Tag Archives: Mutation

St. John’s Wort Helps in Depression and Insomnia Treatement

March 4, 2015

St. John’s Wort Powers: The Treatment of Depression and Insomnia during Addiction Withdrawals

St. John’s Wort is a wonder plant that has been used in treatment of many conditions for quite a long time. The most used part of this herb is the flowers and the leaves. This herb has many medically active components but its known most active components are two; hypericin and hyperforin. Although hypericin was formerly thought to be the component of St. John’s wort principally responsible for its action, it is now understood that hyperforin, adhyperforin, and several other related compounds are the primary active constituents. Both hyperforin and adhyperforin appear to modulate the effects of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine and may inhibit reuptake of these neurotransmitters. This herb has been found to be very useful in treatment of conditions that are caused as a result of imbalances in the neurotransmitters.

St. John’s Wort for Depression during addiction withdrawals

Imbalances in the neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine cause depression. This imbalance may be caused by use of drugs of pleasure or by other diseases. Apart from these two causes, a person may also have a family history of depression and so predisposed to depression a case which makes it rather complicated for the brain to produce the neurotransmitters in required amounts. The brain has a great role to play in inhibiting depression; it has to produce the millions of chemicals it produces in the right amounts everyday failure to which you will be depressed. It’s that complicated.

In the long-term, all drugs and alcohol are brain depressants. In moderate amounts, alcohol does not lead to depression, but abusing drugs or alcohol will definitely lead to depression. This is because they deplete your brain of serotonin and dopamine. Researchers warn that it may take quite a long time for depleted dopamine to be restored and so it is important to avoid abusing drugs.

Alcohol abuse almost doubles the risk of depression. In one study that looked at 2,945 alcoholics. Fifteen percent were depressed before they began abusing alcohol, and that number jumped to 26 percent after they started abusing alcohol. Once they stopped drinking for an extended period, 15 percent remained depressed. This study showed that alcohol almost doubles the risk of depression.

St. John’s Wort

Marijuana has also been linked to depression. It is reported that marijuana users are four times more likely to develop depression. In one study which monitored a large group of people for 16 years, it was discovered that people who smoked marijuana were four times more likely to develop depression.  Another study followed later with 1601 students and confirmed the findings. Depression is a serious illness that may make it hard for an addict to stop taking the drugs of pleasure to boost the dopamine levels for a moment. Fortunately this can be helped by use of St. John’s Wort. Taking St. John’s wort extracts improves mood, and decreases anxiety and insomnia related to depression.  This herb seems to be effective in treatment of mild depression than some of prescription drugs.  According to the American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine, St. John’s wort can be considered an option along with antidepressant medications for short-term treatment of mild depression.

St. John’s Wort for Insomnia during addiction withdrawals

According to National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience the symptoms of poor sleep that may deter them from enjoying healthy lifestyles. This disease can affect people of all ages but adults are the major victims.

A person suffering from insomnia may show the following symptoms

  • Irritability, depression or anxiety
  • Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
  • Increased errors or accidents
  • Tension headaches
  • Distress in the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract)
  • Ongoing worries about sleep
  • Difficulty falling asleep at night
  • Awakening during the night
  • Awakening too early
  • Not feeling well rested after a night’s sleep
  • Daytime tiredness or sleepiness

insomnia

Insomnia may be caused by depression and stress but it may also be caused by the imbalances in the neurotransmitters as a result of long term use of drugs of pleasure.  Some other causes of insomnia include;

Anxiety– Anxiety is a common everyday problem. However there are more serious anxiety disorders like PTSD which will never give your brain a rest. Anxiety beckons insomnia and so should be avoided to help you sleep soundly and reap huge health benefits from it.

Medical conditions-there are conditions that cause insomnia. These conditions may include; chronic pain, chest problems and even frequent urination. These conditions may cause difficulty in sleep. Diseases like cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and even Parkinson’s disease have been linked to insomnia.

St. John’s wort has been found to be very effective in treatment of depression that might cause difficulty in sleep and this is owed to its effects on serotonin may be primarily responsible for its antidepressant activity. Apart from being an anti-depressant this herb works on the neurotransmitters in unlimited ways it affects many neurotransmitters that are key to good sleep health.

Drug induced Insomnia may not be easy to treat. However there are also medical approaches to treating drug induced Insomnia but of all these going the natural way is much better since it has less side effects and is more effective.  We at AWAREmed health and wellness center are dedicated to finding the best natural solutions to health problems. You can visit us at Myrtle Beach South Carolina where you will be attended to by Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) who has vast experience in integrative medicine for lifestyle diseases.

