Cancer breakthrough: Probiotics may save patients from deadly chemotherapy; antibiotics may cause chemo to be fatal.

If you or someone you love is facing the possibility of cancer or chemotherapy, make sure they read this story. Breakthrough new science conducted at the University of Michigan and about to be published in the journal Nature reveals that intestinal health is the key to surviving chemotherapy.

The study itself is very difficult for laypeople to parse, however, so I'm going to translate into everyday language whilst also offering additional interpretations of the research that the original study author is likely unable to state due to the nutritional censorship of medical journals and universities, both of which have an anti-nutrition bias.

The upshot is this: A clinical study gave mice lethal injections of chemotherapy that would, pound for pound, kill most adult human beings, too. The study authors openly admit: "All tumours from different tissues and organs can be killed by high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, but the current challenge for treating the later-staged metastasis cancer is that you actually kill the [patient] before you kill the tumour." 

Chemotherapy is deadly. It is the No. 1 cause of death for cancer patients in America, and the No. 1 side effect of chemotherapy is more cancer. But certain mice in the study managed to survive the lethal doses of chemotherapy. How did they do that? They were injected with a molecule that your own body produces naturally. Its production is engineered right into your genes, and given the right gene expression in an environment of good nutrition (meaning the cellular environment), you can generate this substance all by yourself, 24 hours a day.

The substance is called "Rspo1" or "R-spondon1." It activates stem cell production within your own intestinal walls, and these stem cells are like super tissue regeneration machines that rebuild damaged tissues faster than the chemotherapy can destroy them, thereby allowing the patient to survive an otherwise deadly dose of chemotherapy poison.

As the study showed, 50 - 75 per cent of the mice who were given R-spondon1 survived the fatal chemotherapy dose!

The cancer industry needs to find a way to stop killing all their customers

The problem with the cancer industry today is that all the conventional cancer treatments keep killing the patients. This is bad for business. So the purpose of research like the R-spondon1 research mentioned here -- which was funded by a government grant -- is to find ways to keep giving patients deadly doses of high-profit chemotherapy without actually killing them. You slap a patient with a dose of R-spondon1 (sold at $50,000 a dose as a patented "drug," of course), dose 'em up with a fatal injection of chemotherapy, and then thanks to the R-spondon1 you get a repeat cancer customers instead of a corpse.

That's called "good business practices" in the cancer industry, which is so far best known for turning patients into body bags rather than actually curing cancer.

(Yes, there is a reason why most oncologists would never undergo chemotherapy themselves. They know it doesn't work on 98% of all cancers.)

Probiotics are likely the key to generating your own R-spondon1

Before I discuss why these findings are so important for followers of natural health and nutrition, let me first offer a disclaimer. The research mentioned here was conducted on mice, not humans, so it isn't full proof that the same mechanism works in humans. Nevertheless, the reason mice are used for such research is because they are nearly identical to humans in terms of biology, gene expression, endocrine system function and more.

Furthermore, even though this study used an injection of R-spondon1 as the "activator" of gene expression in endothelial cells of the intestinal lining, in truth your cells already possess the blueprint to produce R-spondon1 on their own. In fact, human intestines are coated with a layer of epithelial cells that are regenerated every 4-5 days in a healthy person. This is only possible through the activation and continued operation of intestinal stem cells, a normal function for a healthy human.

And what determines the health of those stem cells more than anything else? Their local environment which is predominantly determined by gut bacteria. If your gut bacteria are in balance, the gene expression of your epithelial cells is normal and healthy. If your gut bacteria are out of whack, so to speak, the gene expression of your epithelial cells will be suppressed, thereby slowing or halting the regenerative potential of your intestinal cells. This is why people who have imbalanced intestinal flora also suffer from inflammatory intestinal conditions such as Crohn's, IBS and so on.

Thus, probiotics are a key determining factor in the ability of your intestines to maintain the appropriate gene expression for the very kind of rapid cellular regeneration that can help your body survive a fatal dose of chemotherapy.

