NOVEMBER 20-22, 2020 HOPS

When you think of Hops, you might have know it is associated with bee. Others might think of it to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, Both are not wrong. Hops are commonly used orally for anxiety or sleep disorderss such as the inability to sleep or disturbed sleep due to rotating or nighttime work hours (shift work disorder), restlessness, tension, excitability, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nervousness, irritability, and symptoms of menopause among other uses. But there is limited scientific evidence to support using hopes for any of these conditions.

Recently an article published in the HerbalGram of the American Botanical Council peeked my interest . Fuduka et al published a study about supplementation with matured hop bitter acids improves cognitive performance and mood state in healthy older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Others studies indicated that Hops was beneficial. In this study there were mixed results.

Clearly more needs to be studied . It was stated that “ Long-term studies are needed to assess MHBAs'( Mature Hops Bitter Acids ) effects on prevention or slowing of age-related cognitive decline and to avoid the learning and ceiling effects caused by repeating the same tests. More research on the role of the vagus nerve system in improving cognition is also required. “

I find all trials involving herbs need to be read by all including conventional (allopathic ) health care professionals. The studies should be noted . We should turn to Earth Mother more often for the common problems we see in the world.

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 MODERNA VACCINE

There is a vaccine in the works. You have read it int he news. The Moderna vaccine reduced the risk of COV IOD 19 by 94.5 % There is the Pfizer-BioTech collaboration which released their preliminary data Both are fairly similar

In Moderna vaccine there were only 5 infections in patients who developed COVID after receiving the vaccine , mRNA-1273. Dr Fauci said this is better than he predicted. Moderna trial had 30,000 person trial . Is this enough ? It did have at least 37 % of the study population were from communities of color.

I don’t want to be one of the five that gets the infection. There are a lot of concerns I want to know what is in the vaccine. I feel I have a right to know all of the ingredients if I am to receive or mandated by law to get the vaccine

Moderna stated there were no safety concerns. Some aches and pain and headache . They stated these are limited. Both Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccine trials are continuing and the efficacy figures for both could decline by the time the trials are complete.

There is big money involved Billions and billions of dollars . All this data was in a press release NOT a scientific studies.

Until I see more data I have mixed feelings about this vaccine More to come…I am sure

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 18, 2020 APPLES

Have you ever thought about an apple. You know the saying “ An apple a Day keeps the doctor away. “ While lying on his death bed from tuberculosis in 1862 , well known writer Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay about apples which was published after his death, It was entitled ‘Wild Apples’- a must read on the ode to the apple through its history. In Michael Pollan’s book, “ Botany of Desire,” the first part of the book discusses the apple and its history. I urge you to read this book.

Perhaps being a doctor has intrigued my interest in Apples. I enjoy apples as part of my dietary regimen consuming at least 3 - 5 apples a week. This began my search for a book of Apples. Apples you think are truly American but they are not. The only apple trees in America were wild small bitter crab apples when first settled. The Europeans were smart enough to bring apple seedlings to be planted.

The book that drew my attention to this and much more is the Reaktion Botanical Series book on Apples by Marcia Reiss. There are 11 delicious chapters to read and digest ( no pun intended) with some called The Searching for Sweetness, Bad Apples, Good Apples and even Misplaced Apples.

You will come away after reading this book with a refreshness towards this fruit and more knowledge than ever thought possible.

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 17, 2020 MORE ABOUT HONEY

I can resist writing about honey. For one I harvested my honey from my own beehives about 3 weeks ago. The other reason is an article I read in our the Journal from the Apitherapy Society for which I am Vice President. By joining the AAS at www.apitherapy.org you can get this Journal in your mailbox. It is published quarterly. Our editor/friend/colleague/beekeeper , Deborah Klughers does an excellent job.