St. John’s Wort and treatment of depression and insomnia during addiction withdrawals

 

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Methylation and Addiction

February 6, 2015

The Mechanisms in Methylation and Addiction

Addiction refers to a very strong need to take something like drugs or do particular activities. Addictions are so strong that people think they have no control over them. Addiction becomes one of the important things in your life. Due to this it ends up affecting the quality of your life as well as your relationship with others.

Addiction occurs when one feels they should take something like drugs or alcohol or carry out a particular activity such as gambling. Today addiction affects people across all ages. There is no known reason why people get addicted to something. However, regular intake of drugs or gambling may result in the person’s life getting tuned to that particular choice. People get strongly attached to these things and they feel the need to repeat the same thing over and over again. This way they become addicted to that thing and it becomes an important part of their life.

What is methylation?

Methylation basically refers to the process of adding a methyl group to a substance or simply replacement of an atomic group with that of a group of methyl. It is takes place where a methyl group undergoes alkylation instead of the normal hydrogen atom replacing a carbon chain. Such terms apply in biochemistry, chemistry, biological sciences as well as soil science.

Methylation and Addiction

In biological sciences for instance methylation involves the enzyme catalyzation. This form of methylation is responsible for heavy metal modification, gene expression regulation, processing of RNA as well as regulation the functioning of proteins in the body. Heavy metal methylation often takes place outside the biological system. Reduction of histological staining is made possible by the chemical methylation of tissues in the body.

Methylation in the body

It is one of the important processes that take place in the body.  It takes place when the body receives a substance and converts it to another. This is basically so that the substance can be removed from the body. Methylation takes place in the liver during the second detoxification phase a billon times per second.

In order to understand detoxification, there is need to look at what makes up a methyl group. A methyl group is basically made up of three atoms of hydrogen. Methylation takes place when S-adenosine methionine (SAMe) gives out a methyl group that is then attached to the molecule that undergoes detoxification.  The SAMe s then converted to homocysteine. The methylation process must occur often in order to detoxify the body regularly. Buildup of toxics in the body leads to poisoning of cells which can lead to serious medical conditions a like inflammation and cancer. The methylation process is kept going by vitamin B12, B6 as well as folic acid. These substances are necessary in the body in order to facilitate homocysteine reduction to facilitate the process of methylation.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is naturally toxic to the body. If left to accumulate it can prove toxic to the cells leading to several health conditions. If methylation does not take place as it should a person can suffer from conditions like stroke, cancers of the reproductive system, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, defects of the neural tubes, impairment in DNA repair, kidney infarct, impaired detoxification and dysplasia among others.

Faulty methylation leads to the levels of homocysteine increasing. This leads to poisoning of the cells and tissues. However, studies show that B vitamins facilitate lowering of the levels of homocysteine in the body and therefore reducing the risk of a person getting disease like stroke and heart attack.  Common belief among people is that the main cause of heart attack is in accumulation of cholesterol in the body therefore they cut out their intake of cholesterol in their foods. However, studies show that only a fraction of people who suffer from heart attacks is as a result of cholesterol build up in the body. This being the case, other people who suffer from heart disease may be because of buildup of homocysteine in the body.

Methylation and Addiction

Methylation and Addiction

Recent research studies show that over exposure to certain drugs facilitates chances in methylation levels in the bloods. The same also promotes DNA methylation levels to be altered. DNA methylation takes place in the brain neurons. The altered level of methylation promotes altered levels in gene expression this can happens when one is addicted to certain substances like drugs and alcohol.

Basically methylation is used in DNA. Naturally, each cell in the body contains DNA of other cells. Methyl groups that occur naturally in the body are responsible from suppression of DNA that should not be read. When there is poor methylation due to an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the methyl groups are removed from the genes in order to be used in other body processes. This removal of a methyl group is what leads to cancer expression in the body.

For more information about methylation and addiction, visit www.awaremednetwork.com today. Here you will also find other helpful health and awareness tips. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide assistance with any information you may need.

