Day: 01/14/2023

Bone Health and Osteoporosis: An Orthomolecular Perspective

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Originally published on www.orthomolecular.org by Richard Z. Cheng, MD, PhD and Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD 

Osteoporosis, like most other disease, is caused by many factors including deficiencies of essential nutrients such as vitamin D. But the central dogma has been promoting just prescription drugs and calcium supplements. This strategy sounds simple and straightforward, but unfortunately not only does it not work, it may even be harmful. There is a rich body of data in the literature showing that lifestyle, nutrition, toxins, and hormonal balance have an impact on bone health and osteoporosis. A brief summary of this research is presented here. For optimal results, the practical management of osteoporosis and other chronic diseases should incorporate this knowledge.

A recent issue of New England Journal of Medicine published an article claiming that vitamin D supplementation does not improve osteoporosis. [1] Forbes magazine immediately jumped the gun: Stop Taking Vitamin D Already! [2]

Vitamin D is more than just a vitamin; it is more like a hormone with pleiotropic effects on the body, including immune-boosting effects that fight against Covid-19. Giving advice to stop taking vitamin D based on just one negative study is not only unscientific, it’s against common sense. (We will not discuss the study design issues, as Dr. William Grant will presently offer his critique of NEJM article’s poor study design).

Because vitamin D is involved in many aspects of health, maintaining an adequate level is critically important. Yet many individuals are deficient, which has likely increased the rates of infection and death from Covid-19. There have been many clinical studies on vitamin D3 and Covid-19 in the last two years, including a special collection of Micronutrients for Viral Infections – Reference Bibliography by International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine, [3] and several such papers on Orthomolecular Medicine News Service including a recent review by Dr. Grant. [4] Have the author and editor of the Forbes article not been updated on the vitamin D research — or is there something else?

Prescription drugs and calcium supplements have no significant benefits for treating osteoporosis.

Earlier this year, a meta-analysis published on JAMA found that bisphosphonates, a major class of prescription osteoporosis drugs offer very few benefits to osteoporotic patients. [5] Another meta-analysis on JAMA showed calcium supplements do not offer significant help to osteoporosis. [6]

Calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

To make matters worse, calcium supplements not only do not improve your health, but may actually increase your risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, as reported on a recent study. [7]

Many studies in the literature have demonstrated the risks of calcium supplements, as summarized by Thomas Levy. [8,9]

Prescription drugs and calcium supplements are not helpful and may even be harmful. So, are osteoporosis patients doomed?

Not at all. There is a rich body of evidence in the medical literature showing that osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease — and that a healthy lifestyle, reversing a toxin overload (by detoxification), optimal nutrition, and hormonal balance are effective in improving not only osteoporosis but overall health. [8]

Highlights of some of the relevant research:

  • Vitamin C and Osteoporosis:
    • Increased oxidative stress (= inflammatory response) in the bone is accompanied by an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP). The level of CRP can accurately predict fracture risk in older women with osteoporosis. [10]
    • Increases in other inflammatory markers are also closely associated with increased fracture risk. [11]
    • High-dose vitamin C can significantly reduce CRP and many other markers of inflammation. [12]
    • Vitamin C stimulates the development of osteoblasts. [13,14]
    • Vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of progenin (class III), which is required for the growth of osteoblasts. [15]
    • Dietary vitamin C, which is negligible compared to the level provided by vitamin C supplementation, does not reduce fracture risk. [16]
    • Elderly osteoporosis patients with a history of fractures had significantly lower levels of vitamin C than those without a history of fractures. [17]
    • Supplementation with vitamin C, but not calcium, significantly increased bone mineral density in all bones. [18]
    • In ovariectomized mice, vitamin C prevents bone loss. [19]
    • Vitamin C significantly accelerates fracture healing. [20]
    • An adequate vitamin C level significantly improves the strength of healed fractures. [21]
  • Magnesium deficiency and osteoporosis:
    • Magnesium is a natural calcium antagonist. [22,23]
    • Magnesium dissolves calcium deposits in soft tissues. [24]
    • Magnesium deficiency leads to a detrimental increase in intracellular calcium. [25]
    • Magnesium increases bone density and reduces fractures. [26]
    • An adequate intake of magnesium reduces all-cause mortality. [27,28]
    • Usual supplemental doses have no toxic side effects.
  • Vitamin K deficiency and osteoporosis:
    • Vitamin K inhibits ectopic calcification by activating proteases such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla proteins. [29]
    • Vitamin K helps dissolve deposited calcium in organs and arteries. [30]
    • Neutralizes warfarin (warfarin can cause ectopic calcification). [31]
    • Reduced fracture risk. [32]
    • Improves bone quality. [33]
    • Adequate intake of vitamin K reduces cardiac and all-cause mortality. [34]
    • At any dose tried, there was no apparent toxicity. [35]
  • Vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis:
    • An adequate level of vitamin D ensures that the body gets enough calcium from the diet.
    • The role of vitamin D goes far beyond the metabolism of bone and calcium.
    • Vitamin D regulates about 2000 genes. [36]
    • A deficiency of vitamin D leads to osteoporosis. [37]
    • Too much vitamin D exacerbates osteoporosis. [38]
    • During bone growth and development, vitamin D plays an important role in bone density. [39]
    • Therapeutic doses of vitamin D reduced all-cause mortality. [40,41]
  • Estrogens and Osteoporosis:
    • Estrogen reduces coronary calcium deposition. [42]
    • The higher the E2, the lower the CAC score. [43]
    • Estrogen inhibits a calcification-promoting protease. [44]
    • Estrogen deficiency leads to an increase in cytokines that promote inflammation. [45]
    • Reduction of fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis. [46]
    • Estrogen deficiency increases all-cause mortality. [47]
    • Estrogen deficiency promotes metabolic syndrome. [48]
  • Androgens and Osteoporosis:
    • Testosterone deficiency is a well-established fracture risk factor. [49]
    • Testosterone has a calcium channel blocking function. [50]
    • Prostate cancer patients often have low testosterone levels. [51]
    • Testosterone levels are often inversely proportional to coronary calcium index. [51]
    • Testosterone deficiency increases all-cause mortality. [52,53]
  • Thyroid hormones and Osteoporosis:
    • Thyroid hormones have a significant effect on the metabolism of cells throughout the body. [54]
    • The roles of early skeletal development and high bone mass (Peak Bone Mass) are essential. [55]
    • Both high and low thyroid function increase fracture risk. [56]
    • TSH has a direct (non-thyroid-related) bone-protecting function. [57,58]
    • Both too high and too low thyroxine independently increased all-cause mortality. This includes subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism. [59,60]
    • Thyroid hormones status should be a part of routine medical examination, and should be checked regularly (at least annually), especially in the elderly population. Effective therapy is available.
  • Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and Osteoporosis:
    • Some EFAs have calcium channel blocking capabilities. [61,62]
    • Numerous EFAs have been shown to protect bone mineral density. [63,64]
    • Blood EFA levels are inversely related to all-cause mortality. [65]
    • Not toxic, but may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in large quantities.
  • Calcium supplements are not only unhelpful, they are harmful: chronic hypercalcemia is common in adults, and calcium supplements promote coronary calcium.
    • A recent study showed that calcium supplementation has no effect on osteoporosis. [6]
    • One-third of Americans over the age of 45 have CT-detected arterial calcification. [66]
    • Coronary heart disease is associated with osteoporosis. [67]
    • Aortic calcification is associated with osteoporosis. [68]
    • Calcium supplements promote coronary calcium deposition.
    • A recent 10-year large study of 5448 subjects in the United States found that calcium supplementation was 22% more likely to be positive for CAC (coronary calcium index) than those who did not. CAC has been generally recognized as a reliable predictor of atherosclerotic plaque burden, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality. [69-71]
    • A recent meta-analysis again showed that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. [7]
  • Significant calcifications outside the bones: indicating calcium excess
    • Ectopic calcifications are very common in cancer.
    • Using the latest MRI, 22 of 23 prostate patients were found to have prostate calcification. [72]
    • Excessive intracellular calcium is associated with cancer:
    • The relationship between intracellular calcium and cancer is well established. Higher intracellular calcium level increases cancer cell growth and metastasis. [73-75]
    • Conversely, a drop in intracellular calcium reduces cancer cell metastasis. [76]
    • Women with the highest scores on a bone density test had an increased risk of breast cancer. [77]
    • Calcifications are usually seen on mammography in patients with breast cancer. [78]
  • Calcium and calcium channel blockers (CCBs), also known as calcium ion antagonists, have the effect of reducing intracellular calcium ion level.
    • Evidence that increased intracellular calcium leads to increased intracellular oxidative stress (toxicity):
    • CCBs can prevent methylmercury-induced nerve damage in rats; [79]
    • The use of CCBs is inversely related to the occurrence of prostate cancer; [80]
    • CCBs reduce intracytoplasmic iron accumulation and further increase the increase in intracellular oxidative stress. The accumulation and increase of intracellular iron are also important factors in the carcinogenesis of cells. [81]

