, Jose D. Torres-Peña, Carmen Marin, Javier Lopez-Moreno, Justo P. Castaño, Javier Delgado-Lista, Jose M. Ordovas, Pablo Perez-Martinez , Jose Lopez-Miranda
Published: September 9, 2020https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003282

Jose Lopez-Miranda and colleagues compare endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease who consumed different healthy diets.