The Mechanisms in Methylation and Addiction

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Reviving Beauty Through Healthy Eating

November 10, 2014

Reviving Beauty Through Healthy Eating – Essentials of Good Skin Complexion

Healthy eating

Reviving beautiful skin through healthy eating is very economical and pocket friendly therefore be mindful of what you eat

Many times in our daily activities we often spend a lot of money in trying to make our skin complexion took nice, appealing and attractive. We are commanded from the holy book to love one another as we love ourselves, meaning that before we get out showing our appreciation to others, it must have started with us. This article is going to explore on certain food stuff which are very beneficial in nourishing our skin complexion and the general health of our bodies. Feeding well on healthy food is becoming very difficult to many people and this becomes even worse when we let loose during holidays when we would want to adventure into new experiences that we have not came across before. Even as you let loose in your merry making during the holidays, you must not forget that your actions can negatively affect your years of effort working on your good look by maintain desired weight, healthy eating habits and lifestyle.

Let me therefore bring to your attention that what you may be ignoring healthy eating habits are actually the elements you need not just during holidays but always to keep your good looking beautiful youthful skin. These healthy foods will not just help keep the desired weight and healthy looking skin but will also save you a great deal from extravagant spending in various weight lose facilities and application of very expensive yet toxic beauty products like creams and various body and facial make ups. While exploring the use of healthy foods it is important that you involve the experts who are well vast in healthy weight loss, healthy eating habits and natural body skin care. I want to therefore bring to your attention to the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Dalal Akoury who is fellowship trained and certified in anti-aging functional and regenerative medicine, as well as having more than twenty years of accumulated experience in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and a master’s degree in public health.

Doctor Akoury founded this facility to help you keep your skin healthy and beautiful protecting it from the outside in as well as inside out through various natural means like feeding on certain foods which can shield your skin from damage from the inside out. It will be very advisable that if you or anyone you know is either struggling with his or her skin quality, weight or is planning for a vacation and is worried of adding more weight during the holiday season, you should schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for not just her professional advice but also affordable treatment that is necessary. Having been introduced to the expert, let us now consider some of the healthy eating which may be essential for smooth and maintenance of a youthful skin.

Soy Milk

The goodness of soy milk is that it helps to preserve the skin-firming collagen due to its richness in isoflavones.

Coffee

Did you know that just by drinking a cup of coffee daily you may be lowering your risk of developing skin cancer? Several studies have established those who drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee daily stand a chance of reducing their risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer by about 10 percent. And the more they drink say up to about 6 cups or more daily they lower their risk even further.

Tomatoes

Consuming more lycopene (the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red) may protect your skin from sunburn.

Salmon

The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, respectively) found in salmon may shield cell walls from free-radical damage caused by UV Rays and for better results it is advisable that you eat two servings of fatty fish each week. Remember that not only are the omega-3s good for your skin but they’re also good for your heart too.

Egg Yolk

The yolk part of eggs comprises of carotenoid lutein, which like lycopene protects skin from UV damage. Lutein also helps to keep eyes healthy. Multiple studies have associated lutein with reduced risk for age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

Strawberries

Vitamin C is very essential for warding off wrinkles and age-related dryness. Foods like strawberries which are rich in vitamin C skin smoothing effects may be due to its ability to mop up free radicals produced from ultraviolet rays and also its role in collagen synthesis. Collagen is fibrous protein which keeps the skin firm and Vitamin C is essential for collagen production.

Papaya

Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C and research suggests that Vitamin C may help protect skin cells against sun damage by promoting the repair of DNA which has been harmed by UV rays. UV rays break the chemical bonds of skin cells, killing them and damaging their DNA which may eventually cause cancerous growth. You can find vitamin C in a multitude of cosmetics—of which some have been shown to be effective in protecting skin—but why not go straight to the source for a tasty boost of vitamin C.

Pumpkin

Like lycopene, beta carotene the compound that makes pumpkins orange protects your skin from UV damage. Beta carotene is also converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps to keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy.

Spinach

Spinach boasts lutein, a carotenoid that protects your skin from UV damage. When buying spinach, pick the one right up in the light, new studies have established that spinach stored continuously under the light for as little as three days boasted higher levels of vitamin C and preserved levels of K, E, folate and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Corn

Corn is an excellent source of lutein, a type of carotenoid. Just like lycopene, lutein also shields your skin from UV damage therefore, in the event that corns are off season then you may opt for alternatives like frozen vegetables which are equally full of health compared to some of the fresh produce available groceries. This is because fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when as a general rule they are most nutrient-packed.

