Vitamin B17 is extracted from apricot kernel and has made a reputation as one of the most powerful alternative-cancer therapies. The Food and Drug Association has not approved all supplements that claim to cure cancer based on this nutrition. Besides apricot kernels there are other food sources that contain this vitaminic element: bitter almonds, barley, bamboo shoots, blackberries, flax seeds, lentils, cashews, cranberries, strawberries, gooseberries, brown rice, walnuts, raspberries, spinach and lots of others.

At the moment, vitamin B17 preserves its reputation for the prevention of cancer, and the most common remedy extracted from it is Laetrile. Lots of doctors and clinics now offer Laetrile as part of their anti-cancer treatment. It seems that this modern day medical practice has deeper roots in traditional Chinese medicine. Masters of traditional Chinese medicine used apricot seeds to make teas for the treatment of throat tumors, infections and ulcers. This nutrition element is not inactivated by heating, nevertheless, anyone can consume fresh seeds. They taste quite pleasantly, and you just have to buy some fresh apricots to get kernels too.

Studies indicate that vitamin B17 does not prevent the DNA changes that transform normal cells into tumorous cells. It actually prevents the spread of the cancer once it has appeared in the body system. After treatments with this vitaminic element, tumors have been reported to shrink in size even if the cancer has not disappeared completely. Moreover, there is reliable evidence that this element can relieve the symptoms and prolong the life of cancer sufferers. Despite the controversies related to cancer and its treatment, doctors continue to consider alternative therapies useful and supportive.

This means that the anti-cancer treatment with vitamin B17 has received quite a lot of negative publicity. Almond seeds are non-toxic, and they do not represent a threat to your health in any way, nevertheless, there have been cases when the association with high dosages of vitaminic element C has led to cyanide poisoning. The relevant thing here is that you should not self-treat for serious conditions like cancer. A balanced, non-toxic diet that can include foods with a high content of vitamin B17 can help a lot, but it is imperative that you follow your doctor’s orders.

For healthy people, vitamin B17 should not be supplemented. The quantity we take from food is enough to help the body function optimally. Stick to a balanced lifestyle, a healthy diet and lots of physical exercises and you have all chances of being safe from chronic disease.

Breastfeeding is the act of naturally feeding an infant with milk produced in the mother’s breast. This has unlimited amounts of benefits for the baby not only breast milk is healthier but the action of feeding the child is a moment of love in which the baby learns to bond, smell and caress with the mother as she gives nourishment and affection. Without a doubt breast milk is the best food for a newborn, nothing comes even closer to provide all the nutrients that the baby will need later in life. Breast milk is much easier to digest then any formula in the market, at the same time it provides protection against infections, prevents future food allergies, helps the growth of healthy teeth, and most important it improves brain development. Studies had shown that breastfed babies are more intelligent than formula fed babies.

However, many mothers stop breastfeeding after the third or fourth month switching to formula and later to cow’s milk, this certainly robs the baby of the special qualities that breast milk offers. Infants that stop nursing before the forth month are at risk of developing asthma, food and respiratory allergies, intestinal bacteria, and oral weaknesses (poor teeth development).

Sometimes a mother can not breastfed her baby due to a number of reasons, such as, low quality of milk, breast pain, infection, etc. That’s when herbs come into play, many midwifes have used them for years to improve quality and quantity of milk, to fight infection and much more, take a look at the following conditions and the natural ways to treat them.

Low quality or quantity of milk

Low quality of milk can be cause by medications or a poor diet, many antibiotics contaminate the milk and a diet high in caffeine may cause colics and sleeping problems for the baby it is very important the the mother keeps eating a well balance diet after giving birth, and preferably foods with no traces of pesticides these poisons become highly concentrated in the milk.

The use of a breast pump may inhibit the production of milk, lowering the amount available to the baby, this gives the false idea that the infant should be change to formula in order for him to be satisfied, when in fact the problem is the quantity of milk that the mother is producing.

Herbs can help with both of these common problems.

We recommend

- Eat alfalfa or take it in capsules, it stimulates lactation, improves quality and quantity of milk.

- Chaste tree Increases flow of milk, by affecting pituitary’s prolactin secretion.

- Chinese use an herb called codonopsis to increase lactation and strengthen the blood.

- Goat’s rue this herb is been used by midwifes for hundreds of years to improve breast milk production by as much as 50 %.

- Vervain encourages milk secretion and flow, it also increases absorption of nutrients from food and helps with postpartum depression.

- Milk thistle promotes production of milk and decreases pesticide residues in breast and milk.

