USEFUL HOME REMEDIES
September 14, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Since this website is dedicated to a variety of subjects, this time I thought to offer some useful, inexpensive and probably unknown home remedies:
Burns:
When there is a burn, no matter how extensive it is, the first thing to do is to expose the wound under cold water until the heat stops burning the skin. Afterwards, take two eggs and separate the yolk from the egg white, and apply the egg white onto the wound. You should know that the egg white is natural collagen, a placenta rich in vitamins. After a few hours of egg white applications in the affected area, the pain should disappear and the burn should normally heal.
Vicks Vaporub:
This ointment, as you probably all know, has been used for many years as a remedy for several ailments such as a stuffy nose, chapped lips, among other things. But I have never heard of the following usefulness of Vicks Vaporub – It is effective 100% of the time, although scientists that discovered it cannot explain how it works. In order to stop the nocturnal cough in a child or an adult, spread Vick Vaporub generously on the sole of the feet and then cover them with socks. Even a most persistent cough can be stopped five minutes later with many hours of relief. This remedy is more effective in children than the powerful cough medicines prescribed by doctors. In addition, this remedy is extremely soothing and calming while stimulating a deep and pleasant sleep.
Hydrogen Peroxide:
Everyone knows about hydrogen peroxide; it is cheap and does not have any side effects. At a 3% solution, it is one of the most potent disinfectants in the market. You may wonder why it is not used so commonly? The reason is that there is hardly any profitability. It competes with expensive products developed by pharmaceutical companies and disinfectant companies. One teaspoon can be used to gargle for a few minutes to kill germs while whitening the teeth. It can be also used to clean the toothbrushes leaving them germ-free. A little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces better than any other products, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. Oxygen peroxide kills germs, bacteria, including salmonella. If you apply this product to the feet, it prevents the development of fungi. When applied to wounds, it coagulates hemorrhages, prevents infections and facilitates healing. It should be used moderately.
These recommendations have been passed on by word of mouth by many people who have used these remedies successfully and should not preclude doctor’s consultations.
ISRAEL – HOME OF SCIENTIFIC INNOVATIONS
September 7, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
In this essay, I will abstain from the customary political indignation in view of the latest biased Jew bashing and anti-Semitism analogous to that of the medieval and World War II events, and focus instead on the steady medical breakthroughs emanating from Israel, the home of innovation.
Although at some point, the use of gene therapy seemed to fade the radar when researchers realized just how great a distance stretched from the concept of using genes for therapy to translating that concept into clinical practice, lately, despite significant hurdles, gene therapy remains alive and steadily under very active investigation, especially by a distinguished team of investigators in Israel. This community of scientists, albeit underfunded when compared to other scientists in the U.S. and Europe, has managed to be a major driver of productivity and innovation.
One such discovery involves the use of a molecule to regenerate dying cells. What does this mean in lay terms? This outstanding clinical application gives the potential to reverse what is now irreversible, liver and kidney failure. In addition, this extraordinary molecule is being tested with great success in animal models to reverse the side-effect known as “dry mouth syndrome” or non functioning salivary glands experienced by patients suffering from cancers of the head and neck undergoing radiation. This medical breakthrough can be interpreted as sparing such patients from severe and ongoing suffering while allowing higher doses of radiation to increase their chances of cure.
Another medical innovation emanating from Israel, while having no impact on patient survival, contributes massively to cancer patients’ moral and psychological well being. The Israeli investigators discovered that this same molecule prevented animal models from losing their hair or fur when undergoing irradiation. They found that a protein plays a central role in hair loss. They applied an antibody to this protein and administered it prior to radiotherapy in animal models. These animals kept their hair throughout radiotherapy. Clinical trials are underway and Israeli scientists are looking into the prevention of hair loss from chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy in patients undergoing cancer treatments, a leading cause of psychological distress.
Many more medical innovations emanating from Israel are in progress such as the use of gene therapy based on RNA interference (RNAi) referred to in a previous essay for curing cancer without the customary invasive use of chemotherapy and radiation, and I intend to keep you posted on this major innovation in future essays. It is a shame that the world which will ultimately benefit from these medical innovations originating from Israel, are instead making the lives of Israelis insufferable through unjustified bias and even medieval anti-Semitic accusations. Could one imagine what additional stellar contributions might be made if Israel in particular and Jews in general were not the victims of unjustified accusations and harassment by the world community, especially when Israel stands among the giants in new technologies and medical discoveries that enhance our everyday lives?