Finally as I had indicated in the introduction of this article that the common food stuff we often ignore are very essential for the perfection of your skin quality, remember that what you eat contributes significantly to your general well-being and that includes your facial look and general skin quality. It is however very important that even as you follow a healthy eating diet you will still need to consult periodically with the experts who are experienced and has track records of their performance. Scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today is all you need to da and all your concerns will be professionally addressed.

Reviving Beauty Through Healthy Eating – Essentials of Good Skin Complexion

 

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Gene Therapy, Epigenetic Gene Therapy

August 14, 2014

Gene Therapy Is an Effective Cancer Treatment Alternative

Gene TherapyCancer has continued to threaten the very existence of the human race. Being a disease with numerous causes, it has become so hard to evade it completely. This has led to doctors trying to find the best ways of curbing it or better yet do away with it completely. Researchers have given foundations upon which these alternative cancer treatments can be based. The researchers have even studied and known the cancer cell survival mechanisms and this has led to emergency of very many alternatives that all affect the cancer cell survival in a way. Just like farmers know-the best way to do away with a weed is to uproot it completely as it will not grow again lest another seed is planted. The best way to treat cancer is to find a way of doing away with it from the roots. Unfortunately most of the cancer treatments that our loved ones are subjected to are only focused on killing the cancer cell and reducing the severity of the symptoms. This is why there are cases of repeated chemotherapies that instead of helping in killing the cancerous cells only make the cancerous cells more resistant to the drugs. Our environments expose us to myriads of carcinogens that affect the DNA make up of our body cells. There are very dangerous heavy metals that will make us prone to cancer when we interact with them consistently and this is a problem that has been facing industrial workers over the years. Upon intrusion into the body they are likely to affect our DNA make up resulting in gene mutation which is synonymous to cancer. Genes play an important role in cancer treatment and so therapies that target the gene may go a long way in healing the cancer patients, that is Gene Therap

Changes that take place in a gene are most likely to cause cancer .these changes that take place in a gene that increases cancer risk may happen due to exposure to environmental carcinogens like smoking tobacco and other potential gene mutants that emanate from the surrounding. However a person may inherit faulty genes from the parents making him have a higher risk of getting cancer. A person may inherit faulty genes from the parent but if he adopts a healthy lifestyle and evade all the potential gene mutants then he may not get the disease.

What is gene therapy?

Cancer being caused by gene mutations it is better to have a way of treating the cancer by repairing the faulty genes or better yet replacing them with functional genes so that the routine gene functions are revived. Gene therapy is a way of repairing genetic problems. This can be achieved by adding a functional copy of the defective gene. When a functional copy of a faulty gene is added, the tissues  and organs that might have been affected by the gene mutations will begin to function in the right way. The gene therapy works better because unlike other cancer treatments that only treat the symptoms it goes deeper correcting all the genetic problems.

In cancer treatment most commonly, gene therapy uses a vector, typically a virus, to deliver a gene to the mutated cells where it’s needed to enable proper functions of the cell. Once its inside, the cell’s gene-reading machinery uses the information in the gene to build RNA and protein molecules. The proteins (or RNA) can then carry out their job in the cells. When the normal functioning of the genes is achieved the cancer cell duplication is inhibited and this is a better strategy in cancer treatment.

Scientists are still developing several gene-therapies that will be very helpful in cancer treatment. One of the best therapies so far discovered is the use of a modified version of herpes simplex 1 virus. Herpes simplex 1 virus is known to cause cold sores yet it has been found to have the ability to effectively fight cancer especially the cancer of the skin (melanoma) that has spread in the body.

To make the use of herpes simplex 1 virus safer, the doctors will modify the virus in such a way that it will not cause the cold sores that it is known for. This treatment is referred to T- VEC. This treatment is also safer than other conventional cancer treatments as it does not affect the healthy body cells but is very effective in destroying the cancer cells. It stimulates the immune system enabling it to spot the cancer cells present in the body and fighting them. When the virus is injected into the tumor it produces more of itself by replication inside the tumor until they burst thereby producing even more of them that can infect many more cancer cells.

