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Site Map + Health Fitness & Sport Resources in N16
Plus Alternative Medicine Articles & Information Site MapAlternative Medicine Home Page.
Here you'll find what's on in Stoke Newington healthwise each month.
Find a Practitioner in Stoke Newington, London N16
This page contains a complete listing of alternative medicine practitioners and therapists from acupuncture to yoga. Also includes health food shops, alternative medicine centres, fitness and life coaches, leisure clubs, counsellors and psychotherapists.
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Search the listings page on this link. Also includes information on healthy eating in pregnancy.
A-Z of Alternative Medicine in Stoke Newington, London N16
Details the particular therapies that are available in Stoke Newington.
Resources & Site Map + Alternative Medicine Articles & Information
Health related activities in Stoke Newington. Please email me if there is a Stoke Newington site you would like to see included. Also included on this page are articles on holistic health.
Latest Holistic Health News & Research Findings
Updated monthly with the latest news and research in alternative medicine.
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Please feel free to contact me on any issue relating to this site but please note that personal health questions cannot be answered.
Nutrition Articles
Contains information on nutrition. The underlying theme of the articles is that nobody can tell you what eat to optimise your health. Only you can know this by trial and error, or by testing. We are all individuals with individual requirements.
Health, Fitness & Sport Resources in Stoke NewingtonFind A GP
Doctor's Surgeries in Stoke Newington
Find a Dentist
Dentists in Stoke Newington
N16 Alcohol Service
for people who want to control or stop drinking. Offers advice and complementary therapies (ear acupuncture to lessen cravings, detox herbal tea and homeopathy) to local residents. No appointment. Just turn up on Wednesday mornings 10-12 at John Scott Health Centre (entrance in Springpark Drive N4) All services are free. Phone 020 8525 1313
Woodbury Down Well-Being Service
is a free service for people over 50 who are anxious, depressed, have suicidal thoughts, experience panic attacks or other emotional or mental health problems related to alcohol abuse. Treatment includes acupuncture, meditation, qi gong and detox herbal tea. Just drop in on Monday mornings 9.30 - 11.45 at John Scott Health Centre (entrance in Springpark Drive N4). No appointment necessary. Phone 020 8525 1313
FOOTBALL
Sporting Hackney
Commercial senior football league. Train at Stoke Newington School, Clissold Road N16
Hackney Women's Footbal Club
Train during the summer in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington from 6.30 - 8.30pm, Wednesdays. During the football season from September to April, train at local facilities.
Hackney Women's Football Club
Saturday mornings 10 - 11.30 in conjunction with Leyton Orient Football Club Coaching in the Community initiative, qualified and approved football coaches offer a great opportunity for kids from 5 to 12 years who are interested in playing football and developing skills.
Just turn up, £2 contribution for each child per session. Meet on the field on the Green Lanes side of the Park, near to the Park Lodge gate and the lakes (north end of Park).
Teams also for under 9's, under 10's and under 11's who play in a Sunday league and have links with the Leyton Orient FC Advanced School.
CRICKET
Stoke Newington Cricket School
This is a junior cricket club offering cricket coaching and opportunities to play matches for young people aged 4 - 17 years. Coaches are ECB qualified and the club meet on Saturday mornings during term time at Clissold Park and Stoke Newington School, Clissold Road N16, 9.15am - 10.30am for 7 years and under, 10.30am - 12.30am for 8 - 17 year olds. Costs £2 to join the club and a £1 sub per week. The first week is free for you to see if you like the club!
For more information contact:
David Blundell - Secretary
Email: d.blundell@londonmet.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8806 5638
RUGBY
Hackney Rugby Football Club
Based at Springfield E5
Hackney Rugby Football Club
Hackney Bulls Youth Club
Train in Clissold Park, Saturdays 10 - 12. Ages 8 - 13. Beginners welcome. £1 per session. For details contact Hackney Bulls
TENNIS
Hackney City Tennis Clubs
Play at Clissold Park which has 8 courts and 2 mini courts. Courses and coaching covering 5 age ranges from 3-16. Also adult courses on 4 levels from beginners to competent. Also play at a number of other venues across Hackney.
www.hackneycitytennisclubs.co.uk
TABLE TENNIS
Abney Hall
Kids £1. Adults £3. Free use of bats and balls. Takes place Tuesdays and Fridays from 4.30pm
www.abneypublichall.co.uk
BASEBALL
London Meteors
Play at Finsbury Park but indoor winter training is at Stoke Newington School. Always looking for new players, boys and girls of any ability including newcomers from age 6. Adult teams also.
www.londonmeteors.co.uk
CLIMBING
The Castle Indoor Climbing Centre
Located in a former 19th century water pumping station, built in the style of a French medieval castle. Inside you'll find a maze of artificial rock faces on different levels.
www.castle-climbing.co.uk
WATER SPORTS
Stoke Newington West Reservoir
Offers many water sport activities such as dinghy sailing, private sailing courses, canoeing, kayaking, and dragon boating. Situated off Green Lanes N4, by The Castle. Phone 020 8442 8116
Canoeing
The Castle Canoe Club, based at the West Reservoir, meet on Sunday mornings 10.00-1.00 and Tuesday evenings from 6.00-8.30 (April - October). Membership costs just £36 a year which includes use of boats and equipment.
www.castlecanoeclub.org
Sailing
Sunday mornings all year round at Stoke Newington West Reservoir. Dinghy sailing and windsurfing. Organise racing and informal race training and practice, plus events such as the summer "Funday" regatta.
North London Sailing Association
Swimming
Clissold Swimming Club
clissoldswimmingclub.org
CYCLING
www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk
MARTIAL ARTS
London Aikido Club
60A Windus Road, Stoke Newington, London, N16
London Aikido Club
Moving East
Aikido, Jujitsu, Kenjutsu and Judo
St Matthias Church Hall, Wordsworth Road, London N16
Moving East
Tae Kwon Do Academy
2f Prince George Road, London, N16
Tae Kwon Do Academy
Abney Hall
Home of Abney Tigers Karate Club. Adult and children's karate. Also Jujitsu.
Abney Public Hall, Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16
abneypublichall.co.uk
East London Goju Ryu
Traditonal Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do
Instructor: Joost Frehé
Affiliated to Okinawan Traditional Goju Ryu Karate-Do Association (OTGKA)
www.otgka.co.uk
YOUTH CENTRE
Clissold Park Youth Centre
Stoke Newington School, Clissold Road, London N16. Offers a wide range of activities for ages 11-25, including table tennis, basketball, football, weights, and badminton.
CPYC
West Reservoir Youth Club
Youth club for 8 - 16 year olds. Saturdays all year round 11.00 - 3.00 and Wednesdays 5.00 - 7.00 April - October. Membership £60 per year plus £2 per session. Tel: 020 8442 8116
North London Muslim Youth Club
68 Cazenove Road, London N16 6AA
Youth club for 8-25 year old males providing karate, weights, football, badminton, table tennis, cricket coaching, snooker, outdoor activities and a summer scheme.
NLMYC
OVER 50's
Short Mat Bowls
West Reservoir Watersports Centre, N4. Mon/Fri 1.00 - 3.00.
Phone 020 8442 8116. Costs £2.
Tennis
Clissold Park Tennis Club, Thursdays 11.00 - 12.00.
Phone 020 7254 4235.
Gentle Exercise
Fountayne Road Health Centre, Fridays 1.30 - 2.30.
Membership required. Phone 020 7923 9031
Gentle Exercise For Turkish/English Speaking Women
Stamford Hill Library, Wednesdays 11 - 12.00
Membership required. Phone 020 7923 9031
OVER 60's
Pilates based gentle exercise
Senior N'Shei, Stamford Hill, N16 Tuesdays 11.15 - 12.45.
Phone 020 7354 0557. Free
Gentle Exercises For Strength & Balance
John Scott Health Centre, Thursdays 11.45 - 1.00.
Phone 020 7354 0557. Free
Strength, Mobility & Balance Exercises
Barton House Health Centre, Fridays 10.00 - 11.15
Phone 020 7354 0557. Free
OVER 65's
Gentle Exercises To Regain Balance & Strength
Barton House Health Centre, Fridays 11.15 - 12.30
Phone 020 7354 0557. Free
FOOD
Grow Organic Vegetables
Join in digging, planting, harvesting, sowing, plus children's activities in the afternoon. Refreshments, instructions and tools provided.
Takes place on the first Sunday every other month at Allens gardens, Bethune Rd, N16.
Growing Communities
Stoke Newington Farmers Market
is the UK’s first farmers’ market where all the producers and farmers are either organic or bio-dynamic. Open Saturdays 10 - 2.30pm. The Market offers a wide range of delicious, high quality produce from organic farmers and producers close to London. It is based at William Patten School, Stoke Newington Church Street N16.