To put these altogether, we recommend an integrated management of osteoporosis that includes at least the following:

  1. Healthy lifestyle
    1. Sufficient exercise, outdoor activities, relaxation, and sleep.
    2. Nutrition rich anti-inflammatory healthy diets to include low carbohydrates, sufficient proteins and healthy fats; minimize processed foods and synthetic food additives, agricultural chemicals, antibiotics and hormones, and other environmental pollutants.
  2. Nutrition: In addition to adequate doses of vitamin C,D,E,K2, and magnesium supplements, macro- and micro-nutrients play a significant roles in the prevention and reversal of bone health and osteoporosis, as reviewed in [82]. Broad spectrum optimal vitamins and micronutrients, esp. vitamin C, D, K2, and magnesium, as these nutrients require each other for optimal effects, as described in [83].
  3. Toxins and detox. Environmental toxins are a major category of detrimental root causes to our health.
  4. Hormonal balance. Monitoring the status of the thyroid, adrenal and sex hormones and balance if indicated, is another under-recognized area in medicine today.

4 Artificial Sweeteners Linked to ‘Nightmare Bacteria’

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Synthetic sweeteners have been linked to a wide range of health problems, with over 80 documented on the GreenMedInfo database, alone. The various mechanisms of their toxicity, however, have not yet been fully elucidated. A new study raises a disturbing possibility that these widely consumed chemicals are driving otherwise ‘good bacteria’ into developing potentially lethal antibiotic resistance through a gut-mediated process. 

A concerning new study published in the journal Gut Microbes titled, “Non-caloric artificial sweeteners modulate conjugative transfer of multi-drug resistance plasmid in the gut microbiota,” raises a concerning possibility: commonly used artificial sweeteners (saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium) are contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance associated genes within gut bacteria linked with the rise of deadly infections. 

The groundbreaking study looked at the role that non-caloric artificial sweeteners have on the gut microbiome, using a mouse fecal bacteria model. They noted that table sugar alternatives pass through the intestinal tract without significant metabolization, and therefore frequently encounter the gut microbiome, which contains a pool of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). ARGs are a well-recognized factor contributing to the worldwide problem of so-called ‘nightmare bacteria,’ against which the conventional pharmacopeia of antibiotics have been proven virtually useless, and natural substances now provide significant promise.

ARGs are designed by nature to help the gut microbiome survive toxic insults from the hundreds of thousands of novel new compounds the chemical and pharmaceutical industries have unleashed upon the biosphere and humanity as a whole. The problem, however, is these same mechanisms within the gut bacteria that enable them to adapt and survive these increasingly toxic exposures, also confers resistance to conventional antibiotics. And the number of ARGs within the total set of bacteria within the human microbiome are immnese. For instance, another recent study published in Nature and titled, “Assessment of global health risk of antibiotic resistance genes,” found 2,561 ARGs that collectively conferred resistance to 24 classes of antibiotics in the human gut microbiome. The study concluded: “Our results demonstrate that 23.78% of the ARGs pose a health risk, especially those which confer multidrug resistance.”1

The Gut Microbes study found that all four artificial sweeteners tested increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (i.e. free radical damage) and promoted something known as “plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer to the gut microbiome,” a form of horizontal gene transfer that accelerates bacterial adaptation to xenobiotic chemicals like antibiotics and synthetic sweeteners by exchanging key genes. 

Specifically, the study found that the opportunistic (‘pathogenic’) bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae, commonly found in deadly antibiotic-resistant infections, became more prone to “plasmid permissiveness” when exposed to the synthetic sweeteners, indicative of the upregulation of antibiotic resistance genes and conferring greater pathogenicity. The researchers noted a “dramatic” increase in gene transfer, with up to 13.1 fold increase in transfer ratio; an increase larger than the fold changes (2.1~8.7) produced by the commonly used antibiotics such as ampicillin, cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin. In other words, the synthetic sweeteners may be worse than antibiotics in driving antibiotic resistant infections. 

Moreover, the researchers found that the synthetic sweeteners promoted conjugative plasmid transfers from exogenous E. coli to both phylogenetically close bacteria (e.g. Escherichia) and phylogenetically distant bacteria including Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus, leading them to conclude: “This indicates that these sweeteners could help donor-recipient couple overcome phylogenetic barriers to exchange ARGs.” In other words, the synthetic sweeteners are contributing to driving unnatural adaptive pressure on strains of bacteria which are normally prevented from exchanging antibiotic-resistance genes. 

The researchers concluded that, 

“Considering the soaring consumption of these sweeteners and the abundance of mobile ARGs in the human gut, our results highlight the necessity of performing a thorough risk assessment of antibiotic resistance associated with the usage of artificial sweeteners as food additives.” 

Only the Tip of the Toxic Iceberg

It is a little known fact that artificial sweeteners like aspartame and Splenda are highly toxic chemicals which required massive industry funding and propaganda, as well as the abject failure of governmental regulatory oversight by the FDA, in order to be approved and promoted to billions of consumers as safe alternatives to healthy and natural sweeteners, such as xylitol, stevia, honey and maple syrup.

For more background on the topic of their extreme toxicity read: Aspartame: Putting the DIE Into Dieting Since 1981, The Bitter Truth About Splenda, and Study: Saccharin And Sugar May Be More Addictive Than Cocaine. 

Truth be told, artificial sweeteners carry such a wide range of health problems that it is better to leave them alone, as a whole. The basic principle worth applying is that if it was made in a plant (i.e. chemical factory) and not by a plant, it’s probably harmful. Or, another rule of thumb is that if it requires a degree in chemistry to pronounce — Splenda’s chemical name is 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside – you should probably leave it alone. 