MATERIAL FOR REFLECTION – A PANDEMIC OF PROFIT?
September 2, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
This information has been recently floating around the internet with a request to divulge it. This information does not originate from newsbeyondnews and is a translation from French.
For the past months we have been ravaged by an unprecedented amount of news on the swine flu. When you realize that each year one million people die of malaria, a disease that can be easily prevented by insecticide-treated bed nets, yet, the media is silent. Each year, two million children die from diarrhea, although this could also be prevented by a very inexpensive and banal serum, yet, the media is silent. Each year, 10 million people die of chicken pox, pneumonia and infirmities which could be cured by vaccines, yet the media is silent. In contrast, about a decade ago when the famous bird flu appeared, the international media continuously poured information onto us on this particular threat. They claimed: “A pandemic!” Interestingly, bird flu caused the death of some 250 people in 10 years, or 25 deaths per year. However, the common flu kills half a million people each year worldwide, meaning, half a million against 25!
Hold on, please, hold on! Then, why you may wonder there was such a commotion on the bird flu? We’ll tell you why; behind each chicken, there is a rooster with a very large comb on its head. The giant pharmaceutical company Roche with its famous Tamiflu has sold millions and millions of doses to Asian countries. Although the efficacy of Tamiflu is doubtful, the British government has purchased 14 millions of doses to protect its population. Thus, thanks to the bird flu, Roche and Relenza, the two major pharmaceutical companies have pocketed millions of dollars in profits.
Now, here comes the media commotion about the swine flu! And the media all over the world can’t stop talking about it. We wonder; if behind each chicken is a rooster, wouldn’t it be a large swine behind a pig? The North American company Gilead Sciences holds the patent on Tamiflu, and the major stock holder is no less than Donald Rumsfeld, the former Minister of Defense of the Bush administration and architect of the war with Iraq.
The stockholders of the pharmaceutical giants Roche and Relenza must relish at the prospect of selling millions of Tamiflu doses worldwide. In fact, the real pandemic is that of money and the enormous profits that can be had on account of health. I am not denying taking precautions; however, if this pandemic looks as terrible as pictured in the media, why not undertake the production of a generic medication to combat it, and distribute it free of charge around the world, especially to poor countries? In spite of the risk posed by the proliferation of this disease, no precaution has been taken with regard to destinations at risk. What is being done to combat the pandemic risk? Nothing. Why? Due to the worldwide financial crisis, what better tool to distract people’s attention than a good pandemic!
RNAi – A GENETIC SILVER BULLET?
Researchers are actively working on the use of genetics to cure malignant diseases such as cancer. Presently, treatment for cancer includes invasive and traumatic procedures affecting the patient such as chemotherapy and radiation without any guarantee that the disease will not recur. One of the most sought after remedies is based on RNA interference (RNAi) which is a system within living cells which helps to treat diseases and discover the function of genes and plays an important role in the chemistry of life.
Fire and Mellow won the Nobel Prize in this field of RNAi, and since then, it has become the next major drug development platform for improving health care. Science declared it to be the breakthrough of the year in 2002. In fact, giant pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Pfizer, Roche, etc., are signing deals worth $1 billion each with RNAi start-up companies, just based on patent licensing and pre-clinical studies.
Unfortunately, the number of cancer cases is increasing alarmingly in the Western world and in the 21st century, there is still no efficient treatment for cancer, since the technology used today has not changed for the past generations. Hence, it is encouraging to know that drugs based on RNAi are slowly emerging with encouraging results in clinical trials and have succeeded in halting the growth of cancer tumors, however, the journey to RNAi medicine remains tortuous and long.
The main challenge of initiating this type of treatment is focused on the delivery of new drugs based on RNAi to target cells. Whether the methods of administration range from oral to intravenous, the results have been poor even when used with advanced carriers such as nano-particles. Fortunately, the research engines are working overtime every day to come up with the most efficient delivery system, and when this happens, medical treatment of major diseases will have made a huge leap forward.
