The oldenlandia plant has been used by the Chinese for medicinal purposes for centuries. The book “An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese Herbal Medicine” lists oldenlandia as having the following:

Properties: sweet, bland, slightly bitter, and slightly cold. Clears heat and toxin, activates blood circulation, removes blood stasis, promotes diuresis, and relieves stranguria (urinary obstruction).

Indications: various kinds of tumor, especially tumors of the digestive tract, lymphosarcoma, carcinoma of the liver and larynx. Also for appendicitis, hepatitis, pneumonia, cholecystitis, urinary infection, furunculosis, cellulites, and snake bite.

In an article titled “Oldenlandia and Scutellaria: Antitoxin and Anticancer Herbs” by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon, USA, it is said that the oldenlandia is from the Rubiaceae family, and is collected from the wild. It is found mainly in the southeastern provinces of China-Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian-growing at low altitude in moist fields. According to Dr. Dharmananda, Dr. Jiao Shude, in his “Ten Lectures on the use of Medicinals”, says that he “frequently adds about 30-40 grams of this medicinal to an appropriate decoction medicine devised according to the principle of pattern identification” for treating various forms of cancer. He also suggests adding some other anticancer herbs, such as scutellaria.

In “Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica”, it states that: “The herb at the dose of 30-60 grams is often added to conventional prescriptions for carcinoma.” In “Chinese Medicinal Herbs of Hong Kong”, among the indications for oldenlandia is “early stage of cancer of lungs, liver, and rectum.” It is recommended there that oldenlandia be used in a dosage of 60 grams along with 30 grams of scutellaria as a decoction, taken once a day.

Various laboratory studies of the action of oldenlandia suggest that the herb may contribute to inhibiting growth of cancer cells, promoting cancer cell death (apoptosis), and enhancing immune attack against cancer cells.

In the 2006 report “Evidence for Oldenlandia diffusa-evoked cancer cell apoptosis through superoxide burst and caspase activation” by Yadav SK and Lee SC from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, the researchers concluded that “the ethanol extract of the herb effectively evokes cancer cell apoptosis, possibly through burst-mediated caspase activation.” This study was published in PubMed.gov, the online publication of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

In another study, the “Apoptotic effect of Oldenlandia diffusa on the leukaemic cell line HL60 and human lymphocytes”, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 114, Issue 3, 3 December 2007, the researchers reported that their findings“support a cytotoxic action for Oldenlandia diffusa”

Oldenlandia may be used as a preventive health care agent to inhibit mutation of cells by carcinogens. As it also builds up the immune system, this herb may be beneficial for anyone undergoing modern cancer therapies. Fortunately for me, oldenlandia diffusa grows wild here and beverages containing oldenlandia are cheap (the equivalent of 50 US cents per bottle) and easily available where I live. I particularly like one from China which is a sparkling mineral water with oldenlandia extract. It comes in a green glass bottle and the Chinese have been drinking it for decades. You can probably find oldenlandia beverages in most Asian supermarkets and grocers as well as Chinese medical shops.

In Chinese, oldenlandia diffusa is known as “baihuasheshecao” (sometimes written Bai Hua She She Cao). “Baihua” means white flower, “she” means snake, and “shecao” means tongue weed, referring to the long thin leaves of the herb. English-speakers sometimes refer to it as the snake-needle weed.

Cheers to good health!

The study appears online in “Annals of Surgical Oncology”. Two different cryoablation – or cryosurgery – techniques were employed in the study involving mice with breast cancer, and the results were compared to results from mice whose tumors were removed with surgery. One method involves freezing the tumor rapidly, in about 30 seconds; the other freezes the tumor slowly, taking a few minutes.

The breast tumor was successfully killed with both cryoablation techniques. The mice treated with the rapid freeze had fewer tumors that spread to the lungs and improved survival compared to mice treated with surgery alone or mice treated with the slower freezing technique. The study showed that the benefit from the rapid freezing is likely due to changes in the immune system that help to kill the tumor. The immune system did not seem as able to kill the tumor when the slower freezing technique was used.

A clinical trial using cryoablation in patients with breast cancer is now underway. In this trial, researchers use the rapid freezing technique. Cryoablation is currently used routinely for prostate cancer, kidney cancer and a variety of cancers that have spread to the liver and bone.

“Cryoablation has strong potential as a treatment for breast cancer. Not only does it appear effective in treating the primary tumor with little cosmetic concerns, but it also may stimulate an immune response capable of eradicating any cells that have traveled throughout the body, reducing both local and distant recurrence, similar to giving a breast cancer vaccine,” says lead study author Michael Sabel, M.D., associate professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School.

