The Skinny on Fat Hormones

Let's talk about hormones baby!  Just you and me! 

Here you are, trying to lose the fat and you just can't seem to make it go away.  Now you have tried everything, right?  From workout videos, weird contraptions, to diet pills, and even slimy creams or sticky lotions.  By now, you have spent so much money on this fat, you could have paid for you both to take a luxury spa vacation.  And if you have to do one more crunch, sit-up, push-up, etc., you will go crazy and scream.  But it still is not coming off and losing the fat becomes your New Years Resolution....again!

So what is the deal?  Well, it is your hormones.  Yes, those chemicals running loose in your body telling it what to do with all the nutrients that pass the stomach.  You see, when you were younger, you did not feel like treating your body very well.  After all, washing down a hamburger and fries with a chocolate shake sounded like an awesome way to chill with the friends on a warm afternoon.  Hell, it still does, but now you get indigestion.  What you did not realize, however, was that your body sounded the alarms when you ate like that: the shopkeepers closed for business, warriors armed with chemicals gathered in the duodenum (the opening into the small intestine) bracing themselves for the attack, rescue crews repelled off of the organs shooting streams of hormones at the greasy mess you put down your gullet.  Then, when the dust settled and nothing was left, the body returned back to normal waiting until the next attack.

What happened though, is that throughout the years, these defenses fatigue and are slowly trained to take "short cuts" when fighting against the greasy, sugary, salty, and creamy invaders.   Your body slowly turned from an organized metropolis to a lazy town.  So let me throw some science into the metaphor to explain exactly what happened and why.

The human body starts life with a very efficient metabolism.   It breaks down mother's milk into the necessary molecules in order to be processed and synthesized for growth and development, amazingly with very little waste in the end.  Unfortunately, in most cases, synthetic versions of this milk are often fed to infants which often raise blood sugar levels, activates the release of hormone dispersion at the wrong times, and leaves a lot of waste at the end.  As the child grows, the development of the endocrine system (linked to the metabolism) is based off of what is eaten, how often it is eaten, and amount of healthy physical activity.  Thus, a child with a diet of vegetables and wild game will have a much more efficient metabolism than a child grown on french fries and video games.

When a young child is developing, the hormone leptin normally suppresses the appetite (along with a whole boring sequence of chemical reactions), and the child's hunger is stabilized.   Leptin is a good hormone, it signals the brain that it has had enough to eat.  As you might have guessed, the lower the levels of leptin (or the lack of receptors on the hyptothalmus) the more hungrier you are and the more food it takes to feel full.  In breast fed infants and toddlers, the satiety is well regulated and the leptin levels remain stable.  In formula fed infants, however, the satiety is not well stabilized and may actually become resistant to leptin over time (although there no "conclusive" evidence of this in humans and I don't think the formula companies want there to be).  Another twist to this story is when there is not enough leptin produced (due to nutrient deprivation), the body also habituates this cycle, so that levels of leptin remain low.  This is bad news for adults bouncing around on low-calorie, (low nutrient) deprivation diets, because leptin (probably not your friend at the moment anyway) is now leaving the building; and consequently, if you might have guessed, leaving you defenseless against a gremlin which is making you very hungry.

This gremlin (the hormone ghrelin) is making the growling noises in your stomach.  Actually, the growling is caused by churning gasses in fluids, but hopefully you get the metaphor.  Ghrelin is leptin's complimentary partner.  While leptin is the "stick-in-the-mud" friend who discourages you from jumping off the cliff, ghrelin is the exciting friend who hands you the parachute and winks before pushing you off.  Like leptin, it is a hormone produced in the stomach by adipose tissue and linked to nutrient/energy intake.  Ghrelin is responsible for many functions such as triggering hunger, desensitizing the stomach walls, and establishing mesolimbic (brain's) responses to rewards.   While breast fed infants and toddlers learn how and when to eat according to hormone responses, formula fed infants often rely on visual/odoriferous food cues to eat.  As children grow up, ghrelin production and stability is often destroyed due to constant overeating, food rewards, and deprivation as punishments.  Often, addictions are formed early in life when rewards are given.  A classic example is when it is mandatory to clean your plate before you get dessert.  When this is repeated, ghrelin not only allows the stomach to expand past it normal capacity, but it also allows you to consume way more then what you would have; plus it stimulates action-reward response (increasing dopamine levels in the brain).  Later in life, these certain "reward" foods can trigger the release of dopamine and become habit forming.  Interestingly, ghrelin increases when stress increases, and so does the cravings for the reward foods.                          
As adults, we are well aware of stress.  Monday morning rolls around and our stress levels go through the roof.  With this, cortisol is produced.  Cortisol  is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland and is primarily the fight or flight hormone.  It increases blood sugar; metabolizes fat, proteins and carbohydrates; and suppresses the immune system.  During adolescence, the body adapts to increasing amounts of stress.  Healthy children develop coping mechanisms and establish rewarding methods of relieving copious amounts of stress.  In some cases, children are unable to develop coping mechanisms or learn appropriate skills for dealing with stress.  As the amount of stress increases, so does the amount of cortisol.  Without coping mechanisms, cortisol levels do not decrease normally.  In large amounts and long durations, cortisol is actually a dangerous hormone since it decreases bone production, increases insulin resistance, reduces collagen production, damages the hippocampus, depletes sodium and water levels, and reduces nutrient diffusion into the cells.  In the long term, cortisol increases appetite while telling the body that it needs to store fat in the abdomen and overrides insulin.

Insulin is a very important hormone.  It is secreted by the pancreas and is vital for fat and carbohydrate metabolism.  When something goes wrong with insulin production or its receptors, the body goes absolutely haywire.  Many different diseases share the root cause of unbalanced insulin, including diabetes mellitus (1 & 2), different metabolic syndromes, and other types of syndromes such as PCOS.  The pancreas releases insulin to help with the synthesis of proteins and glucose, and without going into a bunch of scientific terminology, it directs the nutrients to where they need to go.  When too much glucose enters the bloodstream, insulin directs glucose into storage cells.  Over time, those who have diets high in glucose may fatigue insulin receptors, thus causing diabetes II.  A diet high in glucose may also contribute to increased abdominal fat, hypoglycemia, high triglyceride levels, and the decrease of lipolysis (fat metabolism).

Now that you are armed with this information, you can take steps to erase years of abuse your body has tolerated.  First, it is important to start eating.  The body needs nutrients to function properly.  Taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement may be beneficial.  Balancing each meal will help restore hormone homeostasis.  Each meal should contain 2 - 3 servings of plants, 1 - 2 servings of proteins, and 1 - 2  servings of whole grains.  Herbal supplements also may be beneficial for anti-oxidant health.  Eating 4 or 5 times per day levels out blood sugar levels.  Limit high amounts of sugar and fats.

