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March 23, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE
FAST CLIPS FROM NUTRITION & HEALTH CONFERENCE
Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is one hot ticket. She spoke to a packed audience on “The Role of Herbs in the Diet.”
Dr. Low Dog made each herb come alive with vibrant stories and a great sense of humor.
Here are some fast clips from Dr. Low Dog’s presentation:
Chili pepper doesn’t aggravate ulcers, instead it stimulates mucous production in the stomach! And, cayenne pepper is associated with lower risk of stroke.
Ginger, tumeric, and cayenne creams can lower neuropathic pain when applied topically (.02575 % capsaicin concentration). The body first releases something called “substance P,” which increases pain initially. Once “substance P” is depleted, it is not as likely to re-accumulate, thus reducing pain wherever these herbs have been used topically as an analgesic!
Curcuminoids in turmeric not only offer antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, and anti-microbial benefits, but also hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and choleretic benefits.
I know, I know, a bunch of big words. Here are some definitions for those of you who are ready to scoot over to Google.
“Hepatoprotective” means “protective of the liver.”
“Choleretic” means “increasing the output of bile from the liver,” which can help you digest fatty substances.
Dr. Low Dog noted that curcuminoids are NOT good for people with gallbladder disease, since curcuminoids stimulate gallbladder contractions.
When it comes to that old “glass of wine is good for you” adage, Dr. Low Dog noted that for those not interested in drinking wine should try grape seed extract, which strengthens and protects blood vessels.
Let’s see, what else? Oh yes, Dr. Low Dog loves anthocyanidins from blueberries (everyone who is in the “in” crowd is into blueberries, of course). Dr. Low Dog talked about the benefits of blueberries Ranging from eye health (we mentioned this in our last newsletter) to helping urinary tract health, claiming that blueberries work just like cranberries, “without the nasty taste.”
On cranberries, Dr. Low Dog suggested putting senior women on cranberry tablets to prevent urinary tract infections, noting that it’s far cheaper to use cranberry extract than to treat septic, confused, and very unhappy women at seniors homes.
Dr. Low Dog turned to milk thistle, sharing that emergency rooms in Europe still keep silymarin from milk thistle on hand for treating patients admitted for eating poisonous mushrooms. Milk thistle is, of course, well known for protecting liver and kidney cell membranes.
Yet another liver protectant, according to Dr. Low Dog, is schizandra (what a cool name, eh?). Schizandra is one of Dr. Low Dog’s favorite herbs, with “30 lignan-type compounds.”
For more information on Dr. Low Dog: http://www.fihm.com/html/bio/
That’s it for now. More from the conference soon! In the meantime, don’t forget the Fish Oil!
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser (The Enforcer) ^..^
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
931 Village Blvd, Suite 905-480
West Palm Beach FL 33409
Making Health Affordable Together