Meat and dairy cause devastating gut flora imbalances that may increase susceptibility to chemotherapy drugs

This may also explain why people who eat large quantities of processed meat, cheese and dead, pasteurized dairy products -- especially when combined with starchy carbohydrates and processed sugars -- are far more likely to die from chemotherapy than people who eat more plant-based diets. (There isn't yet a source to substantiate this claim, but it's something I've noted from considerable personal observation. You may have noticed it too among your own family members who have undergone chemotherapy treatments. Those with the worst diets seem to have far higher fatality rates.)

Those who consume processed meat and dead dairy have their intestines filled with fibre-less, difficult-to-digest proteins that are putrefied and sit in the intestines for 2 - 5 days, typically. Dietary sugars and carbohydrates then feed the bacteria fermentation process, resulting in the rapid growth and replication of sugar-feeding bacteria that displace the kind of healthy flora which best protect intestinal wall cells.

This imbalance, I suggest, increases susceptibility to chemotherapy toxicity while simultaneously impairing the ability of the patient to absorb key nutrients that protect healthy cells from the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs. This may explain why patients who heavily consume meat, cheese and dairy diets tend to die so easily when exposed to chemotherapy.

But there's something even more alarming about all this that everyone needs to know...

Antibiotics may also set you up to be killed by chemotherapy.

Although the research did not directly address this question, its findings seem to indicate that the kind of gut bacteria "wipe-out" caused by antibiotics could prove fatal to a chemotherapy patient.

This is especially worrisome because many cancer patients are simultaneously prescribed antibiotics as they undergo chemotherapy. This could be a death sentence in disguise. While neither the antibiotics nor the chemotherapy directly kill the patient, the combination of sterilized gut bacteria and highly-toxic chemotherapy drugs could multiply the toxicity and prove fatal. The death certificate, however, will say the patient died from "cancer," not from the chemotherapy which is usually the actual cause of death.

And yet, every single day in America, patients who are taking antibiotics are subjected to multiple courses of chemotherapy. This may quite literally be a death sentence for those patients.

There's also a self-fulfilling death spiral at work in all this: following the first round of chemotherapy, many patients suffer from weakened immune system that result in symptomatic infections. Physicians respond to this by prescribing antibiotics, resulting in the patient undergoing subsequent rounds of chemotherapy with "wiped out" gut flora. So the chemotherapy causes the problem in the first place, and then the response to the problem by western doctors makes the next round of chemotherapy fatal. This is a self-fulfilling death spiral of failed medicine.

Oncologists seem to have no awareness whatsoever of the importance of gut bacteria in allowing patients to protect their own healthy cells from the devastating effects of chemotherapy drugs. Many oncologists, in fact, actively discourage their patients from taking any sort of supplements during chemotherapy out of an irrational, anti-scientific fear that such supplements may "interfere" with the chemotherapy and make the treatment fail.

This is one of the many ways in which oncologists get cancer patients killed.

Takeaway points from this article:

• New research shows that a substance generated by intestinal stem cells allows subjects to survive an otherwise fatal dose of toxic chemotherapy.

• Healthy gene expression of intestinal cells allows them to naturally produce protective molecules that support and boost cell regeneration.

• Probiotics may protect and support the intestinal stem cells that help cancer patients survive toxic chemotherapy. (More studies needed to explore this and document the impact.)

• Antibiotics may be a death sentence when followed by chemotherapy.

• Oncologists need to consider the risks and benefits of postponing chemotherapy in patients who are simultaneously taking antibiotics. The combination may be deadly. Conversely, they need to consider the benefits of encouraging chemotherapy patients to take probiotic supplements before beginning chemotherapy treatment.