Secondly, I must include how important it is to get 8 hours of good sleep.  Seven hours is okay but eight or nine hours is great.  Sleep reduces cortisol levels and promotes hormone regulation through our circadian rhythm.  Moreover, establish routines. Eating, sleeping, and other functions on a routine creates regularity and decreases the need for the body to go in survival mode.  What also helps reduce stress is light exercise and meditation.  I recommend everyone take about an hour to do either yoga, Pilates, or stretch, then meditate afterwords.  If meditating is too difficult to do, either reading a book, needlework, or another relaxing hobby (away from TV or Computer) is great for stimulating hormone homeostasis.

Lastly, exercising is very important to promoting hormone balance.  Light to moderate cardio for 15 - 20 minutes everyday at the same time (mornings before breakfast are best) will tell the body that it is time to burn the fat in order to create energy.  A cardio workout may be as simple as taking the dogs for a walk, or hitting the gym.  I also usually recommend impact exercise to promote bone health.  This does not improve hormone homeostasis, however it helps restore bone health and reverses what years of cortisol damage has done.  Impact exercise include jumping jacks, stair running, jogging, free weights, jumping rope, punching bags, kick boxing, or martial arts.  The purpose is to lightly stress the bones and surrounding skeletal muscles in short bursts to strengthen and tone them.  Weak bones break easily and weak skeletal muscles do not support proper movement and impede structural integrity (stressing joints and ligaments leading to hyper-extensions and serious injuries).   Just 10 minutes per day can greatly improve bone health.

Even though hormones may be the reason why you can not lose the fat, there is no reason why you cannot fight the hormones.  It takes about three weeks to regulate and stabilize the hormones, perhaps a little longer depending on age, health, and body fat percentage.  Once regulated, however, you should feel more energy and experience less cravings than before.  The fat should melt off and clothes should fit better.  Most importantly, though, you will be able to teach others about what you have learned here and hopefully make a difference in somebody's life like I made in yours.
  


           

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Losing Weight, Not Calories

"I am going to lose weight" I posted on Facebook.  Almost immediately, I had gotten several responses on Calorie Reduction.  Here we go again, 'Calorie Reduction', burning more than you take in.  But does that really burn unwanted fat and leave a lean, sculpted physique in its place?  When a person says, "I want to lose weight," and they often do nowadays, what does that really mean...physiologically....biologically.....socially...?  To me, "losing weight" it is ubiquitous with losing only body fat, and then leaving toned muscles behind.  But then, in a conversation with a friend of mine, the fat is not so much the problem as the body shape itself, thus her ideal 'weight loss' is losing inches around the mid-section.  In other similar conversations with another friend of mine, his goal is to actually gain weight, and by this I took to mean muscle mass since jiggly fat is not desirable in our vein culture.  Still, for some, I tend to find that they truly mean 'weight loss', as in dropping pounds, leaving alone the body composition conundrum most of the American population tend to ignore anyways.  Then, there lies the question if starvation really leads to the weight loss goals most of us wish for (whatever the meaning is subjectively), regardless of what type of weight is actually lost.  Ergo, what does "Calorie Reduction" actually do for the body?
Let us look at the typical diet, not what the CDC recommends because I find it quite silly, but what the average American actually consumes daily.  I am just going off of what I have observed from my vast array of eclectic kin folk, however, I strongly recommend you observe your kith and kin too since cultural and societal differences may change cuisine preferences.  I have one friend who consumes about four carbonated sodas per day, stops mostly for fast food, and may consume anywhere from 2700 calories to 3400 calories per day (yet remains slim and gorgeous if you were curious).  I have several friends who tend to consume only junk food with limited nutrients, two are very slim, one is not.  Most of my friends who eat fast food more than once per day are substantially bigger than they should be.  A couple of my friends who consume pre-made frozen meals twice a day are quite thin, but frail.  I have another friend who primarily consumes her mom's home cooking, but indulges in sweet treats afterwards and is quite big because of it.  A friend of mine has two sons with the same exact diet, yet one is morbidly obese and the other could become a kite in a slight breeze. Confused?  I am.  Reality defies theory.
To make it easier on myself, I compiled a short list of what all of my friends may eat typically.  Fast food: burgers, fries, tacos, burritos, nachos, breaded meats, and fried foods.  Italian food: lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli, other various pastas.  Mexican food: enchiladas, burritos, tacos, chili rellenos, chicken quasadillas, and other authentic dishes.  BBQ food: need we say more?  Junk food: cupcakes, doughnuts, chips, and various other packaged convenient foods.  Movies: Popcorn w/butter, candy, soda pop.  Beverages: soda pop (Coke & Pepsi), fake teas (Brisk, etc.), fruit punch, sports drinks, shakes, malts, and convenient store slushies.   
The high amount of calories consumed daily should, in theory, increase body fat.  However, some of my friends are extremely overweight, some of my friends are slightly overweight, some of my friends are normal, and some of my friends are borderline underweight, despite the consistency of the average diet.  Many of my friends who have kids feed them typical processed kid food, hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, meals in a can, candy, etc.  The kids, however, vary in size and body composition.  Not surprisingly, weight issues of the parents are often reflected in the weight issues of their children.
Interestingly though, it was found that in fat rats (lab induced obese rats, of course, not your lazy boss), when their weight gain is purposely reduced, their food intake is comparable to that of their thin counterparts.  What does this mean?  Well, a fat rat can eat the same amount as a skinny rat and still be fat, even if it is less than what they ate to become fat.  This also suggests that caloric consumption is not the primary cause of obesity in all cases; more importantly, weight change itself is not dependent on energy exchange but on types of foods consumed (e.g. fats and sugars).  When fed a combination of fats and sugars, rats gained more body fat and increased plasma insulin levels than if they were fed either fats or sugars alone.  In humans, consumption of fats and sugars together is very common in processed foods.   Often baked goods and prepackaged meals have a high content of both fats and sugars together.  It is also common for people to drink a large sugary beverage with a high-fat meal, such as buttered popcorn and soda pop at the movies.   
Going back to the normal diet, different people consume different foods in conjunction with other types of foods.  At a movie theater, one may get a large soda pop with popcorn, another may decide on nachos and a water, yet another may get non-fat candy with soda pop.  Moreover, a person drinking two, three, or four sugary beverages per day may or may not have a lot of body fat, depending on their primary consumption of fats.  A link has been shown in obese people consuming a large amount of fat alone (more women than men in fact) in their normal diet, but no such definitive conclusions to large amounts of sugar intake.  Sugar is processed very differently than fats, and serve different as functions in the body.  Even more perplexing is the correlation between excess fat intake and the great amount of weight gain (overall) compared to excess carbohydrate intake and weight gain (which was considerably less) even though the calories remained the same in both groups.  And, since many of the meals we eat contain high amounts of addictive fats, carbohydrates, and sugars (regardless of calories), many of us have become considerably bigger than our ancestors only four decades ago.
Speaking of which, for decades, farmers have used these techniques to raise their livestock.  In farm animals, a high amount of carbohydrates, fats, and protein by-products are added to their feed in order to fatten them up quickly.  To speed up the process, injections of hormones increase their ability to gain more weight (often high fat to muscle ratio).  To keep them fat, farmers keep their livestock from moving around which promotes high amounts of adipose storage and loose muscle fibers.  Many culinary chefs prefer this marbling of meats over range-free (grass fed only meats) because of the product's tenderness. When livestock are unable to exercise, the metabolism becomes ineffective and the oxidation of fats (fat burning) is halted.  This combined with the surplus of hormones (the argument to whether the hormones we consume via this meat is healthy or not remains unresolved), the sedentary animal is forced to become obese very quickly.  Most animals raised for slaughter are fattened up for market in less than a year.  Cattle, swine, and poultry all are rotated quickly (yes even the sick and lame are slaughtered for consumption) to ensure the largest profit margin possible.  Fish, lamb, and the 'other' farm meats are often less industrialized, however can still exhibit signs of  synthetic fattening. 
Wrapping this all up can be tricky and I will try to make things simple to understand.  There is a lot of research I did not include for time's sake, but here is the jist of things: A)'losing weight' in and of itself is not as important as burning fat; B) decreasing caloric intake is not as important as reducing fat intake; C) avoiding meals with sugar and fat together is more effective than avoiding high-caloric foods; D) exercise after a high-fat meal increases the body's ability to burn the fat instead of storing it.  I always say, for best results, eat as naturally as possible.  Organic, whole, and fresh foods will also help you to lose weight; not so much losing pounds or inches, but body fat, which is what you really want in the end anyways.