There was an article discussing the evaluation of antibacterial activity in 36 commercial honeys and 3 medical grade honeys. In the end the antibacterial activity of commercial honey revealed that 44 % of them had low antibacterial activity. There were some samples that exhibited high antibacterial activity while generating low H2O2 levels. It did reveal honey samples from local beekeepers showed superior antibacterial activity compared to medical grade honey.s

I urge you to join the American Apitherapy Society Check out our website www.apitherapy.org

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 TWO QUESTIONS IN OLD AGE

I recall the dialogue between two older characters in the movie ‘ For The Boys “ The Bette Midler character and the James Caan character meet after many years not seeing each other. The exchange between the two were “ How they have been sleeping” and I think “ their individual bowel habits.” The question I have been asking myself is “ Am I getting a good nights sleep in recent weeks or rather months ? “ I owuld have to say with the current health crisis ( the corona pandemic), and life on life’s terms — I have not. In my case it is the waking up to urinate 3- 4 times a night. It is not like I drink water after 7 pm. It is that I have an enlarged prostate. This is a common problem for men as they get older.

The causes of a non cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland are uncertain. There is a hypothesis that this benign enlargement may be related to the balancing of sex hormones as we get older. Yet 8 % of men in their 30’s have an enlarged prostate.

As the prostate enlarges it presses on the urethra interfering with the flow of urine. I know and have read that prostate size doesn’t necessarily predict symptom occurrence. The usual signs of symptoms of this benign enlargement could be a 1. a weaker urine stream; 2. difficulty starting urinary flow; 3. stopping and starting while urinating; 4. urinating frequently during the night called nocturia'; 5. straining during urination.

If you have any of these symptoms you need to see your doctor. Your healthy care provider will probably refer you to a urologist. There are medications that can used as alpha blockers such as uroxiatral, Flomax or Rapaflo. There are also 5 alpha reuctase inhibitors as Proscar or Avodart. There are surgical procedures.

There are also many vita nutrients that can help like lycopene ( from tomato paste) , a herb, Saw palmetto, pumpkin seeds and another herb, Nettle Root

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 MAGIC MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms have bene used to treat medical diseases much longer than it has been written about. There are many different types of mushrooms. Some are edible and some are not. Some are medicinal and some are not.

Psilocybin mushrooms provide fast-acting, long-lasting relief from major depression, a new major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds.

Also known as magic mushrooms, just two doses of the humble fungi eliminated symptoms of depression faster and kept them away longer than typical pharmaceutical antidepressants, a team of psychiatrists and neurologists from Johns Hopkins University found. These mushrooms were four times more effective than conventional medications. Although this was a small study I was happy to see it being published.

The state of Oregon just legalized these magic mushrooms, authorizing them for therapeutic use and decriminalizing possession, so it looks like Oregonians will be the first to enjoy the seemingly “magic” medicinal mushroom.

More studies need to be done

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 CORONA UPDATE

When is a disease free day in sight ? I think that is a day that is long off. There are 600,000 deaths world wide with 14 million cases. The numbers are beginning to be staggering again as if it was March 2020. The United States reported more than 128,000 new coronavirus cases on November 5th as the number of fatalities nationwide exceeded 1,000 for the fourth consecutive day.

There will be a Corona task force set up per #46 ( President Elect Biden) This is my dilema—what do we do now ? A vaccine? Let’s not hope that one comes out soon as there are 5 in Phase 3 trials, yet none are near completion. Let us not forget if any of these vaccines have neurological effects. I have many of my patients on 4-5 key supplements: 1. Vitamin C, 2. zinc; 3. N acetyl cysteine; 4. Vitamin D; and 5. methylated B complex; Many are also on low dose naltrexone ranging from 1 to 4 mg. This is a prescription.

This next statement by the Center of Disease Control worried me.—

“Adults testing positive for the coronavirus were almost twice as likely to report having gone into workplaces in person or into a school in the previous two weeks than those who tested negative, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control “

You MUST wear a mask. You MUST social distance. You MUST use your common sense when traveling to and from work. Eat healthier, exercise at least three times a week and STAY CALM

Until tomorrow…

NOVEMBER 10, 2020 THE WORTS

There are lots of plants with the word ‘ wort’ in its name. There is Lungwort, and Mugwort and of course Motherwort. I have used the first and the last in many herbal formulas. For those that love magic and plants you must read about Moonwort. Its botanical name is Botrychium lunmaria. I love the mystery behind this herb . It is said to bring light to who we are.

It is truly a magical herb. Witches have used it to bring the moon energy into their spell work. I would bet that the Sanderson Sisters used Moonwort. We all have an intuitive side. Some use it more than others. Most witches are female and this plant is great for the feminine energy.

It is used medicinally to help wound healing. It can speed up the healing process when used on a fresh wound.

Until tomorrow…