http://www.naturalnews.com/041449_chemotherapy_probiotics_antibiotics.html

Vitamin and Mineral Sources

Vitamins	Sources	Function
A	Cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals.	Needed for good eyesight and normal functioning of the immune system.
B-1 (Thiamin)	Enriched, fortified, or whole-grain products such as bread, pasta, and cereals.	Helps the body process carbohydrates and some protein.
B-2 (Riboflavin)	Milk, breads, fortified cereals, almonds, asparagus, dark meat chicken, and cooked beef.	Used in many body processes, such as converting food into energy. It also participates in the metabolism of many drugs and helps in the production of red blood cells.
B-3 (Niacin)	Poultry, fish, meat, whole grains, and fortified cereals.	Aids in digestion and converting food into energy. Also used by the body to help make cholesterol.
B-6	Fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach.	Vital for a healthy nervous system. Helps the body break down proteins. Helps the body break down stored sugar.
B-12	Beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, soybeans, and fortified foods.	Needed for creating red blood cells and general cell division.
C (Ascorbic acid)	Citrus fruits, red berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, and spinach.	Helps promote a healthy immune system and is required to help make collagen, which holds cells together. It is also required for making chemical messengers in the brain.
D	Fortified milk, cheese, and cereals; egg yolks; salmon; and sunlight.	Needed to process calcium and maintain bone health. May have other effects on all cells of the body.
E	Leafy green vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, and soybean.	Functions as an antioxidant.
Folate (Folic acid)	Fortified cereals and grain products; lima, lentil, and garbanzo beans; and dark leafy vegetables.	Vital for cell development, prevents birth defects, promotes heart health, and helps red blood cells form.
K	Leafy green vegetables like parsley, chard, and kale; olive, canola, and soybean oils; and broccoli.	Helps clot blood and maintains bone health.
Minerals	Sources	Function
Calcium	Dairy products, broccoli, dark leafy greens like spinach and rhubarb, and fortified products, such as orange juice, soy milk, and tofu.	Helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. Helps muscles function. Involved in cell communication and signaling.
Chromium	Some cereals, beef, turkey, fish, beer, broccoli, and grape juice.	Helps maintain normal blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Copper	Organ meats, seafood, cashews, sunflower seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grain products, and cocoa products.	Aids in metabolism of iron and red cell formation. Helps in the production of energy for cells.
Fluoride	Fluorinated water, teas, marine fish, and some dental products.	Prevents dental cavities and stimulates new bone formation.
Iodine	Iodized salt, certain seafoods, kelp, and seaweed.	Works to make thyroid hormones.
Iron	Leafy green vegetables, beans, shellfish, red meat, eggs, poultry, soy foods, and some fortified foods.	Needed to transport oxygen to all parts of the body via the red blood cells.
Magnesium	Whole grain products, leafy green vegetables, almonds, Brazil nuts, soybeans, halibut, peanuts, hazelnuts, lima beans, black-eyed peas, avocados, bananas, kiwifruit, and shrimp.	Helps muscles and nerves function properly, steadies heart rhythm, maintains bone strength, and helps the body create energy and make proteins.
Manganese	Pecans, almonds, legumes, green and black tea, whole grains, and pineapple juice.	Involved in bone formation and wound healing, metabolism of proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. It is also an antioxidant.
Molybdenum	Legumes, grain products, and nuts.	Plays a role in processing proteins and other substances.
Phosphorus	Dairy products, beef, chicken, halibut, salmon, eggs, and whole wheat breads.	Helps cells function normally and help the body make energy. Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen. Important in the formation of bone.
Potassium	Broccoli, potatoes (with the skins on), prune juice, orange juice, leafy green vegetables, bananas, raisins, and tomatoes.	Aids in nervous system and muscle function. Also helps maintain a healthy balance of water in the blood and body tissues.
Selenium	Organ meats, shrimp, crabs, salmon, halibut, and Brazil nuts.	Helps protect cells from damage and regulates thyroid hormone action and other processes.
Zinc http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/vitamin-mineral-sources	Red meat, fortified cereals, oysters, almonds, peanuts, chickpeas, soy foods, and dairy products.	Vital to many internal processes and supports immune function, reproduction, and the nervous system.

28 Best Benefits Of ChickPeas For Skin, Hair And Health

Pizzas and burgers rule every child’s menu for long. The recent popularity of ‘Hummus’, the yummy Middle-Eastern dip and spread – made from chickpeas – has brought the spotlight back on the goodness of chickpeas.

Back in school, our teacher kept stressing on how chickpeas were one of the most nutritious members of the legumes family. It didn’t take long for me to realise the importance of chickpeas in our daily diet.