Cancer is a complex genetic disease that differs from patient to patient. One day, maybe in the not too distant future, drug delivery based on RNAi will be tailored to an individual patient and to a particular cancerous tumor so that medicine of tomorrow will be personalized. Although this technology is still in its infancy, doctors, researchers and also engineers are working hard in their proverbial well-equipped laboratories to eradicate malignant diseases affecting the world. The path of turning a promising idea into an effective therapy is slowly unfolding so that maybe, one day, we will end up living as long as trees (Isaiah 65:17-25).
IMPORTANT TIPS ON CANCER
April 26, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Cancer is a complex family of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth and invasion of many organs. In spite of the billions of dollars invested into its cure, treatment of these malignant diseases remains invasive and devastating with no clear-cut hope for cure. The most invasive treatment to treat cancer is through chemotherapy and radiation. Although chemotherapy and radiation are efficient in most cases, it not only poisons and radiates cancerous cells, but also the healthy ones, thus causing infections and harm to other organs such as the heart, kidneys and lungs. Moreover, these treatments can at times cause the mutation of cancerous cells rendering them more resistant to treatment.
In essence, all of us have some type of cancerous cells in our bodies; however, providing our immune system is strong and functioning properly, 99.9% of these cells are never activated and are prevented from multiplying into tumors. In essence, when someone is diagnosed with cancer, several causes could be the culprit for this disease including, genes, nutrition, environmental, or lifestyle. When the cause is nutrition, one can alleviate this from happening by ingesting food that reinforces the immune system.
One effective way to combat cancer for those whose genes or immune system is weak, is to starve the cancerous cells, thus preventing their multiplication. For instance, reducing or eliminating sugar including sugar supplements, as well as replacing the common salt with sea salt. Ingestion of milk produces mucosa in the gastrointestinal tract, thus eliminating milk and replacing it with soy, could assist in the starvation of the cancerous cells. Most importantly, red meat products are high in acid and cancerous cells prosper in acidic environments. Meat also contains hormones, antibiotics and parasites which are very harmful to the body. Moreover, unlike vegetables, the high protein in meat is difficult to digest and require many digestive enzymes. Meat that is not digested remains in the intestine and rots turning into additional toxic elements. Rather than meat, think about eating fish or chicken. Ideally, a diet composed of vegetables, grains, juices, nuts and fruits is highly recommended. Fresh vegetable juices provide good enzymes which are rapidly absorbed reaching cellular levels in 15 minutes, nourishing and promoting the growth of healthy cells.
Finally, cancer is a disease of the mind, body and spirit. A positive attitude helps a person with cancer to survive since anger and negative feelings puts the body in an acidic environment. Since cancerous cells do not prosper in an oxygenated milieu, daily exercise and breathing deeply is highly recommended. Also, avoid placing food in plastic containers or plastic wrappings in the microwave oven. Under high heat, plastic releases dioxins which is a cancerous chemical that penetrates the food you are heating.
Most of these recommendations have been disseminated by the Johns Hopkins Hospital and I hope that you will heed them and take care of yourselves.
CELLULAR WONDERS
April 1, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
The study of unveiling how genes work is of paramount importance for future progress in medicine. Since cracking the code, the human genome has changed the way researchers view how the human body functions. It wasn’t until the beginning of last century that the location of a gene was uncovered and in 1953 James D. Watson of the United States, and Francis H.C. Crick of Great Britain, published their landmark paper about the composition and helical structure of DNA. In addition, further research revealed that a chemical code inherent in cells provides genetic information.
It is indeed a mystery to realize how things work in the human body. For instance, you would not expect a cat to give birth to a dog and vice-versa. Thus, the study of genetics affords to give answers to this dilemma. Cells in the human organism are a marvelous creation and the basic unit of life. Within each cell is a swarming micro-universe of compartments, structures, and chemical agents-and each human being has billions of cells. Believe it or not, the late astronomer Carl Sagan observed that a single human being is composed of what he referred to as an “ambulatory collection of 1014 cells”! The Nobel laureate, F.H. Crick stated that if one were to translate the coded information of one human cell into book form, one would require one thousand volumes each of five hundred pages to do so!
Thus, understanding the minuscule world within each cell is a major enterprise that researchers are trying to decipher what modern biologists now describe as “distributive real-time computers” and complex information processing systems. The structure of the DNA is such that it replicates each time a cell divides into two, with each of these two cells carrying the same genetic information. It is estimated that it takes about 20-80 minutes for the division, and during this time an equivalent of one thousand books is copied correctly.