Farmers Market
Organic Food Home Delivery
Locally run organic box scheme covering North and East London established in 1993. Supports many small farmers across the UK.
www.justorganic.org.uk
OTHER INTERESTING SITES OUTSIDE STOKE NEWINGTON
Hermitage Oils
Suppliers of medical grade essential oils. Established since 1979, customers include NHS trusts, Royal Schools for the Deaf, Therapists and many home enthusiasts
www.hermitageoils.co.uk |
Please do not read any articles until you have first read the Disclaimer
Live Blood Analysis
With the increase in degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis to name a few, Live Blood Analysis is now more important to us than ever before in the fight to prevent these epidemics.
Metamorphic Technique - A Powerful Healing Method
In the 1960's a British Reflexologist discovered a map of our time in the womb on the side of the foot. This insight led to the creation of the Metamorphic Technique, a method of healing and personal development using a gentle touch on the feet, head and hands to loosen patterns taken on during the gestation period, which in life become our blocks and challenges.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage - Therapeutic Applications
The lymphatic system has been ignored and abused, and yet it is the life-saving and most hard-working system of the body. Discover how MLD can help you overcome water retention, lymphoedema, sinus congestion, migraines, headaches and much else.
Holistic Approaches To Irritable Bowel Syndrome
How dietary therapy, hypnotherapy, herbs, acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine are proving effective for this difficult to treat condition.
Holistic Approaches To Reducing High Blood Pressure
There are a number of techniques and therapies that have been proven to reduce hypertension. This article looks at the scientific evidence for exercise, tai chi, massage, meditation and autogenic training.
Water Fluoridation
New legislation allows health authorities to force water companies to fluoridate water after local consulation. Does fluoride protect children's teeth? Should you say yes? Read this article to find out.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Thought to affect between 0.2 and 4% of the general population, yet this condition is not officially recognised in the UK. Is MCS all in the mind as some doctors suggest, or is it an organic illness caused by an increasingly toxic environment?
Colon Health - Are You Confused?
In treating people who have a wide range of physical and mental symptoms that don’t fit in to a conventional, ‘named’ condition, nutritional and naturopathic practitioners have for years been developing therapeutic tools for the handling of all manner of ailments. They have done this in the face of much opposition from scientists, doctors and policy-makers, but now, it would seem, they are being exonerated as many of their theories are being validated.
and why it could help prevent
some of the major diseases that exist today
Errol DentonWhat is live blood analysis How does it differ from the normal blood test from the doctor’s or hospital? Who will benefit from this revolutionary type of analysis?
These are the typical type of responses when someone first encounters the words live blood analysis (LBA) or nutritional microscopy (NM) for the first time. In fact NM has been practiced for over 200 years, more in depth historical information can be obtained from www.livebloodtest.com
With the increase in degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis to name a few LBA is now more important to us than ever before in the fight to prevent these epidemics.
What does live blood analysis involve?
NM involves a tiny pin prick on the fingertip and a single drop of blood is then placed under a specially adapted microscope. This microscope is connected to a video screen via a camera. The blood cells are magnified 20,000 times for the client and microscopist to view on a screen and because the blood is still live phenomenon such as: yeast, mould, bacteria, parasites, immune system activity, allergies, hormonal imbalances, sugar intolerances and much more can be observed.
How does live blood analysis differ from the conventional blood test?
Live blood analysis differs immensely from the standard blood test called a complete blood count or CBC because here the blood cells are dead and therefore merely counted.
For example a CBC report will list the total number of white blood cells a person has these represent the immune system but because the cells are dead there is no way of telling if they are actually working properly or not.
Live blood analysis enables one to experience seeing their own white blood cells moving through the blood plasma collecting bacteria and waste material. This is a very unique experience because NM gives a qualitative analysis of blood rather than a quantitative one therefore giving the average person a better understanding of disease. A better understanding of disease also gives the individual the power to take action to either prevent or remedy the situation through adopting the correct nutritional habits namely an alkaline lifestyle.
According to Dr Robert Young a leading naturopath, microbiologist and nutritionist who has pioneered and furthered research into NM over the past 25 years, the root cause of all disease is:
“The over acidification of the blood and the tissues due to an inverted way of living, eating and thinking” (The ph Miracle for weight loss)
Blood can be considered as an organ; probably the most essential organ of all without which one would cease to exist almost immediately!
Blood could also be called a person’s river of life because it carries life, especially that most important life giving substance called oxygen.
It is therefore vital not to pollute this life giving river the blood other wise it will result in disease.
There are important markers which can be detected within the blood and can serve as advance warning of the potential onset of certain diseases and makes NM an absolute must for every person who wishes to prevent disease because there is no other way of looking inside the veins. All conditions seen in the blood can then be treated by using alkaline foods to balance the ph of the blood.
Who can benefit from having a live blood test?
Everyone should have the test regardless of health, age, gender or general fitness levels. Live blood analysis is for both healthy and sick people.
Healthy people should have the test in order to remain healthy and prevent disease as it is the ultimate preventative medicine tool available today. People who are unwell can use it to become well from any disease including people suffering from any of the following:
Arthritis and other auto-immune diseases
Asthma
Adrenal stress
Alcohol induced challenges
Alzheimer’s disease
Cancer
Candia
Contact eczema
Cholesterol
Diabetes type 1 and 2
Depression
Drug toxicity
Emphysema and other chronic lung conditions
Fatigue
Flues and colds regularly
Fibromyalgia
Gout
Irritable bowl syndrome
Hot flushes menopause
Hormonal challenges
Heart disease and High blood pressure
Juvenile Diabetes
Kidney disorders
Liver challenges
Leukaemia
ME suffers
Nutrition deficiencies
Osteoarthritis
Parkinson’s disease, and other senile neurological conditions
PMT
Poor alertness and concentration
Poor exercise performance
Premature aging
Psoriasis
Thyroid Problems
Weight loss and Underweight
Here is an interesting case study on NM in action.
16th November 2005
"My name is Laura Gilbert. I am a spinning instructor, personal trainer, masseuse and nutritionist.
"I met Errol about two months ago at the David Lloyd Club where I work and decided to let him test my blood, He found that my red blood cells were sticking together due to high acidity in my blood. Also that I did not have enough essential fatty acids and that this was causing ghost cells to be formed. On the whole my fitness level was fairly high and I was not experiencing any health problems.
"I have experienced many changes and I will share these with you.
"I run every day for an hour and have increased my average running speeds by 10%. I definitely have a greater supply of oxygen readily available and feel less tired at the end of the day.
"I have also lost about 5 pounds in weight and my body fat has reduced by about 3%.
"I would like to thank Errol for all of the above and hope that many more people can gain from nutritional microscopy live blood cell analysis."
Laura Gilbert
To book a Nutritional Microscopy session please either call 020 8498 9898 or 07814 496525. For more information please visit: www.seemycells.co.uk
In the 1960's a British Reflexologist discovered a map of our time in the womb on the side of the foot. This insight led to the creation of the Metamorphic Technique, a method of healing and personal development using a gentle touch on the feet, head and hands to loosen patterns taken on during the gestation period, which in life become our blocks and challenges. This touch loosens the patterns energetically, as if pulling them out by the roots. Our blocks dissolve permanently, allowing us to reconnect to our greater potential which is always present in our energy field, waiting to be expressed.
During the first few months in the womb, as the foetus is inwardly focused and curled in upon itself, we lay the foundations for how we will experience our individuality. It is during this early period that blocks around sense of self are seeded. These manifest as negative beliefs, lack of self esteem or difficulty in taking care of ones needs.
At fourteen weeks, we start to physically open outward. This establishes how we open to the world.
Typically, artists who have trouble getting their work received have blocks that were seeded during this phase.
In the last few months, the foetus explores the wall of the womb and establishes how it will relate to others during it's lifetime. Patterns around our relationships take root here, affecting how we connect socially. This will shape our relationship to society, to our co-workers, our friendships and our place within the family.
Metamorphic Technique has had a profound effect within the family. Children's patterns such as neediness, learning difficulties or falling in with the wrong crowd shift very quickly.
It has also been noticed that one member will express the unexpressed emotions for the others. Traditionally this person is called the black sheep of family. When receiving Metamorphic Technique, they find they no longer need to play that role. When used by every member, deeply ingrained dynamics clear for good.
Metamorphic Technique is a simple tool which anyone can learn. As things intensify on the planet, our own limitations are being brought to the surface to be seen and healed, and we are all being challenged to expand beyond who we thought we were. Metamorphic Technique acts as a catalyst to our own life force, which moves us towards a more authentic and empowered expression of our being. Transformation can be brought about through gentle means. It's simply a matter of putting your best foot forward.