“What we learned in this study is that all cryoablation is not equal. The technique used to freeze the tissue can have a significant impact on how the immune system responds. The system we use today appears to be ideal for both destroying the tumor within the breast and generating an anti-cancer immune response,” Sabel says.

University of Michican (U-M) researchers are participating in a national clinical trial to evaluate using cryoablation for early stage breast cancer. Participants will undergo rapid freezing of their tumor, and their blood samples will be analyzed to assess changes in their immune system. All participants will be treated three to four weeks later with standard surgery to remove their tumor.

For more information about the study, contact the U-M Cancer AnswerLine at 800-865-1125. To read the source article  about how freezing breast tumors helps stop cancer spread, visit the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center website.

All of us are different, our ailments are different, the pathways are different and there is no one simple solution for everyone. Whether one chooses conventional medical treatment and/or alternative therapy is not for others to dictate or question. As long as your decision is based on well-researched information and you have peace with it, it should be respected.

Many women today are on synthetic aromatase inhibitors like Femara or Armidex to help stop the aromatase function where androgen is converted to estrogen, the hormone feeding two-thirds of breast cancers worldwide. Here’s a selection of tips (gleaned from various message boards) from some of these women on how to deal with certain side effects:

Pain

• Exercise, no alcohol, healthy diet helped with the pain and general well-being. Had to rest mid day, taking Femara at night reduced the pain, Supplements: calcium+ Vit D and Fosamax for the bones, glucosamine for the joints.

• I have to thank two people who posted on this board that they take their Femara with food and that they experience less side effects. I was taking it at night, just before bed. That night I took it with a granola bar and a yogurt and the VERY NEXT DAY the pain was 75% better. By the day after that the pain was gone.

• My oncologist advised me to take Glucosamine and Condrointin 3x daily from the beginning and it has helped so much it is hard to describe.

• Glucosomine/chondroitin/MSM has helped joint pain,

• I have found that taking TURMERIC (a natural ingredient in curry with anti-inflammatory properties) along with the glucosamine-chondroitin has helped a lot with the joint and bone pain.

• My feet hurt me so bad I could hardly stand and then I started taking Glucosamine, Chrondroitin and MSM Complex. It has helped a lot.

• Got relief for most of the side effects by taking Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM pills for joints and it helped greatly

• I started taking 1200 mg Caltrates and 1000 IU Vitamin E daily. This has helped me with joint pains.

• I started taking Pilates 4 years ago and it has helped enormously w/joint pain.

• I exercise 3 times per week and found yoga to be most helpful to reduce joint pain

• Strenuous exercise along w/increased calcium/vitamin D can help to reduce joint pain

• Never been an exerciser but started aqua-therapy which has all but eliminated muscle and joint pain. The key is range of motion and water therapy does the trick. The temptation is to slow down because of pain but exercise has made a difference for me.

• I am exercising 5 days a week, and exercise class in the pool with styrofoam weights two of those days. Water exercise is very soothing on joints and muscles, and can be as strenuous as you want it to be.

• Exercise regimen by riding my bicycle 14 or 20 miles round trip to work, depending upon the location. This has helped tremendously with my achy neck and right hip. I find that movement is much easier upon wakening.

• So many have mentioned foot pain. The only shoes I can wear are called ‘crocs’. if i try to go barefoot, i cannot walk more that four steps without flinching. these shoes are a godsend. however, they don’t look good with dresses!!! but, at this point, who cares? i take one vicodin in the morning as well as meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory med.; folic acid with b vitamins rid the migraines. i take one tylenol-3 at night for foot pain, as well as one extra strength tylenol, plus 100mg trazadone and 1/2 benedryl to help me sleep.

• After two years or so, I started having pain in my right hip and down my leg where it was uncomfortable to walk. I also developed neuropathy in both feet. ended up going to an acupuncturist only because I was desperate! The next day my pain was gone which absolutely amazes me. I still have the neuropathy, but I can deal with that.

• I was referred to a Certified Lymphedema therapist, and have been working with him for 6 months now. The diet changes he recommended included taking cod liver oil, it relieves the joint pain; taking vitamin C; and removing dairy products from my diet. It helps.

Inflammation

• Taking mobicosa, calcium. Vitamin D, glucosomine, fish oil and juicing daily adding spinach and other fresh greenery to juices to help reduce inflammation. Physiotherapy is helping somewhat.

