Category Archives: Heavy Metal Toxicit

Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

June 3, 2015

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Role in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseaseThe use of stem cells in treatment of various diseases has been given lots of consideration in the recent past. scientists have been busy doing researches trying to find out if the stem cell therapy which is termed by many as the medical miracle of the 21century can be a break in treatment of the diseases that have proved stubborn to conventional treatment methods. Stem cells have various properties that other cells do not have and this is the major reason why they have been in the lips of every regenerative doctor. There are different types of stem cells but the mesenchymal stem cells have been the major focus of integrative medicine practitioners.

Degenerative diseases are known to wreak havoc in the body’s ability to self-renew and rejuvenate. They affect the way the nervous system works causing a breakdown in the communication between the nerves which eventually causes various ailments. Degenerative diseases have not been very easy to treat in the past but with stem cell therapy, there is hope for not only degenerative diseases but also the much dreaded cardiovascular diseases as well.

Why mesenchymal stem cells?

The mesenchymal stem cells are not sought after for nothing. They have a lot to offer especially in this age when degenerative diseases are enslaving many people and the conventional medicine is not offering the much needed break. Mesenchymal stem cells are sourced from either the adipose tissues or from the bone marrows and are described as a rare type of cells which are multi-potent and rich in medicinal properties. The unique properties of the mesenchymal stem cells have made them a target as therapy for various diseases and currently they have been used for treatment of arthritis among other conditions. They have been found to be also very effective in moderating the functions of dendritic cells, immune cells, B cells, natural killer cells, monocyte or macrophages, T cells, and neutrophils.

Just like the rest of the Stem cells, the mesenchymal stem cells are precursors of all cells and have the ability of forming cells of other types such as the hematopoietic, bone, endocrine organs, nervous and cardiovascular system, and cartilage and muscle tissue. It is the unique ability of the mesenchymal to shift shape and form other cells that they have been targeted for treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Research on Mesenchymal stem cells for cardiac diseases treatment

Cardiac diseases have caused many deaths and are still among the leading causes of death worldwide. however the conventional medicine such as myocardial infarction haven’t helped much in treatment of these diseases and this led to the research on the possibility of the stem cells being used for this course. The Hematopoietic stem cells were the first to be researched on and used for clinical trial. In some trials the therapy worked while in others they didn’t give the much expected results and this led to consideration of other stem cell types.

The mesenchymal stem cells were the most promising of all the types owing to their strong paracrine function, which gives them potential immunomodulatory effects via anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic actions. It is this property that may give them the ability to counteract the pathological mechanisms that are involved in various cardiac diseases. They can also be trans-differentiated into cardiomyocytes.

In 1999, Makino S and his colleagues first demonstrated the differentiation of MSCs into cardiomyocytes in vitro. Their research concluded that Cardiomyocytes can be generated from marrow stromal cells in vitro. Makino and his colleagues aren’t the only scientists to have worked on viability of MSCs ability to treat cardiac diseases, Wang JA and his colleagues did a trial that involved transplanting Allograftic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into heart infarcted model of rabbit to renovate infarcted heart, they found out that the rabbits who had mesenchymal stem cells transplant had a lower mortality rate of 16.7% as opposed to the controls whose mortality rate was at 35%.

cardiovascular diseaseAnother study was done in 2005 by Hatton N and his counterparts, it involved transplanting purified cardiomyocytes differentiated from bone marrow MSCs in vitro into adult mouse hearts, after three months the transplanted cells had survived and were sloping in parallel to the cardiomyocytes of the recipient heart. These and other animal trials have all showed the ability of mesenchymal stem cells in treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Through research, there has been a growing body of evidence that the mesenchymal stem cells have the multiple paracrine effects that even without cell replacement can affect cardiac remodeling, angiogenesis and cytoprotection hence are clinically beneficial.

The hopes were held even higher after another researcher; Ohnishi S showed that the mesenchymal stem cells have a role in inhibiting cardiac fibrosis by regulation of collagen synthesis by cardiac fibroblasts, as well as their effects on fibroblast proliferation.