Dominique Meeroff gives sessions and teaches monthly weekend workshops and afternoon parents workshops in London and Brighton.
www.MetamorphicJourneys.co.uk
07863 544 036 or 020 8374 0798
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common intestinal disorder seen by doctors, affecting approximately 22 million people in the USA. It causes 34,000 hospitalisations; 3½ million physician office visits; 2.2 million prescriptions are written for it; and 400,000 people become disabled by it.
The main symptoms of IBS are recurrent colicky stomach pain; abdominal pain and distension; bloating, wind and cramps, rumblings, belching; diarrhoea and constipation sometimes alternating, flatulence, mucous covered stools.
Secondary symptoms can include a feeling of incomplete emptying after going to the toilet, incontinence and bladder problems, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, feeling full, back pain, headaches, lethargy, anxiety and depression.
The number and severity of symptoms varies from patient to patient.
IBS isn’t a particular disease. It is diagnosed by excluding other diseases; problems like food poisoning, lactose intolerance, lipid malabsorption, gastrointestinal bleeding ulcer, polyp or tumour, inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis or Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, diverticulitis, leaky gut syndrome, colon cancer, yeast, parasites or bacterial infection.
Once left with knowing what it isn’t, the condition can be named. Now it can be treated in various ways depending on the predisposition of the doctor. This is usually by drugs, dietary advice (even though they have no training), or by referral to a psychiatrist (a good way of getting rid of a problem patient).
Drugs include antispasmodics to relax the muscles in the intestines; anticholinergics to control peristalsis; antidiarrhoea drugs do as suggested, and other drugs can help both diarrhoea and constipation. It goes without saying these drugs have some potentially nasty side effects particularly if the condition has been misdiagnosed because exhaustive tests were not carried out.
More fibre in the diet is a common recommendation. Some relief may be experienced; then again fibre may make the situation worse.
If the doctor thinks it’s ‘all in the mind’, then a psychiatric evaluation may be suggested.
The holistic practitioner has a far better armoury of kindly weapons than conventional medicine where friendly fire is a likely outcome.
Suggested aetiologies for IBS include gut motility disorder, psychological disorder, psychophysiological phenomena and colonic malfermentation. Although the cause of the condition is unknown and is not curable, it can be controlled. The places to look are diet - food intolerance; gut flora and stress/emotional factors.
Dietary ModificationThe common advice to eat more fibre can be good or bad depending on the type. Fibre has been described as a ‘spectrum of concepts’ which has over 40 actions on digestive physiology. Since they have differing actions, treating it as a single substance is not helpful. People often say they eat a high fibre diet. What they mean is they eat a high wheat fibre diet.
Wheat can be rough and irritating to the digestive tract. And it’s in everything. From breakfast cereals, bread, cakes and biscuits to soups, gravy and sauces. A good place to start is to cut down on wheat and replace with other whole grains and vegetables. Fruit should be OK unless the patient has blood sugar problems in which case a low carbohydrate diet is indicated.
Milk, cheese and dairy produce may also aggravate the condition. Soya milk and yoghurt may be an alternative, then again they may not. People can be sensitive to these also and find them difficult to digest.
Other food items to avoid are sugar and yeast products.
According to Dr Vernon Coleman, a former sufferer, the following foods should be tested to see if they are upsetting: all fried foods, strong tea or coffee, fizzy drinks, alcohol, fatty foods, spicy foods, pickles, curry, peppers, mustard, broad beans, brussels sprouts, radishes and cucumber, unripe fruit, very hot or very cold foods, course bread, biscuits or cereals, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, any tough food that can’t be chewed easily.
Food sensitivity should be investigated in all IBS patients especially if chronic diarrhoea is a major problem. An elimination diet is the best way of finding the culprits.
A study put 21 patients on an elimination diet, eating nothing but lamb and pears and water for the first week. Other foods were then introduced one at a time. 66% improved considerably and were able to identify the culprit foods.
This was followed up by a larger trial of 122 IBS patients. 70% responded favourably. A questionnaire was sent out to these patients 2-3 years later. 87% continued to follow their diet with offending foods eliminated, and continued to benefit from it.
Other Diet Related AdviceIncrease fluids, especially water. Herbal teas and dandelion coffee can replace tea and coffee. Eat when hungry and not according to the clock. Eat slowly. Chew. Concentrate. Avoid large meals. Don’t stuff huge amounts of food into the mouth. In other words, look at how a teenager eats and do the opposite.
Air swallowing, a cause of wind can be reduced with the following advice: eat at a leisurely pace, don’t gulp drinks or sip through a straw; avoid open mouth chewing or talking with mouth full; correct loose fitting dentures. Avoid common wind causing foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, raisins, popcorn, peanuts, onions, chocolate, coffee, and milk.
Dr R.C.Atkins’ ApproachIn his Health Revolution the late Dr Atkins outlines the following regimen for dealing with his IBS patients.
1. Withdraw from pharmaceuticals (in collaboration with your doctor).
2. Withdrawal of foods for which the patient is sensitive using the cytotoxic test for food sensitivity. He finds the most common offender is wheat, followed by corn, dairy and yeast. Also test for improper food assimilation using the Indican test. Check for low stomach acid using the Heidelberg test.
3. Diet appropriate for blood sugar control. The majority of IBS patients show evidence of glycopathy (blood sugar imbalance).
4. Bowel cleansing. Most patients are given psyllium and bentonite preparations which may include many other bowel cleansing agents.
5. Nutritional supplementation. Supply full spectrum of vitamins and minerals plus additional panthothenic acid (vitamin B5) or pantothene (a B5 variant). Chronic diarrhoea can be normalised with megadoses of folic acid. This nutrient tends to be low in IBS patients in any case. Other important nutrients are vitamin A to protect the mucosal surfaces, zinc, magnesium, calcium and selenium. Calcium-EAP may also be prescribed as IBS may have an autoimmune component.
6. Action against pathological organisms. Endamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia are found in around half of all cases.
Gut FloraThe faecal microflora in IBS has been shown to be abnormal with higher numbers of opportunistic organisms and low numbers of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. The use of probiotics such as lactobacillus acidophilus and bifido bacterium are believed to be helpful in regulating peristalsis and reducing flatulence.
Food intolerance may be due to abnormal fermentation of food residues in the colon, as a result of disruption of the normal flora. The role of probiotics in IBS has not been clearly defined. Some studies show improvements in pain and flatulence in response to probiotic administration, whilst others show no symptomatic improvement.
It is very important to use supplements that are active. Unfortunately, tests on such supplements show that many do not have full biologically active ingredients.
Stress & Emotional FactorsMuscles in the bowel walls are as vulnerable to stress as any other. Overactivity of nerves that control bowel function may be brought on by long-term nutritional deficiencies, stress, or have a heredity component.
A history of anxiety and depressive disorders is associated with lower parasympathetic activity both in women with IBS and healthy controls. Further exploration is needed to understand if lower parasympathetic activity influences the pain and stool pattern changes seen in persons with IBS.
HypnotherapyThis proved so effective an NHS unit was set up especially for treating IBS.
An audit on the first 250 patients showed a marked improvement in all symptoms, quality of life and anxiety/depression. They concluded: hypnotherapy remains an extremely effective treatment. It may be less useful for men with a diarrhoea predominant problem.
Herbal TreatmentsThese are the most commonly used by the public for treating IBS. There are many to choose from. Controlled trials suggest herbs are useful in the prevention and treatment of digestive disorders.
Ginger in nausea and vomiting, liquorice extracts in peptic ulceration, opium derivatives in diarrhoea and senna, ispaghula and sterculia in constipation.
Other useful herbs included rosemary, peppermint, balm, caraway seed, dill, fennel, artichoke and dandelion.
A randomised controlled trial of Chinese Herbal Medicine (JAMA 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1585-9) found patients in the active treatment groups had significant improvement in bowel symptom scores and global improvement as rated by patients and gastroenterologists compared to placebo. Patients reported treatment significantly reduced the degree of interference with life caused by IBS symptoms.
Padma Lax, a complex Tibetan herbal formula was found to be “a safe and effective treatment for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and may offer an alternative to the current multi drug approach.” (Digestion. 2002;65(3):161-71)
The herbal remedy that is officially endorsed by the German Kommission E (similar to the US Food & Drug Administration) is a combination of peppermint oil and caraway in an enteric coated capsule. It has been thoroughly researched and found to be an effective, safe treatment for IBS. It is called Regimint (Eden’s Best).
A product derived from Aloe Vera concentrate is proving effective for symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating, cramps and wind. It exerts a powerful, soothing action in the gut. It is called Ambrotose (Mannatech).
AcupunctureA double-blind study was published a few years ago on IBS patients. True and sham acupuncture was performed on 25 randomly assigned patients in two sessions.
The effect of the first true acupuncture on overall symptoms and abdominal pain was a clear and significant improvement, with consistently better results, although no comparable effect was seen in the second session (Digestion 2001;64(2):100-3).