Osteoporosis or Bone Loss

• I take extra calcium, glucosamine and antioxidants and eclasta [iv] once a year for osteporosis and misc antioxidants and fish oil tabs.

• Fossamax works very well (checking on dexa scan): 1 pill weekly.

Brain Fog

• Omega 3 for the brain!

• Take fish oil

• I have starting doing crosswords, Sudoku, even DS Brain Age, and it seems to make a difference.

Fatigue, Drowsiness, Depression & Sleeplessness

• I started taking Femara with a full stomach at night daily. I discovered that helped reduced my drowsiness for the following day.

• Exercise reduced drowsiness.

• Try Clonasepine+Trazadone for depression and GOOD sleep at night time.

Weakness

• I needed to add exercise to try to regain some strength in my body. I just began Qigong, a form of Tai Chi.

Hot Flashes & Night Sweats

• The night sweats were the worst! I found a solution in a product called “Chilipad” It is a pad that is placed between the mattress and top sheet. You just set the temperature to your liking and are cool throughout the night. This has been the greatest discovery as there is nothing like a good night’s sleep.

• It’s the hot flushes I find difficult to deal with so I am having acupuncture and Chinese herbs at the moment and it seems to have reduced the fierceness and number of them.

• I went on Clonodine (used for high blood pressure) AND IT STOPPED THE HOT FLASHES.!!

Vaginal Dryness

• Lubrication, lubrication, lubrication for the sex.

• Replens, lubricants and persistence for sex life

• Use Replens applicator every 3 days and lots of lubricant to have sex- no condom and really lather it on both of you.

• Am taking Replens and Ovestin cream for vaginal dryness, and have succeeded in having a sex life, even though less exciting.

• KY works somewhat for vaginal dryness.

Weight Gain

• I have been able to maintain my weight with exercise three times a week, yoga and a diet with mostly vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts and less than 20% of meat daily.

• Aquafit (working out in the pool puts less stress on your joints) really helps to control weight and keep fit

• EXERCISE (join the gym: be disciplined!) even with a joint pain. This is the best for those of you who gained weight: more weight – more work for joints…. I was on the treadmill even while on 6 months of chemo and 3 months of radiation.

Thinning Hair

• I went to the dermatologist about my hair. She gave me a special biotin, zinc piccolinate and suggested I use Rogaine. Something worked because my hair has stopped falling out and looks thick again. The zinc piccolinate interfered with my synthroid (throid cancer 9 years ago) so I now take it at a different time than I take the synthroid and that has worked out fine.

General Side Effects

• I take numerous supplements to counteract known side effects. I hardly feel the effects of Femara

• I take a multivitamin, vitamin D, red yeast rice (managing cholesterol level), glucosamine (easing joint stiffness), three ibuprofen three times a day for aches and pains, a stool softener and, most nights, Ambien. When I travel I need a separate bag for the medications and supplements. Considering getting a softer mattress.

• I exercise whether I feel like it or not, a walk…..even a stroll seems to help.

• I switched my diet to all organic animal products, especially dairy. Why take a pill to remove the estrogens and eat someone else’s?

• Keep the body moving – I have taken up water aerobics for fitness which does not affect the joints. I also have an ion cleanse detox & reflexology weekly which has me helped enormously. A soft bed has assisted & an understanding family & network of friends.

• I exercise in the morning, as well as in the evening. That definitely helps.

• stay as active as you can because I find that has been helping me. I used to be an avid rollerskater and I had not been since surgery. I recently went back about 1 month ago and can feel a difference. (2) PHYSICAL THERAPY – I started going two days a week and it has been working wonders. I feel like a new person.

• Most side effects have gone away entirely since I started to eat Oatmeal and Buckwheat 30 min. prior to taking Femara. I am also taking B12 vitamins.

• 50,000 icu Vitamin D, hot spa tub for fee/ankles, Requip for RLS, Effexor for hot flashes, STAY ACTIVE!

• DRINK TONS OF WATER DAILY and stay away from alcohol which makes your liver work too hard trying to process that in addition to all the drugs. Also, we know the drill – EAT RIGHT – fruits, vegetables – it makes a difference. I eat right – I don’t hurt so much. Eat crap – feel like crap. Yes, exercise too! I know it hurts, but just WALK if you can – keep moving! The Femara WILL take a toll on your bone density as well, take a calcium supplement.

