Medicinal herbs are considered one of the best discoveries in the world, and this is apparently due to the fact that they are so advantageous and create such positive outcomes. Although the high technology approaches of conventional medicine are preferred for acute sickness treatment and emergency care, herbal medicine is more convenient for dealing with continual ailments. Very respected physicians have promoted the benefits of alternative or complementary medicines. For centuries human beings have used nature herbs to improve over all health and well being. The use of herbs by various civilizations is extensively documented. Herbal usage has changed little over centuries passed, giving way to a few changes such as herb supplementation and new discoveries of plants while retaining its medicinal and culinary purpose.

Because of its systematic approach and clinical effectiveness it has for centuries had a very great influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the East, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the West. Chinese herbal medicines have been used to help to treat: hepatitis and HIV; chronic fatigue syndromes, whether with a background of viral infection or in other situations as well; respiratory conditions, as well as asthma, bronchitis, and never-ending coughs, including allergic and perennial rhinitis and sinusitis; rheumatological conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; urinary conditions such as continual cystitis; diabetes, including both treatment and prevention; and even psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Chinese herbal medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC.

Herbs should not be used as the primary source of medical care but as a complement to other health remedies recommended by a doctor. Herbs are milder then traditional medications and it may take longer to show results however, you must not interrupt a treatment for any reason, as you will lose all its benefits.

Start learning about organic herbs today and you will discover a world that will help you keep wholesome and happy. There are many herbal guides that will give indepth details about the healing properties of individual herbs and the conditions they are used for.

Vitamin B5 is also known as pantothenic acid. Its name is derived from the Greek word pantos meaning “from everywhere,” as small quantities of pantothenic acid are found in nearly every food.

In its functional form, vitamin B5 gets combined with another small, sulfur-containing molecule to form coenzyme A (or CoA). This conversion allows vitamin B5 to participate in a wide variety of chemical and organic reactions. Coenzyme A is needed to carry out various metabolic functions, and for the generation of energy in the form of ATP from fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Roger J. Williams, the discoverer of pantothenic acid suggested that Vitamin B5 might be helpful in the management of certain medical disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Functions of Vitamin B5 –

* Vitamin B5 is also known as the anti-stress vitamin at times. It is one of the eight water soluble B complex vitamins.

* Vitamin B5 helps production of the cellular antioxidant glutathione, and is therefore an essential vitamin for all life forms.

* Helps in the break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats for energy – thus a stamina enhancer.

* This vitamin plays an important role in production of adrenal hormones in the adrenal glands.

* Vitamin B5 helps to produce neurotransmitters, cholesterol required for proper nerve and muscle performance.

* It is also responsible for haemoglobin production and metabolism of toxins by the liver.

* It plays an important role in cell division, DNA reproduction and RNA transcription.

* It regulates the formation of stress hormones and hair pigmentation.

Deficiency of Vitamin B5 –

It is an unlikely that an adult will have a deficiency of vitamin B5 because of the availability of B5 in many foods, plus the fact that it is also produced by our intestinal bacteria.

However, a deficiency of Vitamin B5 causes fatigue, muscle weakness, personality changes, psoriasis, and headache. Vitamin B5 is often used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, edema, swelling, pain, and stiffness in joints.

Pantothenic acid is also recommended to prevent stress and relieve insomnia, arthritis, food intolerance and teeth grinding.

Oral application of pantothenic acid helps relieve many skin problems and cure wounds.

Who are at risk of Vitamin B5 deficiency?

* Women who are on birth control pills are recommended to take extra doses of Vitamin B5.

* Smokers and alcoholics also fall under this category.

* People undergoing stress, prone to allergies or eating too many refined foods might develop a shortage of this vitamin.

Symptoms of Vitamin B5 deficiency –

· painful & burning feet

· skin abnormalities

· numbness and poor coordination

· abdominal and muscle cramps

· vomiting

· anaemia

· insomnia and depression

· stunted growth

· restlessness

Most of these symptoms and signs get resolved with external administration of pantothenic acid.

Vitamins B12, folic acid and biotin are required for proper use of vitamin B5 in the body’s biochemical activities. In addition, vitamin C somewhat helps prevent B5 deficiency.

Dosage of Vitamin B5 –

Since deficiency of pantothenic acid is rare, so there is no recommended daily intake for this vitamin. Pantothenic acid is mostly included in B-complex multivitamins. The RDA for men is 10 mg and women is 8 mg.

Normal daily intake of pantothenic acid for adults is 4 to 7 milligrams. Vitamin B5 should be taken with water, preferably after eating.

Pantothenic acid does not usually cause any side effects, but pregnant and lactating mothers should be careful to consume only the normal daily intake.

Vitamin B5 can be found in multivitamins, B complex vitamins, or sold individually under the name of pantothenic acid and calcium pantothenate. It is available in a variety of forms including tablets and capsules, and must be taken under medical supervision.

Dietary sources of Vitamin B5 -

The term pantothenic acid is derived from the Greek word pantos, meaning everywhere. Vitamin B5 is widely distributed in plant and animal food sources, where it occurs in both bound and free forms.