Brownell, K, & Fairburn, C. (1995) Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook. The Guilford Press, New York, New York.

Schlosser, E. (2002) Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York.

                 

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Exercise from Two Different Standpoints

When it comes to health and nutrition, it should be straight forward: exercise regularly and eat a well balanced diet. However, there are different philosophies on the subject matter depending on the expertise and background of the professional. This is why I wanted to interview two different fitness and health instructors who hold expertise in two different backgrounds. The comparisons between the two are very interesting to say the least.

First, I interviewed an allopathic physical fitness trainer whose own training and views of fitness and nutrition come directly from the Centers of Disease Control nutrition and physical activity guidelines. Next, I interviewed a yoga instructor whose approach to complete health and nutrition stems from ancient Ayurveda traditions, where she commits to a vegan lifestyle, meditates, and emphasizes on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

In fact, that was the biggest difference I noticed between the two: the one fitness trainer focused on purely the body as a mechanism to be sculpted, while the other worked on the entire mind-body-spirit connection. This difference was seen in every aspect of their work. The allopathic fitness trainer asks her clients their goals and then creates a customized fitness plan in order for them to achieve their goals. She keeps in mind their safety, needs, and wants during each session. She advises her clients to make healthy choices as far as nutrition, and shows them exercises to do. On the other hand, the Ayurveda fitness instructor encourages her clients to do some form of exercise for a minimum of an hour at least three days per week. She encourages her clients to do any kind of activity and then build up to an hour every day. She also believes in experimentation with different forms of exercises in order to provide variety and enjoyment to the activities. She also recommended yoga as the primary exercise, especially when a person starts their program.

Why is exercise so important? Both experts agree that exercise begets health. For the allopathic fitness trainer, physical exercise is important to burn calories, increase muscle mass and stay fit. For the holistic fitness instructor, exercise, especially yoga, is for a multitude of factors including: stress relief, pain relief, deeper breathing, flexibility, increasing strength, weight management, improved circulation, cardiovascular conditioning, presence, and inner peace. When done correctly, exercise can be very beneficial to the health and well-being of every individual. However, without proper training or supervision, it is easy to hyperextend ligaments and joints, pull muscles, and even break bones. With any activity, there are risks of injury. Both instructors are trained to teach clients proper techniques and methods during their clients' workouts. Safety is of the utmost important when working with clients.

Nutritional needs of clients are just as important. The allopathic fitness trainer encourages clients to eat a healthy and well balanced diet, complete with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and dairy, and watch fat and caloric intake; the balance for maintaining weight is “calories in” and “calories out” are equal. To lose weight, it is important to decrease caloric intake while increasing caloric expenditure. Low calorie foods can often take place of higher calorie foods, especially when consuming beverages. Food journals often help to track calorie intake and exercise regimen.

The holistic fitness instructor prefers to go by a different set of dietary rules including buying organic foods when possible; buy locally grown whole foods, naturally produced, mostly raw, and minimally packaged. Consume mostly raw vegetables, only whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds , and fruits. Eat for your Ayurvedic constitutional type when possible. It is also important to stay away from processed foods, such as foods in cans and boxes, packaged with preservatives, and modified chemical composites of food. Her main points, however, were specifically foods in raw form, nothing deep fried, not cooked with olive oil, no carbonated beverages (including diet), no artificial flavors or sweeteners, no coffee or other beverages with caffeine, alcohol only in moderation, never microwave food, eat only natural and holistically derived meats, consume good fats, and eat flax seeds regularly.

One major point the holistic fitness instructor differed from the allopathic one is in the fitness of whole aspects of the being, including the mind and spirit. In allopathic physical fitness, the point is to train the body by overcoming the mental roadblocks and proving to yourself that there are no real limitations except the ones which are constructed mentally. In holistic physical fitness, it is viewed that there is an inner balance between the physical body, the mind, and the spirit. It is important, in this paradigm, to go through a mental and emotional detoxification by letting go of anger, negativity, jealousy, hatred, and hostility. It is viewed that these feelings are toxic to the mind and soul. Through the practicing of mindfulness, the thoughts and emotions absorbing life can be lifted and genuine gratitude replaces it. Positivity induces a positive lifestyle where one can thrive and flourish. Plus, through prayers and positive affirmations, this positivity can be enhanced, where thoughts actually become reality. Prayer is a very powerful tool to reunite the mind-body-spirit, reciprocate love, find inner peace, show gratitude, and heal.