• I have been able to control all side effects sufficiently. I take Osteo BioFlex (over the counter), 2 tablets once a day, which eliminated the soreness and stiff neck. I took red yeast rice extract, 2 capsules once a day, and that lowered my cholesterol even lower than it was before taking Femara.

• My oncologist, who is Chinese, put me on Omega 3 fish oil, acidophilus,(both 3 times per day) and melatonin almost immediately when I began my treatments and I was already taking milk thistle 2 or 3 times per day. I stayed on these all during chemo and kept them up after I finished it and radiation. I feel that these supplements have helped me. I do have some joint stiffness and a little pain but it’s not terrible and I plan to ask my oncologist about taking glucosamine for the joint pain.

• I take fish oil (4000 mg/day), glucosamine chondroitin (Metagenics ‘ChondroCare’ w/ 1500 mg/day of D-Glucosamine sulfate & 1200 mg/day of Chondroitin sulfate), zinc (100 mg/day), calcium citrate w/ magnesium (1500 mg/day), vitamin D3 (1000 mg/day), Ester C w/ bioflavanoids (4000 mg/day). Whenever I run out of any one of these, my symptoms worsen. It takes a while for them to improve after I replenish my supply.

• I feel GREAT…no joint or bone pain, no weight gain, have tons of energy. I exercise for a minimum of 60 minutes every day and have lost 26 lbs in the past year from weight watchers and exercise. I do a weight bearing exercise class 3x a week.

Of course, there are women who do not want to use aromatase inhibiting drugs. They choose, instead, to try to keep the cancer from recurring through various alternative remedies and lifestyle changes. Here’s an account from one such lady:

No Aromatase Inhibitors At All

• I must be a renegade here because I refused chemo and am now refusing Femara. After surgery (partial mast) and radiation I have gone on doctor-recommended fruit-vegetable diet, exercising 30 mins day at least 5 days a week. Vit D-3 (also doctor-rec) and doing Eastern methods to boost immune system (acupuncture, Qigong, Reiki). I’ve lost 15 pounds (wasn’t heavy anyway) just about given up alcohol and look and feel better than past 10 years. I read Ralph Moss “Questioning Chemotherapy” prior to my decision to decline that and am now reading what everyone here is saying about A/I. As a biologist I also appreciate the seriousness of totally upsetting the balance of the endocrine system It seems counter-intuitive to go on a drug that will age me and make me fat and crippled when the NCI itself says exercise and weight management are key to prevention. I understand that there is a risk of getting breast cancer back. But that risk is always there. Right now I want to choose wellness.

Germanium is a mineral with a diamond-like crystal structure and a unique response to infrared light. It acts as a semiconductor as it accepts and transmits electrons. Unlike most semiconductors, germanium has a small band gap, allowing it to efficiently respond to infrared light. It is therefore used in infrared spectroscopes and other optical equipment which require extremely sensitive infrared detectors. Germanium ceramic inserts in Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets have the same crystalline structure as a diamond and are used for their unique response to infrared light, thereby enhancing the effects of Far Infrared Rays.

Germanium releases conversion electrons emitting shortwave radiation. As they come into contact with the skin, the electrons enable cells to attract more oxygen and enhance protective functions of the body. In its organic form, each atom of germanium is bonded to three atoms of oxygen, making it an efficient carrier of oxygen. In the body, germanium attaches itself to oxygen molecules. This has the unexpected effect of making our bodies more effective at getting oxygen to the tissues in our body. The increased supply of oxygen in our bodies helps to improve our immune system. It also helps the body excrete harmful toxins.

Dr. Otto Warburg, a Nobel Prize winning biochemist, stated that germanium helped to increase the delivery of oxygen to cells. He believed that boosting the oxygen supply to healthy cells slowed the growth of tumors.

The ‘holy waters’ at Lourdes, acclaimed for their healing properties, is said to contain large amounts of germanium. In its organic form as a trace mineral, germanium is present in many important herbs and medicinal plants traditionally used in healing, including ginseng, garlic, comfrey, and aloe. Germanium is known to enhance the immune system by stimulating production of natural killer cells and T-suppressor cells. Certain compounds of germanium have low toxicity to mammals, but have toxic effects against certain bacteria. This property makes these compounds useful as chemotherapeutic or cancer-fighting agents.

Germanium does not directly attack cancer cells. Instead, it stimulates the body’s immune system, supporting the treatment of cancer as well as other degenerative diseases.