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The mesenchymal stem cell therapy are the medical miracle of the 21century, you need to be updated their applicability in treatment of various diseases, visit www.awaremednetwork.com for more information about bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplantation. Dr. Dalal Akoury is an experienced doctor in integrative medicine; she will be able to assist. From the same website you can also visit http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com and be updated on upcoming Integrative Addiction Conference 2015. The conference will deliver unique approaches to telling symptoms of addiction and how to assist patients of addiction.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Role in Cardiovascular Diseases

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Benefits of A Healthy Microenvironment

June 1, 2015

The Importance Of A Healthy Microenvironment

MicroenvironmentThe environment is one of the most important factors of influence in the disease triad. The environment can be defined as the biological and physical factors and the chemical interactions that influence the life of a living organism. In the case of human beings like you and I, our environment refers to all the living and non living things we interact with and the chemical interactions that influence our lives. The living component of the environment includes all our neighbors, our domesticated plants and animals and the wild animals and how we interact with them. The physical component of the environment includes all non living things that influence our life like rainfall, sun, rocks and many more.

It is therefore clear that the environment which is our surrounding has a direct bearing on our lives. Just how does our environment influence diseases that attack us? In order to effectively answer this question, we need to remember the components of the environment and consider them as possible risk factors for a disease. We are exposed to several risk factors of diseases that are physical, chemical or biological components of the environment. For better understanding, consider an environment with poisonous gas, constant flooding and mosquito infestation. In this risky environment, the chemical component that is a risk factor for disease is the poisonous gas. The physical component that poses risk is the flood and the biological component that is a risk factor to disease is the mosquitoes. The environment also influences alterations in the way we behave in response to the risk factors to which we are exposed.

What is a healthy microenvironment?

An organism exists in a larger environment whose definition is given above. This larger environment is sometimes referred to as macro environment. However at times interest may be only on the immediate surrounding which is relatively small, effectively isolated and characteristically differs from the larger environment. For example if we are to consider a family living in a city environment, the conditions of their house could be different from that of the surrounding. Individual members of the family might wear clothing of different levels of cleanliness. All this makes the micro environment.

At the lowest level microenvironment would refer to the environment in and around the calls that make up our bodies. At the cellular level, our bodies carry out billions and billions of chemical reactions that are aimed at maintaining life. These reactions alter the composition of the environment within and around the cells of the body. Even in spite of all these reactions, the body has to maintain internal conditions that are relatively constant and stable. The body therefore undergoes a process of self regulation that helps it to restore the balance after it is shifted by normal biochemical reactions and daily stresses. A healthy microenvironment is thus one in which the body’s self regulating capabilities function well and thus the environment in and around the cells is well balanced thereby discouraging disease from taking hold.

Maintaining a healthy microenvironment

It is of very great importance for every individual to maintain a healthy microenvironment in order to prevent and control diseases. So as to make this importance stand out, we need to answer the question of how disease takes hold in our bodies.

Disease occurs in our body due to the failure of the body’s self regulating mechanisms due to physical, chemical and emotional strains and stresses pushing this system out of balance.

Some of these stresses include toxicity and poor nutrient intake. A naturally balanced and healthy microenvironment is very hostile to disease factors.

Maintaining a healthy microenvironment not only helps in preventing diseases but also helps in controlling diseases that have already taken hold.

An example of a micro environment in our body is that of bacteria in our gastro intestinal tract. These bacteria benefit us in several ways. They metabolize nutrients that we cannot digest and convert them to important end products. They also control the assembly of gut associated lymphoid tissue, they modulate proliferation and differentiation of the gastrointestinal tract lineages, they train the immune system, and they regulate angiogenesis and modify the activity of the enteric nervous system. Owing to the vast important physiological and immunological roles of these microorganisms, it becomes clear that maintaining a healthy microenvironment within the gastrointestinal tract could go a long way in improving their function and thus boosting the body’s ability to fight disease.

MicroenvironmentAnother example of microenvironment is that of antimicrobials in the mucosal surfaces of the female reproductive system. This microenvironment is effective in protecting the body against bacteria, viruses and fungi. Maintaining a healthy microenvironment in the female reproductive system would thus go a long way in solving the problem of sexually transmitted diseases that have been world’s worst nightmare.

It is therefore evidently possible to control and prevent majority of diseases of mankind through maintaining a healthy microenvironment that boosts the body’s immunological functions. To achieve this, we need to feed on unadultered nutrient rich foods, breath oxygen rich air and drink purified water which will help in providing the needed elements and clearing toxins and thus maintain the body’s microenvironment in a state that prevents disease from taking hold.

For more information about bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplantation, visit www.awaremednetwork.com. Dr. Dalal Okoury has years of experience in integrative medicine and will be of assistance.