TIP: Did you know that tight bras may stop the milk production and cause plugged ducts?.

- Cumin helps increase milk production.

- Caraway, aniseed, dill, and fennel promote flow of best milk. It can be taken in form of teas or infusion.

- If you are prone to chills while breastfeeding and have poor quality of milk use calcarea.

Engorgement

Breast engorgement is a very common problem that start affecting the mother in the first two or three weeks after delivery and is more annoying to women with poor skin elasticity. Engorgement is due to milk excessively filling the breast together with blood and fluid retention in the same area.

Usually the breast feels full, hard, tight, tender, painful, the breast feels hot to the touch and a fever may develop, the baby may have a hard time to latch on and suck.

We recommend

- Take a handful of Confrey leaves and steam them for a few minutes wrapped in a gauze and placed on the breast are very helpful relieving engorgement.

- Take the homeopathic remedy Belladonna 6X.

- Soak a towel in hot water and place it on the breast ten minutes before feeding.

- Poke root reduces swollen breast and pain. Use under doctor supervision.

- Elder is used to reduce swelling of engorged breast.

- Chamomile help control inflamed breast.

- Give your baby frequent feeds on both breast 10 to 15 minutes each.

- Use a pump to extract milk between feedings to control engorgement.

- Massage the breast while feeding to help milk flow easily.

- Mix 2 quarts of boiling water.

- tsp. of vitex berries. 2 tsp. of blessed thistle leaves. 1 tsp. of nettle leaves. 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seed. 1/2 tsp. anise seed. Let it steep for 30 minutes, strain and drink 2 cups a day.

- Bryonia reduces swollen and hard breasts.

- Pulsatilla and calcarea is very helpful reducing the size and hardness of engorged breasts.

- When the production of milk is excessive and produces engorgement a cold compress using peppermint oil should be used.

- A compress of marshmallow and slippery elm often reduces engorgement.

Plugged duct

This is a problem that occurs when the baby does not empty the breast completely on each feeding, the milk remaining in the duct hardens and blocks the duct eventually plugging it. Tight bras can cause plugged ducts as well. If the breast feels sore
it might be a sign of plugged ducts. A plugged duct should be taking care of as soon as possible, if not so it can develop into Mastitis.

We recommend

- Castor oil helps with inflammation and pain.

- Elder is used to reduce swelling of plugged breast ducts.

- Queen’s delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels, stimulates white blood cells to react to infection.

- Check your nipples everyday, if you see dry milk on them or dark dots remove them with a cotton and warm water and feed your child as soon a s possible from that breast.

- Place the baby in different positions every time, this will ensure that all ducts are being used.

- Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the shower.

- Massage the breast in the direction of the nipple to try to get the milk to come out. Mastitis

Mastitis is a condition that results when a plugged duct becomes infected, the breast swells due to a bacteria that enters through tinny cracks on the nipples. The breast infected with mastitis becomes red and painful with pus secretion other symptoms are fever, fatigue, vomiting or nausea.

We recommend

- Take poke root this helps mastitis. Use under doctor supervision.

- Queen’s delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels, stimulates white blood cells to react to infection.

- Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the shower.

- Elder is used to reduce swelling of breast infected with mastitis.

- Rest as much as you can.

- Drink lots of water or alfalfa juice.

- Coat your nipples with breast milk after feeding.

- There are antibiotics that are safe for nursing mothers and their babies, see your doctor if your case is very severe. However we recommend that you try to avoid antibiotic as much as you can.

- Wash your hands before and after feeding, to prevent bacteria contamination.

- Dandelion is very helpful and popular herb to treat mastitis.

- The chinese use gentian to cure mastitis.

- Madder root is useful in relieving mastitis.

Cracked nipples

Cracked nipples can develop when the baby is being position wrongly or by using damp breast pads. The nipple becomes irritated, redBusiness Management Articles, and painful in some cases bleeding may develop.

- Calendula cream will soothe and encourage the healing of cracked nipples and is safe for the baby to swallow.

- The homeopathic remedy called chamomilla helps heal cracked nipples.

- The homeopathic remedy called pulsatilla helps heal cracked nipples.

- Sulfur is also helpful for cracked nipples.

- Apply vitamin E to sore and cracked nipples.

Most of the supplements available in the market do not fall under the category of toxin free fish oil. They contain harmful chemicals like arsenic, mercury, lead, PCBs, etc. Therefore, you have to be very careful while choosing the best supplement. Toxin free fish oil can do wonders and an impure one can be hazardous to the health.

Before going into the details of selection of impurity free fish oil, let us first understand the reason of the toxicity present in them.

