Monday, May 19, 2014

Gelsemium: Homeopathic Medicine Effects on Human Genes

Homeopathic Medicine Effects on  Human Genes
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/14/104

Professors at two leading Italian universities conducted research on Gelsemium, a popular homeopathic medicine, and found it to influence genetic expression associated with nerve cells, whether the dose was 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C, 9C, or 30C.  Drug companies use these tests Samuel May 2014 Care Planto determine which drug can influence certain genes. This study verifies the deep physiological effect that homeopathic nanodoses have been found to influence. This research destroys the assumptions of the deniers of homeopathy that these nanodoses do not or cannot have significant physiological effects.

Abstract

Background

Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium s.) is a traditional medicinal plant, employed as an anxiolytic at ultra-low doses and animal models recently confirmed this activity. However the mechanisms by which it might operate on the nervous system are largely unknown. This work investigates the gene expression of a human neurocyte cell line treated with increasing dilutions of Gelsemium s. extract.

Methods

Starting from the crude extract, six 100 × (centesimal, c) dilutions of Gelsemium s. (2c, 3c, 4c, 5c, 9c and 30c) were prepared according to the French homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 24 h to test dilutions, and their transcriptome compared by microarray to that of cells treated with control vehicle solutions.

Results

Exposure to the Gelsemium s. 2c dilution (the highest dose employed, corresponding to a gelsemine concentration of 6.5 × 10-9 M) significantly changed the expression of 56 genes, of which 49 were down-regulated and 7 were overexpressed. Several of the down-regulated genes belonged to G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways, calcium homeostasis, inflammatory response and neuropeptide receptors. Fisher exact test, applied to the group of 49 genes down-regulated by Gelsemium s. 2c, showed that the direction of effects was significantly maintained across the treatment with high homeopathic dilutions, even though the size of the differences was distributed in a small range.

Conclusions

The study shows that Gelsemium s., a medicinal plant used in traditional remedies and homeopathy, modulates a series of genes involved in neuronal function. A small, but statistically significant, response was detected even to very low doses/high dilutions (up to 30c), indicating that the human neurocyte genome is extremely sensitive to this regulation.

Background

Gelsemium sempervirens (Gelsemium s.), also called yellow jasmine, is a plant belonging to the Loganiaceae family. All parts of the plant contain the major active principle gelsemine as well as other toxic strychnine-related alkaloids, such as gelseminine and sempervirine [1-3]. In the phytotherapy literature, Gelsemium s. has been reported to show sedative, analgesic and anti-seizure properties [4,5] while in the homeopathic Materia Medica and literature, Gelsemium s. is described as a remedy for a variety of anxiety-like psychological and behavioral symptoms [6-9]. The anxiolytic, antidepressant and/or analgesic action of Gelsemium s. extracts and its purified components has been recently demonstrated in animal models [10-16]. Other reports in the literature suggest this plant species may exhibit anticancer and immune-modulating activity [17-20].

Read more here http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/14/104

 

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Monday, May 12, 2014

Coca-Cola, Pepsi Plan to Remove Controversial Beverage Additive - BVO: Brominated Vegetable Oil

Coca-Cola, Pepsi Plan to Remove Controversial Beverage Additive

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-05/coca-cola-to-remove-controversial-ingredient-from-its-beverages

 

By Duane D. Stanford May 06, 2014

Coca-Cola Co. (KO:US), the world’s largest beverage maker, plans to remove brominated vegetable oil from all its U.S. drinks by the end of this year, abandoning an ingredient that has been targeted by food activists.

The additive, known as BVO, will be taken out of both ready-to-drink beverages and fountain-machine formulas, Coca-Cola spokesman Josh Gold said in a statement yesterday. BVO is used as a stabilizer in drinks like Powerade, helping prevent ingredients from separating. PepsiCo Inc. (PEP:US), after removing BVO from Gatorade last year, said that it too is replacing the additive in the rest of its lineup.

BVO has drawn criticism on social media and online forums such as Change.org, where Sarah Kavanagh, a teenager from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, garnered thousands of signed petitions lobbying against it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lets drink companies use BVO at up to 15 parts per million, though the agency dropped it from its “Generally Recognized as Safe” list of food ingredients in 1970.

Health concerns about BVO stem from its use of bromide, the element found in brominated flame retardants, according to the Mayo Clinic. Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, will switch to using sucrose acetate isobutyrate or glycerol ester of rosin -- either alone or in combination.

Chewing Gum

“Glycerol ester of rosin is commonly found in chewing gum and beverages, and SAIB has been used in beverages for over 14 years,” Gold said in the statement. “All of our beverages, including those with BVO, are safe and always have been -- and comply with all regulations in the countries where they are sold. The safety and quality of our products is our highest priority.”

Two varieties of Coke’s Powerade sports drink -- fruit punch and strawberry lemonade -- have already transitioned to glycerol ester of rosin, Gold said.

On Change.org, Kavanagh says she started her campaign after learning that BVO has been banned in Europe and Japan and became more concerned when she learned the ingredient was in drinks sold at her school.

At PepsiCo, BVO has been used in Mountain Dew and Amp Energy drinks, in addition to Gatorade.

“We regularly evaluate our formulas and ingredients to ensure they comply with all regulations and meet the high quality standards our consumers expect,” Jeff Dahncke, a spokesman for the Purchase, New York-based company, said in a statement. “We removed BVO from Gatorade in 2013 in response to our consumers and since that time we have been actively working to remove it from the rest of our product portfolio.”

 

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Watch New Videos on the Dangers of Fluoride in Water, Toothpaste, Dental work

Please view new videos posted at this link www.homeopathyforwomen.org/fluoride.htm to learn more about the many dangers of fluoride.

The Dangers Of Fluoride In Drinking Water
(5:18 minutes)

Fluoride - The Hard To Swallow Truth
(21:14 minutes)

Dangers of Fluoride Video
"The Great Culling: Our Water" Official Full Movie (1:32)
(1 hour 32 minutes)

If you are using fluoride toothpaste, STOP. 

·        Buy and use only toothpaste and mouthwash that is FLUORIDE FREE. 

·        Tom’s of Maine – they carry this and it is available in most drug stores.

·        Look on the internet for other brands.

If you are drinking fluoridated water, STOP. 

·        Buy, drink, cook with water that is FLUORIDE FREE. 

·        Find out for sure if your city water IS fluoridated.

·        Install a water filter in your home that removes fluoride if your city water supply is fluoridated.

·        Do research to be sure your water filter gets rid of the fluoride, not all do.

If you are or were getting fluoride dental treatments, STOP. 

·        Refuse fluoride treatments for your children.

·        Find a holistic dentist.