Chickpeas originated in the Middle East nearly 7,000 years ago. They are often used in vegetables, salads, sauces, bread, hummus, tahini and garlic spreads. This fiber-rich legume is also known as Garbanzo beans orKabuli Chana. One can never stress enough on how good these chickpeas are. So we thought of listing out top 28 benefits of this wonder food.

Benefits of Chickpeas on Skin, Hair and Health

Chickpeas for Skin:

1. Wrinkles:

Manganese in chickpeas causes skin cells to produce energy and fights wrinkle-causing free radicals. Molybdenum detoxifies skin by removing sulphites. Other nutrients like folate and Vitamin B work as fuel for the skin cells. They repair damage from the sun and harmful toxins.

2. Face Pack:

Mix chickpea flour with turmeric to cleanse and exfoliate your face. This will improve your skin texture, remove dead cells, moisturise and improve your complexion too.

3. Face Cleanser:

To use chickpeas flour as a natural cleanser:

• Mix chickpea flour with turmeric powder and milk or yogurt.
• Make a fine paste apply it evenly on the face.
• Wash off thoroughly after 10-15 minutes with warm water.

4. Reduce Age Spots:

To use chick peas for reducing age spots:

• Mash boiled chickpeas.
• Add some water to make a fine paste.
• Apply and spread it evenly on your face or hands.

This will help reduce age spots on your face and body.

5. Ringworm Infection:

Include chickpeas flour chapattis in your daily diet for at least a month. This will help you get rid of ringworm infections.

6. Treatment of Leucoderma:

Chickpea’s role in treating Leucoderma is appreciable. To use:

• Soak a cup of chickpea with eight grams of triphala churan and water.
• Keep it aside for 24 hours.
• Consume when you see it sprouting.

Repeat this regularly for a few months to reduce white spots due to Leucoderma.

Chickpeas for Hair:

7. Facial Hair:

Chickpeas are also helpful in removing facial hair. Here is how:

• Mix turmeric and chickpea flour to make a fine paste
• Apply evenly on your face
• Alternately, you can also use this as a facial scrub
• Wash after 10-15 minutes

Do this regularly for a month for best results

8. Hair Strengthening:

Garbanzo beans are great strengthening your hair. The good amounts of protein and manganese help prevent greying hair.

9. Dandruff:

Chickpeas work wonders in curing dandruff. To use:

• Mix six tablespoons of chickpea flour with water.
• Massage this paste on your hair for a few minutes before the final rinse.

This will help in keeping the flaky dandruff at bay and reduce infection too.

Chickpeas for Health:

10. Controls Hunger:

Chickpeas are rich in fiber and are filled with high quality protein. These two nutrients keep you full for longer and hence control hunger. These essential nutrients found in chickpeas make it ideal for weight loss and weight management.

11. Cholesterol Reduction:

Including 3/4th cup of chickpeas in your daily diet can immensely help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Chickpeas contain dyslipidemia that prevents the concentration of cholesterol in blood. This in turn lowers the risk of heart disease and strokes.

12. Cooking:

Chickpeas can be cooked and used in salads, curries, soups and stews. Roasted chickpeas, with few savoury spices, make for an ideal evening snack. It finds it way in Gluten-free diet too. And can be used in variety of dishes like pakoras, pappadams or pancakes and as a substitute for eggs in baking.

13. Low Sulphites:

Chickpeas come with high amounts of mineral and molybdenum. These are essential for detoxifying sulphite compounds from food products, dried fruits and even wine. Sulphite compounds often cause dizziness, rapid heart rate, headache, and other unpleasant symptoms. Molybdenum also cleanses our liver.

14. Soluble Fiber:

Chickpeas come with decent amount of soluble fiber. This helps lower heart disease risk and stabilizes blood sugar levels too. The soluble fiber acts as a sponge and cleans up bile with bad cholesterol. It also gives one the feeling of a fuller stomach.

15. Good Sleep:

As one of the richest sources of amino acids, tryptophan and serotonin, chickpeas play a vital role in regulating mood and sleep. Consuming tryptophan at night makes one calm and feel peaceful.

