JULY 13, 2021 ASHWAGANDHA

If there is one herb that everyone should be on -it is Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) This is not a uncommon herb as it has been traditionally used for over 4,000 years in India. It is from the Solanaceae family. In Ayurvedic medicine its name means promotes learning and memory retrieval

The reason I feel everyone should be on it is because it cannot help stress. It is an adaptogenic herb As an adaptogen herb it can adapt to what is going on at that time. During the last year I have seen many individuals who are stressed due to the pandemic.

It is referred to an Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry The word actually means “ the smell and strength of a horse.” This is refers to his aphrodisiac properties. It is traditionally used for emaciation, impotence and premature aging

It is used in other cultures to help support normal sleep patterns

For more information , you can try Ashwagandha tea by calling Botanical Bounty 646 723 1823

Until tomorrow…

JULY 12, 2021 LEMON BALM

There are many fragrant herbs. Some of these fragrant herbs are healing herbs as lavender. One of my favorite which is from the Mint Family is Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis) Why do I love this herb besides its fragrant smell. Melissa is the Greek word for Bee. Some refer to Melissa as Bee Balm. The honeybees lobe Bee Balm. It has historically been used as a culinary, cosmetic and medicinal herb. It is used medicinally for anxiety. I use the herb for hyperthyroidism or when the thyroid is over active. In conventional medicine there is a drug called Tapazole which slows down the thyroid when in an overactive state.

The herb, Lemon Balm is very effective for slowing down the thyroid with two other herbs which also are from the Mint Family. The other herbs are Motherwort and Bugleweed.

Other illnesses where Lemon is used are in digestive disorders, use with fevers, and to increase perspiration

If you want to try Lemon Balm as a tea ..call Botanical Bounty at 646 723 1823

Until tomorrow…

JULY 9 -11, 2021 A NEW CANCER TEST

A simple blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer before any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease emerge in a person is accurate enough to be rolled out as a screening test, according to scientists.

The test, which is also being piloted by NHS  England in the autumn, is aimed at people at higher risk of the disease including patients aged 50 or older.

It is able to identify many types of the disease that are difficult to diagnose in the early stages such as head and neck, ovarian, pancreatic, esophageal and some blood cancers.

Scientists said their findings, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, show that the test accurately detects cancer often before any signs or symptoms appear, while having a very low false positive rate.

The test, developed by US-based company Grail, looks for chemical changes in fragments of genetic code – cell-free DNA (cfDNA) – that leak from tumours into the bloodstream.

The Guardian first reported on the test last year and how it had been developed using a machine learning algorithm – a type of artificial intelligence. It works by examining the DNA that is shed by tumors and found circulating in the blood. More specifically, it focuses on chemical changes to this DNA, known as methylation patterns.

Now the latest study has revealed the test has an impressively high level of accuracy. Scientists analysed the performance of the test in 2,823 people with the disease and 1,254 people without.

It correctly identified when cancer was present in 51.5% of cases, across all stages of the disease, and wrongly detected cancer in only 0.5% of cases.

In solid tumors that do not have any screening options – such as esophageal, liver and pancreatic cancers – the ability to generate a positive test result was twice as high (65.6%) as that for solid tumors that do have screening options such as breast, bowel, cervical and prostate cancers.

Meanwhile, the overall ability to generate a positive test result in cancers of the blood, such as lymphoma and myeloma, was 55.1%.

The test correctly also identified the tissue in which the cancer was located in the body in 88.7% of cases.

Until tomorrow…

JULY 8, 2021 MUSHROOMS FORAGING

There are many individuals who do perform mushroom foraging. Those mushroom foragers practice good harvesting practices . I have found that these forgers ( one which I am not …yet) know mushroom safety. There are some basic guidelines which I want to share with you

1. Learn the land. I think to know this you must be familiar with the edible and poisonous mushrooms of the area you are foraging. You must know how to identify them There are many books on this subject as well as attending some courses.

2. Know the risks. I do not think anyone should experiment with eating mushrooms that you don’t know. The effect of ingesting a poisonous mushroom can be lethal but can vary from individual to individual. In the North America there are no poisonous mushroom that can be absorbed through the skin—they must be eaten

3. If you know the mushroom you are foraging you must always COOK your mushroom Never eat a mushroom without cooking it.

4. Be prepared for your foraging. Have all the proper tools- a knife, pen and wax paper( or paper bag) a pen for labeling, a basket, and the very important Mushroom field guide

5. Always take the whole mushroom not just the cap or the stem

I feel this is a great hobby I have been studying the mushrooms of Connecticut as I am preparing to go mushroom foraging in the near future

Until tomorrow…

JULY 7, 2021 TO WEAR OR NOT WEAR A MASK

The question is “ To wear or not wear a mask” Since more individuals are being vaccinated is it necessary to wear a mask. ? There have been new criteria about the use of a mask. I know for a fact that Metro North commuters must wear a mask when in the station or on the train . This is also true on NYC transit subways and buses. I haven’t heard the latest on riding in a cab. There is a recent study published on the use of face masks. Most studies are focused on the protecting the wearer.

