Viagra Alternatives
by Barb Schofield

 

The National Institute of Health notes that approximately 30% of men may experience an impotency problem.

When it comes to impotency, there are several prescription drugs available, such as Viagra. However, there are also several natural alternatives that you may not know about. Androstenedione (pronounced andro-steen-dye-own) is one such alternative.

Androstenedione is a natural steroid hormone found in all animals (meat) as well as in some plants (extracts). It is a metabolite of DHEA that serves as a direct precursor (one step removed) in the biosynthesis of testosterone. In mammals, androstenedione is produced in the gonads and adrenal glands. Androstenedione is metabolized in the liver with a zinc dependent enzyme.

When taken orally, androstenedione will increase blood levels of both androstenedione and testosterone. Secondary to this increase, effects are often seen such as increased energy, enhanced recovery and growth from exercise, heightened sexual arousal and function, as well as a greater sense of well being.

Androstenedione can thus be the perfect alternative for:

	Lack of sexual desire
	Feeling tired and "old"
	Impotency
	Poor circulation and fatigue
	Poor muscle tone

There are two forms of androstenedione, either as a pill or as a sublingual (under the tongue) spray.

The pill form of androstenedione is usually mixed with yohimbe. It takes two to three pills per day for two weeks before it becomes readily effective, as the digestive tract destroys androstenedione. Prolonged usage of the pill form of yohimbe and adrostenedione together stress the liver. The liver can become so stressed, in fact, that regular liver flushes are needed. In addition, the herb yohimbe can cause rapid heartbeat. The pill form is made from a bovine source (normally from bull urine) because it is cheaper to manufacture.

The best all-natural herbal sublingual form of adrostenedione does not come with yohimbe and is made only from tree extracts. The effects are nearly immediate because it goes directly into the blood stream. This form of androstenedione usually takes about 15 minutes to work, depending on circulation, and is gone within three to four hours, so there is no stress on the heart or liver.

Impotency can be emotionally draining. The National Institute of Health notes that approximately 30% of men may experience an impotency problem. Try a safe, alternative method; it may be just what you are looking for!

Barb Schofield researches alternative products. She has cured her "incurable" skin disease (Acne Rosacea) and has helped others with their ailments. For more information on plant-based androstenedione, call Natural Health and Fitness at 868-4817.

A Primer on Enzymes & Health
by Marianne Miller

 

Could a deficiency in enzymes be the primary cause of so many chronic problems? Could it really be that simple?

The following information is based on the teachings of Dr. Howard Loomis, D.C., a leading authority in enzyme therapy and the person responsible for bringing plant enzymes to the forefront of health care, and Dr. Edward Howell, M.D., the food enzyme pioneer.

Digestive disturbance/indigestion is probably the most common ailment today. Billions of dollars are spent each year for over-the-counter remedies for heartburn, gas, bloating, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea and inflammation. The digestion of food is often taken for granted. Most books on the science of nutrition describe normal digestion but do not attempt to unravel the secrets of poor digestion. Digestion is very complex and is inter-related with almost every other function of the body. When traditional treatments or remedies are recommended, their impact on physiology is not considered.

Could a deficiency in enzymes be the primary cause of these chronic problems? Could it really be that simple? This article is an introduction to enzymes: what they are, what they do and why enzymes are important.

Enzymes

Enzymes are found in all living things. Without enzymes, life would not exist. They are the driving forces behind virtually every biochemical reaction that occurs in the body. Enzymes are proteins that are secreted by cells. They act as catalysts to induce changes in the substrate (any substance that is acted upon by an enzyme). In other words, they are the construction workers that build our bodies from proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

An enzyme is made up of two parts: a protein portion and a prosthetic group (usually a vitamin or a mineral). In fact, vitamins and minerals do not have the capacity to do work. They are only co-factors for the enzymes. Each enzyme does its work only at its own specific pH (acid or alkaline) and temperature range. Outside of its pH range, the enzyme is deactivated. Outside of its temperature range, the enzyme is denatured (destroyed).

Enzymes are also found in plants and are what bring our foods to maturity. These same enzymes will “digest” the very food they are contained in when conditions are right for that to happen. An example of this is the presence of “bruising” on fruit. In reality, cell walls have been damaged, releasing enzymes that begin digesting that fruit.