Pantothenic acid is richly found in peanuts, liver, kidney, cauliflower, mushrooms, seeds and other nuts, pumpkin, mushrooms, legumes, sweet potato, milk, soya, cheese, egg yolk, fish, chicken, wholegrain bread and cereals, and bananas. The richest sources of the vitamin are the ovaries of cod and tuna fish.

Breakfast cereals are also a good source if they have been fortified with pantothenic acid.

Do not add soda to the water used for cooking vegetables – it will destroy the pantothenic acid.

Vitamin B5 storage –

Vitamin B5 is relatively unstable in food, and significant amounts of this vitamin can be lost through cooking, freezing, and commercial processing.

Vitamins are easily destroyed and washed out during food preparation and storage. Store vitamin supplements at room temperature, in a dry place that is free of moisture.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease which was proved to have a strong connection with lymphoma.Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes. The traget of the treatment in RA is to lower pain and to prevent the disease from worsening. this link between the two diseases is considered by many specialists when establishing the appropriate treatment in RA.

There have been made a lot of studies in order to justify the association between chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and malignant lymphomas.

RA manifests as a gradual deterioration of the tissues surrounding the joints, leading to pain and difficulty when moving the affected fingers, elbows and knees. This happens because the patient’s own immune system attacks cells around the joints.

RA is diagnosed more often in women and it leads to lymphoma more often in men. This is why it is believed that most people with RA will never develop lymphoma.

There are different stages of RA. We can speak about a low stage or degree of RA, a moderate and a severe one. This classification is made after the number of joints which are affected. There is also a link between the stage of the RA and the risk for the patients to develop lymphoma. If there are less than 6 joints affected the patient can be diagnosed with a low degree of RA; between 6 and 20 joints affected, there is a moderate RA and over 20 joints affected there is a severe stage of RA.

The patients with a low degree of RA have the lowest risk of developing malignant lymphoma, while those with a moderate and severe level of RA have the highest risk of developing this type of cancer.

There is no connection between the medication used to treat RA and the development of lymphoma. The standard treatment in RA includes methotrexate, anti-malarial agents, oral steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin.

But there are some new treatments which include anti-TNF-alpha drugs which seem to increase the risk for the patients with RA to develop lymphoma.

There are no studies that can prove which kind of RA treatment can reduce the risk of developing lymphoma.

So as it is not very clear what drugs or which of the stages of the RA increases the risk to develop lymphoma, it is very important for the patients to understand the phenomenon and to ask the doctor for help to lower the risk.

For more resources about lymphoma please review http://www.lymphoma-center.com/lymphoma-cancer.htm or http://www.lymphoma-center.com/mantle-cell-lymphoma.htm

Mycotoxic Oxidative Stress Test or (MOST) is a reliable and inexpensive way of looking at the quality of a person’s health and possible disease states through bright field microscopy. The test is performed using a tiny lancet to obtain a drop of blood from the fingertip. This blood is then placed on a slide and allowed to clot for thirty seconds. According to Robert O Young the blood in a normal healthy person will clot showing a red area with black interconnected lines of fibrin throughout the entire sample.

Abnormal conditions in the can be easily identified in the way the blood clots due to abnormal fibrin monomers and sialic acid. Sialic acid is known to terminate the carbohydrate chains that make up fibrinogen. The detection of sialic acid in the MOST is important because several disease conditions or symptoms such as diabetes, arthritis, heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis and cancer appear in the form of beads in clear areas of polymerized proteins as can be seen below:

According to the U.S Food and Drug administration sialic acid liberation from carbohydrate is an acceptable and approved indicator for cancer.

Therefore this makes the MOST an invaluable tool in the early detection and prevention of these disease conditions. The MOST is not simply an early warning system current conditions can also be detected such as: hormonal and sugar imbalances, heavy metals, abdominal challenges, digestive dysfunction, organ stress, parasitic inclusions etc.

The MOST is an essential tool in the prevention of disease and has been around since mid 19th and early 20th century. Nutritional Microscopy incorporating MOST is a very important alternative examination used by holistic medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, and naturopathic physicians. Some powerful testimonials as to the efficacy of live blood analysis and the MOST can be seen here

Possibly the most important factor is that one is able to use food as a medicine as quoted by Dr Hippocrates 460 AD.

By: Errol Denton (Cert Nutritional Microscopist) February 23rd 2007

betterblood@btinternet.com

http://www.livebloodtest.com

My hands have been getting increasingly stiff for the last few months and now they are starting to hurt. I'm listing all the symptoms below. I do have fibromyalgia but this does not seem to be connected. Does anyone have an idea of what could be causing these symptoms?

-cold hands and feet
-popping in fingers (happens A LOT)
-stiffness(worse in morning, when cold and with use)
-sharpish pain extends through fingers
-pain is mild(3-5 on a scale with 10 as excruciating)
-does not feel muscular, feels like my bones hurt
-both hands hurt, not 1 joint is worse than any other
-no swelling
-no burning or numbness
-I'm in my early 20's

Oh and please don't just me me to see a doctor, I will be doing that as soon as it's an option (in the fall)

I have fibromyalgia also and joint pain stiffness in hands is a symptom. My hands and feet are always cold, the stiffness is worse in the morning and when it's colder outside. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, the fibro just compounds everything. This is just an idea, seeing your doctor will give you a definite answer.