Also, consider that if you divorce caloric content from the taste of sweetness the body will experience profound confusion resulting in weight-promoting and appetite-enhancing effects. And so, there is really no point in trying to “cheat” Nature, and your own physiology, because it simply won’t work. 

A Ton of Natural Alternatives that have “Side Benefits” not Side Effects

If you are looking for natural sweeteners that won’t do harm, you can start by reading my article 4 Sugar Alternatives That Won’t Poison You. You’ll find compelling research that honey, molasses, xyitol and stevia are compelling alternatives to synthetic sweeteners with the caveat that stevia by being non-caloric may sometimes be guilty of the afforementioned problem with artificial ones, namely, removing the caloric content from the experience of sweetness may confuse the body and have some neuroendocrine down sides. That said, when stevia is added to baked items, cereal, a smoothie, or a drink that might already have some calories and nutrition instead of sugar, or another caloric rich sweetener, it can act as a nice balancing agent which can provide the proper aesthetic values without raising the glycemic index of the food you are preparing. Everything has a place, in moderation. 

When you navigate the Greenmedinfo.com database you’ll find a surprising volume of studies on the health benefits of natural sweeteners like honey, for instance, indicating that his has a potential therapeutic role in over 180 different health conditions. Clearly, when given the incredible potential benefits of eating natural sweeteners versus synthetic ones, there should be no doubt remaining to avoid the chemicals and their well-known harms. 

People who haven’t had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected, experts say

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Variant XBB.1.5 is very contagious, meaning everyone is at risk even if you’ve already been infected. As the U.S. enters year 3 of the pandemic, here’s an update on the state of COVID.

The newest COVID-19 variant is so contagious that even people who’ve avoided it so far are getting infected and the roughly 80% of Americans who’ve already been infected are likely to catch it again, experts say. 

Essentially, everyone in the country is at risk for infection now, even if they’re super careful, up to date on vaccines, or have caught it before, said Paula Cannon, a virologist at the University of Southern California.  

“It’s crazy infectious,” said Cannon, who is recovering from her first case of COVID-19, caught when she was vacationing over the holidays in her native Britain. 

“All the things that have protected you for the past couple of years, I don’t think are going to protect you against this new crop of variants,” she said. 

The number of severe infections and deaths remains relatively low, despite the high level of infections, she said, thanks to vaccinations – and probably – previous infections. But the lack of universal masking means that even people like her, who do wear masks, are vulnerable.

A look at the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the CDC.

The latest variant, called XBB.1.5, grew exponentially over the month of December, from about 1% of cases nationwide to 27% as of Jan. 7, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variant is likely behind the vast majority of cases in New York and New England. 

Its growth is probably due to XBB.1.5’s characteristics – it appears to bind even more tightly to receptors in the human body than its predecessors – as well as human behavior, such as traveling and not masking.

It’s a good idea to do what you can to avoid getting infected, said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis.

It’s still early and there are a lot of unknowns about XBB.1.5, he said. Every infection makes someone vulnerable to a bad course of the disease and to the lingering, miserable symptoms of long COVID, Al-Aly’s research shows.

“Reinfection buys you additional risk,” he said.

As the United States enters the fourth year of COVID-19, we’re providing an update on the state of the pandemic. Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in this article: 

What to know about XBB.1.5 symptoms and how long they last

COVID-19 symptoms typically last around five to seven days and can include fever, sore throat, muscle aches, exhaustion, nausea, cough and sinus congestion, among other problems.

Symptoms with XBB.1.5 are the same as with earlier variants and can range from almost nothing to shortness of breath and low oxygen levels that require emergency medical attention.

Early in the pandemic, COVID-19 often cost people their sense of taste and smell, at least temporarily, but that symptom seems less common, possibly because of vaccination or previous infection rather than a change in the virus, said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease specialist and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital. 

How long does COVID last? How long are you contagious? 

It takes anywhere from two to 14 days for exposure to lead to symptoms and a positive test.  

People with COVID-19 are contagious as long as they remain positive on a rapid test, typically for about 10 days, but often longer. 

The CDC recommends people isolate for at least five days and wear an N95 or similarly protective mask for at least 10 days when around others. Day One is considered the first full day after symptoms start.

A PCR test, which is considered the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19, can remain positive for months because it detects viral fragments as well as the whole, infectious virus. To confirm the end of the contagious period, experts instead recommend a negative rapid test after 10 days or two within 48 hours if sooner.

Can you get COVID more than once?

Yes. While a previous infection provides some protection, that fades over time and as the virus evolves into different variants. 

Some people who had a mild case with a first infection get hit harder the second or third time, while others might suffer less. 

“Even if you’ve had it before, that doesn’t mean your next bout is going to be the same,” Cannon said. There are lots of factors at play in determining the seriousness of an infection, she said, including prior immunity, the nature of the variant and how long it’s been since your last infection or vaccination.

It’s possible that her recent infection was much milder than her husband’s, for instance, because she had caught a head cold a few days earlier, while her husband hadn’t. A respiratory virus can put the immune system on high alert and might have provided some protection when she was exposed to COVID-19.

“It’s part of the bigger dance between our bodies and our immune system,” Cannon said.

How to avoid infection 

The methods for avoiding infection haven’t changed, though it can be hard to stick with them when no one else is: Get vaccinated, wear a mask and avoid crowded spaces.

First is getting vaccinated. This will protect against severe infection as well as reduce the risk of passing the virus to others, said Hotez, also dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

The newer boosters, which take aim at both the original virus and the BA.4/BA.5 variants common this summer, are more protective against XBB.1.5 than earlier boosters. People who are up to date on their COVID-19 shots probably don’t shed as much virus for as long, so they’re also less likely to pass it on, he added.

Past infection provides some protection against severe disease, but that protection is “highly unreliable,” Hotez said.

Second is wearing a mask. Good quality, well-fitting masks, like an N95 or KN95 can reduce the risk of infection.

N95 and KN95 masks offer more protection in comparison to other masks.

Cannon said people sometimes get annoyed at her mask-wearing “because it’s like I’m reminding them that (COVID) is still a problem.” But she doesn’t want to accidentally pass COVID on to someone who might be more vulnerable to the virus. 

Third is avoiding crowded indoor spaces. You’re less likely to get infected in large indoor spaces with high ceilings and lots of ventilation than in cramped, airless ones.

What to do if you get sick  

It’s a good idea to have a plan ready in case you get sick, Cannon said. She suggests every plan include: 

  • How to isolate from others in your household
  • The contact number for a health care provider who can prescribe an antiviral
  • Equipment such as rapid coronavirus tests, extra masks, a thermometer and a pulse oximeter to make sure the patient’s blood oxygen level doesn’t drop below the low 90s

Every U.S. household is eligible for four free coronavirus tests from the government that can be ordered from this link: covid.gov/tests.

For someone over 60 or with medical conditions like obesity that raise the risk for serious disease, the first step after a positive test should be a call to the doctor to get the antiviral Paxlovid, she and others said. The government has pre-bought millions of doses, so they are available for free.

This image, provided by Pfizer in October 2021, shows the company’s COVID-19 Paxlovid pill that patients can take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus.

Some doctors are hesitant to provide the antiviral because people may need to stop taking common medications during the five-day treatment course, but it’s essential for people at high risk for serious disease, Hotez said. “Any senior going on Paxlovid is not dying,” he said.

“We can’t stop people getting infected,” Cannon added, “but we absolutely can stop people from being seriously ill. Gosh, why wouldn’t you take it?”

