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ENZYMES ARE IMPORTANT -- Simply stated, enzymes keep us alive! They are our "biochemical agents of life." These unique proteins are essential components of over 90 trillion cells, composing every tissue of every organ in our body. Without them, very few of our essential metabolic processes would even take place. They regulate the digestion of our food, the production of energy, the production of hormones and other important body secretions, and the destruction of foreign substances. Even the process of phagocytosis, an important activity of the immune system in protecting us from deadly bacterial infections, involves enzyme action. In short, maintaining adequate enzyme levels in our bodies is critical. Supplementing with enzymes is just as important, if not more so, than with multivitamins. See http://www.aomega.com/ahs/s6141b.htm for more information.

TALK WITH PHARMACIST CAN HELP -- A "one-on-one" with the pharmacist can help patients cut down on medication errors, a study shows. In the study of 187 elderly participants, pharmacists came to local churches to discuss the how-to's of proper drug protocols. Following the sessions at which they got information and asked questions, the participants took fewer medications and had fewer drug-related problems, said Gerald Cable, study co-author and clinical assistant professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University. "We were not surprised at the extent of correctable medication problems we found," he said. "However, we were surprised that the participants were so willing to talk with us about these problems." More than half had kept medication past its expiration date, and nearly half reported experiencing adverse drug reactions. Each year in the United States, incorrect use of medicine is tied to one out of six hospital admissions, one out of four nursing home admissions, a quarter of all malpractice lawsuits, half of all medication failures, and 2.5 million medical emergencies. Programs such as the one tested in the study could cut drug-related errors and costs in half, the authors concluded. The study appears in the "American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy."

FYI -- Did you know that vitamin pills and powders can cause nausea, heartburn, and other gastric disturbances, especially when taken on an empty stomach? You should consider taking vitamins after a meal, with food in your stomach.

HOME REMEDY FOR AGE SPOTS -- Cut a lemon wedge and hold directly on spot for ten minutes. Rinse with warm water. Repeat this step every day until the spots lighten or vanish altogether!

CAFFEINE JOLT -- In a small study, Canadian researchers have found the caffeine "jolt" people receive from coffee or other beverages seems to diminish with regular use - meaning they need more of the substance over time to maintain the effect. Researchers studied 15 males and six females with a mean age of 32. All were physically active, 13 were regular caffeine users and eight were considered non-users. The subjects rode exercise bicycles until reaching exhaustion - 80 percent of their maximum oxygen consumption - after taking either 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight of caffeine or a placebo. Exercise to exhaustion was completed once a week at one-hour, three-hour, or six-hour intervals after taking caffeine or placebo. Although caffeine improved time to exhaustion for all the subjects, sometimes by as much as 28 minutes, the subjects who did not use caffeine regularly showed the greatest improvement.

FYI -- Over 100 different viruses can cause colds but just a few different viruses cause the flu every year. That is why it is possible to have a vaccine to prevent flu but not common colds.

HONEY MAY FIGHT CHOLESTEROL -- Researchers have some honeyed words for spinach-haters who want to take advantage of the leafy green vegetable’s health benefits without paying the price of eating it. Honey, it turns out, contains about the same level of plaque-fighting antioxidants as spinach, researchers reported at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. In fact, the five-week study of 25 men between 18 and 68 indicates the range of antioxidants in honey is comparable to that in apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries. An analysis of the volunteers’ blood suggests drinking a mixture of water and honey, about four tablespoons per 16-ounce glass, can improve the antioxidant levels in the blood, said Nicki Engeseth of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who conducted the study. That means the sticky sweet stuff may have the potential to protect against heart disease, she said. "It looks like honey is having a mild protective effect," Engeseth said. However, this should not be taken as an excuse to avoid fruits and vegetables, she cautioned. Antioxidants, organic substances such as vitamin E or beta carotene, are thought to counteract the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues that have been implicated in a variety of diseases and aging.

FOODS AND HAY FEVER -- If you suffer from hay fever, your allergy symptoms can get worse if you drink chamomile tea or eat honeydew melon, cantaloupe, bananas, cucumber, zucchini, and watermelon. The problem is a chemical similarity between proteins in the foods and the allergy-stimulating proteins in ragweed pollen, the allergen that sets off hay fever symptoms. This cross-reaction, called "oral allergy syndrome," can trigger itching and tingling of the mouth, lips, throat, and ears.

