Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 39

What is the evidence in support of black seed oil’s diabetes healing property?

I have researched herbs used in diabetes treatment formulations in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I did not see any major reference on the use of Nigella sativa (common name- black seed) in treating diabetes.
But according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, various scientific studies indicate that molecules from the plant have immune-modulating, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and hepatoprotective properties. This reference further states that the seed of black seed may be useful in treating asthma, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, dyspepsia, diabetes, dermatitis, and even cancer.
The fruit extracts have been tested in diabetic complications and aging (Ahmed et al., 2014).
Beyond these one odd references, the scientific literature on the plant possessing anti-diabetic properties is tenuous.
In Arabo-Islamic culture, black cumin has been prescribed for various ailments, including fever, asthma, chronic headaches, diabetes, digestion, back pain, infections, and rheumatism. In Arabic culture, black cumin is known as Habbatul barakah, the seed of blessing. In fact, since its rise in popularity in the seventh century, it is still regarded as important family medicine and the oil that is most often used medicinally.
Probably, the claim on black seed possessing properties to treat diabetes comes from the above-mentioned claim. As stated earlier, these claims are not supported by substantial scientific support.

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What is the recommended diet for elderly heart patients?

Plant-based foods have been found to work best for people with heart diseases. Let me share with you some summaries of studies in support of this contention:

A plant-based diet is a healthier alternative to one laden with meat; It reduces the chances of artery blockage and artery hardening, which are common causes of heart attacks (Tuso et al., 2015; Hu.,2003). It’s been observed that subjects who follow a plant-based diet (especially legumes) have high levels of genistein in their urine. Genistein is also said to help prevent chronic degenerative diseases like cancer tumors (Fotsis et al., 1993).

In a trial among individuals with a high level of lipids, it was observed that there were reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, and blood pressure (Jenkins et al., 2009). A low-carbohydrate plant-based diet is known to lower lipids in the blood, which reduces heart disease risks. To stress the advantages of a plant-based diet, it was made sure that the trial and its observations didn’t take during conventional consumption of low-fat food with animal products (Jenkins et al., 2009).

And, although vegetarians have lower iron stores because of low quantities of it in their diets, adverse health effects of lower iron and zinc absorption have not been demonstrated in this group of people (Hunt, 2002). A plant-based diet and stress reduction interventions reduce recurrent prostate cancer (Saxe et al., 2006).

Plant-based diet recommendations are now being slowly mainstreamed for cardiac patients, and this includes the elderly.

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Medicinal properties of sandalwood oil

There are three major species of sandalwood: Santalum album, Santalum spicatum, and Santalum lanceolatum. Santalum’s album is native to a wide ecology from the semi-evergreen to dry deciduous tropical forests of Southern India. This tree is the source of the popular sandalwood oil.

S. spicatum and S. lanceolatum are two other commercially valuable sources of sandalwood oil and are found in Australia. The significant difference between the Australian and the Indian sandalwood varieties is that the latter has much higher levels of santalol (60-70 percent as compared to 25-30 percent in Australian species).

There is evidence of sandalwood use in Ancient Egypt, where the oil was used as a fragrance and to perfume the mummies of the Pharaohs.

When used externally, the oil and paste of sandalwood have a calming and cooling effect. Conditions like depression, anxiety, and insomnia can be eased with sandalwood aromatherapy, as it is said to help relax the mind.

In Tibetan medicine, it is used in combination with other aromatics as a massage oil and incense. The oil provides relief in cases of insomnia, anxiety, depression, nervous tension, stress-related conditions, and other psychological ailments. The sandalwood’s smell helps induce restful sleep.

Several scientific studies to understand the medicinal properties of sandalwood oil have been undertaken. Here below are a couple of sample summaries:

Sandalwood oil was seen to have anticarcinogenic, antiviral, and bactericidal activity. The anti-cancer effect of alpha santalol on prostate cancer was observed by Bommareddy, et al. in 2007. Animal studies noted the anti-cancer action of sandalwood oil and alpha santalol. (Santha et al., 2015).

Only the occasional skin irritation has been observed when sandalwood product is directly applied to the skin (Burdock et al., 2008).

Additional reading:

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How do I lose weight?

Three factors are externally responsible for obesity and obesity control. These are:

Nutrition: Certain foods, such as refined carbohydrates and unsaturated fats, contribute the most to obesity

Medicine: Certain prescription medicine, including anti-depressants, steroids, contraceptives, medications for diabetes, hypertension, migraines, seizures, bipolar disorder, allergies, insomnia, and a host of others, are associated with weight gain.

Sleep: Disrupted sleep or less than 7 hours or more than 9 hours can lead to obesity. Difficulty in breathing can also be a reason for disturbed sleep.

