Dhanvantari Ayurveda Center  Michael Dick, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Leesburg,

 

     

 

General News:

 

Obama Administration is proposing national healthcare insurance overhaul. Single-payer concept under consideration as well as private sector initiatives. Readers are urged to become informed and get involved. Congressional main switch board telephone contact: 202-224-3121.

 

Folk Medicine:

A daily application of Milk of Magnesia after my morning shower, allowing it to dry somewhat before dressing, has cleared up the problem by 99 percent. I have started using the generic type and notice no difference in effectiveness.

My dermatologist prescribed both a gel and a cream for seborrheic dermatitis, but neither worked. Then I happened to clean my face with Noxzema, although I had not used it for 50 years. The seborrheic dermatitis has gone away. I had already stopped using the prescription medication, so Noxzema gets the credit. A. Noxzema is a non-soap facial cleanser. Many readers have found it helpful against eczema. Perhaps others with seborrheic dermatitis (a skin condition characterized by flakes, itch and redness, like dandruff on the face) may also find it helpful.

 

I have a suggestion for the itching from chiggers. I had 38 bites and was miserable! In desperation, I tried Zostrix, figuring burning would be better than itching. This was a complete success. One application got rid of all the itching and it did not return.  Zostrix is a topical cream that contains capsaicin (the hot stuff in hot chili peppers). It is frequently used for arthritis pain or to ease neuropathy (nerve pain). Thanks for sharing this unique approach for itchy chigger bites. For people who find the burning sensation from Zostrix too overwhelming, hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore might offer an alternative.

 

 

Scientific Studies:

 

Neuronutrient Impact of Ayurvedic Rasayana Therapy in Brain Aging
Ram Harsh Singh, K. Narsimhamurthy, Girish Singh

Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Biogerontology (2008) 9:369–374, DOI 10.1007/s10522-008-9185-z

Abstract

Ayurveda is the oldest system of Medicine in the world, its antiquity going back to the Vedas. It adapts a unique holistic approach to the entire science of life, health and cure. The areas of special consideration in Ayurveda are geriatrics, rejuvenation, nutrition, immunology, genetics and higher consciousness. The Ayurvedic texts describe a set of rejuvenative measures to impart biological sustenance to the bodily tissues. These remedies are called Rasayana which are claimed to act as micronutrients. Some of these Rasayanas are organ and tissue specific. Those specific to brain tissue are called Medhya Rasayana. Such Rasayanas retard brain aging and help in regeneration of neural tissues besides producing antistress, adaptogenic and memory enhancing effect. In addition to the long tradition of textual and experience-based evidence for their efficacy, certain recent studies conducted on these traditional remedies on scientific parameters have shown promising results which have been reviewed in this paper for providing lead for further studies.

The popular Medhya Rasayanas are Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri Linn), Mandukaparni (Centella asiatica Linn)
and Sankhapuspi (Convolvulus pluricaulis Chois).

 

Bacopa Monniera Leaf Extract Ameliorates Hypobaric Hypoxia Induced Spatial Memory Impairment
Sunil Kumar Hota, Kalpana Barhwal, Iswar Baitharu, Dipti Prasad, Shashi Bala Singh, Govindasamy Ilavazhagan ⁎
Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi-110054, India

 

Hypobaric hypoxia induced memory impairment has been attributed to several factors including increased oxidative stress, depleted mitochondrial bioenergetics, altered neurotransmission and apoptosis. This multifactorial response of the brain to hypobaric hypoxia limits the use of therapeutic agents that target individual pathways for ameliorating hypobaric hypoxia induced memory impairment. The present study aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential of a bacoside rich leaf extract of Bacopa monniera in improving the memory functions in hypobaric conditions. The learning ability was evaluated in male Sprague Dawley rats along with memory retrieval following exposure to hypobaric conditions simulating an altitude of 25,000 ft for different durations. The effect of bacoside administration on apoptosis, cytochrome c oxidase activity, ATP levels, and oxidative stress markers and on plasma corticosterone levels was investigated. Expression of NR1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, neuronal cell adhesion molecules and was also studied along with CREB phosphorylation to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of bacoside action. Bacoside administration was seen to enhance learning ability in rats along with augmentation in memory retrieval and prevention of dendritic atrophy following hypoxic exposure. In addition, it decreased oxidative stress, plasma corticosterone levels and neuronal degeneration. Bacoside administration also increased cytochrome c oxidase activity along with a concomitant increase in ATP levels. Hence, administration of bacosides could be a useful therapeutic strategy in ameliorating hypobaric hypoxia induced cognitive dysfunctions and other related neurological disorders.

 

The Psychoneuroimmunology of Depression
Brian E. Leonard1,2* and Ayemu Myint2 1Pharmacology Department, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland 2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximillians University, Munich, Germany

Hum. Psychopharmacol Clin Exp 2009; 24: 165–175.
 