Germanium is used in many ways. In Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets, Germanium ceramic inserts work together with three other advanced technologies – Unipolar Neodymium Magnets, Far Infrared Ray (FIR) Therapy ceramic inserts, and Negative Ions ceramic inserts – to produce powerful therapeutic and healing effects.

I’ve never heard of magnetic jewelry which incorporates FOUR kinds of healing and wellness technologies into one item. Have you? Most magnetic jewelry just have magnets in them, and the magnets may not even be Unipolar Neodymium Magnets. Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets are like the Rolls-Royce of magnetic jewelry.

If a non-invasive approach to healing and wellness is what you’re looking for and if, like me, you demand the very best, Neways four-in-one magnetic bracelets may be the smartest jewelry buy you’ll ever make. If I had a hundred bucks to spend on pain-killers OR ordinary costume jewelry OR beautiful jewelry with health-giving properties, I know what I would choose. With the NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet, the worse thing that could happen is that I’ll have a great-looking piece of jewelry to wear for years to come.

So I recently bought a Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet for my sister who’s been suffering from pain in her knees for years. I’m hoping this bracelet will turn out to be as good as I’ve heard, because I don’t want my dear sister to be dependant on drugs any longer. It might take a while to see any results, as natural therapy usually needs time to work, but if it means long-lasting relief from pain, it will be well worth the wait.

Negative ions are negatively charged particles which form when enough energy acts on a molecule such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, or water to eject an electron. This displaced electron then attaches itself to a nearby molecule, which then becomes a negatively-charged Ion. High levels of negative ions are desirable and good for your health.

Today’s air-conditioned buildings, trains and planes frequently become supercharged with harmful positive ions because the metal blowers, filters and ducts of air-conditioning systems strip the air of negative ions before it reaches its destination. Air conditioner manufacturers have been designing new systems that increase negative ionization. Computers and fluorescent lighting also supercharge environments with harmful positive ions.

My sister’s NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets have ceramic inserts which emit negatively charged oxygen ions in the region of 1000 ions per cubic cm. By comparison the levels of negative ions present in different environments are approximately: Base of waterfall – 3000; Office – 150; Mountain air – 2000; Home – 100; Countryside – 1500; Car – 50. Nothing beats getting away to a pure, natural environment, but when you can’t do that, the negative ions emitted by Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets will at least increase your exposure to beneficial negatively-charged ions.

Benefits of Negative Ions
Negative Ions have a refreshing and invigorating effect on the body; similar to the experience you would have if you were standing next to a waterfall. They produce a calming effect on the mind and support immune function.

Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of “The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research”, and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

Negative Ions are also therapeutic partly because they kill germs. As early as the 1930s. a Russian team headed by A L. Tchijevski found that large ion doses of either positive or negative polarity retarded bacteria colony formation on plates. Ionization also sterilized enclosed air. Latter experiments duplicating Tchijevski’s work noted an exponential bacteria decay rate of 23 per cent per minute for untreated air, 34 per cent per minute for air with pos-ions, and 78 percent per minute for negatively charged air. They concluded that the pos-ion decay rate was due to simple bonding of the ions with the bacteria, whereas the neg-ions actually killed the bacteria.

Animals larger than microbes find negative ions beneficial. Rats learn better and are less anxious. Mice live longer (mice with flu die more quickly If deprived of neg-ions). Silkworm eggs hatch earlier, larvae grow faster, spinning begins sooner, cocoons are heavier. chickens lay more eggs and grow more plump. Sheep grow faster and supply more wool. In the vegetable kingdom. plant seedlings grow up to 50 percent more when charged. Fruit stays fresh longer: after 10 days, ionized tomatoes were still fresh while untreated controls rotted. No wonder negative ions are sometimes referred to as the “vitamins of the air”.

The U.S. has equipped nuclear submarines with ion machines since the late 1950s. There are even combat uniforms which have negative ion emitters embedded into the collars “for performance enhancement without the side effects often associated with drugs”. The manufacturer of these uniforms says that “the material emits negative ions into the surrounding air and if close enough to the face, those emitted negative ions are inhaled. Numerous studies on air ions conclude that a higher proportions of negative ions in the air have shown improved alertness and brainwave activity.” Now you know a military secret for getting fighting fit.

Ionizers are being used industrially in auto spray paint booths, food processing plants, grain storage bins and chemical spray factories. Architects, designers and city planners are increasingly incorporating water features like fountains and rooftop solariums into urban environments. Negative ion technology is used extensively in air filtration and refrigeration products in Asia, particularly in Japan. Next time you change your air-conditioner or refrigerator, look out for models which incorporate this technology.

