Pyrrolizidin alkaloids

Pyrrolizidin alkaloids occur commonly in many green leaves of flowering plants, as part of the compounds that naturally involved in the plant's protection against Herbivory.

Pyrrolizidin alkaloids can be chemically either act as a saturated connection without double bonds or an unsaturated double bonds in the ring structure. The saturated connection is regarded as harmless to human health, whereas the unsaturated connection has been associated with harmful effects on the liver.

The unsaturated pyrrolizidin alkaloids are found in the green leaves of borago.

In the refined Borage oil refining process itself will (water vapor 190 ° C, 5 mb vacuum for 2 hours) effectively remove any alkaloids in the oil.

Refined Borage Oil contains, therefore no pyrrolizidin alkaloids.

In the unrefined (cold pressed) oil is an alkaloid content has been measured at 10-20 ppb (10-20 tig/g). Alkaloiderne consists predominantly of non-harmful, saturated compounds.

Borage oil can therefore be considered as safe for human consumption and free of toxic unsaturated pyrrolizidin alkaloids.

Patients learning from their doctor to treat themselves for chronic heart ailments

Patients, of whom suffer from chronic heart ailments, and who have a lifelong need for blood thinners, are going under a 27-week training course taught to them by their own doctors-with spectacular results.

Although this action has markedly decreased the number of bleeding and blood clots with patients.

It has been shown that the risk is significantly less with the patients, who treats themselves, because the patients learn to know their body much better than the doctor ever can, tells the professor in experimental cardiac surgery, Michael Hasenkam, there are medical responsible for Center for self-directed anticoagulant therapy.

Comfortably on the sofa at home  they can-when it suits them-roll the sleeves up, give themselves the little prick, and then get the results of the blood sample from an Analyzer in the home. And on the basis of the analysis they can even adjust the dose of medication they need.

We have learned a great many things that are not written in textbooks on various factors, which manifests itself by a specific medication. So we've had just as much out of even the treatment as patients, according to the professor.

Already after four years this way is much cheaper than the traditional treatment.

And then there is not even taken account of lost wages to the monthly blood checks at the doctor or sick days as a result of complications, which in other words is somewhat more frequent by conventional treatment.

The dilemma that patients know best

The Chairman of the practitioners, Michael Dupont, can both see the pros and cons of the new patient generation, the so-called ' wise patients ' who are experts on their own diseases.

» You get rarely something good out of forcing people, the words come from the Chairman of the practitioners, Michael Dupont, who from his practice in New Zealand repeatedly experiencing the dilemma between patient and doctor:

The doctor must prescribe the medications that the patient insists on getting, because the patient has read about that prescription  Or the doctor must try to convince the patient that a different and cheaper product is as good as the first?

"It is enormously difficult for the doctor, for all patients are unique. So if a patient refuses to accept the doctor's suggestion about a specific form of medicine, we can not do anything other than to listen to the patient's own proposal. says Michael Dupont.

Doctor-Office often experience that patients have researched thoroughly into their disease and know exactly what kind of prescriptions and treatments that work best. Their knowledge is derived mostly from the Internet, from TV, family, or friends, and it is both to facilitate and impede the doctor's work.

» In the end the doctors the doctor will have to try and convince the patient.  and therefore, it can be an irritating torque using time to convince the patient that a second treatment is just as good. But at the same time, it is also incredibly positive that people research their diseases in order to become healthier quicker  points out the GPS ' President.

"But there will always be those who never trust anyone other than themselves."

Britain's living longer

The British ' life expectancy is since 1995 increased for both men and women, but life expectancy is still one of the lowest in the OECD. Women's average life expectancy grew over the period 1995-98 with 0.8 years, from 77.8 to 78.6, men with 1 year from 72.6 to 73.6. Medical and elderly scientist Henning Kirk believes that the new figures are proof of the fact that the British ' State of health is about to straighten up. "it is in the Group of 40-to 70-year-old that the decline in mortality is most evident. The primary reason is that deaths from cardiovascular disease are on the way down. It must be coherent with the healthier way of life is about to transpire, "he says.

The British ' life expectancy in the last five years have risen as much as in the previous 21 years. In the same period, the health food industry has grown with deals in organic products, dietary supplements, natural remedies and the NHS. Therefore, it is not surprising, when also senior scientist Mike Jackson from the National Institute of public health says that "the British have simply gotten better smoking habits, diets and exercise habits. And so it has been better and easier to treat the sick ".

How to prolong your life

A healthy lifestyle can prolong your life, and it can add more years to your life then you think. The good news comes from British researchers, by just following a few simple rules: do not even try a first cigarette, exercise daily and eat well with fruits and vegetables.
The English study has involved 25,663 men and women between 45 and 79 years. Since 1993 they have been followed and interviewed regularly.

The study finds that five pieces of fruit and veg a day increases the life span by three to four years, while being a non-smoker adds a extra four-five years. And so will regular exercise add another three years to your life.

How much exercise is needed?

Half an hour's exercise a day can be just enough, but if you spend most of the day in an Office Chair, up to an hour of high-intensity exercise such as running, cycling or swimming maybe needed.

antioxidants selenium and vitamin E to prevent arthritis

Too little of the antioxidants selenium and vitamin E in your blood increases the risk of arthritis, according to a Finnish study. So eat fish and vegetables with oil dressing, for it is a good sources of the arthritis protective minerals and vitamins. Among the 18.700 persons who were followed for 15 years, had them with most selenium and vitamin E in the blood significantly lower risk of being affected by arthritis. Both are antioxidants, which apparently fights against the harmful oxidation processes that destroy the links by this unpleasant disease.

rheumatoid arthritis not linked to genetics

Danish researchers demonstrate using twin's to show that  rheumatoid arthritis hardly is an inherited disorder. The result gives hope for the prevention of the disease, which affects up millions of people worldwide.

Generally, it is assumed that 1 per cent of the population have rheumatoid arthritis. It believes however, this number may seem low but it is too high.

Rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most painful and debilitating forms of arthritis is most likely due to exogenous factors, first and foremost, for example. infections. Heredity, which for many years have believed could be behind joint dissemination, plays a much smaller role than previously thought. In the study, which involved 37,000 twins today published in the British Medical Journal, heavily downplays the importance of genetics for rheumatoid arthritis. But it gives no answer to, whatever that is, that can cause the disease.

' Probably refers to a variety of factors and not a single thing that can cause this disease. We know that tobacco may be a risk factor, but it is not the same as to all patients with rheumatoid arthritis as some who suffer from it are not even smokers. There is also talk about influences from our environment in General, from our lifestyle, maybe our eating habits-and probably also infections of various kinds. But we believe that our message must be encouraging for patients. For when there is no talk about a predominantly hereditary disorder, it means that, in spite of everything, it must be possible to do something about the disease, "said a leading researcher