March 15, 2008
Contents:
- Thanks, Ferlow Family
- Heart Problems and Prevention
- Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth
- EPA to Rid of Clean Air Standards for Factory Farms
__________
Thanks, Ferlow Family
I'd like to use take this chance to thank Klaus and Harald Ferlow not only for their informative article on heart health in this e-News, but also for the consistent and kind support that they've given HANS over the years.
One of the great things of being a network is the chance to meet great people, and I'm proud to count the Ferlow family among the best. Since day one, they've understood HANS's role in providing educational information on health care and the environment. HANS as an organization is only as strong as its members, and the fact that we're Canada's longest running natural health consumer organization says something about the people we represent.
So, thanks again Klaus, Harald and everybody at Ferlow Botanicals, and thanks to everybody else out there who is currently helping to spread the word about our next event, CANCER - Natural Approaches for Prevention and Healing on March 30, 2008 in North Vancouver (details to the right). Hope to see you there!
Lorna Hancock
HANS Founding Member and Executive Director
__________
Heart Problems and Prevention
by Klaus and Harald FerlowCardiovascular disease is the leading health problem in the Western world. It is the number one cause of death in the United States (Canada is following suit), claiming over one million lives annually. An estimated 50 million Americans are afflicted with heart and blood vessel disease, although many are unaware of it because they show no symptoms.
Statistically, 70 to 80 percent of all women experiencing heart attacks do not have any symptoms. Narrow blood vessels in the heart are unable to provide the oxygen the heart needs, characterized in males by angina pectoris, symptoms include heavy, tight chest pain, and pain or numbness in the left arm. Pain can often be extended to the shoulder, neck, and jaw. Other warning signs include excessive tiredness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, feeling anxiety, difficulty swallowing, ringing in the ears, loss of speech, and breathlessness.
The primary cause of most heart problems can be traced to a poor diet, particularly the consumption of excessive red meat and saturated fats, salt, sugar, alcohol and smoking. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is often the precursor of heart problems and it is caused by a decrease in the elasticity or a reduction in the interior diameter of the arteries, in some cases both. This can be a result of arteriosclerosis, caused by improper sodium metabolism, stress, nutritional deficiencies, and enzyme imbalances. The amount and type of chest pain vary from one person to another. Some people have intense pain, while others feel only mild discomfort. Heart attack occurs when a part of the heart muscle is denied blood and oxygen for a long enough period of time for cells to die.
Hardening of the arteries, a build up of plaque inside the arteries and the presence of a thrombus, or blood clot, in a blood vessel are the most common causes of obstruction. Hypertension is often the precursor to heart problems and is the leading cause of stroke. It greatly increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure. There are a variety of other cardiovascular diseases which include arrhythmias/palpitation or irregular heartbeat, angina pectoris (pain or heavy pressure in the chest), aneurysm (is an area in the blood vessel where the wall becomes thin and bulges outward), cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating), cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart), cardiomyopathy (group of diseases of the heart muscle), carditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), congestive heart failure (a condition of chronic heart failure), ischemic heart disease (is caused by obstruction of the blood flow to the heart), endocarditis (inflammation of the endocardium, the
membrane surrounding the heart muscle), valvular disease (impairs the functioning of one or more of the heart's valves).
Your heart can benefit from the use of herbs, supplements and foods such as hawthorn berries (Crataegus oxyacantha), coenzyme Q10, quality fish oils, unrefined nut and seed oils (e.g. hemp, flax, coconut, pumpkin, etc.), and organic raw fruit and vegetables. Hawthorn berry and flowering tops extracts are widely used in Europe for their cardiovascular activity. They exhibit a combination of effects that are of great value to patients with angina and other heart problems. Studies have demonstrated that hawthorn extracts are effective in reducing angina attacks as well as in lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels.
Hawthorn's ability to dilate coronary blood vessels has been repeatedly demonstrated in experimental studies. In addition, hawthorn extracts have been shown to improve cardiac energy metabolism in human and experimental studies. The improvement results not only from increased blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscle but also from hawthorn flavonoids interacting with key enzymes to enhance myocardial contractility.