As we know, these supplements are nothing but soft gels containing oil extracted from healthy and oily fish like hoki, tuna, mackerel, salmon, etc. If the fish have impurities, obviously the oil derived from them is also tainted.

Because of the humankind, with shipping lines, agriculture, and industrial waste dumping in to the ocean waters, fish also accumulate harmful chemicals and toxins along with omega3 fats. You will be shocked to know that toxicity in fish is so high that there are many government warnings against eating too much fish.

Therefore, emerges the need of pure and well-refined supplements.

Molecular distillation is the only refining process known to humankind that can filter out all the unwanted and harmful chemicals from the oil. Through this process, all the impurities are filtered out based on their molecular weight. This process ensures that the product is of pharmaceutical grade and is good for human consumption.

This process is very expensive and to increase their profit margins, many manufactures opt to skip this most needed refining process. As a result, market today has many sub-standard supplements too. These supplements have very high percentages of toxins and their consumption can result in mercury poisoning, upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, headache, etc.

On the other words, toxin free fish oil helps you reap the maximum benefits of omega3 fatty acids. Pure supplement keeps heart healthy, blood pressure under control, and reduces cholesterol levels. It prevents mood swings and anxiety and depression bouts. It helps in proper growth and development of various body organs like brain, eyes, nervous system, etc.

You can check the toxicity in a supplement by looking at the COA (Certificate of Analysis) published by the manufactures. It clearly specifies the amount of impurities oil has.

First off all i would like to give you a brief explanation about what is a boil. It is another name used to describe a boil is a skin abscess, but basically it’s just an infection deep in the skin. I like to describe a boil as being a really big zit because that’s what it looks like. Below are several different types of boils:

Cystic acne—An abscess that forms when the oil ducts become infected or clogged. This type of boil is found mostly on the face and primarily effects teenagers.

Furuncle or carbuncle—An abscess of the skin caused by Staphylococcus aureus. This type of boil may cause a fever or chills.

Pilonidal cyst—This abscess is usually found in the crease of the buttocks. People who sit a lot or travel over long distances, like a truck driver, are more prone to getting this kind of boil.

Hidradenitis suppurativa—This is when you have multiple boils that form in the arm pits and groin area and are associated with the sweat glands.

Why do we get boils? The most common cause is believed to be clogged sweat glands or hair follicles that become infected. It is also possible for a scratch or any other break in the skin to become infected and turn into a boil. Believe it or not, an ingrown hair can cause a boil. People with compromised or suppressed immune systems are more likely to get boils. That includes people with diabetes. Medications can also suppress the immune system—especially cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone and medications used by cancer patients.

How to cure boils naturally? If you have been searching the Internet for information on how to cure boils, you probably found that most Websites recommend that you go to your doctor and be put on antibiotics. I think that’s a bit radical when most boils can be effectively cured at home. If, however, after you have tried to cure the boil yourself, but it doesn’t work, then go to your doctor immediately. Below are three natural cures you can try:

Turmeric—Turmeric taken internally can help dissolve and heal boils in as little as three days. It has anti-inflammatory and blood purifying effects on the body. Just take one teaspoon of turmeric powder in warm water three times a day or buy turmeric in capsule form and take at least 450 mg each day. You can also make a paste out of the turmeric powder and place it directly on the boil and cover it with gauze. Be careful as turmeric can stain your skin and your clothes. The stain on your skin will go away in about two weeks.

Tea Tree Oil—Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic that is able to help in the healing of all kinds of skin problems. All you have to do is apply one drop of tea tree oil directly on the boil each morning after bathing until it’s gone.

Castor Oil—Put some Castor oil on a cotton ball and place it on the boil. You will need to secure it with gauze or a band-aid. Castor oil will draw the poison right out of the boil and can heal it in as little as two days.

There are other remedies that I did not mention as I felt the three above were the best. Some other remedies are iodine, a paste made out of baking soda or you can take an Epsom salts bath.

Consuming antioxidant vitamins and minerals from supplements has been declared to protect skin cells from free-radical damage induced by overexposure to ultraviolet light and various harmful environmental chemicals. A properly designed high-potency multivitamin and mineral which is fortified with optimal levels of specific antioxidant vitamins and minerals can help protect the skin from free-radical damage.

Calcium plays a big role of mineral for women. It contributes to the health of our bones, teeth, hormonal balance and our skin. Foods rich in calcium are milk and milk products, including cheese, broccoli, soy products, and sardines. Potassium. helps the skin stay healthy and to regenerate new cells. It can found in potatoes, bananas, whole grains and green leave. Read the rest of this entry »