An earlier German study found true acupuncture almost twice as effective long term than pseudo acupuncture (Z Gesamte Inn Med 1990 Oct 15;45(20):625-7).
ConclusionIBS is a difficult condition to treat, but once all other possibilities are discounted, elimination diets or cytotoxic testing for food intolerances, vitamins, minerals, herbs and probiotic supplementation, Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, and hypnotherapy are proven beneficial in both clinical trials and in practice. These options are preferable to current drug approaches.
Conventional medicine accepts that the dietary approach to reducing high blood pressure works. They introduced a strategy called DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH trial demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and reduced in saturated and total fat, could achieve clinically important reductions in blood pressure, as compared with a typical American diet. Those with hypertension had a reduction of 11.4/5.5 mmHg, and those without hypertension had a reduction of 5.5/3.0 mmHg. These reductions occurred in the absence of changes in weight or sodium intake, appeared within 2 weeks of being on the diet, and persisted for the 8 weeks of feeding.
DASH has since been modified to DASH-Sodium to reduce salt levels in people’s diets. The results of the DASH-Sodium trial indicate that blood pressure can be lowered even further, although there have been critics of this trial.
Even though dietary changes and supplementation approaches are highly effective at reducing hypertension, there are other lifestyle factors that can also reduce elevated blood pressure.
ExerciseRegular exercise is proven beneficial for the cardiovascular system, but it’s not so obvious whether those with preexisting hypertension will benefit, so several studies have sought to find this out.
A study of 642 men who were followed up after 25 years found that among the 173 men with hypertension, vigorous physical activity was associated with markedly reduced rates of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The relative risk was 0.43 for total mortality and 0.33 for cardiovascular disease mortality i.e a 57% and 67% reduced risk (J Hypertens. 1999 Jun;17(6):737-42).
Twenty-three mild hypertensive patients were divided randomly into two groups: control (no exercise) and moderate-intensity exercise. The training group exercised three times per week at the prescribed exercise intensity by using the Treadmill exercise test. Blood pressure, heart rate and other biochemical parameters were monitored regularly every 4 weeks for 12 weeks.
After 12 weeks regular exercise training, the exercise group showed significant resting blood pressure reduction. Mean maximal reduction of systolic pressure was 18 mmHg.
“These data suggest that after 12 weeks of exercise training in mild hypertensive patients, successful reduction of blood pressure...will be noted” (Clin Exp Hypertens. 2002 May;24(4):315-24).
The combined association of blood pressure and physical activity on cardiovascular mortality was assessed in a cohort of 30,597 women and 30,508 men, using standardised blood pressure measurements and information on usual frequency, duration, and intensity of physical exercise. Follow up was after 16 years.
Cardiovascular mortality increased continuously with increasing blood pressure, and, at each blood pressure level, risk was higher in men and women with no physical activity compared with those who reported high physical activity.
“The results support the hypothesis that cardiovascular health of individuals with moderate hypertension will benefit from regular physical exercise.” (J Hypertens. 2006 Oct;24(10):1939-46).
Tai ChiTwo groups of 76 healthy subjects with blood pressure at high-normal or stage I hypertension were enrolled 3 times per week in a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan exercise training programme or were put in a control group. Each session included 10-minute warm-up, 30-minute Tai Chi exercise, 10-minute cool-down.
Exercise intensity was estimated to be approximately 64% of maximal heart rate.
After 12-weeks of Tai Chi training, the treatment group showed significant decrease in systolic blood pressure of 15.6 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 8.8 mmHg.
“This study shows that under well-designed conditions, Tai Chi exercise training could decrease blood pressure.”
“Therefore, Tai Chi could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with mild hypertension.” (J Altern Complement Med. 2003 Oct;9(5):747-54)
In another study fourteen patients were placed in the experimental group and fourteen in the control group. Members in the experimental group participated in a 6 week programme of Tai Chi exercise.
After 6 weeks there were significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the experimental group when compared to the control group.
“These results suggest that a 6 week Tai Chi program can be utilized as an effective nursing program to reduce blood pressure for hypertensive patients.” (Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2004 Aug;34(5):829-37)
Finally a recent study of 20 women who undertook two one hour Tai-Chi sessions per week for 10 weeks had a mean systolic reduction of 6 mmHg (Med Sci Monit. 2006 May;12(5):CR196-9).
A great fan of Tai Chi is holistic physician Robert Willix MD.
“If you have heart disease, practicing tai chi regularly not only lowers your blood pressure and helps you lose weight, it also defuses negative feelings, such as anger, frustration and depression which can trigger a heart attack.
“Also the moves are simple, gentle and easy to learn. They need no special skill and can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors, alone or with a group. Anyone can become a ‘master’. It takes just a little practice, focus and a good teacher.
“Tai chi is ideal if you want the pleasure and benefit of exercise, but can’t subject your bones and joints to jarring, strenuous activity.
“Tai chi works wonders for my patients.”
MassageOne would assume that massage would be beneficial for its effect on stress reduction. However there has been little published research in this area.
Thirty-four subjects were assigned to foot reflexology or control. It was administered twice a week for 6 weeks.
There was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in the reflexology group compared to the control group.
“The results proved that foot reflexology was an effective nursing intervention to decrease systolic pressure.” (Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2004 Aug;34(5):739-50).
A preliminary study tested the effects of regularly applied back massage on the blood pressure of patients with clinically diagnosed hypertension.
10 minute back massage was given to the experimental group comprising 8 people, three times a week for 10 sessions. The six in the control group relaxed in the same environment for 10 minutes, three times a week for 10 sessions.
Systolic blood pressure changed significantly between groups over time as did the diastolic blood pressure.
“This preliminary study suggests that regular massage may lower BP in hypertensive persons.” (Biol Res Nurs. 2005 Oct;7(2):98-105).
150 current adult massage therapy clients with blood pressure lower than 150/95 were measured before and after a therapeutic massage.
Overall, systolic blood pressure decreased by 1.8 mmHg and diastolic increased by 0.1 mmHg. Demographic factors associated with blood pressure decrease included younger age and taller stature.
Type of massage was associated with change in blood pressure: Swedish massage had the greatest effect at blood pressure reduction. Trigger point therapy and sports massage both increased the systolic blood pressure, and if both forms of massage were included in a session, both the systolic and diastolic readings significantly increased. No other massage factors were associated with a significant change in blood pressure.
“Type of massage was the main factor affecting change in blood pressure. Increases in blood pressure were noted for potentially painful massage techniques, including trigger point therapy.” (J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):65-70).
MeditationScientific research has demonstrated through hundreds of studies that many favourable changes occur in the body when one is meditating including reduction in hypertension. However most of these studies have been criticised for weak design and methodological problems.
One well conducted trial has reported that three months' practice of transcendental meditation (TM) significantly reduced clinic measured diastolic and systolic blood pressure over group controls given education. Progressive muscle relaxation produced an intermediate effect size. The mean adjusted changes in the TM group were 10.7 mmHg in systolic and 6.4 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.
“This and several other studies by authors associated with the TM organisation indicate a positive effect on blood pressure” (Hypertension. 1995 Nov;26(5):820-7).
Data were pooled from 2 published randomised controlled trials that compared TM, other behavioural interventions, and usual therapy for high blood pressure. There were 202 subjects, including 77 whites (mean age 81 years) and 125 African-American (mean age 66 years) men and women.
In these studies, average baseline blood pressure was in the prehypertensive or stage I hypertension range. Follow-up of vital status and cause of death over a maximum of 18.8 years was determined.
Compared with combined controls, the TM group showed a 23% decrease in the primary outcome of all-cause mortality. There was a 30% decrease in the rate of cardiovascular mortality and a 49% decrease in the rate of mortality due to cancer in the TM group compared with combined controls.
“These results suggest that a specific stress-decreasing approach used in the prevention and control of high blood pressure, such as the TM program, may contribute to decreased mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease in older subjects who have systemic hypertension” (Am J Cardiol. 2005 May 1;95(9):1060-4).
Autogenic TrainingAutogenic training (AT) is a very powerful technique for dealing with stress. It can bring about mental results similar to Eastern meditation. On the physical level it produces physiological changes as found with intense athletic training. It helps to maintain balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
Of 90 patients with hypertension, half undertook AT while the other had no behavioural intervention. By the end of the 5 year follow-up period, the AT group was significantly different from the control group, with reduced blood pressure (by 5.8 mmHg systolic and 3.2 mmHg diastolic vs. 4.3 mmHg systolic and 2.0 mm Hg diastolic).
“AT appeared to be more effective in patients with mild hypertension than in those with moderate hypertension and the results were comparable with those obtained with regular medication.”
ConclusionExercise, tai chi, massage, meditation, AT plus others not covered - biofeedback and yoga - have been demonstrated to reduce hypertension. Together with the dietary and supplementation approaches in the previous article, the vast majority of people with elevated blood pressure have enough options to control their condition without resorting to drugs.
