Oregano Oil Clears up Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus is a fungus that builds under the toe nails, like the name suggests. It is common among the older generation.  It usually lifts the nail and then distorts the shape of the toe nail. With time, the condition becomes so severe that it becomes difficult to wear shoes. The usual way that people approach to treat toe nail fungus is by in taking medicines. The fungi cannot be destroyed easily. The reason being that there structure is more like animal cells when compared to virus and bacteria. Therefore, the medicines that are usually bought over the counter have to be very powerful. So powerful that it will kill the fungus and also possess the power to kill the patient as well. Among severe effects of such medicines are liver damage and sudden death.

The medicines are both expensive and life-threatening. So, those who are seeking for a different option may try out Oregano oil. Oregano belongs to the mint family and is known as Origanum Vulgare scientifically. This common species of oreganum is native to western Eurasia and the Mediterranean region. It thrives best in warm- temperate weather conditions.

Components of Oregano Oil

The oregano oil contains powerful compounds like Thymol, Carvacrol, Terpenes, Rosmarinic acid, Naringin. Tocopherols, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, copper, boron, and manganese, vitamins C, A, and niacin. Research shows that thymol is a natural fungicide. When it applied two to three times daily, it can eliminate certain kinds of fungal infections that affect finger nails and toe nails. As oregano contains thymol, oregano oil potrays the same properties. The oil is a strong antibiotic and also an antifungal. It is so strong that it can burn stomachs and ears. So, instead of eating it, it has to be applied directly to the affected area.

Initially, it will lose its angry red color. This may take a few weeks. Then it will start to shrink. With time, it will shrink so much that affected person can wear shoes again. You may choose to continue using it for a few more weeks if you are scared that the fungus may grow back. That way you can be sure that it is dead. The oregano oil is many people favorite antibiotic as it helps with deep infected wounds. The oregano oil is effective on pets too. If your pet has a bad abscess somewhere on its body and you don’t realize it until it pops and drains, just tap oregano oil on the wound and skin around it. If it is applied twice daily for about two weeks, the wound will shrink. This works on dogs as well.

Where to Get Oregano Oil

Oregano essential oils can be bought more any departmental stores, pharmacies or local grocery stores at a very considerate price. Many people make it at home too. The process to make it is easy. First, take fresh oregano and then chop it up to bits. Then, put the chopped leaves in a jar, preferably am glass jar, and cover it with olive oil. After that, take a pot of cold water and keep the jar in it. Bring it to a low simmer; simmer for about one half hour; allow it to cool. Finally, drain the oil off and store it in a separate container.

Things to Consider Before Using Oregano Oil

Oregano oil is dermal irritant. This means it can cause irritation after use. Skin may become swollen or inflamed. It can also burn delicate parts of the body like the stomach and ears as already mentioned earlier. To avoid such a situation, the oil can be diluted with olive oil. This will reduce its strength but still be effective enough to kill fungus. Another solution could be to use it in small doses. It is advised that while handing the oil, try not to make direct skin contact with it. Always consult with a doctor before using any sort of home remedy as it may trigger allergic reactions. Undeniably, the oil is very helpful but the dosage should be decided by a certified practitioner.

The oregano essential oil is used daily for various purposes by many people as a remedy for toe nail fungus. New uses of the oil are being found with time. It works like a miracle for people and is a boon to the society.

Source: Oregano Oil Clears up Toenail Fungus

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness

We physicians with all our experience, know how and authority often acquire a rather large selfishness that tends to make it hard to accept we are wrong. So, here it is. I openly admit to being mistaken. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having done more than 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific proof.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled “opinion makers.” Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.

The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body’s natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well, smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.

How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?

Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.

When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.

What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.

While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator — inflammation in their arteries.

Let’s get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6′s are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell — they must be in the correct balance with omega-3′s.

If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.

Today’s mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That’s a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today’s food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.

To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer’s disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.

One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.

Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the “science” that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.

The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served (I quote "Grandmothers not forgetting some grandfathers like me, always know best" most don't have education but learned through experience handed down from generations)  and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.by Dr. Dwight Lundell - from: PreventDisease

Eye-opening article to be shared widely so many will benefit

Colon Cleansing Remedy With Powerful Efficacy Made With Only 2 Ingredients

By eliminating the mucus, fecal deposits and parasites from the intestines you can prevent and cure many health conditions.

For 70 years our intestines process 100 tons of food and 40 000 liters of fluid, which leads to the conclusion that about 15 pounds of fecal deposits and toxic waste accumulate in the stomach. They contamine our blood and cause irreparable damage to the body.

Frequent constipation, disturbed metabolism, diabetes, excessive or insufficient weight gain, kidney and liver disease, hearing and vision problems, skin, hair and nail problems, as well as other diseases, ranging from arthritis to cancer are just some of the signs that your intestines are not clean.

Consuming 1-3 tablespoons of flaxseed flour for three weeks can completely clean the intestines from the mucus and fecal deposits, or parasites, while fully preserving the intestinal microflora!

This method provides rapid weight normalization and fat burning. It has a positive effect on the regulation of lipid metabolism. Flaxseed flour can absorb and eliminate the toxins from the body and reduce the blood cholesterol level.