My final post on the subject of magnetic therapy for healing and wellness will be about Germanium, a trace mineral used in my sister’s NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet.

Sadly, wisdom often comes at a great price. I know now that what you put IN your body, as well as ON your body, affects your health. Before I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was never one to take health supplements, let alone herbal remedies. Now, supplements, herbal remedies and safe personal and household care products have become a part of my ammo against cancer and other diseases. Blood tests don’t lie.

One mainstay in my health supplement cabinet is a concoction of echinacea root, Asian ginseng root, hawthorne berry, hyssop, Irish moss, rosemary, mullein leaf and other goodies. These herbs are known to boost the immune-system and help keep the body functioning properly. This herbal concoction is based on an ancient Chinese medicine recipe, but conveniently formulated into little brown pills, under the label VMM by Neways. So much easier to use than searching for each herb and boiling them for hours, don’t you think?

This combination of herbs is a power-packed herbal remedy because:

Echinacea stimulates the body’s immune system by activating white blood cells, protecting cells from harmful foreign. Echinacea works as a natural antibiotic, which can suppress the activity of viruses. It has an immune-stimulating effect through the activation of T-cells (natural bacteria killers of the immune system).

Ginseng, used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, is an immune system booster and natural detoxifier. It has beneficial elements called ginsenosides, which work like natural steroids and helps develop brain activity as well as creates activity similar to estrogen. Most varieties of ginseng contain eight ginesenosides, whereas the Chinese/Korean form contains 24 to as much as 28. Ginseng stimulates the immune system by promoting the production of the body’s own virus-fighting chemicals. It is an antioxidant which helps to prevent the cumulative cell damage which can cause dreaded diseases like cancer. It reduces cell damage from radiation and chemotherapy, and increases the absorption of nutrients in the intestines.

Ginseng helps keep the liver, adrenal glands, and thyroid healthy, helps prevent illnesses and slows down the aging process. Many Asian studies have discovered this medicinal plant’s ability to slow the progression of cancer. For instance, two compounds in ginseng, ginsan and polyacetylinic alcohol, show promise in killing lung cancer cells and slowing tumor growth.

Hawthorn berry is loaded with B-complex vitamins, as well as many minerals, flavanoids and biovflavanoids. It contains potent antioxidants which help fight harmful free radicals. Hawthorn is recognized as having cardiotonic properties, as it benefits the heart and cardiovascular system. It has the ability to dilate the coronary arteries, thus improving blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscle. It also strengthens the heart muscle, helping the heart to beat more forcefully and efficiently. Hawthorne also seems to dilate the highways of other blood vessels around the body, allowing blood to circulate more freely with less strain on the heart.

Hyssop is a healing herb that was used even in Biblical times. David was recorded as saying, “Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean.” (Psalms 51:7) Ancient healers knew hyssop to be a cleanser of the body. This herb increases the secretion and discharge of urine and removes any obstruction to body secretion or excretion by opening the natural passages or pores of the body. It also promotes bowel movement.

Irish Moss, a kind of seaweed, contains 15 of the 18 elements that make up the human body, including Vitamins A, D, E, F and K. It is rich in iodine, calcium and sodium as well as sulphur, potassium and phosphorus. It has been used to treat bladder disorders, bronchitis, bad breath, intestinal disorders, glandular problems, goiter, swollen joints, lung difficulties, thyroid conditions, tuberculosis, tumors, ulcers and varicose veins. Irish moss also helps soften the skin and prevent wrinkles.

Rosemary has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments, such as stomach upsets, digestive disorders and headaches. Modern research shows that rosemary can also help prevent cancer and age-related skin damage, boost the functioning of the liver and act as a mild diuretic to help reduce swelling. The herb is able to inactivate toxins and then eliminate them from your liver.

Two of the most important ingredients in rosemary, caffeic acid and rosemarinic acid, are potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Interestingly, rosemary offers a safe and natural alternative treatment to Tamoxifen. Researchers from the Department of Chemical Biology, New Jersey State University in the US, found that a 2 per cent concentration of rosemary extract administered for three weeks was able to significantly inactivate excess oestrogen. Rosemary stimulates liver enzymes, which in turn inactivates estrogen hormones like estrone and estradiol, the most dangerous form of estrogen.