Enzymes are the first to be destroyed during cooking, pasteurization, canning, microwaving or heating above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thousands of enzymes have been identified. They are classified into six groups, depending on the types of reactions they catalyze. For the purpose of this article, I will simplify this and group enzymes into three broad classifications based on function.

1. Food enzymes occur in raw foods and are destroyed if heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit. These include proteases (digest proteins), lipases (digest fats), amylases (digest carbohydrates) and cellulases (digest fibers).
2. Digestive enzymes are made in the body (primarily in the pancreas). There are approximately 22 different digestive enzymes and these continue the body’s digestive process in the upper part of the small intestine (if it has the optimum alkaline pH available).
3. There are thousands of metabolic enzymes that are involved in all biochemical processes.

Edward Howell, M.D., is known as the Father of Enzymes. He was a pioneer in the field of autointoxication. He postulated the following:

1. Humans have a pre-digestive stomach like many other animals, and it takes 30 minutes to one hour for enough hydrochloric acid to be produced in the stomach to lower the acidity of the stomach enough to deactivate (though not destroy) food enzymes.
2. Via the concept of pancreatic hypertrophy, Dr. Howell believed that nature never intended for the pancreas to supply all of the enzymes needed for digestion when we eat cooked (enzyme-deficient) foods. While working overtime to make up for the lack of food enzymes, the pancreas enlarges, and the body has to borrow enzymes from other tissues and organs to complete digestion.

We now know that the immune system must make up for any pancreatic insufficiency. Stealing enzymes from other parts of the body sets up a competition for enzymes among the various organ systems and tissues, thus disrupting metabolic processes. Studies now reveal that these metabolic problems may be the direct cause of many chronic, degenerative diseases.

Enzyme Deficiency

Let us look at the consequences of eating enzyme-deficient foods, the resulting poor digestion and enzyme deficiencies. The definitive sign of enzyme deficiency is inflammation (pain, swelling and aberrant motion). Acute symptoms usually equal co-enzyme deficiencies (vitamin or mineral) and chronic, degenerative changes usually indicate enzyme deficiencies.

Whatever food particles you do not digest will become toxins. Some particles will be too large to cross the gut wall. These putrefy and form a very toxic substance called indican. Indican irritates the gut wall and will also enter the bloodstream causing inflammatory problems.

Some food particles are broken down enough to cross the gut wall, but they are not reduced enough to be utilized. Robert Virchow (1897) discovered digestive leukocytosis, and described it as a normal finding because everyone he tested demonstrated this after eating. What is known now is that white blood cells (leukocytes) are rich in enzymes and are called upon to help finish digestion not completed in the gut. This occurs after eating cooked or enzyme-deficient foods. (Remember that cooking destroys enzymes at 118 degrees.) Here are a few points to take into consideration:

1. Raw or frozen food produces no increase in WBC counts.
2. Commonly cooked foods will cause a mild leukocytosis.
3. Pressure-cooked or canned foods will cause a moderate elevation.
4. Man-made food causes a severe leukocytosis.
5. Cured, salted and canned meats will bring on a violent increase in WBC counts equal to that seen in poisoning.

Leukocytosis is a naturally occurring and protective process, but it severely affects the immune system. It can be easily corrected by diet modification and the proper enzyme supplementation.

Fatigue, headaches, sinus problems, allergies, colon problems, arthritis/joint pain, acne or ADD/ADHD are just a sampling of the conditions that have their roots in a shortage of enzymes and the resulting inadequate digestion. I believe this work to be cutting edge, and diagnosing digestive disorders is paramount to the treatment of any illness.

For more information on Dr. Howard Loomis, visit his web site at www.loomisenzymes.com.

Dr. Miller is a chiropractor specializing in digestive disorders/enzyme replacement therapy and allergy elimination. She works in association with other holistic practitioners who provide complimentary therapies. Please call 562-1062.

Glutathione, Master Antioxidant: The Next Vitamin C
by Russell Manuel

 

GSH is the most important antioxidant in humans

Have you ever heard of Glutathione (GSH)? Do you know there are over 25,000 articles on GSH in the medical literature, and this is such a hot topic that thousands of new articles are published each year?