Cardiovascular diseases including angina, hypertension, and congestive heart failure are examples of diseases that require increased tissue levels of coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 deficiency is common in individuals with heart disease. Heart tissue biopsies in patients with various heart diseases show a CoQ10 deficiency in 50 to 75 percent of cases. One of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, the heart may be unusually susceptible to the effects of CoQ10 deficiency. Accordingly, CoQ10 has shown great promise in the treatment of heart disease.
Unrefined nut and seed oils and high quality fish oils are an excellent source of fatty acids, in particular, omega-3 fatty acids. A significant body of evidence now indicates that including fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids with meals just twice a week could significantly reduce the incidence of sudden death from a heart attack. On the basis of these and several other studies, it is now estimated that this one change in diet could save at least 150,000 people annually from fatal heart attacks in the United States. Increased daily intake to five to sevent servings of fruits, vegetables, and nuts rich in antioxidants daily may also reduce the incidence of heart attacks.
The habitat in which fish grow has a major impact on their fatty acid composition. Studies have shown that wild fish have higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids than pond-reared or cultured fish grown in fish farms and fed commercial feedstuffs. For individuals who do not or cannot consume seafood, foods such as tofu, canola oil, black currant oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, nuts and soybeans are important sources of alpha-linoleic acid; however, soy-derived oils and foods and most nuts contain large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids that can reduce some of the therapeutic benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids, so finding a prudent balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is suggested.
Having a proper diet is very important to prevent heart problems. An increase of dietary fibre is recommended. Onions and garlic (both raw and cooked), vegetables and fish should also be increased, while reducing the consumption of saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar and animal proteins. All fried foods and food allergens should be avoided. Patients with reactive hypoglycemia should eat regular meals and carefully avoid simple carbohydrates of all forms (e.g., sugar, honey, dried fruit, fruit juice).
Individuals with angina should not smoke or drink alcohol and coffee. Stress should be decreased by using stress management techniques such as progressive relaxation, meditation or guided imagery. A carefully graded, progressive, aerobic exercise program (30 minutes three times a week) is a necessity. Walking is a good exercise with which to start.
This article is intended to offer simple, easy to incorporate suggestions which will benefit the overall health of this vital organ. We would encourage you to investigate this subject to your heart's content!
Klaus Ferlow, traditional herbalist, founder, co-owner.
Harald Ferlow, chartered herbalist, sales and marketing manager, co-owner.
FERLOW BOTANICALS is a Vancouver, BC, manufacturer/distributor of herbal medicinal and personal care products to health and wellness professionals and selected retailers with professionals on staff, since 1993.
It is not our intention to make any specific health claims. Any attempt to diagnose and treat illness should come under the direction of your health care practitioner.
__________
Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth
by Environmental DefenceThe Canadian government needs to clean up the Tar Sands, or shut them down. That's the message Environmental Defence took to Ottawa in February.
Joined by representatives of two First Nation communities living downriver of the Tar Sands, Environmental Defence released a report that highlights the environmental and health consequences of the Tar Sands, including:
-- toxic tailings ponds, visible from space, are seeping into the region's groundwater, and pollution is rising in the Athabasca River;
-- Tar Sands pollution is causing acid rain in Saskatchewan and beyond;
-- Tar Sands upgraders and refineries are creating health "sacrifice zones" in Alberta and Ontario; and,
-- supertankers as big as the West Edmonton Mall are planned for the coast of BC to take Tar Sands oil to Asia.
More at
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/reports/tarsands....
__________
EPA to Rid of Clean Air Standards for Factory Farms
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments until March 27, 2008 on its proposal to eliminate clean air standards for factory farms. Federal laws currently require industry of any type to report hazardous substances they are spewing into the atmosphere, but according to the EPA, factory farms, should no longer have to do that. The EPA's proposal doesn't even attempt to hide its reasoning behind this decision. Instead, it simply says these landmark exemptions should be made "to reduce the burden on the regulated community."
Learn more and send a message at
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.js...