Why it’s better not to get infected   

Every COVID-19 infection increases your risk for serious disease and for long COVID, which brings sometimes debilitating symptoms that can linger for a year or more.

More than 3,500 people have died from long COVID-19 in the US, CDC reports.

Older adults are more vulnerable, Al-Aly said, “but it doesn’t mean younger people are totally shielded.” Long COVID, too, can strike people at any age from childhood through to the 101-year-old recently treated at his hospital, he said. 

Vaccination reduces the risk of long COVID by 15% to 30%, according to a study he recently published. Another study he is working on shows Paxlovid reduces the risk by 26%.

Cannon’s daughter works in a long COVID clinic and regularly sees patients who are in their 20s or 30s, “healthy people who didn’t even have a particularly bad bout of COVID who now have a massively debilitating set of symptoms.”

All six experts interviewed by USA TODAY this week dismissed the idea that there is somehow an upside to getting infected: Vaccination provides better protection against future infection without the risk.

“I’d be happy if I never got any virus again,” Cannon said. “And I say this as a professional virologist.”

Could we be nearing the end of COVID?

COVID-19 has been perhaps the most successful virus in all of human history, Cannon said, infecting billions of people across the planet.

While she worries about how it might continue to evolve, she hopes it’s a good sign that for the last year, all the variants have been descendants of omicron.

Before that, the original virus, alpha, beta and delta had been “radically” different from each other.

“The virus is now in this committed lineage,” Cannon said, which might mean it won’t evolve away from the protection against serious disease thatnearly everyone now has from vaccinations and previous infections.

New Omicron Subvariant Is ‘Crazy Infectious,’ COVID Expert Warns

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The newest subvariant of Omicron, XBB.1.5, is so transmissible that everybody is at risk of catching it, even if they’ve already been infected and are fully vaccinated, a health expert told USA Today.

“It’s crazy infectious,” said Paula Cannon, PhD., a virologist at the University of Southern California.  “All the things that have protected you for the past couple of years, I don’t think are going to protect you against this new crop of variants.” 

XBB.1.5 is spreading quickly in the United States. It accounted for 27.6% of cases in the country last week, up from about 1% of cases at one point in December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  It’s especially prevalent in the Northeast, now accounting for more than 70% of the cases in that region.

It’s spreading across the globe, too. Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD., technical lead of the World Health Organization, has called XBB.1.5 is “the most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet.” 

Ashish Jha, MD, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, tweeted a few days ago that the spread of XBB.1.5 is “stunning” but cautioned that it’s unclear if the symptoms of infection will be more severe than for previous variants.

“Whether we’ll have an XBB.1.5 wave (and if yes, how big) will depend on many factors including immunity of the population, people’s actions, etc.,” he tweeted. 

He urged people to get up to date on their boosters, wear a snug-fitting mask, and avoid crowded indoor spaces. He noted that people who haven’t been infected recently or haven’t gotten the bivalent booster likely have little protection against infection.

The symptoms for XBB.1.5 appear to be the same as for other versions of COVID-19. However, it’s less common for people infected with XBB.1.5 to report losing their sense of taste and smell, USA Today reported.

Are You Using This Anti-COVID Secret Weapon?

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If you vowed to start exercising this year, here’s another incentive to help you stick to your guns: You could protect yourself from potentially devastating COVID-19 outcomes like hospitalization and even death. 

The evidence is piling up that physical activity can lower the risk of getting very sick from COVID. The CDC, based on a systematic review of the evidence, has reported that “physical activity is associated with a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, while inactivity increases that risk.” Other research has linked regular physical activity with a lower risk of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID.

The latest such study, from Kaiser Permanente, suggests that exercise in almost any amount can cut the risk of severe or fatal COVID even among high-risk patients like those with high blood pressure or heart disease. 

“We found that every level of physical activity provided some level of protection,” says lead study author Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, director of the Division of Behavioral Research for Kaiser’s Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation. “Even a 10-minute walk [per] week is associated with better COVID-19 outcomes.”

The best outcomes were seen among “those who are consistently meeting our national guidelines of greater than 150 minutes a week of at least brisk walking,” she says. That’s 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. However, “every bit is beneficial.”

Yet, 1 in 4 adults don’t get any physical activity outside of their jobs, according to the CDC. That matters as we move into January and COVID numbers trend up. As of press time, the CDC is reporting more than 470,000 weekly cases, compared to about 265,000 for the week ending Oct. 12. On average, over 6,000 people were admitted to the hospital per day from Dec. 31 to Jan. 6, and deaths totaled 2,731 weekly as of Jan. 4. 

“The missing aspect in our response to the public health challenge of COVID has been the heightened need for personal and community well-health,” says Gene Olinger, PhD, chief science advisor for research company MRIGlobal, and an adjunct associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine. “Proactive medicine – where individuals optimize nutrition, exercise, sleep, and whole-body meditation — is not a priority in the current health ecosystem. It is changing, and this is good news.” 

Of course, everyone should still get vaccinated, Young cautions, and not rely on exercise and healthy living alone to ward off severe COVID. “The more we can do to protect ourselves from having bad COVID, it should all be done.”

The More Activity Prior to Infection, the Better

In the Kaiser study, the researchers looked at health records for 194,191 Kaiser adult patients who tested positive for COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2021. 

Patients’ activity levels were assessed using a self-report system that Kaiser has used since 2009 involving two questions: “On average, how many days per week do you engage in moderate to strenuous exercise (like a brisk walk)?” and, “On average, how many minutes do you engage in exercise at this level?” To be included in the study, participants had to have completed at least three of these assessments in the 2 years before infection.

The more active a patient was, the better their outcomes tended to be, the researchers found. Likewise, less active patients saw worse outcomes.

In the most dramatic gap, those who were consistently inactive (less than 10 minutes of activity per week) before getting COVID-19 were 91%  more likely to be hospitalized, and 291% more likely to die from the disease, than active patients.  

Like all studies, this one had limitations. Because it took place before vaccinations were easier to get, it could not assess whether physical activity improved outcomes among the vaccinated. It also did not look at exercise’s impact on those with repeat COVID-19 infections. Still, the study suggests that inactive folks should boost their activity to help ward off severe COVID-19. 

The exercise benefits come as no surprise to physician Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, MD, head of critical care at the Ottawa Hospital, in Canada, and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa. 

“As an ICU physician who has been taking care of COVID patients from day one, I saw on a regular basis that people in poor metabolic health had bad outcomes,” says Kyeremanteng, who was not involved in the study. “It was clear early on [that] obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease [were] risk factors for severe COVID and dying from COVID. Basically, the results of the study correlate with what we saw on the front lines.” 

Fitness Is No Guarantee 

It’s important to note that all trends have outliers. Even highly conditioned athletes who exercise often and hard can — and do — become very ill with COVID and can have lingering symptoms like shortness of breath, severe fatigue, and brain fog.

“In younger athletes and those who are optimally fit, there is evidence that COVID can cause myocardial inflammation [heart damage] in one out of 100,” says Olinger. “Fortunately, it is almost always reversible.”

And while controversial, the concept of over-exercising (aka overtraining syndrome) has been associated with suppressed immune function and more cases of upper respiratory tract infection, he says. 

“However, the level of exercise that one can achieve varies widely,” Olinger says. “The data is clear that vaccinations for COVID and regular exercise are key to a lifelong resistance to disease and infections.”