Mullein, a member of the snapdragon family, was used by ancient Greeks to treat respiratory disorders. It relieves the symptoms of sore throats, coughs, bronchitis, asthma, and some allergies. Traditionally, it is also used to treat diarrhoea and gastrointestinal aliments. The plant has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used topically to soothe skin irritations such as rashes, boils and chilblains.

Thyme, another popular ancient herb, is used to treat acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, as it possesses expectorant and bronchial antispasmodic properties. All the members of the mint family, including thyme, contain terpenoids which have cancer preventive properties. Rosmarinic and ursolic acids are major terpenoids in thyme with anti-cancer properties.

Give your health a boost. Get your disease-fighting and immune-system boosting Neways VMM here.

He’s a lot like me. I hate taking medicine. I caught the bug which was making its rounds during the recent holiday season and it got me bad. My throat was so sore and painful that sometimes it felt like I had daggers down my throat. The coughing was relentless and particularly nasty at night. My nose leaked like a tap. My poor hubby was down with the same bug too, as was my mother-in-law. She even lost her voice. She took all kinds of medicine but, one month later, she’s still feeling poorly.

This time around, I decided not to take any medicine at all, not even cough syrup. Instead, I brewed pots of Momordica Grosvenor fruit, an antioxidant and immune system booster which has been popular with the Chinese for centuries. You can find it in Chinese medicine shops and groceries, where it is usually better known as “lo han guo”. Momordica is popularly used to treat respiratory ailments like cough, cold, influenza and bronchitis.

The fruit can be purchased whole and dried in its shell, or in boxes of compressed cubes, ready to dissolve in hot water. Momordica can also be found in some health supplements, such as Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni Juice. It’s naturally sweet, so it makes a good, healthy sweetener. It’s often combined with other natural ingredients like chrysanthemum and barley to make a healthy, soothing tea.

Momordica looks like a green lime, only it has a hard shell. When dried, the shell is dark brown in color. The fruit pulp within the shell has lots of seeds. To make a pot of momordica or ‘lo han kuo’ tea, simply crack the shell like an egg, discard the shell, roughly break up the dried pulp with seeds (just peel it apart with your fingers) and put that in a teapot. Pour in boiling water and leave to infuse for at least 15 minutes. The longer you leave it, the richer the flavor. As you drink the tea, you can top up the teapot with more hot water, until the momordica tea begins to taste weak. Discard once you reach that point.

I drank a pot of momordica or ‘lo han kuo’ tea almost daily, alternating with home-made barley water every other day. That really flushed the toxins out of my body and soothed my throat and respiratory system. My husband and I recovered much faster than my mother-in-law, and without the use of medicine too, although I admit to taking my Neways health supplements daily (Revenol for antioxidants, Maximol Solutions for multivitamins and trace minerals, and VMM to boost my immune system). Try this next time the bug gets you!

Interestingly, noni’s Sanskrit name is Ayushka, meaning longevity. Indeed, virtually every part of the noni fruit and plant has been used for its medicinal properties. Noni fruit has a pungent smell, but it can also be eaten raw with salt. It is also cooked as curry by many of the tribal populations of Southeast Asia, Polynesia and Australia. The seeds of the noni fruit can be roasted and eaten. The protein-rich young leaves of the noni plant are sometimes eaten as vegetable as well. The leaves are also used as poultices.

It is traditionally believed that noni:

- stabilizes cholesterol at normal levels
- increases energy when consumed over a period of time
- delivers abundant antioxidants to scavenge free radicals
- helps maintain the immune system
- helps maintain a healthy heart
- supports a healthy cardiovascular system
- reduces inflammation
- enhances energy and wellbeing

The noni fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, amino acids and antioxidants. Over 150 nutraceuticals have been found in the noni fruit, including all the B vitamins, 18 amino acids, antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, linoleic acid, and minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium. Noni fruit contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids.

What is particularly significant is that a rare compound known as proxeronine, a precursor of xeronine, essential for the regeneration and growth of healthy cells, is found in the noni fruit. Noni also contains an anthraquinone compound called damnacanthal, which has promising anti-cancer properties. The journal CANCER LETTER [73 (2-3) 1993, 161-166], reported that Keio University and The Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Japan observed that damnacanthal caused normal morphology and cystoskeletal structure in K-ras-NRK pre-cancer cells. Put simply, this compound found in noni fruit may possibly turn pre-cancer cells into normal healthy cells. The researchers reported that damnacanthal reversed the proliferation of cancer cells, showing an ability to block or inhibit the cellular function of RAS cells, which are considered pre-cancerous cells.