Integrative Addiction Conference 2015

While at it, visit http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com to learn about the upcoming integrative addiction conference 2015. The conference will deliver unique approaches to telling symptoms of addiction and how to assist patients of addiction.

The Importance Of A Healthy Microenvironment

 

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The Neurochemistry of Female Sex Addiction

May 3, 2015

The Neurochemistry of Female Sex Addiction

Female sex addictionSex addiction is a problem that many people are battling with in the US and the world over. However in the past it was thought that men were the main victims of sex addiction but research has since proved that this is a lie as women are more prone to this vice as opposed to women. Another factor that makes women more of victims is the fact that generally society has always associated women who are addicted to sex as sluts while men who are addicted to sex are often thought as studs. The reality of the matter however is, both genders are at a loss when addicted but what makes it easier for men to find help is the fact that they are free and can express their problems when addressed by their therapists and this openness helps them find help. On the other hand, women afraid of all the negative tittles they will be associated are often afraid to open up and let the problem be known and this will manifest in various behavioral changes.

Orgasm and dopamine

Most people who engage in sex for recreational purposes are often in pursuit for the highest sexual climax otherwise known as orgasm. According Wilhelm Reich orgasm naturally helps in discharge of excess bio-energy with the additional liberation of feeling energy, and he also recognized the negative consequences of blocked sexual energies. However it’s quite unfortunate that in addition to exciting peaks, orgasms tend to produce powerful negative side-effects that are only now becoming better understood. This is due to predictable trends in hormonal activity which seem to be similar in all mammals to ensure certain evolutionary objectives, especially the wide mixing of gene pools and the safe raising of offspring. This is achieved with the following neurochemical changes.

As expected there are hormones that come to play; dopamine, the reward hormone; prolactin, the hormone of satiation; oxytocin, the cuddle hormone, and levels of androgen receptors, which all powerfully affect our mood, our desire for intimacy, our perception of our mate, as well as our susceptibility to addictive activities and substances. These hormones can also have different but generally related functions.

The levels of dopamine will abruptly fall and this will induce the usual withdrawal symptoms. The fall of dopamine is rather immediate in men while it takes time in women to occur. As the level of dopamine falls the level of prolactin will heighten and the androgen receptors fall after orgasm. Low testosterone in women is associated with irritability and anger. In sexually-satiated rats it has been shown that serotonin and endorphin levels also rise, and this also decreases dopamine and raises prolactin levels. Oxytocin levels fall after conventional orgasm but remaining in close contact may help to counter this drop and sustain oxytocin levels. It is the fall of dopamine to the lows that is associated with all the withdrawal effects and women, deprived of affection will engage in sex repeatedly to enjoy the magical bliss of dopamine heights during sex especially at orgasm. This is a ‘high’ that is often compared to the feeling those using drugs of pleasure often crave.

Apart from behavioral changes a female addict will suffer from disturbed hormone equilibrium that may last for a week or two, a period in which she will be battling these side effects; being more irritable, dissatisfied, and anxious or depressed. This is exactly the same process and length of time prolactin levels need to recover during withdrawal from cocaine.

Another stimulant that is involved in sex is the phenylethylamine (PEA). PEA is also present in cocoa and chocolate and elevates energy, mood and attention. PEA is produced in greater amounts when one is in love and when this stimulant is in low levels, a person will feel unhappy and deprived.

as mentioned in earlier article, most women get addicted to sex while in pursuit of love and affection, When a woman first fall in love she becomes bonded by rising PEA, oxytocin and dopamine levels .When she is are sexually aroused by close contact her dopamine level rises further and at the time of orgasm she will have a dopamine brainstorm which one researchers have compared to the effects of heroin on the brain. Dopamine is active in all addictions, even in people who have forgotten what sex is. Most of this activity is in the limbic system, the oldest part of the brain.

What causes addiction in women?

Female sex addictionThe honest truth is that what causes sex addiction women is until now poorly understood but researchers have pointed fingers at childhood neglect or abuse, such as physical or emotional abandonment or other forms of trauma. Most of females who are sex addicts are reported to have experienced sex abuse as children. Early child abuse of nearly any kind can impair a child’s ability to bond in healthy ways as an adult, leading to chronic relationship intimacy issues that can eventually morph into sexual addiction.