Gene TherapyIn a trial to show the effectiveness of the gene therapy, 59 patients suffering from the cancer of the blood had their immune systems cells removed and treated with a virus that genetically altered their genetic structure in order to spot the proteins that covers the surfaces of the cancer cells. The immune cells were then returned into the patient’s body. More than half of the patients experienced complete remission giving proof to the strength of the gene therapy in cancer treatment.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Gene Therapy Is an Effective Cancer Treatment Alternative

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Genetic Predisposition

August 5, 2014

 

Genetic and Viral Predisposition To Cancer Is A Crucial Subject In Cancer Treatment

Cancer has caused serious threat to the world’s population and has still continued to affect the people of all continents. It is among the leading causes of death in the world today. Despite the many alternative cancer treatments, the disease is not yet conquered as it is still causing pain to us every day after grabbing our loved ones away from us. According to a world health report of 2002, close 7.1 million deaths are caused by cancer each and every year. With the most prevalent of these cancers being lung, stomach, colon, liver, breast and esophagus cancer, in that order of occurrence. Conclusively, these cancers are responsible for over 4.2 million deaths. Additionally, another World Cancer Report of 2003 (IARC 2003) predicts that deaths caused by cancer will increase by 50% in the next 20 years. In the past cancer was thought of as diseases of the developed countries but as years passed by even the third world countries became infested with this disease. The cases of cancer in the third world countries are attributed to the demographic changes as well as changes in lifestyle. The way of life has changed even in these third world countries and this may even increase the percentages of cancer infection.

Cancer is a disease that has many causes and of the many cause are very complex gene interactions. A person may not be born with cancer but he may have higher chances of getting cancer. This is what is known as genetic predisposition. Genetic predisposition maybe caused by a presence of one or more gene mutations and this may happen even if the allele’s combination is normal.

Genetic predispositisions is a subject that has made researchers as well as health organizations like World Health Organization to do lot of research work to find out how far genetic predisposition can lead to the disease. Apparently the researches done were not only done in relation to cancer but other non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and some mental illnesses.

In cancer, a person may be born with genes whose compositions were altered by lifestyle habits or exposure to harmful chemicals that goes along way in changing the DNA composition of the body cells. The body has tumor suppressors that help it in fighting and preventing tumors but when these tumor suppressors become weak which may be caused by exposure to harmful chemicals then a person becomes more vulnerable to cancer infection. Carcinomas are the most probable result of failure of the tumor suppressors.

It is important to understand how genetic predisposition affects a person. Cancer is not a disease that should be toyed with and so it calls for early examination to show whether a person has genetic predispositions that can play a role in making them to have cancer. Doctors advice that by knowing if a person has these genetic predispositions, it can help them to adopt lifestyles that will help them evade the formation of cancer cells in them. It is good to note that not all people who are born with genetic predispositions to cancer eventually get the disease; the choice of lifestyle will either make him evade the disease or will even hasten the formation of the cancerous cells in them. Those who are born with genetic predispositions to cancer can avoid the disease by avoiding such behaviors that may increase their risk to cancer such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol and engaging in sexual activities with many sexual partners. There are lifestyle modifications that will help a person who is born with genetic predispositions to cancer live longer without being affected by the disease. These may involve healthy eating and detoxifying the body naturally by eating those vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants. It is also advisable for such a person to seek help from an integrative cancer centre where the doctors may offer guidance on how to live a life that is cancer free despite the genetic predisposition to cancer he was born with.

Promotes cancer cell formation

As known, cancer cell forms when there is mutation in the genes that play a major role in cell multiplication and repair. When these mutated genes are passed over to an offspring, the offspring becomes highly vulnerable to cancer. However the process through which these genes may turn cancerous may take time probably beyond 20 years. The mutation of vital genes such as suppressor genes, oncogenesis and genes involved in DNA repair leads to genetic instability and to progressive loss of differentiation. Tumors grow because cancer cells lack the ability to balance cell division by cell death and by angiogenesis. The transformed cells lose their ability to interact with each other and exhibit uncontrolled cell growth. They will eventually invade the tissues that surround them and spread into the blood stream after which they can reach very organ in the body.

GeneticGenetic predisposition to cancer undeniably has a role in cancer formation. One of the mostly inherited mutations of BRCA 1 gene is known to cause breast cancer in women. Those who have this gene mutation have higher chances of getting a breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. Earlier identification of the germline mutations can be achieved through genetic testing. This will allow the person to adopt cancer preventive measures by seeking help from integrative cancer centers that will give natural means of suppressing the mutated gene expression.

Dr. Dalal Akoury is an experienced integrative cancer doctor who has seen very many cancer patients journey to victory in their fight against cancer. She is available for consultations. Just call her now and begin your journey to victory against cancer.

Genetic and Viral Predisposition To Cancer Is A Crucial Subject In Cancer Treatment

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