Therapeutic ApplicationsBrina EidelsonBackground
In the last ten or fifteen years awareness of the body's lymphatic system has grown enormously, not only amongst the medical profession, but also in the world of complementary medicine and hence amongst the general public.
The lymphatic system has been ignored and abused, and yet it is the life-saving and most hard-working system of the body. It collects the debris such as toxins, cell waste and dead particles, delivers antibodies and other immune constituents, and ensures that the right balance of fluid is constantly bathing all the cells of the body.
In the 1930s Dr. Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid, both physiotherapists from Denmark, were working in the south of France in the health spas, where many people came from all over Europe to get away from their damp climates, in the hope of shaking off the constant respiratory infections they suffered.
The accepted view at that time was that lymph nodes were like the proverbial 'can of worms', - harbouring all sorts of diseases - and should not be tampered with. Dr. Vodder was inspired to try some gentle pumping movements over the enlarged cervical lymph nodes of some of the patients, who not only had nose and throat infections, but also migraines and blemished skin to name but some of the complaints. Dr. Vodder found that generally, after ten treatments all the complaints cleared up, and this was the beginning of what he came to name Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD).
Dr. Vodder and his wife developed systematic movements to treat the entire body and they eventually presented this new treatment to the public. In the years following the war, other health professionals became interested in the method and several became associates of Dr. Vodder. They eventually went on to establish the first clinics specialising in lymphological disorders, followed by the establishment of the first schools.
Today there are five main schools that teach MLD based on the work instigated by Dr. Vodder, namely the Vodder School in Austria, the Foldi school in Germany, the school of Professor LeDuc in Brussels, the Asdonk school and the Casley-Smiths school in Australia. These schools are recognised by MLDUK, the authoritative UK association that monitors standards and has a register of practitioners and qualified teachers of the Vodder School who hold courses in the UK.
Methods & Applications
Many complementary practitioners are now aware that MLD is an excellent therapy for assisting the body to collect and move lymphatic fluid. This very light and rhythmical massage is used to clear congestion and it is this factor that can make an enormous difference to one's health and well-being.
Starting with the tiny lymph collectors just under the skin, the intricate network of lymphatic vessels needs to be stimulated gently to transport the lymph efficiently along the appropriate pathways. The lymph is cleansed by the clusters of nodes it meets along the way and the clean lymph eventually rejoins the bloodstream via the large veins in the cervical area.
While the fluid is still within the tissues of the body, it is known as tissue fluid, or prelymph. This fluid can become static for a variety of reasons, such as an overload of toxins and mucous resulting from poor diet or exposure to a polluted environment, or the lymph pathway may have been cut off due to surgery or injury, or there may be a congenital problem such as an insufficient lymphatic system or impaired venous circulation.
When this happens the result is a puffy or swollen appearance in all or certain parts of the body, slow healing, problems such as allergies, headaches, acne, sinusitis low energy and constant infections due to impaired immune function. Clients who undertake a series of MLD treatments notice a dramatic improvement in all these symptoms and additionally will usually find new energy, a feeling of lightness and improved skin texture. Additionally, because of the light, rhythmical strokes, the nervous system is calmed down and this lowers blood pressure, counters stress and improves sleep patterns.
The first therapists who were willing to try out this new technique were the beauty therapists. They quickly found that a MLD face treatment improved the skin's appearance by minimising scar tissue, bringing elasticity and freshness back to the skin and tightening up sagging tissue.
It was also found that welcome side effects were the same as those discovered by Dr. Vodder, i.e. infections cleared up, sinus problems went away and any healing was speeded up. It was through the experiences of the beauty therapists that gradually the news about MLD spread and physiotherapists, nurses and massage therapists became interested.
Amongst the many conditions that MLD can treat successfully are acne, acne rosacea, sinus congestion, strains and sprains, healing of flesh wounds, pain from chronic conditions such as arthritis, migraine and headaches, symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, tiredness, constipation and much more. It will also clear help stretch marks and scarring, although this can take a longer time, as with cellulite.
An MLD therapist will usually take an interest in the client's lifestyle, and in the case of cellulite for example, the therapy will only work if the accompanying diet is free of toxins and mucous forming foods. The client will be given exercises and be taught some simple massage strokes to be done every day.
But the condition that MLD is most famous for helping is oedema, or water retention in all its guises, and its more serious manifestation known as lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema
The medical profession is primarily interested in MLD due to its ability to help manage problems of lymphoedema. This condition manifests as severe swelling of a limb, or parts of the torso, which causes great discomfort and inconvenience to the sufferer. The limb's ability to recover from infection due to a bite or injury is impaired and this can lead to cellulitis, a serious localised infection that will not heal without the help of antibiotics.
There are two types of lymphoedema: Primary and secondary. Primary lymphoedema may be caused by an insufficient lymphatic system. It usually starts in the feet and ankles and can gradually move up one or both legs. It can come on at any age and is often seen in the young.
Secondary lymphoedema results from the lymph pathway being cut off. This is common after cancer surgery where the adjacent lymph nodes are removed. Women who have had breast cancer often develop a swollen arm, while surgery for uterine cancer and testicular or prostate cancer can cause swelling to develop in the lower abdomen, legs and sometimes the genitals.
Lymphoedema can be brought under control and managed with the use of Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT) of which MLD is an essential part. CDT consists of exercises for the affected limb, MLD, compression bandaging, skin care and the wearing of compression garments.
In the case of primary lymphoedema the MLD treatment begins with gentle stimulation of the whole system by working on the neck region, then stimulation of the whole lymphatic pathway connected to the affected limb(s). Secondary lymphoedema is treated differently in that the excess fluid has to be directed away from the blockage and made to drain via a different pathway.
For example, if a patient has a swollen arm due to the axillary lymph nodes having been removed during breast surgery, there would be no point in stimulating the arm to drain via its usual route, i.e. into the axilla (armpit). So MLD techniques are applied to open up collaterals in the chest and across the back, and the fluid is 'pushed' across to the other axilla where it can drain into the rest of the lymphatic system.
Following the MLD massage, compression bandaging is applied to the arm or leg. This consists of bandaging the fingers or toes, then wrapping the limb in layers of padding followed by several layers of short stretch bandages firmly wound around it. Specific exercises are prescribed for the limb and the bandages are left on for 24 hours preventing the fluid from building up again.
The process of MLD, bandaging and exercise is repeated each day for two to three weeks in order to achieve a dramatic improvement in the swelling. The client then needs to follow up this intensive period of treatment with maintenance treatments every few weeks and to wear compression stockings or sleeves as often as possible.
There are some contraindications where MLD would not be appropriate and the practitioner will always check these out and speak to the GP or specialist if necessary. The main contraindication is oedema caused by cardiac insufficiency.
Lymphoedema Case Study
Susan (53), has had primary lymphoedema in her feet and ankles since a very young age. As a teenager she remembers sometimes not being able to get her shoes on and although she was quite sporty, her abdomen would regularly get bloated and her whole body seemed to swell. Susan has a history of constipation and sometimes would not pass stools for three weeks at a time. She often had headaches or a 'woolly' head. Her GP offered very little in the way of help with any of these problems.
With the menopause, the swelling seemed to get worse and Susan finally got cellulitis in her left leg. Out of desperation she asked her GP to arrange for her leg to be amputated, and it was then that he eventually referred her to a vascular consultant. The consultant diagnosed primary lymphoedema and gave her the name of an MLD therapist.
The MLD therapist applied CDT treatments every day for four weeks. Not only did Susan's feet and ankles go down, but she started to pass stools almost every day and her abdomen and body stopped swelling quite so much. She went down two dress sizes and for the first time in years she was able to wear ordinary shoes.
The MLD therapist moved away and Susan let things slide despite having been referred to another therapist. When the swelling started to return she undertook another intensive three-week course of treatment with the new therapist and good results were achieved.
The therapist took an interest in Susan's diet and they decided that an intestinal cleansing programme would be beneficial. Susan did a three-month cleanse, using herbal tablets and a powder containing psyllium husks and herbs, while continuing with the CDT treatments. This combination had the effect of getting rid of old faeces and intestinal residue giving Susan new energy and a feeling of lightness. The swelling in her legs, abdomen and around her neck reduced even further. She now feels good most of the time and likes to eat a fresh, wholefood diet
Susan continues to have CDT treatments every three weeks, wears her compression stockings and is enjoying the look on the faces of her friends when they see the difference in her.
Sinus Congestion
Oedema of the mucous membranes and an impaired immune system can cause chronic sinus congestion and sinusitis. These conditions respond well to MLD because it has the effect of reducing the oedema of the membranes while also boosting the immune system.(1) The treatment includes intensive work on the face and also intra-orally to stimulate lymph flow over the hard palate and soft palates.