So how applicable is exercising to lay people? The allopathic fitness trainer finds that some people need more motivation than others to continue with the training. Some people have to be pushed to work out, some people give excuses to why they can't work out. The clients are worked at their own pace, and that is why it is important to listen to them to plan for their wants and needs during each session. The cost can be quite reasonable depending on the facility, hours, and type of physical fitness trainer hired. When personal trainers become expensive are when they are part of an exclusive gym, or club, or require a long-term contract. Although these methods can get costly, it is always important to note that one does not need to hire a professional trainer to walk, ride a bicycle, swim, or play sports with friends.

On the flip side, the holistic fitness instructor has found that her clients do not subscribe to such a strict diet or lifestyle, however she challenges them to make baby steps toward such a healthy lifestyle. She doesn't charge for her yoga classes, and sometimes meets with people afterwords to follow up on some healthy living basics. Holistic exercise, in general, can cover a broad spectrum of exercises including, but not limited to: Qigong, T'ai chi, zero balancing, water aerobics, and yoga. Easiest way of finding a qualified instructor is to do so online. Sometimes being referred to a class by a friend is a fantastic way of starting an exercise routine. Some instructors charge more than others depending on facility and their qualifications, and if their instruction is private or not. It is important to scrutinize the instructor's qualifications to make sure they have the proper training and certifications.

Keeping this in mind for my future practice, I will need to establish a knowledge base of the variety of exercises, and specifically know the specific functions of each type of exercise so that I am able to make recommendations to my clients. Knowing which type of exercises, whether it be a type of allopathic or holistic, my client would benefit from the most is very important to establishing a lifestyle change that would last a lifetime.

Thus, I close this by saying that no one type of physical trainer or fitness instructor is better than the other. The perfect fitness instructor depends on the individual, their needs and wants, goals, budget, and even their mindset. It is important that opinions of nutrition are just that, opinions, and genuine concerns about nutritional needs should be taken up with a specialist, either allopathic or holistic. Staying healthy is important no matter what, so eating healthy, staying active, being positive, and being grateful are all necessary in achieving that goal. Achieving a healthy lifestyle through a fitness instructor can be a fun experience, but it is always important to remember that the best exercises are free.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) “Physical Activity for Everyone: How Much Physical Activity do you need?” Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) “Nutrition for Everyone.” Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/index.html

Jakicic, J; Winters, C; Lang, W; Wing, R. (1999) Effects of Intermittent Exercise and Use of Home Exercise Equipment on Adherence, Weight Loss, and Fitness in Overweight Women: A Randomized Trial [Electronic version]. JAMA. 1999;282(16):1554-1560.

Kraft, Jessica, personal communication, October 21, 2011.

Lee, I; Djousse, L; Sesso, H; Wang, L; Buring, J. (2010) Physical Activity and Weight Gain Prevention [Electronic version] JAMA. 2010;303(12):1173-1179.

Tate, Beverly, personal communication, October 22, 2011.

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Seabuckthorn in Modern Medicine

Introduction

The consumption of sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides, has come to the forefront as a popular supplement in recent years. This popular supplement, derived from the orange-yellow berries of the actinomycetes plant species, can be found in extract pill form, as well as in candies, beverages, jams, and even cosmetics, (Michel, et al, 2012). Beyond its popularity as a supplement, it has proven itself to be beneficial in medicine. In fact, H. rhamnoides has been used in many regions of Europe and Asia in traditional and folk medicines, including in the Tibetian, Mongolian, and Chinese cultures for many decades, (Guliyev, et al, 2004). With sea buckthorn's extensive amounts of nutrients, polyphenals, and a diverse amount of chemical constituents with healing properties, this herb has many potential uses in both complimentary and alternative medicine and preventative medicine alike.

Origins and ethnobotanical background

The deciduous plant itself comes from the Elaeagnaceae family, growing up to six meters in height with a thick main stock and elongated leaves attached to thin, gray branches. Leaves of the plant can grow either in cluster or alternating formation, with a light green color on top of the leaf and a shimmering gray underside. When in bloom, the heterosexual male or female plant pollinates via wind dispersion, and later bears a yellowish-orange berry which is powdered in a silver dust. The berry, when ripe, is sour to the taste with citrus notes (Guliyev, et al, 2004).

There are seven primary species in the genus Hippophae and eight subspecies exist of H rhamnoides L. Hippophae rhamnoides, Hippophae salicifolia, Hippophae tibetana, Hippophae rhamnoides L. are the most commonly known (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011).

Native to Europe, H. ramnoides is a hardy plant, grown in higher altitudes and frequently survives the bitter cold and long droughts (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). This plant can be found in many areas across Europe and Asia, including Italy, Spain, Britain, Russia, India, Turkey, and Tibet.

More recently, it was domesticated in Canada and British Columbia (Guliyev, et al, 2004).

From an ethnobotanist's perspective, H. rhamnoides has been used in traditional and folk medicines in many European and Asian cultures. Sea buckthorn was used in traditional Chinese medicine since the Tang Dynasty; Scandinavians used the plant as an agricultural necessity, providing food, medicine, veterinary care, and domestic tools; in other regions, ancient cultural uses of the plant included fencing, fodder, timber, herbal supplementation, and livestock feed (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). In Chinese medicine, sea buckthorn has been used as a cough suppressant, digestion aid, and pain reliever. In other traditional medicines the plants are used in the treatment of colitis, gastrointestinal upset, and diarrhea. The hemostatic actions of the plant made it useful in India and Tibet for aiding in pulmonary, cardiac, blood, and metabolic disorders. Other cultures have used the plant creatively for dermatological disorders and rheumatoid arthritis (Guliyev, et al, 2004).

Constituents

H. rhamnoides consists of many vitamins, bio-flavanoids, phytosterols, and fatty acids essential for human health. Many of the constituents contained within H. rhamnoides posses therapeutic actions such as immunumodulatory, hepato-protective, and antioxidant properties, (Guliyev, et al, 2004). The tiny berries are considered to be a great source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as vitamin B complex. The fruit also contains adequate amounts of riboflavin, folic acid, zinc, coumarins, triterpenes, essential fatty acids, α-carotene, β-carotene, δ-carotene, lycopene, malic acid, oxalic acid, tocopherols and polyphenolic compounds (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). H. rhamnoides contains six cyclitol isomers, neo-inositol, myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, L-chiro-inositol, scyllo-inositol, and muco-inositol (Yang, et al, 2011) The phytosterols in sea buckthorn include campesterol, clerosterol, lanosterol, sitosterol, sitostanol,α-amyrin β-amyrin, Δ⁵- avenasterol, Δ^{24(28) –} stigmastaenol, A stigmastadienol, Δ^5,24(25) - stigmastadienol, lupeol + gramisterol, Δ⁵⁷ - sitosterol, cycloartenol, cycloeucalenol, Δ⁷- avenasterol, 28 - methylobtusifoliol, 24 – methylenecycloartanol, erythrodiol, citrostadienol, uvaol, and oleanol aldehyde, (Li, et al, 2007). Of the oil found in sea buckthorn, 32.8% is palmitoleic acid, 17.3% is oleic acid, 9.1% is vaccenic acid, 9% is linoleic acid, and 3.4% is α-linolenic acid (Mathew, et al, 2011).

