Health and medical information

The liver is the largest organ in the body and it performs more functions than any other organ. It produces and stores glycogen,which it synthesises from glucose. This is needed by the muscles for energy. The liver also manufactures bile which is used in the digestion of fats. It is one of the body’s major detoxifiers, transforming substances that are taken into the blood by way of our intestines. The liver also synthesises prothrombin and fibrinogen which are clotting agents, and is a valuable storing house for vitamins A, D, E and K.

There are many diseases which can severely affect the liver. Abuse with certain drugs such as alcohol can cause cirrhosis of the liver which will lead to death if not treated in the early stages.

Hepatitis is a disease which inflames the liver. There are varieties of the virus: hepatitis A or infectious hepatitis, hepatitis B, or serum hepatitis and the new hepatitis C. Hepatitis infects 25% of our indigenous population. The virus can be caught through exchange of blood, saliva, or eating infected food. Clean toilet habits and washing of hands afterwards is necessary for prevention.

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Epilepsy is a convulsive seizure. It affects people of all cultures. The disorder can be caused by changes in electric brain potentials or be hereditary.

The three types of epilepsy are, grand mal, petit mal and temporal lobe seizures.

Grand mal is the most well known. The sufferer may notice a change that can signal the arrival of the seizure. This change can range from a strange smell, flashing lights, ringing in the ears to feeling sick. This is then followed by a loss of consciousness, the sufferer then falls to the ground, the muscles are rigid, followed by shaking and twitching. There is also loss of bladder control, foaming at the mouth and blueness around the lips. The sufferer then falls into a deep sleep. The attack usually only lasts a few minutes.

Petit mal is a form of epilepsy that mostly affects children. These seizures only last a few seconds, usually no more than half a minute.

The symptoms of a petit mal seizure is usually a blank stare that may or may not be accompanied by rapid blinking. These attacks can occur many times daily, the sufferer does not lose consciousness and resumes normal activity straight after the attack.

Petit mal rarely affects adults.

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To avoid cancer use commonsense. If you are smoking then the risk of lung and throat cancer is increased. This bad habit should be given up as soon as possible.

Your diet is vital. Do not eat food containing artificial colourings, flavours, preservatives, pesticides (cancer forming) or carcinogenic chemicals such as saccharine.

The diet must be high in fibre, whole grains and root vegetables. Fruits are very important. A combination of these foods should make up 75% of your total energy intake from foods.

Restrict your intake of animal fats in your diet. Your total fat intake should be 15% of your diet. Remember, fats have twice the amount of energy as protein and/or carbohydrate. The remaining 10% of your diet is protein and should be derived from lentils, nuts, seeds, fish, dairy products and lean meats. Research has shown that a balanced high fibre/low fat diet can prevent most colon cancers.

Include in your diet cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower. A report in the America Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1 June 1990) stated that Indole-3 Carbinol, a chemical found in these vegetables reduces the risk of breast cancer by speeding up the metabolism of the female hormone oestrogen. Several other studies have shown that people with diets rich in these vegetables have lower rates of cancer than the general public.

Medical research has also found that the natural antioxidant nutrient beta-carotene, found in yellow and green vegetables may also help prevent cancer and reverse changes in cells that precede the development of cancer.

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Natural Pain Relief

Many people are rightly concerned about using manufactured ‘pain-killers’ as these may cause side effects. However, there are some herbs that contain quite strong analgesic properties. White willow bark contains constituents very similar to aspirin. It was in looking at what the ancient apothecaries did with this herb that we were able to develop aspirin.

White willow bark does not produce the side effects of the other analgesics so it can be very gentle in its pain-relieving properties. It is effective for headache, muscular ache and backache. It is available in health food stores. The herb is usually mixed with other herbs that also have slight analgesic properties.

It has been shown in experimental studies that D L phenylalanine can relieve pain when patients are taken off other medications. The study noted over 50% reduction in pain. If pain continues for a long time then you should see your practitioner.

SUPPLEMENTS

Esprin contains white willow bark 2700 mg

devil’s claw 200 mg magnesium phosphate 100 mg

Use Esprin as you would aspirin for temporary relief of pain.

betony 1000 mg 3 times daily — for headache

associated with nervous tension

D L-phenylalanine 250 mg 3 times daily

(amino acid)

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