16. Immune System:

Chickpeas are loaded with good iron. Iron helps transporting oxygen through the body and is imperative for maintaining a strong immune system and good metabolism.

17. Heart Disease:

Regular consumption of garbanzo beans cleanses bad cholesterol, lowers cholesterol levels and triglycerides. These beans are your heart’s friend. The unique combination of antioxidants in chickpeas supports blood vessels’ walls and blood. The Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-3 fatty acids together reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risks.

18. Women’s Health:

Chickpeas benefits are great for women health too. The phytochemicals or saponins in chickpeas, act extremely helpful in the prevention of breast cancer and osteoporosis. It is also great for lowering incidences of hot flushes post menopause.

19. Iron for Energy:

Full of iron, chickpeas help boost energy. Iron is essential for pregnant or lactating mothers too. Children and adolescents need iron in good amounts for performing routine tasks.

20. Manganese:

With the help of minerals and manganese, chickpeas facilitate the functioning of enzymes, energy production and antioxidant defense.

21. Calcium:

The good amount of calcium found in chickpeas is equivalent to that of milk and yogurt, hence good for bones health.

22. Folic acid:

Chickpeas have good quantity of folates or folic acid – regarded as the most essential nutrient for an expecting mother. It is also useful in the treatment of spinal injury and the development of foetal brain.

23. Controls Diabetes:

Chickpeas are low on the glycemic index – good for prevention and regulation of blood sugar levels. Fiber and protein help maintain the flow of food in to the digestive tract. It also prevents breaking of food too quickly or slowly. This healthy rate releases sugar from the food and stabilizes its digestive impact on our blood sugar. Chickpeas are highly recommended for diabetics and insulin resistants.

24. Phosphorous:

Chickpeas have good quantity of phosphorous and iron. Together these help increase the blood cell count. It also improves haemoglobin and cleanses excess salts from the kidney.

25. Cancer:

Chickpeas lower the risk of cancer too. The soluble fiber reaches colon and breaks bacteria into fatty acids. This gets absorbed by the colon cells and is converted into energy. Hence, allowing colon cells to stay healthy and lowering the risk of cancer.

26. Kidney Stones:

Chickpeas are excellent for preventing kidney stones. Here is how:

• Soak ½ cup chickpeas in water.
• Keep it soaked overnight.
• Consume it with honey the next morning to prevent kidney stones

27. Jaundice:

Chickpeas are great for curing jaundice too. Consuming a cup of chickpeas soaked in water with jaggery can help cure jaundice and frequent vomiting associated with it.

28. Heart Attacks:

Chickpeas are good sources of folates that reduce the level of amino acid and homocysteine. High level of such amino acid causes risk that may lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Quick ways to add it to your diet: Hummus

Now that we’ve laid enough stress on how important chickpeas are, here’s the hummus recipe. A recipe that has got most parts of the world hooked onto it. It easy, it is quick. Thus, enjoy the benefits of eating chickpeas in this form!

Ingredients

• 600g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 60ml water
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 tablespoon tahini paste
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Toasted bread to serve

Procedure:

• Place all the ingredients – chickpeas, olive oil, garlic cloves, tahini paste, ground cumin and lemon juice – together in a food processor.
• Process until it properly combines.
• Add water and process it again till you get the desired texture and consistency.

Place the dip in a bowl and serve with fresh toasted bread, preferably Turkish bread.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did in writing. Do tell us how you use chickpeas to your benefit. Share your experiences and leave your comments below.

http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-chick-peas-for-skin-hair-and-health/

The Health Benefits of Mushroom Consumption

Mushrooms contain some of the most potent natural medicines on the planet. Of the 140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi, science is familiar with only 10 percent, according to world-renown mycologist Paul Stamets, who has written six books on the topic.

About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their health-promoting benefits. Of those hundred, about a half dozen really stand out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost to your immune system.

It's important to eat only organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in — good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water pollutants, so healthy growing conditions is a critical factor.

While it may sound strange, we're actually more closely related to fungi than we are to any other kingdom, as we share the same pathogens, meaning bacteria and viruses.

As a defense against bacterial invasion, fungi have developed strong antibiotics, which also happen to be effective for us humans. Penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline all come from fungal extracts.