Impacts of geographical variations

Hippophae rhamnoides, as with any plant, may vary in physiological and physiochemical characteristics depending on a multitude of factors such as climate, weather, participation, and local variety of genotypes (Yang, et al, 2011), (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011) and (Ercisli, et al, 2007). Thorough research is constantly being conducted in order to investigate the composition and phytochemicals of the world's sea buckthorn. The research has focused on primarily the fruits and seeds, such as sterols, phenolic compounds, vitamins, minerals, tocopherols, fatty acids, and carotenoids (Yang, et al, 2011).

Hippophae rhamnoides' pharmacological and medicinal uses

Because of the H. rhamnoides ability to produce large amounts of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acid, and tannins, the fruit exhibits a high anti-pathogenic properties. The antioxidant properties exhibited in the fruit are also well noted in medicinal literature due to the berries' high amounts of ascorbic acid, carotenoids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, (Michel, et al, 2012). The oils from the berries and seeds have been shown to stabilize membrane structures and slow down the overall oxidation process in animal studies. The antioxidative effects of the seed oil decreased malondialdehyde levels and increased sialic acid both in the liver and erythrocyte membranes in rats and guinea pigs, while protecting them from cold-induced tissue damage. The oil also had increased activities of gluthathione peroxidase, Na, K-ATPase, superoxide dismutase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrase (Yang & Kallio, 2002).

Studies have also concluded that the phenolic compounds within the fruit pulp inhibit Gram- negative bacteria, prohibit tumor growth and gastric ulcers in rats, plus it has demonstrated health benefits for dermatological disorders, (Guliyev, et al, 2004).

The polyunsaturated fatty acids within the fruit offer immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activity, while the organic acids lower the risk of heart attacks, stroke prevention, anti-ulcer, anti-arthritic, and wound healing properties (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). In a double-blind, randomized, controlled study, twelve healthy, normolipidemic males between 20 and 59 years of age were asked to consume 5 grams per day of a random fatty acid blend of consisting of sea buckthorn berry oil and fractionated coconut oil for a period of 4 weeks, then separated by a 4 to 8 week washout. Out of the twelve participants, eleven completed the study. Fasting (12 hour) venous blood samples were drawn both before and after each supplementation equaling four samples per participant. The blood samples were centrifuged and then analyzed. It was concluded at the end of the study that the oil influenced platelet aggregation, especially aggregation induced by adenosine-5'-diphosphates (Johansson, et al, 2000).

Sea buckthorn extracts have shown to provide hepatoprotective activity, including the leaves and seed oil. In studies using CCI₄ induced hepatic damage in animals, the constituents in the leaves, such as myricetin and quercetin were shown to significantly protect the liver from further damage from CCI₄ induced hepatic damage (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011).

The tocopherols within the fruit acts as an anti-oxidant, minimizes lipid oxidation, and reduces pain (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). The majority of the tocopherols and tocotienols in H. rhamnoides are found in the fruit and seeds, 10 – 150 mg/kg and 100 – 300 mg/kg respectfully (Yang & Kallio, 2002). Other antioxidant compounds, such as carotenoids, also aid in cardiovascular health, decreasing the development of atherosclerosis, and increasing HDL cholesterol levels. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel design study, sea buckthorn juice was administered to thirty non-smoking males with history of cardiovascular disease and either hematological, hepatic, renal, diabetes, or hormonal dysfunction for an 8-week period. Blood samples were obtained from each participant after a 12 hour fast; tests were conducted on the samples, including LDL oxidation analysis, sICAM-1 measurments, and plasma lipid levels. Of the thirty participants, twenty completed the eight-week study. Although there was no observable changes in LDL cholesterol following the trial, there was increases in plasma TAG and HDL-C levels in the group taking the sea buckthorn juice (Eccleston, et al, 2002).

Carotenoids are known for their ability to help with collagen synthesis and epithelialization (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). The concentration of carotenoids are found in the fruits, as well as a lesser concentration in the seeds. The amount of β-carotene is highest in pulp oil, 100 – 500 mg/100g; and are the lowest in fresh berries, 1 to 120 mg/100g (Yang & Kallio, 2002).

Phytosterols have shown promising results in lowering serum cholesterol levels and lowering the risk of heart disease (Li, et al, 2007), while improving microcirculation in the epidermis, regulating the inflammatory process, and playing a role in anti-tumor, anti-ulcer and anti-atherogenic activities (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). The flavones of the fruit have shown to inhibit platelet aggregation in multiple studies, both in vitro and in mice; demonstrated rapid heart repolarization periods in rat myocardial cells and guinea pig papillary muscle cells; as well as shown to increase lipoprotein-cholesterol and tricyglycerol concentrations within blood plasma in humans (Guliyev, et al, 2004).

In addition to the phytochemicals, the coumarins and triterpenes within H rhamnoides helps with the control of appetite, sleep patterns, memory retention, and learning. Vitamin B complex aids in nerve and cellular regeneration; vitamin C aids in collagen synthesis and cell membrane integrity; vitamin K aids in ulcer prevention (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011).

H. rhamnoides contains concentrations of D-chiro-inositol, which patients with diabetes mellitus have a reduced dietary intake of. In studies with diabetic and insulin resistant rhesus monkeys, administration of D-chiro-inositol improved their sensitivity to insulin as well as activated muscular glycogen synthase. Similar studies in humans with insulin sensitivity due to polycystic ovary syndrome, saw improvement in ovulatory function and a decrease in androgen levels, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels (Yang, et al, 2011).

Extracts of the seed oil contains essential fatty acids including omega-3 (linolenic acid), and omega-6 (linoleic acid). The oil provides a 1:1 ratio of omega-3:omega-6 fatty acids. The oil also contains a high concentration of omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) and rich in omega-9 (oleic acid), (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011). Fatty acids contribute to the health of epithelial cells, including repairing epidermal barrier system. In a placebo-controlled, parallel, randomized, double-blind experiment at the University of Turku, Finland, 22 patients with atopic dermatitis were randomly divided into three groups which were either assigned to take sea buckthorn seed oil, sea buckthorn pulp oil, or paraffin oil. Ten oil capsules (5 g) were prescribed to each patient per day and asked to maintain their normal diet and skin care regiment throughout the four-month trial. Of the 16 patients who completed the study, those who took the seed oil shown dramatic results in the production of docosapentaenoic acid, while those who took the pulp oil treatment shown an increase production of stearic acid epidermically (Yang, et al, 2000).