It is the genetic cellular code that regulates life and an accurate cell division is of paramount importance for life to be sustained. Moreover, there is general consensus that the genetic code is universal irrespective of how different living things are whether animal, plant, bug or blob, it will use the same language and know the same code. You may wonder, what does it take to believe that indeed there is intelligent design in this universe? As stated in the Bible, there was only ONE creation, and one single event when life was formed. And God is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity.
MEDICAL APPLICATIONS FOR STEM CELLS
March 30, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Many of you probably wonder what stem cell therapy is all about. Well, research is going full steam all over the world and now in the U.S. since President Obama overturned Bush’s limitations on this particular investigation. Most of the embryonic stem cells derive from early surplus human embryos, 5-6 days after fertilization and are created for infertility treatment, what is called in vitro fertilization or IVF. The reason why the use of these embryonic stem cells provokes so much excitement and wonder stems from its uniqueness, i.e., they can self-renew in laboratory culture and they have the remarkable potential to develop into all cells and tissues in the human body. Thus, a myriad of applications can derive from the use of these cells, including organ transplants without the use of someone else’s organ and the development of effective and customized drugs, meaning, these drugs may, for example, trigger bone marrow cells and encourage them to travel to parts of the body where repairs are necessary.
Stem cell therapy is currently in the infancy stage and it may take a decade before they are used in the future to treat incurable diseases. Just think, Christopher Reeves who suffered irreversible spinal injury, had he not died prematurely, could have been cured in the future with this new medical technology. Although several problems stand in the way of using this technology widely, including safety issues, successful animal experimentation in the laboratory has been translated into preliminary clinical trials in patients who have failed standard therapies. For instance, a clinical trial at the University of Pittsburgh used embryonal cells which have been transplanted in the brains of 12 patients disabled from strokes, and 6/12 patients showed substantial improvement.
Many dreadful ailments can be cured using embryonic cell therapy. For example, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, heart failure, diabetes, and others. Another case in point is the use of these cells for treating retinal and macular degeneration which are major causes of blindness in all age groups. This cell therapy is considered as a potential therapeutic approach that may indeed restore or sustain retinal function and prevent blindness.
So hold on to your seats and witness in the not too distant future the advent of unique therapeutic approaches that may replace the antiquated and invasive weapons currently used by the medical establishment. As indicated in my previous essay, and as prophesied by Ezekiel 65:17-25, there is a very good chance that we may live as long as trees.
SAVE THE PLANET
March 24, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Blue Marble (Planet Earth)
I have always believed that there is life beyond our tiny earth. Wouldn’t it be a waste of space for the earth to be the only planet in the universe that can sustain life? After all, our powerful telescopes can only detect but a small portion of the galaxy. Could you fathom that the closest large galaxy to our Milky Way, called the Andromeda galaxy, is “only” two million light-years away? How about the most distant ones, say 10-12 billion light years away? And that the Milky Way is a huge community of stars, so vast that it would take 100,000 years to travel across it. But this is just a small fraction of the entire universe which, currently, remains a big unknown.
I mention this because it would seem to me that if a more advanced civilization took a pick at our humanity, they would probably either crack up laughing or deplore us. They will witness unrelenting wars, terrorism, theft, jalousie, crime, vanity, murder, poverty, sickness, not to mention pollution, depravity and the advent of nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists, all man-made damage. This beautiful planet called Earth is on its deathbed, unless the leaders of the world wise up. This humanity suffers from a psychiatric ailment that needs to be treated urgently. Unless we realize the detriment that we are causing to ourselves and to this planet, the human race will ultimately disappear.
Over three thousand years ago, it is acknowledged by all major religions, that God gave an instructions’ manual called the Torah to his prophet Moses, for us to follow and obey. However, the Torah is hardly followed and is even ignored. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve; we can either live in peace together or die together. The Earth is an amazing place to live, everywhere you look you cannot but feel mystified by its beauty. We are caretakers of this earth and should respect it by living in peace and not unnecessarily cause its demise. It would be up to the actions of mankind that could preserve the future of our planet.