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR HAY FEVER -- Stinging nettle plant (Urtica dioica) is known to relieve hay fever symptoms quickly in most people. Take one or two capsules of the freeze dried extract of the leaves every two to four hours as needed. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid from buckwheat and citrus fruits, also can help if you start taking it a week or two before the pollen seasons begins. Take a 400 mg tablet twice a day between meals throughout hay fever season.

FAMILY HISTORY & ALCOHOL TOLERANCE -- People with a family history of alcoholism tend to develop a tolerance for alcohol that requires them to drink more to feel the same effects, Indiana University researchers report. In a laboratory experiment, subjects from alcoholic families initially reported feelings more intoxicated than subjects from non-alcoholic families. But those in the alcoholic group quickly adapted and their reports of intoxication began to parallel the other subjects. "This suggests that the development of tolerance may maintain or increase drinking in people with a family history of alcoholism," researchers said. "In other words, they imbibe more to maintain the same effects." The study differed from earlier research because it used a method called the "breath-alcohol level clamp" to keep breath-alcohol levels constant throughout the experiment.

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WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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** Q & A #1:

What can I do to swallow pills more easily?

Swallowing pills is more of an emotional or mental problem than a physical one. Think about the big bites of certain foods you take on with no problem whatsoever - much bigger than any pill you will ever take. Nevertheless, some people do have trouble. Many individuals have found a good drink of water or other liquid right before taking the pills, helps a great deal. Another little trick is to drink out of a soda bottle - it helps create a sucking action that helps you swallow your pills.

** Q & A #2:

Just what is earwax and how do you get rid of it?

You cannot get rid of earwax and the best bet my be to just leave it alone. Earwax is usually liquid and drains out by itself. This natural secretion filters out dust and keeps your ears clean. If you are constantly digging into your ears with cotton swabs (or anything else), which could also be dangerous to your hearing, you are just packing down the wax and jamming it up against your eardrum. Sometimes, wax builds up and hardens, affects your hearing, or makes your ears ring or feel stuffy. Kids sometimes develop this problem because they produce a lot of earwax (it seems to taper off as they get older). You can use home treatment for excess earwax, but do not try this if you have ear pain, ear discharge, your eardrum might have a hole in it, or your child has ear tubes. Soften and loosen wax with warm mineral oil. Place 2 drops of warmed (to body temperature) oil in the ear twice a day for 1 or 2 days. Cold and hot fluids can cause pain and dizziness. Once wax is loose and soft, a warm, gentle shower will usually wash it out. Direct the water towards your ear; then tip your head to let the wax drain out. If the oil and showering do not work, use an over-the-counter wax softener, followed by gentle flushing with an ear syringe and a warm solution each night for a week. "Ear candles" are a questionable treatment for earwax. Directions say to put a special, hollow candle in your ear and light it. The slight suction this creates is supposed to draw out earwax. Ear specialists cringe at the thought of yet another thing poked into the ears with good reason. Hazards of ear candle use include dripping hot candle wax into your ear, scraping your ear canal, injuring your eardrum or poking a hole in it, and torching your hair. If you are going to use an ear candle, know the risks and follow the directions scrupulously. Remember, doing less or nothing about earwax is usually best.

** Q & A #3:

A pet store owner told me I can get a breed of dog that will not trigger my allergies. Is one breed better than another?

There appears to be a major dog allergen found primarily in the sebaceous glands in the skin of dogs. The allergen is very sticky and clings to shed skin and hair. The animal's hair is the carrier, not the source. Every dog breed that exists shares this allergen. All other warm-blooded animals with fur or hair - rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, horses and cats - produce similar allergens. When animal hair is shed on sofas or carpets, humans pick up the dander when they come in contact with it. I hear people say, "Well, my dog does not bother me, but my brother's does." It is hard to determine how much of this is real and how much is perceived, but there is a minor difference between dog breeds. Chihuahuas have a lesser amount of the allergen and Golden Retrievers have more. But this is only because one is small and the other quite large. No breed is entirely free of the allergen. Theoretically, you could wrap your dog in plastic, leaving its head exposed, to eliminate the effects of allergens, but that is not at all practical. You could get a certain breed to try it out, but it is hard to give up a pet once it lives with you. The best solution is to avoid owning dogs if you find you are allergic to them.