In addition to improving the symptoms of atopic dermatitis with the increased production of docosapentaenoic and stearic acids epidermically, the topical application of H rhamnoides oil has proven effective in healing wounds, burns, and radiation exposure. H. rhamnoides has been shown to possess antimicrobial, tissue-regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties (Yang & Kallio, 2002).

Studies evaluating the antioxidant and α-flucosidase inhibitory activities of sea buckthorn extracts showed promising results in anti-cancer research. Compounds, including 1-feruloyl-β -D-glucopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-(6'-O-coumaryl) glycoside, among others, were extracted from the leaves of H. rhamnoides. These specific extracts showed high antioxidant activity and cytoprotection against oxidative stress in lymphocytes; nicotine induced oxidative stress in rat liver and heart; plus H rhamnoides flavones at a concentration levels of 100 μg/ml restricted induced apaptosis in lymphocytes by decreasing calcium levels intracellularly. Furthermore, Hippophae rhamnoides lowered the caspase-3 expression, thus protected against H₂O₂ induced apaptosis on vascular endothelial cells (Suryakumar & Gupta, 2011).

Hippophae rhamnoides' dietary and nutritional benefits

Since there are over 190 beneficial compounds contained within the plant Hippophae rhamnoides, it is arguably one of the most nutritional herbs ever produced. The fruit of the H. rhamnoides contains high levels of vitamin C, some species of which can contain as much as 12 times the amount of oranges. The fruit also contains high levels of vitamin E, 481 mg/100 g for some of the Chinese species of plants; and the berries are also rich in vitamins B₁, B₂, K. Mineral elements in the fruit and seed of H rhamnoides include iron, manganese, phosphorus, nitrogen, silicon, aluminum, boron, calcium and potassium (Bal, et al, 2011).

Consumption of myo-inositol, which converts to chiro-inositol, is an essential part of human health. Not only does it play a role in metabolism, but also plays a role in insulin production. In patients with diabetes mellitus, it was noted that their was a physical impairment of myo-inositol conversion to chiro-inositol and an increase of urinary secretion of D-chiro-inositol (Yang, et al, 2011)

H. rhamnoides fresh fruit also contains bioflavonoids as high as 1000 mg.100 g, carotenoids as high as 2139 mg/100 g depending on the species, organic acids as high as 9.1 g/100ml, and carotenolipoprotein complexes which act as a bridge between polar proteins and non-polar carotenoids (Bal, et al, 2011).

The fruit of H rhamnoides contains 18 of the 22 essential amino acids including aspartic acid (426.6 mg/100 g); serine (28.1 mg/100 g); glutamine (19.4 mg/100 g); glycine (16.7 mg/100 g); alanine (21.2 mg/100 g); cysteine (3.3 mg/100 g); valine (21.8 mg/100 g); ammonia (41.8 mg/100 g); tyrosine (13.4 mg/100 g); isoleucine (17.4 mg/100 g); methionine (2.3 mg/100 g); proline (45.2 mg/100 g); phenylalanine (20.0 mg/100 g); histadine (13.7 mg/100 g); lysine (27.2 mg/100 g); threonine (36.8 mg/100 g); and arginine (11.3 mg/100 g). Additional amino acids in the subspecies sinensis includes tryptophan (0.51 mg/100 g); leucine (1.94 mg/100 g) and glycin (0.64 mg/100 g) (Bal, et al, 2011).

The moisture content of the fruit varies from 80% - 87% depending on origin and climate, and even higher for the fruit pulp, 85% - 98% in the Indian varieties of sea buckthorn. The total soluble solids within the fruit pulp range from 8.86 – 22.74 depending on the subspecies and region, however the juice from the berries ranges from 10.7 – 13.2 TSS (Bal, et al, 2011).

The sugar content of H. rhamnoides is comprised of glucose, fructose, and xylose. The Chinese species often show higher concentrations of these sugar compounds than in other species, such as the Russian and Finnish species. The glucose and fructose in the berry usually accounts for 60% - 90% of the sugars within the fruit. Frequently, the percentage of glucose and fructose contents of the berries from a specific plant will change annually, explained by the collecting dates and weather conditions during the growing season. Sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol have been seen in the species Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. sinensis, rhamnoides and mongolica (Bal, et al, 2011).

Conclusion

Sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides, has been an important part of human history. It has been included in almost every culture ranging from Asia to India, Russia to middle Europe, and from Scandinavia to North America. This extraordinary plant has been included in many different traditional and folk medicines, including Chinese, Tibetian, Mongolian, Nordic, and Indian cultures for the treatment of coughs, pain, gastrointestinal disorders, immunosuppressive disorders, wound healing, gynecological conditions, and cardiovascular disorders. Today, H rhamnoides is used for its antioxidant and pharmacological activities. However, with its cytoprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory properties, plus its anti-microbial, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory benefits, sea buckthorn is a plant which must become a medicinal mainstay in complementary and alternative medicine and preventative medicine.

References

Bal, L; Meda, V; Naik, S; Saty, S; (2011) Sea buckthorn berries: A potential source of valuable nutrients for nutraceuticals and cosmoceuticals. Food Research International, Vol 44, Issue 7, P1718-1727

Eccleston, C; Yang, B; Tahvonen, R; Kallio, H; Rimbach, G; Minihane, A; (2002) Effects of an antioxidant-rich juice (sea buckthorn) on risk factors for coronary heart disease in humans. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Vol 13, Issue 6, P 346-354

Ercisli, S; Orhan, E; Ozdemir, O; Sengul, M; (2007) The genotypic effects on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) berries grown in Turkey. Sientia Horticultuae, Vol. 115, Issue 1, P 27-33.