Case Study - sinus congestion with chronic catarrh and abdominal bloating
Allan (73) has had chronic catarrh as far back as he can remember, but it became intolerable in 1972 after he'd had a bad cold. Mucous continually collects in his sinuses, then drips down the back of his throat and collects in his lower pharynx causing him to cough and choke. Allan was unhappy with the drugs and sprays from the doctors and when he read about MLD decided to give it a try.
When there are problems with the respiratory tract there is usually a connection with the digestive tract and during the consultation it came to light that Allan also has gaseous bloating of his abdomen with some discomfort and irregularity of bowel movements.
MLD treatments commenced, concentrating on Allan's face, sinuses and intra-orally and also his abdomen. After the third treatment the symptoms were the same but Allan was feeling good. He had tried to do his own intra-oral work but found it difficult. By the fourth treatment both the catarrh and bloating were starting to improve and by the seventh treatment the congestion in his throat was almost under control.
After ten treatments Allan was feeling very good and was only having an occasional episode of catarrh and bloating. He can now cope quite well for up to three months at a time without a treatment. The episodes are also related to his diet. Allan has a healthy vegetarian diet but binges occasionally on cream teas and this can trigger an episode!
Migraines and Headaches
A migraine attack characteristically has sudden onset pain, which becomes unbearably sharp and is usually accompanied by nausea and even vomiting. It can be triggered by many factors, such as the weather, hormonal changes, certain foods etc. In the disease picture, the physical processes that occur result in oedema accumulating around the blood vessels in the head and neck area, therefore MLD is very effective in treating it. Again, there is a connection with the digestive tract and migraine sufferers usually often have constipation.(1)
Chronic headache can be the symptom of any number of ailments, e.g. high or low blood pressure, stress, muscle strain, sinus congestion, poor eyesight, poor digestion and toxicity etc.
Case Study: Migraine and Headaches
Roberta (42) had to have a lot of surgery to her face as a child and teenager as well as the removal of her tonsils and appendix. This has left her suffering with at least six migraine attacks every month and headaches in between. Her abdomen gets bloated and by the end of every day it is hard, bloated and tender even though she has one or two regular bowel movements per day. Roberta takes a lot of painkillers and has of course had a lot of drugs through her system due to all the surgery.
Roberta heard about MLD and decided to give it a try and initially came for treatments twice a week.
Roberta was quite swollen around the neck area and this started reducing almost immediately. After the third treatment she noticed an improvement in her abdomen and her headaches seemed to be at bay for a few days. After the fourth treatment the bloating had come back, but the headaches were milder. In discussion, Roberta decided that she would undertake the three month intestinal cleansing programme to try and rid her body of the toxic residue that must have built up. She started the cleanse just before the fifth treatment, and at the seventh treatment the bloating was much better and the pattern of migraines was changing.
At this stage Roberta got a virus and had to miss some treatments, and then was laid up with a bad back. Some of the oedema to her neck and face returned. She restarted treatments but had to spread them out. The cleansing programme was going well and she had lost six pounds. By the twelfth treatment the abdominal swelling was very much improved and the number of migraines and headaches had reduced to a tolerable level. She maintains this situation by continuing to have occasional treatments.
References
(1). Kasseroller, Renato. Compendium of Dr. Vodder's Manual Lymph Drainage. Haug Publishing, Heidelberg. ISBN 3-7760-1729-5. 1998.
About the Author
Brina Eidelson MLDUK, ANP
Trained in MLD, naturopathy, acupuncture, reflexology and also teaches Reiki. She specialises in the management of lymphoedema and is committed to assisting clients to build a foundation for good health in the future.
Brina runs a private practice in Islington and Wood Green.
To make an appointment with Brina for MLD go to Manual Lymphatic Drainage This article is reproduced by kind permission of Positive Health magazine. It was first published in Issue 71, December, 2001
Fluorine is the 13th most common element and is widespread in the environment, although this gas only exists as compounds (fluorides) with other elements. The commonest being calcium fluoride.
At the beginning of the 20th century it was noticed that the inhabitants of some areas of the USA had mottled tooth enamel (fluorosis). Investigators discovered high amounts of naturally occurring calcium fluoride in the drinking water. Children in these areas appeared to have less tooth decay and hence the notion got around that fluoride protected children’s teeth. Studies in the USA and other countries including the UK followed. These seemed to confirm the association between fluoride water content and caries reduction.
Fluoride Protects
Fluoride is believed to protect teeth by replacing hydroxyapatite by the more resistant fluorapatite in the growing period up to age 12. Fluoride also has strong antibacterial activity. Theoretically at least, fluoride should offer some protection against tooth decay.
And many studies support this conclusion. For instance, a seven year study published in 1981 examined 5 year olds in 4 urban communities in England. They found an excellent inverse correlation between fluoride content of the water supplies and the incidence of caries.
Or Does It?
Although proponents of fluoridation speak of volumes of such research over many years, in reality much of it demonstrating a protective effect is weak by today’s standards. The NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, (NHSCRD) in their systematic review published in 2000 included 214 studies. But they noted that “the quality of studies was low to moderate.” In spite of this they concluded that there was a beneficial reduction in caries.
In 1988, Philip Sutton, a former senior lecturer in Dental Science investigated claims by the proponents of fluoridation that 128 studies confirm caries reduction of 50% - 75%. He found that none of the studies made any attempt to avoid bias, 34 of the studies didn’t exist, 20 were about something else, and 51 were too poor scientifically to consider. Of the 23 that were left, none showed fluoridation to be beneficial in any scientifically acceptable way.
There is also much evidence which negates the positive findings.
A 1982 study covering several countries showed caries reduction of between 17% and over 50% in unfluoridated areas. This was confirmed by the World Health Organisation and the US National Institute for Dental Research in its study of 39,000 children.
In 1948, North Shields, which has little or no naturally occurring fluoride, was compared to South Shields, where the water has a natural fluoride content of 1.4 parts per million. Dental caries was found to be the same in both towns. All that fluoride did was to delay the onset of caries by several years according to the research.
The discoverer of streptomycin, Professor Albert Schatz agrees that fluoridation simply delays the appearance of caries because it delays the eruption of teeth. “Fluoridated children develop the same amount of tooth decay...The only difference is that caries start developing approximately 1.2 years later.”
The lowest rates of caries in Canada are to be found in British Columbia where 11% of the population have fluoridated water compared to 40 - 70% in the rest of Canada.
73% of the Republic of Ireland’s population live in fluoridated areas. From 1972 - 1992 the rate of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) in 12 year olds fell from 5.4 to 1.9. Yet they are only 6th in the European league table. First is unfluoridated Finland (1975-1991 DMFT fell from 7.5 to 1.2). In second place is unfluoridated Denmark (1978-1992 DMFT fell from 6.4 to 1.3).
Some studies show that fluoride causes an increase in decay. An Indian survey of 400,000 children found higher decay in fluoridated areas and a survey of 20,000 Japanese students found higher rates of decay.
In some places fluoridation was practised but then halted. Kuopia in Finland stopped fluoride treatment after 33 years. The result? Over the following 6 year period teeth got better. There was a similar story in two towns in the former East Germany. Because this finding was so unexpected a further survey was carried out in 2 other towns. 3 years after stopping fluoridation DMFT fell by 38.5% in one and 20.6% in the other.
It’s Toxic & Accumulates
Britain and Ireland only allow hexafluorosilicic acid or hexafluorosilicate to be used for water fluoridation. It contains a form of silicon which has been linked to cancer. These fluorosilicates aren’t pure either. They contain a number of contaminants which includes lead, arsenic and mercury. According to toxicologist Professor Phyllis Mullenix, “the ‘fifty years’ of studies about fluoride safety do not exist.”
There is no dispute that fluoride is potentially toxic and that the effect is cumulative. In fact the Journal of the American Dental Association stated back in 1936 that “fluoride at the 1ppm concentration is as toxic as arsenic and lead.” In those days the dental profession were keen to remove fluoride from water. They have since reversed their position, no longer considering it toxic at that level.
In 1942 the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association described fluorides as “general protoplasmic poisons.” And in 1950 the pharmacists reference book US Dispensary described fluorides as “violent poisons to all living tissue”. As recently as 1984 a toxicology reference book gave fluoride a toxicology rating of 4 (very toxic). They go on: “the fact is that fluoride is more toxic than lead and just slightly less toxic than arsenic.”
Yet the US Environmental Protection Agency set the maximum contaminant level for lead at 0.015ppm and for fluoride at 4.0ppm. That’s 266 times higher. Does that make any sense?
More than 100 fatal acute fluoride intoxications were reported between 1935 and 1981.
Fluoride & Cancer
It should come as no surprise that fluoride could have potentially detrimental affects on health. Fluoride has been linked to genetic damage. One study found that just 1ppm inhibited DNA repair and damaged chromosomes. Another found “a highly significant increase in mutation.”