The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms

The FASEB Journal recently published nine studies on mushrooms that were also presented at Experimental Biology 2013, which detailed a wide variety of health benefits, including:

• Weight management: One study found that substituting red meat with white button mushrooms can help enhance weight loss. Obese participants with a mean age of just over 48 years ate approximately one cup of mushrooms per day in place of meat. The control group ate a standard diet without mushrooms.
At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group had lost an average of 3.6 percent of their starting weight, or about seven pounds. They also showed improvements in body composition, such as reduced waist circumference, and ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the control group.
• Improved nutrition: One dietary analysis found that mushroom consumption was associated with better diet quality and improved nutrition.
• Increasing vitamin D levels through your diet: Consuming dried white button mushroom extract was found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or D3 for increasing Vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D).
• Improved immune system function: Long chain polysaccharides, particularly alpha and beta glucan molecules, are primarily responsible for the mushrooms' beneficial effect on your immune system. In one study, adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial, modulating effect on immune system function. Another study done on mice found that white button mushrooms enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella.

Parasitic Fungi Showing Promise for Immune Disorders and Cancer

Cordyceps, also called caterpillar fungus or Tochukasu, is a favorite of athletes because it increases ATP production, strength and endurance, and has anti-aging effects. 

This parasitic mushroom is unique because, in the wild, it grows out of an insect host instead of a plant host. It has long been used within both traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine.

It has hypoglycemic and possible antidepressant effects, protects your liver and kidneys, increases blood flow, helps normalize your cholesterol levels, and has been used to treat Hepatitis B.

Cordyceps has antitumor properties as well. Scientists at The University of Nottingham have been studying cordycepin, one of the active medicinal compounds found in these fungi, and the one identified as a potential cancer drug. More recent studies suggest it also has potent anti-inflammatory characteristics that may be helpful for those suffering from:

• Asthma
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Renal failure
• Stroke damage

A question that was begging for an answer was how cordycepin could produce so many different beneficial effects at the cellular level. Researcher Dr. Cornelia de Moor told Medical News Today:

"We have shown that cordycepin reduces the expression of inflammatory genes in airway smooth muscle cells by acting on the final step in the synthesis of their messenger RNAs (mRNAs) which carry the chemical blueprint for the synthesis of proteins. 

This process is called polyadenylation. Commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs either work much earlier in the activation of inflammatory genes, such as prednisone, or work on one of the final products of the inflammatory reaction (e.g. ibuprofen).

These findings indicate that cordycepin acts by a completely different mechanism than currently used anti-inflammatory drugs, making it a potential drug for patients in which these drugs don't work well. 

However, it is a surprise that cordycepin does not affect the synthesis of mRNAs from other genes, because nearly all mRNAs require polyadenylation."

According to Dr. de Moor's research, the mechanism responsible for cordycepin’s many varied effects may stem from its ability to alter the synthesis of many classes of rapidly induced genes that help counteract inflammatory genes, thereby slowing down otherwise rapid cellular responses to tissue damage. It may also help prevent over-activation of inflammatory responses.

“However, it also indicates that cordycepin could have adverse effects on normal wound healing and on the natural defenses against infectious diseases,” the featured article states.

“Dr. de Moor said: 'We are hoping to further investigate which genes are more dependent on polyadenylation than others and why this is the case, as well as test the effect of cordycepin on animal models of disease. Clinical testing of cordycepin is not in our immediate plans, as we think we first have to understand this drug in more detail before we can risk treating patients with it.'"

Foragers, Beware of Toxic Mushrooms

An November 2012 article in The Atlantic highlighted recent cases of lethal food poisonings related to eating wild mushrooms, and the need for caution when foraging food:

“Of the over 10,000 species of mushrooms, only about 50 to 100 are toxic. About 6,000 Americans each year end up eating them. Over half of those cases involve unsupervised small children. So if you're considering treating that special person in your life to a wild mushroom-based dish, take the following into consideration: Over 90 percent of deaths, including these most recent ones, are caused by amatoxins.”