Guliyev, V; Gul, M; Yildirim, A; (2004) Hippophae rhamnoides L.: chromatographic methods to determine chemical composition, use in traditional medicine and pharmacological effects. Journal of Chromatography, Vol 812, Issues 1-2, P 291-307

Johansson, A; Korte, H; Yang, B; Stanley, J; Kallio, H; (2000) Sea Buckthorn berry oil inhibits platelet aggregation. Journal of Nutrional Biochemistry, Vol 11, Issue 10, P 491 - 495

Li, T; Beveridge, T; Drover, J; (2007) Phytosterol content of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed oil: Extraction and identification. Vol 101, Issue 4, P1633-1639

Mathew, S; Grey, C; Rumpunen, K; Adlercreutz, P; (2011) Analysis of carbonyl compounds in sea buckthorn for the evaluation of triglyceride oxidation, by enzymatic hydrolysis and derivatisation methodology. Journal of Food Chemistry, Vol 126, Issue 3, P 1399-1405

Michel, T; Destandau, E; Le Floch, G, Lucchesi, M; Elfakir; (2012) Antimicrobial, antioxidant and phytochemical investigations of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) leaf, stem, root and seed. Journal of Food Chemistry, Vol 131, Issue 3, P 754-760

Suryakumar, G ; Gupta, A; (2011) Medicinal and therapeutic potential of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol 138, Issue 2, P 268-278

Yang, B; (2009) Sugars, acids, ethyl β-d-glucopyranose and a methyl inositol in sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) berries. Journal of Food Chemistry, Vol 112, Issue 1, P 89-97

Yang, B; Zheng, J; Kallio, H; (2011) Influence of origin, harvesting time and weather conditions on content of inositols and methylinositols in sea buckthron (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries. Journal of Food Chemistry, Vol 125, Issue 2, P 388-396

Yang, B; Kalimo, K; Tahvonen, R; Mattila, L; Katajisto, J; Kallio, H; (2000) Effect of dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils on the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Vol 11, Issue 6, P 338-340

Yang, B; Kallio, H; (2002) Composition and physiological effects of sea buckthorn (Hippophae) lipids. Trends in Food Science & Technology, Vol 13, Issue 5, May 2002, P 160-167

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Can I Eat Anything I Want?

I remember quite a few years ago someone told me that you can eat whatever you want as long as you work it off the next day.  At that time, was mommy to my toddler son, playing mommy to his father, had two online classes, worked a desk job, never had enough time, and was under a lot of stress.  I literally had no time to workout and barely had enough time to take a short bathroom break between work and school.  The jarring sound of the alarm clock woke me up at 6am only to remind me that I had another 17 hour day; again, to only go to bed feeling tired and defeated, dreading what the morning would bring.  My existence was to be subservient to the social constructs of American lifestyle.
 
At that time in my life, I was my heaviest.  I had always struggled with my weight, but this time it had overtaken my life.  I avoided the scale after surpassing 235 lbs.  I felt miserable, had no energy, and had no self-esteem.  To my dismay, my body started to look hideous, and my hormone levels were out of control.  I started growing dark hair under my chin, started to show signs of diabetes, was winded after just climbing one flight of stairs, and I broke a blood vessel in my cheek trying to get out of bed, which it made a visible, and ugly, red line a centimeter long across my cheekbone.  My doctor started prescribing medications for high cholesterol, diabetes, plus he warned me that he would put me on blood pressure medications.  Overwhelmed with this reality, I managed to carve out time to go to the gym twice a week.

What happened next changed my entire life.  Details of the three week catastrophe are moot now that it has been over three years passed, but I can say that the events which unfolded left me homeless with a young son. Was I lonely?  Yes.  Was I upset?  Hell yeah, I cried almost every night for months afterwords.  But I picked myself up and moved forward.

During those months of hardship, I lost a lot of weight.  It was then I decided that what I was going to do was put me first.  I had spent 7 years tending to the needs of other people, and forgetting about myself in the process.  My son suffered, my family life suffered, I suffered, thus I paid the price.

Back to food!  For most of my life, I ate junk.  Processed, unnatural, JUNK!  When I was in my teens, I just didn't eat everyday.  I lived off of no-calorie seltzer water and chocolate candy bars for several years.  When I moved out of my parents' house, all I could afford to eat was cheap noodles.  I would scour the parking lots near my apartment for change in order to buy the noodles, and of course, if I didn't find enough change, I didn't eat.  Once, I was so hungry, I stole an apple out of the fridge at work and almost was fired for it.  I was rather thin at the time and was able to join the military even though I was borderline in failing the BMI.  Showing mid-drifts was in style at that time and flat bellies were emphasized as being healthy (er...sexy); this in the time Britney Spears was the hottest thing alive.  I, unfortunately, was far from "sexy."  My stomach was always round and chubby, later made worse by my pregnancy and c-section, thus leading to my drastic decision to get a tummy tuck and liposuction.  Still, even after dropping $8,500 my stomach remains round and pudgy.

My food habits did not improve much while I was in the military.  In fact, I dieted with all sorts of dangerous pills (now off the market) and shoved them down my gullet with diet soft drinks.  I was addicted to all sorts of diet crap.  I starved myself, took laxatives, was bulimic when I did eat anything with calories, and ran 3+ miles per day.  Did it work? No, my tummy was still round, and when it all came down to the military's weigh-ins, I was still considered fat.  So on my last day in the military, I went to the fridge and grabbed the last piece of chocolate cake and ate it in front of everyone.  I remember one of the guys saying to me, "So, Rains, now that you are out, that means you are just going to give up?"  I told him yes.  I moved back to Colorado with my son and mooching spouse, starting my three year voyage to becoming the heaviest I had ever been, and eventually finding my world turned upside down because of it. 

Fast forwarding almost seven years from the moment I ate that historic chocolate cake, which was not that good to begin with, my diet changed drastically.  It consists of mostly natural, healthy, and nutritious foods.  Instead of diet pills, I take several supplements and an Oligo multivitamin.  I look back at my history of food abuse and realized that I can't eat anything and everything all the time.  My body just does not like processed junk that I had eaten for 25 years.  I know several friends who would beg to differ, one whose diet consists of hamburgers, pizza, and soda.  However, I realized that everyone is different, and our bodies all respond differently to the foods we eat.  Knowing what your personal diet should be and accepting your body as is is important.  For me, I needed to switch to a natural, healthy, and nutritious diet because my body runs more efficiently that way.  More importantly, I do not deprive myself, I eat things that I crave in moderation and I don't think twice about the calories because they really don't count.  I discovered that it is okay to eat that cookie, but I eat an apple too.  I slowly switched my thinking so that I actually want to eat for the health of my body.  I replaced the soda with water and the cake with carrots.  Lastly, I found time to exercise everyday.  I laugh and enjoy myself; I got rid of the bad and focus on the good.  I learned that you have got to change what is making you miserable, otherwise you end up sitting in your own rut.  It is most important to be grateful, be thankful, and fill yourself with love.

So to answer the question:
Can I eat anything I want?  Yes I can, because what I want is to eat what is healthy.                          