Research suggests that there’s also a strong neurochemical component to both eating disorders and sexual addiction. One can become addicted to the potent neurochemical rush that occurs during an exciting sexual or romantic encounter. This neurobiological blend includes highly satisfying dopamine as well as adrenaline, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. Women suffering from emotional or psychological issues such as depression or anxiety and from childhood trauma or profound trauma as an adult can unconsciously use this neurochemical response to cope with stress and painful emotions. Compulsively reliving or re-enacting the pleasurable fantasies and experiences sets up an addictive cycle of using sex and sexual fantasies to control intensely painful emotions.

Integrative Addiction Conference 2015

Finally, sex addiction is not a light matter. It’s a problem that is still holding many women captives .This problem needs to be treated effectively through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

The Neurochemistry of Female Sex Addiction

 

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Vitamin D as a Seasonal Stress Hormone

May 3, 2015

Vitamin D as A Kind of “Seasonal Stress Hormone,” Chronobiological Stress Hormones.

Vitamin DThe benefits that a person can draw from vitamin D are too much to be listed. We know that one of the reasons that make people bask in the sun is to help in the synthesis of this crucial vitamin. Without this vitamin there are several ailments that a person is bound to suffer from. Basic knowledge of vitamin D is that it helps in strengthening bones of teeth but it has far more benefits that many people have never known of, one of its many benefits is that it is a chronobiological Stress Hormone

Vitamin D as a Chronobiological Stress Hormone

If you haven’t taken to basking in the sun seriously, it is time you need to begin doing so for as Alexander Wunsch has it, vitamin D is a kind of “seasonal stress hormone,” explaining that chronobiological stress hormones such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and adrenaline-cortisol hormone blends are what enable you to get up in the morning, and help regulate the blood sugar concentration in your body, just to name a couple of their functions. According to Wunsch, Vitamin D has greater importance that if the sun would stop shining then very many creatures will lose life.

the sun should shine but we have summer and winter among other crucial seasons, in these seasons the body ought to balance the thermal energy so as to ensure optimal health, during the summer the main focus of the body is to concentrate on cooling down the system while during the winter the focus of the body is to concentrate on heating the system. Therefore it is prudent for a person to bask in the sun during the summer, laying naked in the sun as that’s the best way to get more of the light, digest enough of the energy that is eventually is transformed into thermal energy.

As it has been taught, learnt and rehearsed, vitamin D has very vital functions for our health. There is need for this crucial hormone to ensure that our systems perform optimally. Our bodies are dependent on this crucial vitamin that is sourced from nature’s shine. The need for this crucial vitamin can’t be erased by the fact that some of us are not fortunate enough to live in areas where there is perpetual sunshine but are rather barred by cold weather from getting adequate sun exposure. it is therefore required of people in this areas to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin D to help in its supplementation but whenever there is a slight chance to bask in the sun, the chance should be utilized as the sun is the best source of vitamin D. in other scenarios when the lack of this vitamin may cause to even bigger health risks, it is advisable for the victim to seek Sun therapy.

Heliotherapy

Heliotherapy is a better idea to help equip the body impoverished of vitamin D. heliotherapy involves exposing oneself to sunlight or UV light from sources which are safe. exposure to sunlight may expose you to risk of skin cancer as have been taught but the intensity that cause cancer is rarely actualized, therefore it is prudent to say that the benefits that you can draw from basking in the sun far outweighs the risks. In the past before the risk of cancer began scaring us, the sun therapy was already being used to treat such diseases as rickets, tuberculosis and other diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency. Risk or no risk we need to accept the reality that we need sun at certain dosages and levels to ensure that our systems are working efficiently without flaws.

Vitamin DThere is something that many people have never known; your capillaries are modified under the sun and that the skin is linked to the autonomic nervous system, vitamin D is also a seasonal stress hormone popularly known as a chronobiological stress hormone. This is a phenomenon that needs no rocket science to be proven; if you are keen you will realize that after basking in the sun your stress levels go down and this is not the only benefit, there is more you will gain when you look far beyond the UVB portion of the spectrum. The UVB helps in synthesis of vitamin D.

According to Wunsch the sun is a life giver; “We all should be aware of the fact that when the sun was to stop shining, nothing would be alive in two or three days on this planet,” Wunsch says.

“When we are eating, we are eating transformed light. We can prove this scientifically, as you know. I think even if we are not able to estimate the influence light has on our biological system as a whole, it starts on the single cell level and it ends in our consciousness, in our mental functions. Light is a symbol in our culture, which will always be our companion.” he concludes

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From what we have gathered in research findings and the massive research work by Alexander wunsch we can conclude that vitamin D is a crucial part of our health and is also a therapy for seasonal stress. Basking in the sun helps relieve stress and therefore there is lots of reason in concluding that vitamin D, the sunshine hormone is seasonal stress hormone that everybody should consider supplementing.