The negative effects of mask use was not reported. Among the adverse effects of mask wearing was difficulty breathing, facial irritation or discomfort. Some other effects reported were headache and warmth. Of course there is interference with communication or facial recognition. Mask contamination and misuse of wearing was noted.

Regardless of all of this—I feel mask should be worn of those individuals whom are not vaccinated. For those vaccinated it will be a personal choice. I will still chose to wear a mask. That is my decision

Until tomorrow…

JULY 6, 2021 PARASITES

Recently I read an article about parasites in the United States. There are more parasite sin individuals in third world countries. In medical school we learn about all these parasites but rarely see in clinical practice. I did Infectious Disease for a time so I saw more than the average clinician. The study looked at 916 species of intestinal parasites infecting 916 patients of the 2,896 in the study. About 36 % were from California.

The most common parasite was Blastocystis hominis. I see this to be a very common parasite, The other was Cyptospridium parvum. During the height of the AIDS epidemic more parasites were seen due to the number of immunocompromised patients at that time.

Most of patients whom I have suspected parasites were seen by Dr Kevin Cahill. He is the foremost parasitologist whom I had the pleasure of meeting when training at Lenox Hill Hospital. He is no longer practicing as he has retired. I want to personally thank Dr Cahill for his years of dedicated service to diagnosing and treating parasites. Unfortunately there are very few if any other clinicians who could take his place. He did anoscopes on all patients quickly making a diagnosis. There are many medications that are used. Many are ‘ tough’ on the system with many side effects. I have always used herbal remedies as wormwood, berberine, black walnut, cloves and pumpkin seeds for most patients.

A new book called On Parasites and Men has been recently published by Dr Omar Amin

Until tomorrow…

JULY 2-4, 2021 HEALTHIEST FRUIT

It is the summer and the fruits are on the fruit stands in New York City , and in the farmers market. What is not to like about fruit- they are sweet, and delicious and easy to add to your dietary lifestyle There are 2,000- different types of fruit. Each fruit brings a different medicinal and health benefit and a different set of its contents. I love fruit. Over the years I have been accustomed to eating all types of berries. I often write about different berries on my blog

Let’s start with apples. Not only were apples the first topic in Michael Pollan’s book, The Botany of Desire, but they are full of fiber especial pectin. Apples are a good source of Vitamin C and polyphenols. Apples have bene studied and lower your risk for heart disease, obesity and stroke. Easily obtained, but many are genetic variants of the original apple planted by Johnny Appleseed.

I cannot taut the benefits of blueberries. They are high in anthocyanins which have antioxidant as well as anti-1nflammatory properties. The best in addition to blueberries are mulberries, black berries, elderberries and chokeberries. Due to anthocyanins, there can be a 5 % reduction in the development of diabetes.

In general, Americans eat less fruit than Europeans. There is great benefit from consuming bananas, mango, papaya, dragon berries and lychee.

For those that are pre diabetic/ or diabetic be careful of the fruits that are high glycemic fruits. Eat your fruits

Until tomorrow…

JULY 1, 2021 MILK

MILK. There are pros and cons when we discuss milk. We know it a source of nutrition for newborns, greater for older infants and the backbone of nutrition for growing children. However, is it safe? Is pasteurized and homogenized milk the best. When I read “ The Untold Story of Milk by Naturopathic Doctor Ron Schmid my opinion changed. I started to read the literature especially by the Weston A Price Foundation. I started to give my own children raw milk. If you do not know this here are the facts: The FDA regulations on raw milk is a clear NO. Many states have made the sale of raw milk illegal and New York is one of those states. There are many clear cut benefits to raw milk : it contains enzymes as lactoperoxidases which are removed from pasteurized and homogenized milk. In addition there are bioactive components as immunoglobins that can provide passive immunity. I have always known that discussion of raw milk is a hot topic.

Years ago I was a health care writer for a magazine called Radius . I also was a health care columnist for other magazines at that time as Instinct . When I answered a question on Raw Milk by a reader I didn’t know it would cause such a stir. It caused such a stir that I was dismissed from the magazine, Radius. I don’t think Radius magazine is still published. As Bette Midler would say “ I’m still here. Raw milk discussions are political in nature. I stay out of the political arena. I speak the truth from the data. Laws vary from state to state in regard to raw milk sales. The death rate from raw milk consumption is .0005 % from infection from consuming raw dairy over a 50 year period. This is the data. Seems very very low

I believe raw milk should be sold in certain states as New York. I often wonder how an individual can sell clams, oysters , mussels from his truck on a highway driving to the Hamptons, but raw milk cannot be sold ? The rate of Hepatitis A from the clams is higher than any infection from raw milk !! Just a thought

Until tomorrow…