A review of such studies concluded that “the weight of the evidence leads to the conclusion that fluoride exposure results in increased chromosome aberrations”. Some of the studies that produced positive results were at 1-5ppm, levels equivalent to human exposure. However whether fluoride produces chromosome damage in vivo in humans “should be considered unresolved”, they stated.
Fluoride inhibits several enzyme systems. It can combine with catalase for instance, to inhibit its activity. Catalase is an essential part of our antioxidant defence system.
The ten largest fluoridated areas in the USA were compared with the ten largest unfluoridated in the 1970’s. Cancer rates were similar before fluoridation. But after 20 years these areas had a cancer death rate 10% higher.
Other epidemiological analysis in the 1980’s found significant correlation between fluoridated areas of the USA and cancer incidence. An interesting finding was that women’s hormonal cancers increased while male hormonal cancers decreased. The authors wondered whether fluoride could act as an environmental hormone. A significant dose response relationship was also found for bone cancers in male teenagers.
A rodent study found that the more fluoride they ingested the higher the incidence of bone cancers they developed.
Because of these findings Dr Perry Cohn surveyed a number of areas of New Jersey. He found the incidence of bone cancers in boys was up to 4.6 times higher in the fluoridated areas.
Some studies also suggest that fluoride has a causal relationship with respiratory, oral and uterine cancers. Of course not all studies find fluoride guilty and the NHSCRD found no clear association with any cancer.
Fluoride & The Brain
Fluoride inhibits the brain chemical acetylcholinesterase. In 1995 an animal study demonstrated that fluoride affects the central nervous system.
Chinese scientists showed that children in highly fluoridated areas have a lower IQ than those who are fluoride free.
Fluoride may also affect the brain by combining with aluminium to form aluminium fluoride and may increase the absorption of lead.
It also competes with iodine for absorption and was used to treat an overactive thyroid for many years, often at intakes below 1mg a day.
Fluoride has also been shown to accumulate in the pineal gland to inhibit melatonin production in animals. This causes earlier onset of sexual maturity.
Many mood altering drugs like Prozac (fluoxetine), designed to act on the central nervous system, include fluoride in their chemical makeup.
How Much Do We Ingest?
It is possible that something which is toxic at a high dose could be beneficial at a low dose. The 1ppm level is supposed to give children a protective 1mg a day assuming they drink 1 litre a day. However I don’t see any health warnings on our taps not to drink more than a litre a day, and many commercial drinks and juices use fluoridated water.
The UK Department of Health suggests a safe intake is 3mg a day. The official position of the US National Academy of Sciences is that the “crippling daily dose” is 10mg - 20mg a day over a 10 - 20 year period (remember the effects of fluoride are cumulative). So if we take in just 1mg we shouldn’t suffer with bone disease until we’re at least 100 years old. But do we just ingest 1mg a day?
Apart from water, sources of fluoride include bonemeal, bran, beets, yams, sunflower seeds, whey, milk, cheese, garlic, green vegetables, kelp, gelatin and small fish eaten with bones.
Sodium silicofluoride spray (an insecticide) remains in the peel of oranges and many marmalades contain orange peel.
The pesticide cryolate, which is over 50% fluorine is used on apples, raisins, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, peaches and most berries. Tea can be a major source of fluoride.
A cup of tea may contain up to 0.2mg of fluoride, so many adults get a daily dose from 5 cups.
Vegetables cooked in fluoridated water averaged 0.4 mg per kg., whereas those cooked in nonfluoridated water averaged only 0.2mg per kg.
Then there are toothpastes, gels, flosses and mouthwashes, Teflon coated cookware (poly-tetra-fluoroethane), cigarettes and some pharmaceuticals.
Early figures calculated intake to be 1.5mg a day. In the 1970’s it was put at 3.0mg. By the 1990’s the US Dept. of Health put the figure for US fluoridated cities at 6.5mg. Current intake is thought to approach 8mg.
Natick in Massachussets fluoridated its water supply in 1998. All water bills carry this message: “we recommend that pregnant women, parents of children under 3 and individuals with known fluoride sensitivity consult with their personal physicians before drinking this water.”
How Much Do We Excrete?
It’s your kidneys’ job to excrete fluoride. Healthy ones will excrete about 50%. But what if it’s not up to par? This is what the Journal of the American Medical Association had to say in 1972: “Children, the elderly and any person with impaired kidney function are in the high risk group for fluoride poisoning and must be warned to monitor their fluoride intake. Also at high risk are people with immunodeficiencies, diabetes and heart ailments as well as anyone with calcium, magnesium and vitamin C deficiencies. At the level of 0.4ppm renal impairment has been shown.”
How elderly are the elderly? The US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reiterated the above statement in 1993 and added: “People over the age of 50 often have decreased fluoride renal clearance.”
Fluoride Harms Children
A 5 year study of children under 6 in the USA between 1989 and 1994 found that several hundred children were treated at health care facilities each year because of ingestion of toxic amounts of home-use dental fluoride products i.e. toothpastes, rinses and gels. The frequently cited dose was 5mg per kilogram bodyweight. Outcomes were “generally not serious.”
And what about bathtime? Shampoos, bubble baths and soaps contain sodium lauryl sulphate. It is used by drug companies to increase the absorption of medications that act on the skin. Fluoride can also be absorbed through the skin. Added to bath water absorption is increased by 9%!
One of the objectives of fluoridation is to even out inequalities in health. But it’s possible that the poorest children will be affected the worst.
The work of Professor Schatz in Chile showed that the more malnourished a child, the more susceptible they were to fluoride toxicity. He believed that high levels of infant mortality there was linked to fluoride ingestion. As a result of his work fluoridation was stopped in that country although it was later reinstated.
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals will decrease the intestinal absorption of fluoride. One study found that poorer children had 2.3 times as much dental fluorosis as children from higher income families.
Back in 1952 the Journal of the American Dental Association said that “malnourished infants and children, especially if deficient in calcium intake, may suffer from the effects of water containing fluorine while healthy children would remain unaffected.” This was reaffirmed by Professor Massler of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 2000 who said that “lower levels of fluoride ingestion...may not be safe for malnourished infants and children.”
Have poorer children been helped by fluoride? Liverpool has more than twice the number of underprivileged children that Gateshead. Yet the rate of dental decay for 5 year olds is the same in each city. What’s more, Gateshead is fluoridated and Liverpool isn’t!
Who Wants Mottled Teeth?
Those in favour of fluoridation do not deny this negative effect. This was reaffirmed by the NHSCRD: “there is a dose response relationship between water fluoride level and the prevalence of fluorosis. Fluorosis appears to occur frequently (48%) at fluoride levels typically used in artificial fluoridation schemes (1ppm). The proportion of fluorosis that is ethically concerning is lower (12½%).”
Is this a minor cosmetic issue or does it indicate toxicity? Surely the latter since fluoride also accumulates in the bones and suggests enzyme/protein damage. If I were a child I certainly wouldn’t consider permanently stained teeth as just a cosmetic issue.
Fluoride & Bones
Studies published in the 1960’s showed that incidence of osteoporosis was substantially higher in areas where the drinking water contained low levels of fluoride. Another did not support this finding but found that higher levels of fluoride than were added to the water supply were protective. Fluoride is believed to stimulate bone formation in combination with calcium and vitamin D. It does this by entering into the collaganous matrix of bone to form large hydroxyapatite crystals which are more resistant to osteoclastic attack. However with skeletal fluorosis the bones may become brittle and more fragile.
Fluoride also seems to be a potent stimulator of osteoblastic bone formation to increase spinal bone mass. However clinical trials have proved disappointing. Vertebral bone densities increased without any decrease in fracture rates and there was an increase in non-vertebral fractures. Even so, many European countries use slow release sodium fluoride as a therapy for osteoporosis.
Conclusion
Only 5 countries in the world fluoridate their water supply to any great degree. Only 2% of the population of Western Europe drink it, and most of those are in England. All supportive studies are either poor or moderate. If the benefits are so obvious why do so few countries utilise it?
When the idea was first muted, intakes of fluoride were low. But today we can ingest it from a variety of dental sources, pesticide residues, commercial products and drugs.
Even if fluoride does protect children’s teeth, we don’t need any more than is already in our environment. Dental decay has been falling without the ‘benefit’ of fluoride. Children don’t get decayed teeth because of a shortage of fluoride, but because of nutrition and lifestyle factors. It’s these that need to be addressed. Fluoride ingested by the poorest children will just increase their risk of toxicity.
No doctor would prescribe a drug without a consideration of dosage. And yet when it comes to fluoride, the sky’s the limit, even though fluoride is a known toxin and it accumulates in the body; even though a large percentage of the population will have difficulty excreting it because of health problems or their age.
How do you limit intake to 1mg? Are the Water Police going to raid our homes for the ‘crime’ of drinking more than 1 litre of water a day?