GSH is the most important antioxidant in humans. Among its many essential functions is the recycling of Vitamins C and E. When GSH is low, people need much more of these antioxidant vitamins. You probably haven’t heard about the master antioxidant because there was nothing you could do to increase it safely until recently.

I believe that my knowledge of GSH saved my life, but more on that later. First, let’s explore a few facts about this essential substance which is found in nearly every cell of our bodies.

GSH is made up from three amino acids: glutamate, glycine and, most importantly, cysteine, which gives this molecule its biological activity. Many people have a diet low in cysteine and its precursors; additionally, cysteine needs to be in a particular combination to be effectively absorbed and transported to the cells. This article is too short to give specifics, but I highly recommend the third edition of Dr. Jimmy Gutman’s book GSH – Your Body’s Most Powerful Protector (Communications Kudo, 2002), which provides great detail in an easy- to-read format.

In many chronic diseases, GSH levels are very low. In cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, GSH levels are less than 10% of normal. As we get older, GSH levels drop and are an important reversible factor in aging. For example, the average 65 year old has only 65% of the GSH which they had when they were younger.

Here is why I have such a personal interest in Glutathione: In 1998, I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer (my biopsy graded as Gleason's score 7). Medical colleagues with whom I consulted strongly advised me to do something invasive such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Prostate cancer that is classed as Gleason 7 is considered to be a very serious diagnosis and likely to spread. Thus, the advice that I take definitive action immediately was unanimous.

Instead, I chose to thoroughly review the medical literature on prostate cancer, as well as any reports on alternative ways of dealing with this potentially invasive cancer. I did not like what I found about the risks and possible complications using conventional, invasive therapies. Although these therapies attacked the immediate problem of the cancer, they did not deal with the underlying conditions that allowed cancer to manifest in the first place.

To cut a long story short, what stood out most in my review was that over 20 years of research at Montreal’s McGill University Medical School had shown that raising GSH levels was an effective way of combating some cancers. Being a researcher myself (I was a professor of preventive medicine and epidemiology for 10 years), I was impressed by the extensive medical literature. The only way I found to reliably and safely increase my GSH levels was to take a newly-patented, specialized isolate of milk serum.

I have been taking this in powder form for over five years and my health is certainly much better now. Recently, I saw my urologist for the first time in three years. He was surprised to find that my prostate gland had shrunk and was almost normal in size. Every person is different, so I advise that anyone with cancer consult with at least two health care practitioners before deciding on any treatment. However, there is much published evidence that increasing GSH helps to deal with any cancer, whatever other treatment is used.

Increasing Glutathione levels helps in many other conditions as well. For example, Dorothy, a very good friend of mine, was told that she had rapidly growing cataracts in both eyes and that she would likely lose her drivers license. After three months on a nutritional product designed to increase intracellular GSH, Dorothy noticed that her vision was "clearing" and that it no longer seemed "as if I were looking through milky glasses." After 9 months, her eye specialist reported that there was no evidence of cataract in her left eye and that the one on the right was so thin that nothing need be done. Subsequently, Dorothy passed her eye tests and renewed her driving license until 2006!

Another remarkable example of the value of increasing Glutathione was exhibited by Alida, who has had Parkinson’s disease since 1991, when she noticed her fingers shaking. The disease progressed slowly, but by 1997 she was dragging her feet and had increased shakiness of her hands. Although a neurologist prescribed Senimet, she continued to go downhill and for the last year has been confined to bed or wheelchair after she fractured her hip. She could only speak a word at a time, with great difficulty. Just six weeks ago, she started taking a nutritional product to increase glutathione in her cells. Already her shakiness is almost gone and Alida can talk slowly. All this in only six weeks – clearly, there is hope for people with Parkinson’s disease!

So, now you will understand why I am so enthusiastic about Glutathione – the next vitamin C. I have a mission to spread the word about this master antioxidant and would be pleased to provide references and additional information to interested people.

Russell Manuel MD, MSC, was previously in general and preventive medical practice in Anchorage. Contact him via voice mail: 877-866-0961; e-mail: whole44@email.com or website: www.DrRussellManuel.com