Vitamin D as A Kind of “Seasonal Stress Hormone,” Chronobiological Stress Hormones.

 

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Why are Stem Cells Important?

May 3, 2015

What are stem cells, and why are they important?

Stem cellStem cells are very special, powerful cells found in both humans and also in other animals. Stem cells are the precursors of all cells in the human body. What makes stem cells special is that they are regenerative and malleable. They have the ability to replicate themselves and to repair and replace other tissues in the human body. Some tissues, like skin, need constant renewal, which could not take place without skin stem cells. Other stem cells repair damage to the body’s tissues, for example, rebuilding damaged or degenerating muscle tissue. New research also indicates that stem cell malfunction or damage may be responsible for certain cancers and even muscular-degeneration diseases like Muscular Dystrophy.

Stem cells differ from other kinds of cells in the body. All stem cells have three general features that make them different from other body cells. These features are: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. They are unspecialized and they can give rise to specialized cell types. Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells which do not normally replicate themselves, stem cells may replicate many times, or proliferate.

The stem cells have a unique ability to divide and become more specialized cells forming cells like bone, blood, or muscle. It is this ability that makes them attractive agents in many areas of medicine. They can therefore be used to fight very many diseases in the regenerative medicine. Another advantage of stem cell therapy treatments is that autologous stem cell transport is made possible. This means that a person may be treated by doctors harvesting the stem cells from the patient and having the stem cells reimplanted into the same patient after finding out what was lacking in the patient. This reduces risks of infection as well as rejection which are helpful to the patient.

Importance of stem cells

the stem cells are very important cells in the body and have been since targeted for treatment of degenerative diseases. They have been called the center pieces of regenerative medicine. Medicine that involves growing new cells, tissues and organs to replace or repair those damaged by injury, disease or aging. there ability to proliferate into other cells of the body like the bone and muscle tissues have made them a priority in treatment of various degenative diseases like aging and even osteoporosis among others. here is how stem cells work in treatment of various diseases.

Rejuvenation– the stem cells can be used in rejuvenation process. through rejuvenation the bodies healing ability is boosted. Typically, the body is programmed to naturally repair itself that is why after you get a cut you can stay without going to hospital but still get healed within a very short time. However there other crucial organs that when damaged do not easily get repaired. When the body’s cells cannot get differentiated to give rise to new healthy cells and heal the damaged cell then there is a problem. According to Mayo clinic the cells that were once thought of as terminally differentiated including the heart, lungs and nerves which are more specialized are able to remodel as they possess ability to self-renew. However researchers are still working to come up with strategies through which the ability of these cells to self-heal can be enhanced.

Stem cellReplacement– here the stem cells can be used to replace the damaged cells.in degenerative diseases like osteoporosis the damaged tissues can be replaced with fresh stem cells that will proliferate into more functional bone issues and relieve the system of the damaged tissues. the stem cells can be transplanted in autologous manner where the stem cells will be harvested in the adipose or the bone marrow and be used to replace the affected cells in organ. with autologues stem cell transplant the issue of donor is not a problem neither are there issues of rejection nor the need for immunosuppression .

Regeneration- Through regeneration the stem cells are delivered to diseased tissues or organs, where they will ultimately restore tissue and organ function. This can be done through cell-based therapy or by using cell products, such as growth factors. Bone marrow transplants are an example of regeneration. Regeneration aims to awaken cells that are not functional or have malfunctions. With stem cell therapy there is hope for affordable healthcare solutions that heal the body whole without life threatening side effects.

Stem cells are a cutting edge

Stem cells are capable of self-renewing giving rise to several copies of themselves. They also have the capability of shifting shape and changing type, therefore they can be used to form the cells that are damaged and restore the functions of the damaged tissues. The stem cells can be used to replace the cells that have malfunctioned due to structural damage. The amazing part of the stem cell differentiation is that when a stem cell divides both the daughter cell and the parent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into different cells or to still remain as stem cells. Owing to this ability of stem cells to differentiate into more specialized cells, they can rebuild lost blood vessels, reverse scarring, regenerate damaged nerves, and bring back the healthy you.

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Stem cell therapy has a lot to offer to patients, Visit us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an expert in integrative and regenerative medicine will be able to help.

What are stem cells, and why are they important?

 

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