** Q & A #4:

What can I do to get a good night's sleep, other than taking sleeping pills?

Start early in the evening to get ready. Do the best you can to begin your relaxation at dinner time. Read, take a warm bath, listen to relaxing music, and visualize a restful sleep. Above all, do not take work to bed with you - address it in the morning, not when you are trying to relax and get quality sleep. As you lay in bed, take several deep and slow breaths, one after another, while paying attention to the movement of your breath. Concentrate on anything pleasant to you. Believe it or not, the old-fashioned act of drinking a glass of warm milk is helpful as well.

** Q & A #5:

What are some simple things I can do to make my meals more healthy?

Watch your total caloric intake. Eat fruits and vegetables first. Focus on the lean parts of any meat you eat. Do not drink excessive liquids during the meal. Eat slowly and chew well. Eat real butter, not margarine. Avoid synthetic fats during cooking. Do not overcook your vegetables. Include plenty of garlic and parsley when you can. Remember, good red wine contains healthful OPCs while white wine does not. Serve a good relish tray with lots of raw veggies. Remember those good carotenoids in yellow and orange vegetables like squash and carrots. Eat your meals as early in the day as you can and take a pleasant walk in the afternoon.

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THE HERBAL CORNER

Natural Aquaretic, with Anti-Microbial
and Anti-inflammatory Properties!

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European Goldenrod is a perennial often found along roadsides and in open fields with single woody stems that grow to heights of 3 to 7 feet. Its yellow flowers, which generally appear in August and September, are only about 1-inch wide but come in profuse clusters. Leaves alternate between toothed and smooth edges. Because goldenrod has an unusual ability to crossbreed with other plants, there are at least 130 recognizable species of goldenrod in the United States alone. This herb is native to Europe and has spread to Asia, the Azores, and both North and South America.

Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod does not cause hay fever. Its pollen grains, which are meant to be carried by insects, are much heavier than those of ragweed and other plants with airborne pollens that may be associated with allergies or hay fever. The above ground parts of the plants are dried and used for medicinal purposes.

Historically, Goldenrod, also called European Goldenrod, has been used topically for wound healing; in fact, the name Solidago means "to make whole." Today, goldenrod is primarily used as an aquaretic agent, meaning that it promotes the loss of water from the body (as compared to a diuretic, which promotes the loss of both water and electrolytes such as salt). It is used frequently in Europe to treat urinary tract inflammation and to prevent or treat kidney stones. In addition to wound healing, goldenrod has traditionally been used externally to relieve inflammation of the mouth and throat. It may also ease the pain and inflammation of arthritis.

The ability of goldenrod to flush water from the body, combined with its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, makes it useful for a wide range of conditions including:

• Inflammation of the bladder or urinary tract
• Kidney stones
• Influenza
• Upper respiratory congestion
• Arthritis
• Periodontal disease
• Some gastrointestinal disorders

Goldenrod may be taken in a variety of forms, including tea, tincture, or fluid extract. Goldenrod is generally considered safe and has no known negative side effects. However, you should not use this herb if you have impaired heart or kidney function. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consult with your physician before taking any medication, including herbs. There are no scientific reports to date about the use of Goldenrod in children.

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In order to obtain all the nutrients from the foods you eat, you need a properly functioning digestive system. Proper digestion of your meals relieves discomfort from overeating and naturally aids in preventing symptoms of improper digestion such as gas, bloating, burping, heartburn, bowel and stomach irritation, and indigestion. DIGESTIVE FORMULA from Life Plus is a unique, two-phase digestive aid which contains those enzymes and special buffering agents that support proper digestion in both the stomach and intestines. It is not a drug but an all-natural nutritional formulation that may also prove effective for those who suffer from IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, and other similar problems. DIGESTIVE FORMULA is safe and effective and just about everyone can benefit in some way by using this product. DIGESTIVE FORMULA is blended into a proprietary "PhytoZyme Base" which provides additional phytonutrients and plant enzymes to ensure maximum bioavailability. DIGESTIVE FORMULA is featured on our web site at http://www.aomega.com/ahs/d6122a.htm

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