What About Exercising After You Get COVID?

Another caution: While the evidence shows that exercise before getting COVID-19 can help improve outcomes, other research has found that returning to exercise too soon after contracting the virus can be dangerous, regardless of your fitness level. In fact, exercise is likely to make long COVID symptoms worse. 

After a bout with COVID-19, return to exercise gradually, says Kyeremanteng. Let your symptoms be your guide. A study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport suggests that athletes with no or minimal symptoms should return to their pre-COVID exercise habits in a “graduated fashion” over 7 to 14 days. “Those with pre-existing medical comorbidities should adopt a more cautious approach,” the study says.

“Listen to your body,” says Olinger. “You are the only one who knows what feels right.”

5 Antibacterial Agents ( ‘AncientBiotics’ ) From Nature

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Probiotics, green tea and honey are examples of “ancientbiotics” — natural compounds that have been used for centuries address the overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria, and that have scientifically validated antibacterial (i.e. microbiome improving) properties that are valued to this day

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been declared one of the top 10 global public health threats to humanity.[i] It’s fueled by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials and occurs when the microbiome is altered (dysbios) and ceratin bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become impervious to the antimicrobial drugs conventionally used to treat them. In the U.S. alone, 2.8 million people are believed to develop antibiotic-resistant infections annually, and 35,000 people die as a result.[ii]

As drug-resistant pathogens spread, infections that were once easy to treat can become life-threatening and there are few new options in development. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) stated, “The clinical pipeline of new antimicrobials is dry.”[iii]

If you’re facing a serious infection, you should seek medical attention immediately. However, it’s useful to be aware of the antibacterial agents found in nature, many of which have been valued since ancient times.

Ancient Civilizations Relied on Natural Antibiotics

With antimicrobial-resistant infections on the rise, scientists are now looking with interest at ancient medieval medical texts, which include various recipes to treat conditions that were likely microbial infections and/or cases of dysbios where certain naturally occurring microbes grew opportunistically and out of proportion to its natural ratios. One such remedy that’s 1,000 years old included crushed garlic and a second substance in the Allium species combined with wine and oxgall, or bovine bile, then left to sit in a brass or bronze vessel for nine days and nights.

“The ingredients combined to treat this infection appear promising to the modern microbiologist,” researchers wrote in the journal mBio.[iv] They reconstructed the remedy, which they believe was used to treat styes, then known as “wen,” which are caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

The “ancientbiotics” turned out to be effective, with the study noting their “activity relies on the combined activity of several antimicrobial ingredients” and highlights the “untapped potential of premodern remedies for yielding novel therapeutics at a time when new antibiotics are desperately needed.”[v]

In other instances, garlic was used by ancient Greece, Rome, India and China for infections and respiratory ailments,[vi] while in ancient Egypt, China, Serbia, Greece and Rome moldy bread was applied as a topical treatment for infections. Other ancient civilizations relied on herbs, honey and, in some cases, animal feces to treat infection.[vii]

Five Top Natural Antibacterial Agents

Some of the most prized antimicrobial agents come from nature, and many of them are easy to access and incorporate into your routine as necessary. At GreenMedInfo.com, you can read about 525 substances that work as antibacterial agents, which include:

1. Probiotics

Ancient civilizations embraced fermented foods, which gave them a rich source of probiotics. Today, probiotics are well known for bolstering the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Less widely known is their usefulness for directly inhibiting bacterial pathogens like E. coli, shigella, salmonella and C. difficile. A multi-strain probiotic is especially useful for this purpose.[viii]

Probiotics also produce inhibitory substances such as hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins, which may inhibit pathogenic bacteria, while also blocking adhesion sites, competing for nutrients with pathogens and bolstering the immune response. “Unequivocal evidence” proves the antimicrobial activity of probiotics, which includes:[ix]

  • Reduced giardia infection
  • Decrease in candida and protection against candidiasis
  • Reduced accumulation of bacterial plaque
  • The ability to fight skin pathogens

2. Cranberry

Cranberry contains a number of active compounds including phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and organic acids that inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus bacteria and salmonella and inhibit E. coli in the urinary tract — grapefruit seedshave also shown promise in treating urinary tract infections, including antibiotic-resistant varieties.

Cranberrycompounds also have noted anti-adhesion effects against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, meaning it interferes with the ability of the bacteria to adhere to your tissues. A 2020 study also found that cranberry has an antibacterial effect against periodontal pathogens in biofilms, working to reduce bacteria adhesion and prevent bacterial colonization in the mouth.[x]

3. Green Tea

Of the four primary catechins in green tea, three of them — epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) — have impressive antimicrobial effects.[xi] In addition to directly inhibiting Streptococcus mutans, the main cause of cavities, and reducing their attachment to oral surfaces, green tea also has antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria, fungi and viruses, including:

E. coliSalmonella
Staphylococcus aureusEnterococcus
Candida albicansHIV
Herpes simplexInfluenza

Like many natural compounds, what makes green tea so beneficial is that it uses a variety of mechanisms in its antimicrobial activities. The catechins it contains are directly antimicrobial, in that they cause damage to the bacterial cell membrane and inhibit enzyme activity. Green tea also inhibits inflammation, which can increase the total antimicrobial effects that it has on an individual.

In the case of green tea for urinary tract infections, which are often caused by E. coli, one study suggested that drinking a cup of brewed green tea may control the growth of bacteria for up to six hours, and perhaps longer.[xii],[xiii]

4. Curcumin

Curcumin, an active compound in the spice turmeric, has been a part of Asian traditional medicine for centuries and has notable antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects, including against:[xiv]

Staphylococcus aureusStreptococcusGram-positive bacteria, including listeria
Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coliPseudomonasHIV
HepatitisInfluenzaHerpes viruses
Human papillomavirus (HPV)Respiratory syncytial virusNoroviruses
ArbovirusesCandidaAspergillus
CryptococcusDermatophytesHelicobacter pylori

In addition to being consumed orally, curcumin can also be applied topically to treat conditions such as HPV and oral plaque.[xv]

5. Honey

Honey is another ancient remedy that has long been used to combat bacteria and treat infections, burns and wounds.[xvi] It’s unique in that it has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with multiple components that work synergistically, preventing biofilm formation and decreasing the production of virulence factors.

Honey is also known to block bacterial communication, which means antibiotic-resistance is unlikely to develop against honey, and, because it contains prebiotics, probiotics and zinc, it supports the growth of beneficial gut flora that is also useful for infection control.[xvii]

Honey contains more than 180 compounds, including enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, vitamins and minerals, a complex composition that makes it useful against even multidrug-resistant bacteria. Ulcers, burns, eye and skin diseases, post-surgical wounds and traumatic injuries are among those often treated with honey.[xviii]

Is Nature the Answer?

The fact that 30% to 50% of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are derived from plants is a testimony to their potent healing powers.[xix] Plants and other natural compounds are increasingly being valued in the search for compounds to combat antimicrobial resistance, but it’s difficult to isolate effective individual active compounds from nature, which tends to work best in synergy.[xx]

Still, nature holds immense promise. “Synergistic combinations of antimicrobial agents with different mechanisms of action have been introduced as more successful strategies to combat infections involving multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria,” researchers wrote in PLOS One.[xxi] Other natural compounds that are notable for their antibacterial activity include Nigella sativa (black seed), berberine and bee propolis.