MEDICINAL ALTERNATIVES
March 24, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Alternative medicine is a holistic approach to health and sickness for the maximum benefit of the patient. Presently, most conventional treatments for malignant diseases involve invasive surgery and chemotherapy which are a traumatizing experience for the patient causing hair loss, loss of appetite and psychological suffering. As indicated in a previous essay, research in embryonic and adult stem therapy may in the near future obviate these invasive measures.
But in the meantime, we have at hand alternative medicine which has been around for hundreds of years and is used in many cultures outside of America. This ancient practice uses mind-body programs, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, meditation, homeopathy and diet-based therapies. In major universities throughout the world, the efficacy of these practices has been proven through research and there is consensus that, when used as a complement to conventional medicine, it provides a higher quality of life and survival in most serious cases.
Several research centers are seriously looking into the use of traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Indeed, this particular practice is one of the oldest medicine traditions which treat a variety of illnesses and chronic disorders. For instance, mercury which is a heavy metal is never used in its natural state in Tibet since it first undergoes extensive processing to produce detoxified mercury, or as it is called in Tibetan medicine: Precious Pill. Once detoxified, this substance is used to treat a variety of diseases including cancer, arthritis, neurological problems and poisoning.
Another item being investigated is the use of Chinese herbal remedies for the treatment of menopause. Indeed, the conventional method of using hormone replacement therapy concerns many women since there are many side effect and risks. Ongoing investigations have proven that the use of Chinese herbal formulas is effective in diminishing hot flushes, night sweats and hormonal levels.
Currently, there is strong interest in investigating the therapeutic value of medicinal plants found in the Middle East which are repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. A case in point is the successful germination of a 2,000 year old date seed, or Judean date, found during the Masada excavations. Apparently, this date is being evaluated for its potential medicinal qualities.
Over 30 different medicinal plants are being scientifically screened for their anti-bacterial and anti-malarial activities. Thus, if these herbal and plants remedies are proven therapeutically effective, we may have to reverse to the ancient traditions for the cure of many serious and dangerous diseases.
FUTURE MEDICAL DISCOVERIES – cont.
March 16, 2009 by yipbop · Leave a Comment
Sketch of new Hadassah Medical Center building
In a previous essay, I touched on medical progress with regard to research being carried out in Israel by hundreds of biotech and biomedical startup companies sparse throughout the country.
Today, I continue with other interesting ideas that may help us live as long as trees and look years younger. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of patents with regard to medical devices and diagnostics companies in Israel and abroad which have already completed successful proof of concept studies in animal models and are embarking on first clinical studies in humans.
One case in point is centered on cosmetic tissue augmentation, wound healing and tissue regeneration. The technology is based on a novel adhesive peptide for tissue engineering. The foundation of these technologies is based on the biological activity of fibrin, a protein responsible for blood coagulation, which the inventors adapted for multiple uses for cell culturing and tissue engineering. Moreover, it is estimated that over 10,000 patients died within the past five years waiting for an organ transplant. Tissue engineering could in the future replace organs and avoid the hazards associated with organ transplantation.
Major advances are being done with regard to treating Lupus disease which is a dreadful disease with no cure that turns the body’s defenses against the body itself and affects organ systems, skin, joints and internal organs. Around 400,000 Americans suffer from lupus. A company in Israel is developing a drug-device column which selectively removes from circulation more than 90% of the antibodies in the blood associated with this disease. This innovative method represents a breakthrough in the treatment of lupus, since until now, there has been no treatment for this ailment and the standard care has been based on the use of steroids and chemotherapy with serious side-effects.
Another exciting development is the advent of novel diagnostic tools for breast and colon cancer metastasis, diagnosis and prognosis. This novel diagnostic method is capable of evaluating the state of cancer progression, and most importantly, the efficacy of treatment with a single blood test.
In the advent of a stroke, heart attack and deep vein thrombosis, hospitals use what is called thrombolytic agents or anticoagulants in order to dissolve a clot and reopen an artery or vein. However, these agents in existence today cause severe side effects including damage to blood vessels and internal hemorrhage. We have already witnessed what happened to the former Prime Minister Sharon after his first stroke and treatment with anticoagulants. Fortunately, a company in Israel is developing safer and more efficient anticoagulant drugs for the treatment of stroke, heart attack and related indications.
Medical technological advances sprout each day and with the advent of stem cell therapy, I posit that within the next decade, serious diseases such as cancer will be treated and conquered with single injections rather than the traumatic and uncertain methodology used today.