Obesity is a complex disease. It appears as a polygenic condition. It is affected by environmental factors (mainly unbalanced dietary patterns and physical inactivity). We will have to take into account genetic factors in the fat reduction process. These are associated with a negative energy balance. (Martinez et al., 2008)

Many people are looking for a silver bullet to reduce weight with the least effort quickly. They try a variety of weight loss supplements and medications. We have reviewed the available supplements and have found that their impact is, at best, can be marginal.

Losing weight is best achieved when we proceed systematically. As others have also said, weight loss is achieved by working up a negative energy balance. It is done through lifestyle modification and not teas and supplements.

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Is diabetes a lifestyle disease or does it depend on the lifestyle of a person?

There are three main types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is often inherited. The ability of the body to produce insulin is impaired. It is due to damage or destruction of the insulin-producing organ pancreas. Such patients require insulin regularly to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Then we have gestational diabetes which, is seen during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects the mother and the child.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the third type and accounts for approximately 90 percent of all diabetes. Diabetes manifests itself when insulin produced in the body cannot adequately metabolize the sugar in the blood, causing blood sugar levels to spike.

We need the energy to live, grow, exercise, and survive. When we eat, in the digestive process, sugar is produced. Sugar finds its way from the digestive system into the blood, where insulin released from the pancreas helps break it down to release energy. This energy then becomes available to the body for its survival and other functions.

Excess sugar not required by us is converted into fats and stored in the liver. This stored fat is broken down into energy and made available when demand exceeds supply.

Insulin plays a blood sugar regulatory role. It prevents blood sugar levels from either rising too high. When blood sugar levels get too high, such a condition is called hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia, on the other hand, is a low blood sugar condition.

There are many causes attributed to the emergence of diabetes. The latest thinking is that an imbalance in the gut microbiota could contribute to diabetes. There are multiple causes of insulin resistance. Hepatitis C virus infection in the liver is one reported cause. (Petit et al., 2001) The pancreas themselves have become calcified and are unable to produce enough insulin is another reason. (Malka et al., 2000). Multiple risk factors like overweight or obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, enhanced cholesterol levels, smoking, gene dysfunction can cause diabetes. Racial factors also have been found to strengthen risk. (Feskens et al., 1989; Choi et al., 2001; Salman. I et al., 2013; Knowler et al.,1990)

Other risk factors identified are – strong family history of diabetes, age, obesity, and physical inactivity. (Fletcher et al., 2002).

Diabetes mellitus (Type2 diabetes) is a lifestyle disease, but that alone is not the only cause. Lifestyle modification can help in reversing this disease.

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Medicinal properties of turmeric

The turmeric plant is a perennial herbaceous plant from the ginger family. Turmeric is the boiled and dried rhizome of this plant.

Turmeric is used extensively in cosmetics and skincare products. Several turmeric-based skincare products like creams, body scrubs, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle formulations, etc., are sold in stores across South Asia and the Middle East. Turmeric gives the skin softness and glow. Saraf et al. (2011) studied and validated a cosmetic cream’s anti-aging, anti-wrinkle action with Curcuma longa.

Curcumin is the yellow pigment in turmeric and has been in use as medicine for centuries. Curcuminoids have been extracted from turmeric (Kulkarni et al., 2012). Pharmacological reviews are undertaken by Ammon et al. (1991), Jurenka (2009), and others validate curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, the active compound in the spice, exhibits anti-spasmodic activity. It was seen to stimulate bile secretion in animals and help treat liver disorders.

Jagetia and Aggarwal at the Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US, writes, “Interestingly, curcumin at low doses can also enhance antibody responses. This suggests that curcumin’s reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system.”

Studies by Drew Tortoriello, an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, indicate that turmeric lessens insulin resistance and prevents type-2 diabetes. Curcumin, however, is not readily bioavailable. Even those who are not pre-diabetic will benefit from regularly adding turmeric powder to their food.

Turmeric is water-soluble and contains oxalates. It thins the blood and so is contraindicated with aspirin and warfarin. It is placed in the “generally recognized as safe” category of food additives by the FDA.

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Does marijuana possess medicinal properties?

There are references to marijuana in the Chinese pharmacopeia that go back to 1500 BC (National Institute of Drug Abuse – Marijuana Research Findings – 1976, 1977). The Chinese were said to use cannabis to treat diarrhea, dysentery and to stimulate appetite.

The use of cannabis in India probably goes back to the Vedic times (c. 1800 BC onwards), as mentioned in the Atharvaveda.

Marijuana was added to the US Pharmacopeia in 1850, where it is listed as a treatment for neuralgia, tetanus, leprosy, dysentery, uterine bleeding, and many other ailments.

The synthetic form of THC, going under the trade name of Marinol, was approved for medical use in May 1985 and was used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. THE US FDA approved this product to treat anorexia in patients with AIDS (Eddy, 2010).