On an individual level, using antibiotics only when necessary, consuming organic, antibiotic-free food and embracing natural antibiotic compounds is a balanced approach to staying healthy and well.

The Power of Peppermint: 15 Health Benefits Revealed

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A favorite herbal medicine of the ancients, peppermint leaves have been found in Egyptian pyramids dating back to 1,000 BC. Modern scientific investigations have now confirmed that this remarkable plant has over a dozen healing properties.

In our continuing effort to educate folks to the vast array of healing agents found in the natural world around us, we are excited to feature peppermint, a member of the aromatic mint family that you may already have squirreled away somewhere in your kitchen cupboard. While most have experienced peppermint as a flavoring agent, or perhaps as a comforting cup of herbal tea, few are aware of its wide range of experimentally confirmed therapeutic properties. 

The ancients certainly were aware of the mint family’s medicinal value, having been used as herbal medicines in ancient Egypt, Greek and Rome thousands of years ago.[i] Dried peppermint leaves have even been found in several Egyptian pyramids carbon dating back to 1,000 BC.

Today, modern scientific investigations are revealing an abundance of potential health benefits associated with the use of different components of the peppermint plant, including aromatherapeutic, topical and internal applications.

Most of the human research on peppermint performed thus far indicates this plant has great value in treating gastrointestinal disorders, including:

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Since the late 90’s it was discovered that enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules are safe and effective in the treatment of this increasingly prevalent disorder.[ii]This beneficial effect extends to the pediatric community. In one children’s trial 75% of those receiving peppermint oil had reduced severity of pain associated with IBS within 2 weeks.[iii]Another 2005 trial in adults concluded that “Taking into account the currently available drug treatments for IBS Peppermint oil (1-2 capsules t.i.d. over 24 weeks) may be the drug of first choice in IBS patients with non-serious constipation or diarrhea to alleviate general symptoms and to improve quality of life.”[iv] In another 2007 trial 75% of patients receiving peppermint oil saw an impressive 50% reduction of “total irritable bowel syndrome score.”[v] Most recently, a study published January of this year found that peppermint oil was effective in relieving abdominal pain in diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome.[vi]
  • Colonic spasm – Peppermint oil has been studied as a safe and effective alternative to the drug Buscopan for its ability to reduce spasms during barium enemas.[vii] [viii]
  • Gastric Emptying Disorders – Peppermint has been found to enhance gastric emptying, suggesting its potential use in a clinical setting for patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.[ix]
  • Functional dyspepsia – A 2000 study published in the journal Ailment Pharmacology and Therapy found that 90 mg of peppermint oil and 50 mg of caraway oil resulted in 67% of patients reporting “much or very much improved” in their symptoms of functional dyspepsia. [x]
  • Infantile Colic: A 2013 study found that peppermint is at least as effective as the chemical simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic.[xi]

Other studied applications include

  • Breastfeeding Associated Nipple Pain and Damage: A 2007 study found that peppermint water prevented nipple cracks and nipple pain in breastfeeding mothers.[xii]
  • Tuberculosis: A 2009 study found that inhaled essential oil of peppermint was able to rapidly regress tuberculous inflammation, leading the authors to conclude: “This procedure may be used to prevent recurrences and exacerbation of pulmonary tuberculosis.”[xiii]
  • Allergic rhinitis (hay fever): A 2001 preclinical study found that extracts of the leaves of peppermint inhibit histamine release indicating it may be clinically effective in alleviating the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis.[xiv]
  • Shingles Associated Pain (Post-Herpetic Neuralgia): A 2002 case study found that topical peppermint oil treatment resulted in a near immediate improvement of shingles associated neuropathic pain symptoms; the therapeutic effects persisted throughout the entire 2 months of follow-up treatment. [xv]
  • Memory problems: A 2006 study found that the simple aroma of peppermint enhances memory and increases alertness in human subjects.[xvi]
  • Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea: A 2013 study found that peppermint oil was found to be effective in reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea, and at reduced cost versus standard drug-based treatment.[xvii]
  • Prostate Cancer: Preclinical research indicates that peppermint contains a compound known as menthol which inhibits prostate cancer growth.[xviii] [xix]
  • Radiation Damage: Preclinical research indicates peppermint protects against radiation-induced DNA damage and cell death.[xx] [xxi]
  • Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1: Peppermint has been found to have inhibitory activity against acyclovir-resistant Herpes Simplex virus type 1.[xxii] [xxiii]
  • Dental Caries/Bad Breath: Peppermint oil extract has been found to be superior to the mouthwash chemical chlorhexidine inhibiting Streptococus mutans driven biofilm formation associated with dental caries.[xxiv] [xxv] This may explain why powdered peppermint leaves were used in the Middle Ages to combat halitosis and whiten teeth.

Peppermint is actually a hybridized cross between Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata),[xxvi] the latter of which has also been researched to possess remarkable therapeutic properties, such as the ability to exert significant anti-androgenic effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome[xxvii] and ameliorating the related condition of mild hirsutism, marked by excessive hair growth in females.[xxviii]

Like all plant medicines, extreme caution must be exercised when using extracts and especially essential oils. Also, remember that more is not always better. A recent study on the use of rosemary in improving cognitive performance in the elderly found that a lower ‘culinary’ dose (750 mg) was not only more effective in improving cognition (as measured by memory speed) than a higher dose, but the highest dose (6,000 mg) had a significant memory impairing effect.[xxix] This illustrates quite nicely how less can be more, and why an occasional nightly cup of peppermint tea may be far superior as preventive strategy than taking large ‘heroic’ doses of an herb only after a serious health problem sets in.

Cinnamon Helps Reduce High Blood Pressure

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1 out of 3 Americans suffer from high blood pressure, a precursor to many forms of cardiovascular disease. Researchers believe cinnamon may be a novel and therapeutic approach to the management of high blood pressure

Cinnamon has been used for centuries for its fragrant and flavoring properties, in addition to medicinal benefits.[i] Cinnamon’s reported health benefits include cognition enhancement, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects and the prevention of diabetic complications.[ii]

There are four main types of cinnamon, including Ceylon cinnamon (also called true cinnamon), Indonesian cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon and cassia cinnamon, with various compounds available from each type and derived from the leaves, bark, fruit and flowers of each plant.[iii],[iv]

Cinnamon’s ability to regulate glucose levels in the body has been one of the main sources of interest for many researchers, but many scientists are also interested in cinnamon’s ability to reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.[v],[vi]

Cinnamon Reduces Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure

A study found a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults with high blood pressure after the use of oral cinnamon supplementation.[vii]

It’s not the first study to find cinnamon useful in the control of blood pressure — several studies have produced similar findings in both rats with high blood pressure and subjects with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, and researchers have now determined that cinnamon supplements are a possible hypotensive supplement.[viii],[ix],[x],[xi]

Cinnamon’s capability to lower blood pressure seems to stem from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Metabolic syndrome, in particular, is often caused by free radicals and oxidative stress, and oxidative stress can also lead to insulin resistance, a precursor of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.[xii]

Cinnamon has strong free-radical-scavenging capabilities, as well as 65.3% antioxidant activity thanks to the phenolic compounds found in almost every part of the cinnamon plant.[xiii],[xiv] Additionally, both local inflammation and a rise in pro-inflammatory cytokines are common characteristics of high blood pressure.[xv]

Compounds in cinnamon called trans-cinnamaldehyde and p-cymene produce anti-inflammatory effects by blocking the production of inflammatory biomarkers, effectively stopping inflammation before it occurs and possibly playing a preventative role in the development of high blood pressure.[xvi],[xvii] Given these benefits, it’s no wonder that researchers believe cinnamon may be one natural solution to treating high blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Management Costs US Citizens Billions Each Year

High blood pressure is a significant health problem and a contributing factor to the development of cardiovascular disease, affecting approximately 1 out of 3 adults in the U.S.[xviii],[xix]

Because reducing elevated blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, researchers are eager to find novel and affordable approaches for controlling high blood pressure, and many scientists are looking to natural substances.[xx]

In 2009, the approximate cost of U.S. expenditure on high blood pressure drugs was $15 billion, roughly 10% of the total amount spent on drugs that year.[xxi] However, this  drug expenditure doesn’t seem to be leading to any real progress in the reduction of adult blood pressure levels.