Abstract
Chronic stress, by initiating changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system, acts as a trigger for anxiety
and depression. There is experimental and clinical evidence that the rise in the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and
glucocorticoids, which occurs in a chronically stressful situation and also in depression, contribute to the behavioural changes associated
with depression. A defect in serotonergic function is associated with these hormonal and immune changes. Neurodegenerative changes in the
hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdalae are the frequent outcome of the changes in the HPA axis and the immune system. Such
changes may provide evidence for the link between chronic depression and dementia in later life.

 

Stability of Green Tea Catechins in Commercial Tea Leaves During Storage for 6 Months
Mendel Friedman, C.E. Levin, S.-U. Lee, And N. Kozukue
Vol. 74, Nr. 2, 2009—JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE H47
 

Abstract:

To help meet the needs of consumers, producers of dietary tea products, and researchers for information on health-promoting tea ingredients, we determined by HPLC 7 catechins [(−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (−)-catechin (C), (+)-epicatechin (EC), (−)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), (−)-gallocatechin 3-gallate (GCG),
(−)-epicatechin 3-gallate (ECG), and (−)-catechin 3-gallate (CG)] in samples of 8 commercial green tea leaves of unknown history sold as tea bags in the United States, Korea, and Japan. The samples were stored at 20 ◦C and sampled at 1 wk and 1, 2, 4, and 6 mo. The following ranges in the initial values (0 controls) were observed (in mg/g tea leaves): EGC and C, 0 to trace amounts; EC, 1.9 to 21.1; EGCG, 13.3 to 113.0; GCG, 0.2 to 1.6; ECG, 5.7 to 50.5; CG 0.5 to 3.7; total catechins 36.5 to 169.7. Statistical analysis of the results and plots of changes in individual and total catechin levels as a function of storage time indicate a progressive decrease in the content in the total levels, most of which is due to losses in the most abundant catechins, EGCG and ECG. Possible mechanisms of degradations of catechins during storage and the possible significance of the results to consumers of tea are discussed.

 

Modulation of Cognition and Behavior in Aged Animals: Role for Antioxidant- and Essential Fatty Acid–rich Plant Foods1–4
Lauren M Willis, Barbara Shukitt-Hale, and James A Joseph

Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89(suppl):1602S–6S.

 

Abstract
Aging results in the development of cognitive and motor deficits in humans and animals that are evident by midlife. These deficits are thought to stem from neuronal damage and dysfunction as a result of a variety of stressors, including increased oxidative stress and modifications in brain lipid composition. Recent clinical and animal studies have identified nutritional intervention as a viable method to curtail the cognitive aging process. Human studies have been primarily observational and have indicated that inclusion of antioxidantrich foods in the diet can slow the progression of cognitive decline. Basic science studies investigating nutritional modulation of age-related cognitive decline have focused on foods rich in antioxidants or essential fatty acids. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent
advancements in animal research showing that age-related cognitive and behavioral decline can be ameliorated with nutritional supplementation with polyphenol- or polyunsaturated fatty acid–rich plant foods.

 

 

 

 

The Wave Structure of Matter (WSM) and the Origin of the Natural Laws: by Milo Wolff and Geoff Haselhurst

 

"The WSM interests every curious person who has puzzled over the meaning of matter, space, and the Universe. Until recently the origin of the Natural Laws has been unknown although many persons have sought a Theory of Everything. Only two scientists, William Clifford and Nobel Laureate Irwin Schroedinger have proposed a successful origin of matter and the Natural Laws based upon waves in space. The mathematical proof awaited the current Wave Structure of Matter described below. The unique feature of the Wave Structure of Matter (WSM) is that it replaces the concept of a discrete material particle, and is simple -- Only the wave medium, space, and two properties, Principles I and II, are needed to obtain a wave equation of matter in space; nothing more. The unique pairs of solutions are found to have all the properties of electrons and positrons. The resulting wave electrons contain the laws of Nature that underlie all science."

 

The authors continue their article with a presentation of the history of thinking in this topic. Such notables in ancient Greek philosophers as Democritus and Pythagoras at the early end and with Schroedinger and Einstein more recently. Westerners, it seems, rarely look to eastern literature and science for comparisons yet vibration is the central concept of the Pranavaveda (preceding Rig Veda ca.1700 BC) and its theory of the creation of the universe. What is of interest now is that the old particle theories of matter have been dispensed with entirely. In fact, as analogies of real world events they introduce contradictions to observations, while the WSM does not. The article continues with the mathematics formally elaborated and this will be too technical for me to explain and for our readers to understand. But since some have some familiarity with certain terms of physics it may be of interest to state that this theory explains mass/energy equivalence, spin, electrical charge, quantum mechanics, SRT, forces, annihilation, relativity--special and general effects. "Space is not empty; it is an energy-dense quantum wave medium created by waves from every particle in the universe. Inertia, charge, and other forces are mediated by the pervasive space medium."..."The matter of the universe tells the space medium what it is and in turn space tells matter how it must move.." 

 

Bibliography

The Wave Structure of Matter (WSM) and the origin of the Natural Laws: by Milo Wolff and Geoff Haselhurst, published in Frontier Perspectives, Publisher: The Center for Frontier Science at Temple University, Volume 16, #2, 2008, pp. 32-37