As mentioned in the article, the North American Mycological Association offers critical information on a number of toxic mushrooms and the symptoms they cause, including those for amanitin (amatoxins), which is one of the most serious:

• Stage 1: A latency period of 6 to 24 hours after ingestion, in which the toxins are actively destroying the victim's kidneys and liver, but the victim experiences no discomfort.
• Stage 2: A period of about 24 hours characterized by violent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and severe abdominal cramps.
• Stage 3: A period of 24 hours during which the victim appears to recover (if hospitalized, the patient is sometimes released)
• Stage 4: Relapse, during which kidney and liver failure often occurs, leading to death. Patients may also "bleed out" and die due to the destruction of clotting factors in the blood. There may be more than one relapse.

Warning: If you have any reason to suspect that someone has ingested an amanitin-containing mushroom, DON’T WAIT for symptoms to appear! There is no antidote for amanitin poisoning, and the best hope is to rush the person to the hospital where the toxins can be removed before being fully absorbed into the body.

It's also important to eat ONLY organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in — good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency, for better or worse. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water pollutants. One way to know what you’re getting is to grow your own. You can find a variety of DIY garden kits available online, which will eliminate any questions about what kind of mushroom you’re picking.

Improving Your Nutrition with Mushrooms

Two years ago, I interviewed Steve Farrar, who worked and studied mushrooms professionally for the last 30 years. The first 20 years he spent growing them and working primarily with gourmet chefs, but in the past decade, he's started applying his expertise of mushrooms to health purposes. According to Farrar, Americans consume about 900 million pounds of mushrooms a year, but 95 percent of that is just one species: the common button mushroom and its relatives, the Crimini and the Portabello mushrooms.

Granted, the button mushroom is an excellent low-calorie food, especially for diabetics. It contains a number of valuable nutrients, including protein, enzymes, B vitamins (especially niacin), and vitamin D2. However, there are many other types of mushrooms worthy of consideration if you want to improve your diet. I’ll review a few of my favorites below. Farrar's focus has been on growing various gourmet mushroom species, particularly the wood decaying mushroom species, which differ greatly from your average button mushroom in terms of biology, nutrition and medicinal value.

Mushrooms are excellent sources of antioxidants in general as they contain polyphenols and selenium, which are common in the plant world. But they also contain antioxidants that are unique to mushrooms. One such antioxidant is ergothioneine, which scientists are now beginning to recognize as a 'master antioxidant.' Interestingly, it's an amino acid that contains sulfur, and if you listened to my interview with Dr. Seneff on the highly underestimated importance of sulfur, you may recognize why this particular antioxidant may be of particular importance for human health, as many are severely deficient in sulfur.

A previous study in the journal Nature discusses the importance of ergothioneine, which is fairly exclusive to mushrooms, describing it as "an unusual sulfur-containing derivative of the amino acid, histidine," which appears to have a very specific role in protecting your DNA from oxidative damage. With that in mind, it becomes easy to see how mushrooms may be an important part of an optimal diet. If you don't like to eat them whole, you can also find them in supplement form, either as an extract or whole food supplement.

Examples of Mushrooms to Add to Your Diet

A few of my favorite health-enhancing mushroom species include:

• Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): Shiitake is a popular culinary mushroom used in dishes around the world. It contains a number of health-stimulating agents, including lentinan, the polysaccharide for which it was named. Lentinan has been isolated and used to treat stomach and other cancers due to its antitumor properties, but has also been found to protect your liver, relieve other stomach ailments (hyperacidity, gallstones, ulcers), anemia, ascites, and pleural effusion.
One of the more remarkable scientific studies demonstrating shiitake's antitumor effect was a Japanese animal study,where mice suffering from sarcoma were given shiitake extract. Six of 10 mice had complete tumor regression, and with slightly higher concentrations, all ten mice showed complete tumor regression.
Shiitake mushrooms also demonstrate antiviral (including HIV, hepatitis, and the "common cold"), antibacterial, and antifungal effects; blood sugar stabilization; reduced platelet aggregation; and reduced atherosclerosis. Shiitake also contains eritadenine, which has strong cholesterol-lowering properties.
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): Reishi is known as Lingzhi in China, or "spirit plant." It's also been called "Mushroom of Immortality" — a nickname that kind of says it all. Reishi has been used medicinally in Asia for thousands of years. One of its more useful compounds is ganoderic acid (a triterpenoid), which is being used to treat lung cancer, leukemia and other cancers. The list of Reishi's health benefits includes the following
• Antibacterial, antiviral (Herpes, Epstein-Barr), antifungal (including Candida) properties
• Anti-inflammatory, useful for reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
• Immune system up-regulation
• Normalization of blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure
• Reduction of prostate-related urinary symptoms in men
• Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor): Turkey Tail is also known as Coriolis, or "cloud mushroom." Two polysaccharide complexes in Turkey Tail are getting a great deal of scientific attention, PSK (or "Kreskin") and PSP, making it the most extensively researched of all medicinal mushrooms with large scale clinical trials.
A seven-year, $2 million NIH-funded clinical study in 2011 found that Turkey Tail mycelium improves immune function when dosed daily to women with stage I–III breast cancer. Immune response was dose-dependent, with no adverse effects. PSP has been shown to significantly enhance immune status in 70 to 97 percent of cancer patients. Turkey tail is also being used to treat many different infections, including aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, E. coli, HIV, Herpes, and streptococcus pneumonia, and is hepatoprotective. It may also be useful for chronic fatigue.
• Himematsutake (Agaricus blazei): Himematsutake, also called Royal Sun Agaricus, is a relative of the common button mushroom. Himematsutake was not cultivated in the East until fairly recently but is now a very popular natural medicine, used by almost a half million Japanese.
Himematsutake mushroom is attracting many scientists worldwide due to its remarkable anticancer properties related to six special polysaccharides. Like many other medicinal mushrooms, this fungus can also protect you from the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy. But its benefits don't stop there — Himematsutake may also help decrease insulin resistance in diabetics, normalize your cholesterol, improve your hair and skin, and even treat polio.

Usage and Dosage Recommendations for Mushroom Supplements

When it comes to mushroom supplements, there are two primary types:

• Mushroom concentrates or extracts — Most of these are so-called hot water extracts, where either the mushroom mycelia — the fruit body — is boiled for extended periods of time to extract the long chain polysaccharides. The end product is a concentrated form of glyconutrients (complex sugars) thought to be responsible for many of the health benefits of the mushroom.
• Whole food/raw mushrooms — Consuming the mushrooms raw or using a whole food mushroom (powdered pill) product is generally a better alternative if you're reasonably healthy and looking to maintain optimal health, as they help maintain ideal function of your various systems as opposed to imparting a direct effect. Most of the knowledge about mushrooms come from ancient Chinese medicine where mushrooms are regarded as tonics. Tonics are considered to have non-specific beneficial effects across several systems of your body that do not decline over time.

As mentioned earlier, if you choose to eat your mushrooms raw, make sure they are organically grown, as their flesh easily absorbs air and soil contaminants. Likewise, you'll want to make sure any product you buy is certified organic for the same reason. In addition to valuable nutrients, whole mushrooms also provide healthful dietary fiber that acts as prebiotic platforms for the growth of probiotic organisms in your gut, which is very important for digestive health. This is yet another reason to opt for a whole food mushroom product.

Adding Mushrooms Is a Simple Way to Boost Your Health Through Your Diet

With all the evidence supporting mushrooms as little powerhouses of potent nutrition, I highly recommend adding some to your diet. They’re an excellent addition to any salad and go great with all kinds of meat and fish. “Let food be thy medicine” is good advice indeed, and with mushrooms that is especially true, as they contain some of the most powerful natural medicines on the planet.

Just make sure they’re organically grown in order to avoid harmful contaminants that mushrooms absorb and concentrate from soil, air and water. Also, avoid picking mushrooms in the wild unless you are absolutely sure you know what you’re picking. There are a number of toxic mushrooms, and it’s easy to get them confused unless you have a lot of experience and know what to look for. Growing your own is an excellent option and a far safer alternative to picking wild mushrooms.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/13/mushroom-benefits.aspx