Cannabinoids found in marijuana were studied for their antioxidant and neuroprotectant property. A US Department of Health and Human Services patent US 6630507 B1 was awarded to Aidan J. Hampson, Julius Axelrod, and Maurizio Grimaldi in October 2003. The abstract citation is reproduced below:

Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties unrelated to NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonism. This new-found property makes cannabinoids useful in treating and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation-associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. Cannabinoids are found to have application as neuroprotectants, for example, in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson’s disease, and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention…

Components of marijuana are under investigation about its effectiveness as a treatment for autoimmune diseases and malignancy (Owen et al., 2014).

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How does fenugreek reduce the risk of diabetes?

Trigonella foenum-graecum is the botanical name of the herb fenugreek. While it is a native of the Mediterranean region, it is now extensively cultivated in India and parts of Europe. The Seeds from the plants are dried and used as a spice. The green part of the herb is a popular vegetable.

Fenugreek was used as medicine for, among other things, diabetes in ancient times. Records go back to the time of the Pharaohs. Dioscorides, the ancient Greek philosopher and probably one of the earliest medicine writers, mention this plant.

Many scientific studies validate the antidiabetic property of fenugreek. A double-blind placebo on mild type 2 diabetes patients showed improved blood sugar control and reduced insulin resistance. (Gupta A et al., 2001),

Fenugreek seeds soaked in hot water are useful as adjuvant treatment in the control of type 2 diabetes. (Kassaian, N. et al., 2009). Preliminary animal and human trials validate this medicinal property. Fenugreek seed powder helped reduce blood sugar and blood lipids. (Smith, M., 2003; Madar. Z. et al., 1988; Sharma, R.D. et al., 1990)

The dietary fiber contained in the spice has beneficial physiological effects. Antidiabetic nutraceuticals include fenugreek. (Srinivasan. K, 2006) Several bioactive amino acids are isolated from fenugreek seeds. (Steve S et al., 2003). These amino acids are responsible for this anti-diabetic property.

Fenugreek is one of four medicinal plants used in Ayurveda diabetes treatment formulations with scientific evidence supporting their antidiabetic properties.

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What are the uses and benefits of lemongrass oil?

India is the major producer of lemongrass oil, with nearly 80 percent of the total annual production of 600 metric tons. The main buyers are the United States, followed by Japan and Europe. As its use in medicine, food, fragrances, and cosmetics increases, cultivation of the species has expanded to Latin America and the tropical state of Florida in the United States.

The medicinal properties of lemongrass have been widely studied. It contains 65–85 percent citral and myrcene, which have antibacterial and analgesic properties. It also has restorative, digestive, antitussive, antiviral, analgesic, antiemetic, anticardiopathic, anti-inflammatory (in urinary ducts), diuretic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, and anti-allergic effects (Negrelle and Gomes, 2007)

The essential oil is used extensively in the food industry for its fragrance and its positive impact on the digestive system. It helps reduce flatulence, colic, and stomach cramps and be carminative and astringent. The herb is also a traditional Brazilian medicine and is believed to help calm the mind and to treat muscular spasms, cramps, and fatigue.

The essential oils of Cymbopogon species are used in beverages, foodstuffs, fragrances, household products, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco. Lemongrass is extensively used to flavor soups, salads, and curries in South-eastern Asia, China, and the Caribbean. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and is a preferred ingredient in Thai food. It is used to spice pickles and marinades and is often paired with garlic, ginger, and cilantro. In Brazil, a tea infused with Citronella citratus extract is prepared from fresh or dry leaves.

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What is Frankincense used for?

Frankincenses is one of the most well-regarded of the ancient incenses. Frankincense has a fresh pine-lemon scent with resinous and woody overtones that emanates from the milky white latex of the stem and branches. The name frankincense comes from the French words francencens, which means “pure incense” or “free lighting.”

Frankincense resin is produced from multiple Boswellia species, the aromas of which vary.

Multiple references to frankincense in the Bible indicate its importance. The King James Bible contains 113 references to incense and 17 references to frankincense.

Frankincense was widely used by people in the Mesopotamian, Arabian, and Mediterranean regions. Itsinebriating, euphoric, and mood-enhancing effects have been recognized for a long time. Some studies have confirmed the psychoactive and antidepressant effects of frankincense incense—the oil aids in treating skin ailments like acne and warts.

Frankincense was a natural insecticide used by ancient Egyptians to fumigate wheat and grain stores and deter moths. In Arabia, they burned resin to keep mosquitoes and sand flies away.

The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties of oleoresin from the Boswellia tree have also been tested and validated in animal trials. Treatment with essential oil of frankincense enhanced cell death and decreased growth of human breast cancer and skin cancer cells, indicating possible pharmaceutical use.

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