With increasing life expectancy, how many people are going to spend the last decades of their life with bone disease thanks to the accumulation of fluoride over their lifetime?
In short, there is no scientific, ethical or moral case for water fluoridation.
The American Chemical Society recently registered the 10 millionth man-made chemical. Dr Vyvyan Howard, toxicologist from the University of Liverpool, states that we each have 300-500 toxins stored in the fatty tissue of our bodies. Indeed, 500 man-made chemicals were found in a single fat cell of a seemingly healthy 30 year old British woman. These chemicals didn’t exist even 50 years ago. Globally, a million tons of chemicals were produced in 1930. Today, that figure has risen to 400 million.
100,000 chemical substances are registered for use within the EU, making the chemical industry Europe’s third largest manufacturing industry.
We are exposed to several hundred synthetic chemicals every day, yet only a tiny percentage of these chemicals has ever been comprehensively examined by scientists.
There is no research data on tens of thousands of commonly used environmental chemicals. It shouldn’t come as a surprise therefore if there are some people who can’t cope with such an onslaught; people who are unusually sensitive to a world that’s so different from the one nature originally gave us.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), also known as Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance, is defined as an acquired disorder characterised by recurrent symptoms referable to multiple organ systems, occurring in response to demonstrable exposure to many chemically unrelated compounds at doses far below those established in the general population to cause harmful effects.
Such people are also called universal reactors because they react to such a wide variety of foods, chemicals and electromagnetic radiation. They can become severely ill and may remain housebound.
Many people have a milder form of MCS. They feel dizzy or nauseous, get headaches or burning eyes in the presence of paints, cleaning fluids, car exhaust etc. The number of chemicals that can cause problems are vast, and because it affects multiple organs, the range of symptoms is vast too.
MCS can look very similar to food intolerance, but people with MCS often have mental and behavioural symptoms such as disorientation, depression, anxiety, irritability and short-term memory problems. Also, once exposed to the offending chemical, symptoms come on very rapidly. Criteria for diagnosis are as follows:
1. The symptoms are reproducible with [repeated chemical] exposure.
2. The condition is chronic.
3. Low levels of exposure [lower than previously or commonly tolerated] result in manifestations of the syndrome.
4. The symptoms improve or resolve when the incitants are removed.
5. Responses occur to multiple chemically unrelated substances.
6. Symptoms involve multiple organ systems.
Common Symptoms of MCS
Fatigue
Headaches
Disorientation
Dizziness and Faintness
Flu-like symptoms
Nausea
Irregular or Rapid Heartbeat
Muscle and Joint Pain
Gastrointestinal problems
Mood Disturbances - Depression/Anxiety/Irritability
Short-term Memory Problems
Asthma/Breathing Problems
Rashes
Various reactions from ingesting:
food additives and preservatives, medications and unfiltered water.
Background
The concepts underlying MCS were developed by allergist Theron G. Randolph, M.D. (1906-1995), who asserted that patients had become ill from exposures to substances at doses far below the levels normally considered safe. In the 1940s, he declared that allergies cause fatigue, irritability, behaviour problems, depression, confusion, and nervous tension in children.
In the 1950s, Randolph suggested that human failure to adapt to modern-day synthetic chemicals had resulted in a new form of sensitivity to these substances. His concern with foods then expanded to encompass a wide range of environmental chemicals.
It wasn’t until 1963 that patients were classified for the first time as suffering from MCS. Numerous publications and scientific articles have been published since then but no test has been established to diagnose MCS. There is also no known mechanism whereby low levels of chemicals or chemicals of widely varied structure can interact adversely with numerous organ systems. Because of this, many doctors deny it exists, believing it to be psychological in origin.
Official Support
In spite of this, MCS is officially recognised in Germany, Canada and by ten United States Government Agencies. Official bodies accept the reality of environmental illness. Danger in the Air (2001) from the World Health Organisation (WHO) accepts that pollution is a major environmental health problem.
The UK Department of Health published a report which estimated that in 1997 12 - 24,000 deaths of vulnerable people were brought forward by air pollution.
The National Academy of Sciences estimate that 37 million Americans suffer with environmental illnesses. They also believe that 15% of Americans cannot live comfortably within their own homes.
According to WHO “As many as one billion people...are regularly exposed to levels of indoor pollution exceeding WHO guidelines by up to 100 times.”
Population Study
In 2004 there was a a national population study of the prevalence of MCS in the USA. A telephone survey of 1054 randomly selected individuals within the continental United States was carried out. The aetiology and symptomatology of MCS also were investigated.
The authors found that 11.2% of Americans reported an unusual hypersensitivity to common chemical products such as perfume, fresh paint, pesticides, and other petrochemical-based substances, and 2.5% reported they had been medically diagnosed with MCS.
Additionally, 31.1% of those sampled reported adverse reactions to fragranced products, and 17.6% experienced breathing difficulties and other health problems when exposed to air fresheners. Although chemical hypersensitivity was more common in women, it affected individuals in all demographic groups studied.
How Does MCS Arise?
Usually the problem is triggered by acute chemical exposure. This could be from pesticides used on a farm for instance, if the wind is in the wrong direction, or from a cocktail of drugs as in the Gulf Veteran scenario. It can develop over a long period of time as well.
It could happen to people who's occupation puts them in continual chemical exposure.
In 1989 an entire family were affected when they were exposed to cellulose paint spray from an “illegal factory” next to their home. They all became seriously ill and were left with MCS.
Initially there is recovery from the toxic effects but this is followed by a deterioration in overall health and a great sensitivity to any number of chemicals that previously presented no problem.
Common Chemical Triggers in MCS
Perfume
Gasoline
Diesel exhaust
Cleaning agents
Cosmetics
Perfumed soap products
Deodorants
Fabric softeners
Natural gas
Formaldehyde
Nail polish
Hairspray
Marking pens
Detergents
Paint
New carpet
Solvents
Pesticides
Soft Plastics
Glues
Acetone
Particle board
Varnish
Case Presentation
A heating, ventilation and air-conditioning mechanic had excellent health until he removed a panel from an air conditioning unit and inhaled an unknown gas or vapour. He developed a cough, sore throat and dizziness. Most symptoms resolved after a few weeks but then he found that exposure to cigarette smoke, laundry detergent, ammonia, air fresheners, cleaning sprays, garden sprays and paint fumes were immediately followed by a foul taste in the mouth, gagging, eye irritation, chest tightness, cough, myalgias, fatigue, spacey feeling and headaches. All medical tests carried out were found to be normal.
What Causes MCS?
Consistent abnormalities have been found in MCS patients and possible mechanisms have emerged in animal and other laboratory studies.
Limbic Sensitization
One common finding is that the 'limbic system', which is strongly involved with our sense of smell, shows increased electrical activity in MCS patients when exposed to chemicals they are sensitive to. The limbic system also regulates mood. This would explain why many symptoms of MCS involve changes in mood and thought. It is hypothesised that the limbic system becomes hypersensitised so that smaller amounts of chemicals cause the brain to become activated.
Reduced Cerebral Blood Flow
In MCS sufferers blood flow may be reduced chronically and be further reduced after exposure to an offending chemical.
Porphyria
The porphyrias are a group of rare diseases that occur due to deficiencies of enzymes used in the process that forms heme which is used by detoxification enzymes in the liver. Due to the similarity of symptoms between porphyra illnesses and MCS, a number of researchers decided to test MCS patients for increased porphyrin content in urine and stool samples. One study found that 60-90% of MCS patients tested showed porphyrin abnormalities.
Impared Immunity
A couple of studies have found increased T-cell activation and autoantibodies, leading many researchers to believe that a faulty
immune system lays at the heart of the problem.
Impared Detoxification
Impaired detoxification of chemicals that are foreign to the body has been suggested. The ability to detoxify these chemicals varies widely in the general population.
Treatment
Environmental control and avoidance of known triggers. Improve general health by correcting nutritional deficiencies, taking regular exercise, reducing stress etc. Treat any underlying problem such as hyperventilation.
This article is dedicated to Mrs Irène Noah (Virène - The Singing MCS Girl), clinical ecologist, spiritual healer, radionics expert, who died in October, 2005
Resources
To find out more about MCS check out the following internet resources:
www.ei-resource.org/mcs.asp
The Environmental Illness Resource gives an overview of MCS, symptoms, triggers and research findings, advice for avoiding chemical exposures and making your home safer. Also includes 5 articles on MCS and a forum.
www.mcsrr.org
MCS Referrals and Resources is a comprehensive site with fact sheets and a bibliography of scientific articles.
www.bsaci.org
British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Lists NHS allergy clinics throughout the UK where the lead consultant is one of their members.
www.mcsurvivors.com
Originally compiled by an MCS sufferer, this contains useful resources and articles.
Please visit Positive Health magazine's wehsite Colon Health - Are You Confused? to read this article.
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