          

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Would Ayurveda Work For You

How could something so old be so new?  Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old health modality which is used world-wide although its therapeutic techniques differ slightly geographically.  Ayurveda, which has gained popularity in Asia, is also slowly gaining steam Western society as a branch in the newly popular Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).  According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, more than 200,000 U.S. adults used Ayurvedic medicine in the previous year (NCCAM.org).

I never hear of it, are you sure it is effective? Since it is relatively new, not many studies have been extensively conducted, and unfortunately modern science often has trouble translating this 5,000 year old modality into today's scientific analysis.  Since researchers also point out that the emphasis of Ayurveda is on providing different kinds of treatments for different people having the same disease; the ability to draw generalizeable conclusions is often very limited.   However, with the advancement of technology and as the popularity of Ayurveda spreads, new methods in research will be developed to study Ayurvedic extensively, and bring it to the forefront of Western medicine.  

What is the difference between Ayurvedic medicine and the medicine my doctor prescribes?   The practice of Ayurveda involves the use of medications that typically contain herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials.  While other countries have taken steps to address some of the concerns about these medications, such safeguards in America has not been actively implemented yet.  Efforts are required to improve the standards of Ayurvedic medications.  

What does the science say about this?  Ayurveda has shown to be successfull in treating asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and ischemic heart disease.  Yoga and meditation has been known to help with insomnia and other sleep disorders.  Best of all, the Ayurveda diet has been shown to slim the waistline.

How can I get more information?  While there is a lot of information out on the internet, it is important to get the correct information.  I recommend the following website:

NCCAM

To find a practitioner near you, visit:

Life Positive 
Alternatives for Healing

Ayurveda College 

        

      

        

References:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda  Accessed November 11, 2011

Patwardhan B, Warude D, Pushpangadan P, Bhatt N. Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A comparative overview.  eCAM. 2005;2(4):465-473.

Manjunath NK, Telles S. Influence of yoga & Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population. Indian J Med Res. 2005;121:683-690.

Rastogi S. Building bridges between Ayurveda and modern science. In J Ayurveda Res. 2010;1(1):41-46.

Furst D, Venkatraman MM et al. Well controlled, double blind, placebo controlled trials of classical ayurvedic treatment are possible in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2011; 70: 392-393

Prakash V, Prakash S et al. Sustainable effect of ayurvedic formulations in the treatment of nutritional anemia in adolescent students. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2010; 16(2): 205-211

Falkenback A, Oberguggenberger R. Ayurveda in ankylosing spondylitis and low back pain. Ann Rheum Dis. 2003;62:276-277.

Singh, RH. Exploring larger evidence-base for contemporary Ayurveda. Int J Ayurveda Res. 2010;1(2): 65-66.

Walash, H. The efficacy paradox in randomized controlled trials of CAM and the placebo trap. Journal of alternative & complementary medicine. 2001;7(3):213-218.

Miller FG, Emanuel EJ, Rosenstein DL, Straus SE. Ethical issues concerning research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. JAMA. 2004;291:599-604.

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Yin & Yang

The light and dark side of the mountain: the symbolism of energy within and without.  The two opposing forces which consists in every aspect of being, yin and yang, impacts our very existence. Within our existence, is our life force energy, or qi, which flows in everything and through everyone.  Maintaining a proper balance of qi, particularly yin and yang, creates harmony, a sort of homeostasis; similarly, an imbalance begets disharmony. It is this imbalance that allows our entire being to succumb to disease, our organs to fail and increases our susceptibility to disease.

Understanding a little more about qi: Master Duan Zhi-Liang Wuji Qigong Master Shur Qigong Master

One major disease yin and yang imbalance is associated with is cancer. It is suggested that lin28/let-7 signaling link can be viewed much like a yin and yang balancing act. Consistent with this concept, lin28 and let-7 have been shown to have opposing expression patterns suggesting that this yin and yang imbalance is mainly associated with tumor progression and functions in development and tumor progression.  In mast cells where the suppressor and activator roles of mast cells in allergic inflammation are opposites. During allergic exacerbations there is an imbalance of mast cell functions which result in the symptoms related to allergic asthma and food allergy. During remission the balance is restored.  

One more disease viewed differently in Chinese medicine is diabetes, which is called xiao ke, or "wasting thirst syndrome". It is believed in Chinese medicine that there is a deficiency of yin, thus creating fake heat which affects the lungs, stomach and kidneys. The Chinese medicine understanding of what causes diabetes is very similar to Allopathic medicine in that those who eat/drink too much alcohol, sugar or fat (all yang foods) and live a sedentary life will develop xaio ke. Toxic heat develops which is thought to consume vital organs’ fluids and causes malfunction and disharmony between lung, stomach and kidney.
The combination of Allopathic and Chinese medicine can be shown in the example of insulin and glucagon:

We can ascertain by their functions, insulin would represent yin energy while glucagon represents yang energy.  One cannot function without the other, and without both in balance, the body becomes diseased.
Knowledge of yin and yang energy can help in the prevention, diagnosis, and cure of diseases, even where Allopathic medicine lacks.  It would behoove Allopathic medicine greatly to adopt this paradigm, and it would also benefit the millions of people who suffer from diseases in which there is no known cure for in Allopathic medicine. 






Sources:
A.D. Kraneveld, et al., The two faces of mast cells in food allergy and allergic asthma: The possible concept of Yin Yang , Biochim. Biophys. Acta (2011)
Ageless Herbs. Traditional Chinese Medicine .Yin Yang Theory. Catherine Browne, L.Ac., MH, Dipl.Ac . Retrieved on 11/4/11
Ho, L. Robertson, M. The Yin and Yang of Diabetes. Exploring Chinese medicine's understanding of diabetes mellitus.
J.B. Soriano, A. Agustı, Eur Respir J 2008; 32: 1426–1427 COPD: or balancing repair (yang) and inflammation (yin)
Junfang Ji, Xin Wei Wang A Yin-Yang balancing act of the lin28/let-7 link in tumorigenesis
Journal of Hepatology Volume 53, Issue 5, November 2010, Pages 974-975
K. Maiese, Yin Yang: A Balancing Act for Oxidative Stress, Volume 3 (2010), Issue 4, Pages 227-227, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Monti, Daniel A. and Yang, Jingduan, "Complementary medicine in chronic cancer care" (2004).Jefferson Myrna Brind Center of Integration Medicine Faculty Papers.
Source: adapted from"Protein Power."
Diabetes Health, Investigate, inform, inspire. Yin and Yang: Balancing Insulin and Glucagon. Retrieved on 11/4/11 from http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2000/02/01/1789/yin-and-yang-balancing-insulin-and-glucagon
Shen-Nong Limited 2002-2005 “Understanding Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang” April 25-2009 http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/kidneyyinyang.html

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