The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii has been studying noni juice health benefits with regard to cancer treatments, since a 1999 study suggested that Noni Juice helped to stop the growth of tumors. Laboratory studies have examined noni’s effect on the growth of cancerous tissue in mice. One such study in vitro found that noni reduced growth of capillary vessels sprouting from human breast tumor explants and, at increased concentrations, caused existing vessels to degenerate.

Research indicates that noni fruit stimulates the immune system, regulating cell function and cellular regeneration of damaged cells. As the Noni fruit seems to operate at the very basic and critical cellular level, noni may help to heal a wide variety of conditions.

Noni juice also contains a precursor to melanin, which enhances all body functions depending on melanin. This could explain why the prolific consumption of noni juice has been reported to reverse diabetes, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease in some people.

The strong odor of the noni fruit as well as its bitter taste may make noni difficult to consume in its raw form. Fortunately, pleasant-tasting noni juice is available from some manufacturers of health supplements. While noni juice from the Polynesian islands of Hawaii and Tahiti is well-known, noni fruit grown in Hawaii is said to be the best because of the pure air, water, and volcanic soil in which they are grown. Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni dietary supplement, for instance, uses 100 percent pure Hawaiian noni, grown far from areas where nuclear testing occurred near Tahiti in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.

For the highest quality noni health supplement and best results, always choose noni products which are never fumigated with deadly chemicals or irradiated, and grown without pesticides. The authenticity of the noni product must be guaranteed by its manufacturer and should use only the Noni fruit pulp, not other parts of the noni plant.

Besides noni fruit puree, Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni juice is enhanced with raspberry and blueberry fruit concentrate, as well as momordica fruit extract. Red raspberry delivers high levels of ellagic acid, a powerful, natural substance that supports the body’s defence mechanisms against carcinogens. Blueberry has powerful antioxidants proven to scavenge free radicals that can damage DNA molecules and lead to cancer. Mormodica fruit is an antioxidant and immune system booster which has been popular with the Chinese for centuries. You can find it in Chinese medicine shops and groceries, where it is usually better known as “lo han kuo”.

Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni is as pure as it gets, with no added sugars, no added preservatives, colors or artificial flavors. If you can’t stomach the natural taste and smell of noni fruit, this delicious, power-packed cocktail will help you get the goodness of noni into your body. Buy it at the wholesale price here.

Cabbage belongs to the group of cruciferous vegetables which includes cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts and bok choy. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in antioxidants and recommended as part of a cancer-fighting diet. They are also packed with phyto-nutrients which help boost the body’s immunity system, detoxify and eliminate harmful toxins and hormones, block cancer-causing substances, and stimulate antibodies to fight cancer.

Both red and green cabbages are loaded with nutrients, with high levels of calcium, iron, iodine, potassium, sulphur, and phosphorus. They are also rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, K and folic acid. Because of its reddish pigmentation, red cabbage has higher nutritional content than green cabbage.

The ideal is to eat at least a cup of such vegetables daily. To help you enjoy the benefits of eating more cabbage, here’s a coleslaw recipe with an Asian twist which I just cane across in my local health tabloid. Kudos to food writer Sylvia Tan for creating such a tasty and healthy salad. The addition of shredded roasted chicken makes it a meal in itself, although the salad will still taste great without any meat in it. The roasted almonds may be replaced with almost any other kind of nuts. Almonds, however, are said to have anti-cancer properties.

Like most Asian salads, this coleslaw recipe contains no oil.

ASIAN COLESLAW
(serves four people)

Ingredients:
1/2 head small round white cabbage
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 stalks spring onion (also known as scallion or salad onion), chopped
2 green chillies (long, slim Asian variety), chopped
1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped
1 roasted chicken thigh / breast meat (optional)
1/2 cup water
1 tbs fish sauce
Juice from 4 green limes
1 tbs sugar
Pinch of salt

Method:
1) Shred cabbage finely, enough to fill a salad bowl. Chop onion, spring onion and green chillies and scatter over the cabbage.
2) Lightly toast 1/2 cup almonds in a 100 deg C oven. When golden, remove from oven to cool, then chop the nuts roughly.
3) Discard any chicken skin and shred the meat.
4) Place the meat and nuts on top of the chopped and shredded vegetables.
5) Make the salad dressing. Mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, salt and sugar in a bowl. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. Add to the coleslaw and toss well.
6) Serve as a healthy main course, a side dish, or as a fresh salad to go with an Asian meal.