Additionally, many of the current drug therapies, while effective, come with adverse side effects and a second medication is often needed to control these side effects. Further, many patients may need two or more high blood pressure drugs to adequately control blood pressure levels.[xxii] It’s no surprise that many patients and physicians alike are eager to find a more affordable and natural solution.

Additional Health Benefits of Cinnamon Supplementation

Beyond its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, cinnamon has been studied for its effects on a myriad of health problems. Benefits of cinnamon include the following:[xxiii],[xxiv]

  • Lowers cholesterol. In addition to lowering blood pressure and insulin levels, cinnamon shows significant cholesterol-lowering activity in adults with elevated blood glucose.[xxv]
  • Antimicrobial properties. The antibacterial properties of cinnamon oil are so strong that it has been deemed a safe alternative cleaning agent in hospital environments.[xxvi]
    • Additional studies have shown that cinnamon oil may be effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria and could be useful in reducing the minimum effective dosage of those drugs, reducing cost of care and adverse side effects of conventional drug therapies.[xxvii]
  • Antitumor properties. Cinnamon has profound antitumor and anticarcinogenic effects, as determined by cinnamon’s ability to induce tumor death by enhancing pro-apoptotic activity and by modifying multiple oncogenic targets.[xxviii],[xxix]
  • Neuroprotective properties. Cinnamon exhibits neuroprotective properties by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress, may play a therapeutic role in the development of dementia, and may help to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s.[xxx],[xxxi]

Cinnamon’s therapeutic potential is vast. For more information about the research being done to study its health benefits, please visit the GreenMedInfo.com research pages on cinnamon and cinnamaldehyde, the primary compound in cinnamon that gives it its flavor and color and boasts numerous health properties.

Why Eating Pomegranate Could Save Millions of Lives

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Millions die every year from cancer. Millions more from heart disease. Simultaneously, prescription drug use has never been higher. Why are we making no progress in this polypharmaceutical “war against disease”? We may need to return to Mother Nature to find the answer! Indeed,  a solid body of research now indicates that consuming pomegranate may be the ideal way to protect yourself against the top two killers in the postmodern age. 

I confess I have a bit of an obsession with pomegranate. Not only does it look and taste highly appealing, but ever since performing an extensive pubmed.gov literature search and review on what is literally the fruiting ovary of the pomegranate bush, I was simply in awe at the sheer volume of supportive literature (3,000+ studies) on its diverse applications for health promotion and disease prevention.  

While I’ve written and lectured previously on foods with life-saving properties, such as garlic, lime juice, and of course the amazing spice turmeric to which I have dedicated an entire resource page on GreenMedInfo.com, I think what intrigues me most about pomegranate is how seldom it is recognized for its powerful, and I would say, life-saving health properties; this, despite the fact that the research literature shows it has 300+ potential health applications.

This situation is not accidental. The truth about pomegranate (and all “natural cures” for that matter) is controversial and highly politicized, with The FTC and FDA going as far as filing complaints against pomegranate juice manufacturers for referencing its well-established health value.

The Living Poetry of Pomegranate’s Human Longevity Promoting Properties

Personally, I’m most fascinated by pomegranate’s striking resemblance to the human ovary and how it contains mammalian-type steroid hormones like estrone and testosterone normally found in the ovaries — an example of the “doctrine of signatures,” which I recently covered in my article: “Why Walnut Resembles the Brain It Nourishes.”

And yet, most of my focus thus far has been on spreading the good news about pomegranate’s unique ability to reverse plaque build up in the arteries; a therapeutic property which could countermand the #1 cause of death in the developed world, namely, atherosclerosis related cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.

Blood red pomegranate’s heart-saving properties are all the more amazing when you consider that we live in a world where millions are taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs even though the cholesterol hypothesis of heart disease remains just that: a theory, and one increasingly refuted by the evidence itself. Ironically, statins have also been demonstrated to weaken the heart muscle, along with causing some 300+ documented adverse health effects. And yet, many of these very same people popping potentially deadly pharmaceuticals without thought, are still afraid to consume pomegranate juice because of its “high sugar content.”

Another thing about pomegranate is that it is also uniquely supported by a folkloric body of cross-culturally overlapping virtues, such as promoting fertility, prosperity, and longevity. Clearly, the logos (science) and mythos (ancient orally transmitted wisdom) agree that this a very special food. I consider it right up there with my personal favorite turmeric; a plant root which, I believe, contains both intelligence and compassion.

If you want to see how I came to this apical point of appreciation for pomegranate, you can follow the biomedical footsteps I took to get here by checking out all the studies I have gathered on my pomegranate database here.

In this article, however, I will be focusing on an under appreciated benefit of pomegranate, namely, its powerful anti-cancer properties. My hope is that through these efforts more people will come to appreciate that only food can truly perform root cause resolution of disease, both by nourishing, stimulating natural detoxification methods, and perhaps more importantly, providing vectors of healing information. You can learn more about my perspective on the topic by reading: Why Food is Actually Information.

Pomegranate: Nature’s Perfect Anti-Cancer Food?

Regular readers of GreenMedInfo.com, and fans of the Regenerate Project and my book REGENERATE, know that we focus heavily on identifying the true causes and cures for cancer, as well as the still widely underestimated problem of the medical industry’s routine misclassification, overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancer; a problem, in fact, which was recognized by the National Cancer Institute’s own expert panel in 2013 to apply to two of the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer in men (HGPIN “prostate cancer”) and women (DCIS “breast cancer”), and which has lead to incalculable and needless suffering in millions of men and women in the U.S. over the past 30 years.

The convenient side effect of the mass screening associated overdiagnosis and overtreatment of suspicious “growths” is that cancer has become a multi-billion dollar industry, despite the fact that cancer treatments have made very little progress over the past half century.

A huge piece of the puzzle as to why conventional treatment has been a monumental failure is revealed by so-called cancer stem cell hypothesis. Basically a small subpopulation of cancer cells called cancer stem cells are believed responsible for producing most primary and secondary tumors, as well as their resistance to conventional chemotherapy and radiation. In fact, these two “therapies” actually enrich cancer stem cells in the surviving post-treatment tissue, making their use not only obsolete but fundamentally unethical due to the iatrogenic harms they cause on top of the original disease.

Preliminary research has already shown that pomegranate can inhibit and/or destroy a range of cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. But because the cancer stem cell hypothesis is relatively new, there are few studies that have been performed to assess the ability of natural compounds to kill cancer stem cells.

That said, an important study published in 2010 in Oncology Reports titled, “Pomegranate extract inhibits the proliferation and viability of MMTV-Wnt-1 mouse mammary cancer stem cells in vitro,” revealed for the first time that several compounds within pomegranate have the ability to target and destroy the cancer stem cells within mammary cancer. Remember, this is a highly significant finding because this is something that conventional cancer treatments cannot do.

The groundbreaking study opened with a brief summary of the cancer stem cell hypothesis, well worth reading:

“The stem cell hypothesis of cancer is based on the existence of a subset of cells in tumors with a high proliferative capacity and multipotency, the stem cell-like ability to produce all cell types found in tumors (9). Tumor heterogeneity arises not by the serial clonal expansion of individual cancer cells that have acquired new, advantageous mutations, but from cancer stem cells. The cancer stem cell hypothesis explains the ultimate failure of chemotherapy; tumors destroyed by chemotherapy may be repopulated by cancer stem cells, which are highly drug resistant through a variety of mechanisms (10). As such, successful chemotherapy and cancer prevention must target not only the differentiated tumor cells that make up the bulk of the tumor, but also cancer stem cells, and treatment may have to be long-term, since cancer stem cells are long-lived.”

The study next moved to why foods like pomengranate may be the future of cancer treatment:

A promising source of novel chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents are fruits and vegetables, which are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer (4,14). Phytochemicals derived from fruits and vegetables have a proven ability to inhibit cancer cell growth in vitro and prevent the formation of tumors in vivo (4,6) and are well tolerated and safe, allowing for long-term dietary administration. However, since the cancer stem cell hypothesis has only recently been proposed, there are few studies on the effect of phytochemicals on cancer stem cells (16,17). We hypothesized that phytochemicals inhibit the growth and viability of mammary cancer stem cells. To test this hypothesis, in the present study we used a mammary cancer stem cell line, designated WA4, derived from tumors arising spontaneously in MMTV-Wnt-1 transgenic mice, as an in vitro model of cancer stem cells. Studies have suggested that mammary tumors arising in this model contain a proportion of tumor cells with cancer stem cell-like characteristics (8), and the ß-catenin pathway, which is activated by overexpression of Wnt-1, is important in governing self-renewal of cells, a hallmark of ‘stemness’. The majority of the cells in the WA4 cell line displays many cancer stem-cell like characteristics, as described in Materials and methods. We chose PE as our test agent. PE is a standardized extract of pomegranate that is commercially available as a dietary supplement and is certified ‘generally regarded as safe’ by the Food and Drug Administration. The extract is standardized by HPLC to contain no less than 70% total polyphenolic compounds, and the final polyphenolic composition is similar to that of the pomengranate fruit (12). Pomegranate juice and seed oil have previously been shown to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of various differentiated human breast cancer cell lines in vitro (11,18,19). Pomegranate extracts have also been shown to inhibit the proliferation of other cancer cell types in vitro, including lung, prostate, colon and oral cancer (7,20-23). However, the current study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to examine the effect of PE on cancer stem cells.”

The study results were reported as follows:

“In summary, the present study demonstrates that PE is a potent inhibitor of mammary cancer stem cells in vitro. This is the first study to examine the potential of a dietary extract to target cancer stem cells.”

While this was only a cell study, the results are encouraging, as noted by the authors:

“The relatively low concentrations needed to inhibit mammary cancer stem cells in vitro and the demonstrated bioavailability of PE suggest that PE may be an effective inhibitor of mammary tumor growth in vivo, a possibility that is currently being tested in our laboratory.”

The most common criticism against preliminary research like this is that since it has not yet been proven safe and effective in human clinical trials it would be irresponsible, if not illegal, to use it to prevent, mitigate or treat any disease. This criticism, however, belies naivety as to how the biomedical research and publishing industries really work. The funding pay that needs to be scaled in order to perform the phase I, II, II, etc. human clinical trials required by the FDA to obtain drug approval is between 1-11 billion dollars high. Do we wait, for instance, for these studies to be performed, knowing full well that sufficient private and/or public capital will never materialize because natural substances do not produce market exclusivity nor a return on investment? In the meantime, tens of thousands die, annually, from the adverse effects of the highly toxic and ineffective conventional treatments.

As informed consumers and/or patients, who are fully aware that foods like pomegranate are not drugs. i.e., they are not comprised of synthetically produced molecules, we know that foods like these have thousands of years of safe usage behind them. And so, we have every right to use our “food as medicine.” When you consider that heart disease and cancer are the #1 and #2 causes of death in the developed world, and that a simple fruit extract may profoundly reduce the risk of being seriously harmed, or dying from either, it would seem unethical not to use it, or not to advocate for its use vis-à-vis the potentially horrific side effects of the drugs being used for primary prevention and treatment of these conditions.

This is why I believe pomegranate is the world’s most important healing fruit. Add to this the fact that it actually tastes good, and you have the perfect confluence of reasons to start incorporating it into your daily regimen.

World’s first asteroid-hunting spacecraft to launch in 2028

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NASA’s $1.2 billion NEO Surveyor will look for space rocks that are invisible to ground-based telescopes.

neo surveyor

NASA has announced plans to launch NEO Surveyor, the world’s first asteroid-hunting spacecraft, in 2028 — cementing its commitment to protecting Earth from potentially devastating asteroid impacts.

The challenge: Asteroids that come within 30 million miles of Earth are called “near-Earth objects” (NEOs), and if one of them wider than 460 feet were to hit our planet, it could potentially flatten a city.

In 2005, Congress directed NASA to identify at least 90% of these large NEOs by 2020 so that we could track them and, if necessary, take action to try to prevent an impending collision (or at least minimize the devastation).

So far, though, NASA estimates it has only found 40% of these threatening space rocks, and its reliance on ground-based telescopes — which can only operate at night — has been a major limiting factor.

“NEO Surveyor would help astronomers discover impact hazards that could approach Earth from the daytime sky.”Amy Mainzer

NEO Surveyor: To overcome this limitation, NASA is developing NEO Surveyor, a spacecraft designed to search the sky for unidentified NEOs from a spot in space between the Earth and the sun.

“By searching for NEOs closer to the direction of the sun, NEO Surveyor would help astronomers discover impact hazards that could approach Earth from the daytime sky,” Amy Mainzer, survey director for NEO Surveyor at the University of Arizona, said in 2021.

“NEO Surveyor would also significantly enhance NASA’s ability to determine the specific sizes and characteristics of newly discovered NEOs by using infrared light, complementing ongoing observations being conducted by ground-based observatories and radar,” she added.

(Almost) ready to launch: On December 6, NASA announced that NEO Surveyor had passed a key technical review and could move forward to the next stage of development.  

The space agency also announced that it aims to launch the spacecraft no later than June 2028 and that the baseline cost for the mission has grown to $1.2 billion — as recently as 2019, NASA expected to be ready to launch by 2025 and didn’t think the mission would cost more than $600 million.

The big picture: NEO Surveyor might be more expensive than anticipated, but once in space, it is expected to bring the total number of identified threatening NEOs up to 66% within 5 years and allow NASA to meet the 90% goal within a decade.

In the meantime, NASA will continue to collect data on 2022’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which slammed a spacecraft into a (non-threatening) asteroid 6.8 million miles away in an attempt to change its trajectory — an ability that could come in handy if NEO Surveyor discovers a space rock on a collision course with our planet.