Indications:

• inflammatory conditions of the upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract
• gastritis, colitis, stomach and duodenum ulcer
• diseases of the urinary tract, infections, cystitis, pyelonephritis
• excessive body weight, lipid metabolism disorders

Clean the intestine using flax seeds flour – Recipe

Instead of breakfast consume this mixture for 3 weeks:

• Week 1: 1 tablespoon of flaxseed flour and 100 ml of kefir
• Week 2: 2 tablespoons of flaxseed flour and 100 ml of kefir
• Week 3: 3 tablespoons of flaxseed flour and 150 ml of kefir

For those who don’t know how to make kefir, on the following link you will find the recipe:
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/how-to-make-kefir-drink-full-of-health-that-can-treat-of-many-serious-diseases/

If flaxseed flour is not available in your local store, buy some flaxseed and grind it finely. Never make some extra for the next few days, because the seeds can become rancid. Every morning prepare a fresh portion.

Consume this mixture instead of breakfast. Make sure you drink at least 2 liters of water a day. The best results are obtained if you drink honey water.

The cleaning procedure should be practiced once a year.

- See more at: http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/colon-cleansing-remedy-with-powerful-efficacy-made-with-only-2-ingredients/#sthash.K0drhGuJ.dpuf

Medicinal use of Aloe Vera in Ayurveda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkGM_xTR8rI

Aloe vera(ghritkumari) is medicinal succulent plant that is used to treat conditions related to joint pain, skin problems, liver, vat (air related), digestive system, bowel movement, constipation and many more. It is one of the oldest plant used as medicine all over world in various medicine system. It is a great source of vitamins and it's gel contains vitamins like vitamin B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and folic acid etc. External application of aloe vera on skin is very effective to heal cuts, rashes, insect bite and its bactericidal properties relieve itching and skin swellings. It is one of the best health tonic to improve digestion and boost immunity.

Credit of Image:Aloe vera CC BY-SA 3.0 Aloe vera plantationNikodem Nijaki Own Work

It is also used in moisturizers, face washes and creams to treat dark spots, dryness and other blemishes on skin. Aloe vera leaves have gel or pulp that can be used externally or internally. Its pulp can be taken internally 20-40 gms to cure vat related problems in body.

Aloe vera gel can be eaten fresh, in form of vegetable, paratha or laddu. To make paratha knead pulp in flour and make as we make other paratha. To make laddu fry pulp in desi ghee and mix with atta and give laddu shape. Also pulp can be fried and can be eaten as vegetable by adding salt. Aloe vera juice that is available in market from good brand can be drink.

Medicinal properties

It is an immunity booster, great detoxifier and dietary supplement in pre and post-operative patients. Useful in various diseases such as type II diabetes, arthritis, eye disease, tumour, spleen enlargement, liver complaints, vomiting, bronchitis, asthma, jaundice and ulcers. Relieves constipation, maintains a good gastric pH, helps in inflammatory bowel diseases, non-ulcer, dyspepsia, gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is recommended in adjuvant therapy with antibiotics, NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) and chemotherapy to eliminate drug induced gastritis and other adverse effects.

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice

Improving Digestive system With Aloe Vera:Take out pulp from fresh leaves and put them in glass jar and daily keep in sun to evaporate water. Regularly consume this in morning to improve digestive system. Aloe vera juice is natural cleanser of digestive system. It improves bowel movement and very effective in treatment of constipation. It is also effective in slowing down diarrhea.

Energy Level: Regular drinking of aloe vera juice helps maintain a healthy body weight and increases energy level. It also cures fatigue and exhaustion.

Great Immunity Booster: It is great immunity booster for those who have chronic immune disorders like polysaccharides or fibromyalgia since the polysaccharides in Aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, the white blood cells that fight viruses.

Great Detoxifier: Aloe vera juice is a great natural aid to detoxify body. As we need to cleanse our systems from time to time because of our stressful lives, the pollution and the junk foods we eat. Drinking Aloe vera juice provides a fantastically rich cocktail of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to help our bodies deal with these stresses and strains every day.

Reduces inflammation: It improves joint flexibility and helps in the regeneration of body cells. It strengthens joint muscles, which therefore reduces pain and inflammation in weakened or aged joints.

Skin Protection: Aloe vera is also used for soothing the skin, and keeping the skin moist to help avoid flaky scalp and skin in harsh and dry weather. Aloin and its gel are used as skin tonic against pimples. The Aloe sugars are also used in moisturizing preparations. Mixed with selected essential oils, it makes an excellent skin smoothening moisturizer, sun block lotion plus a whole range of beauty products. Due to its soothing and cooling qualities.

Medicinal Uses of Aloe Vera

Arthritis Treatment Using Aloe Vera:Take pulp of fresh aloe vera leaf and mix with mustard oil and massage the area of pain. Also take leaf and heat it and extract pulp and put that on cotton and apply on pain area. It is also beneficial in arthritis when taken internally in form of juice or pulp. Diabetes patients can also take it without any side effect.

Skin Care Using Aloe Vera:It can be applied on skin to remove blemishes and dryness. When skin gets burned then applying pulp gives relief and avoids the burnt mark. Sometimes when due to burn skin become hard and itching and pain occur then take pulp and mix with honey and massage affected area and leave it for 2 hrs. Do it daily and in few days skin will become soft and also burnt marks will be light.

Head pain:Apply pulp on forehead.

To increase appetite using Aloe Vera:Aloe vera juice also increases appetite.

Hair problems:Consuming 50 gms of aloe vera daily stops untimely greying of hairs. For hair fall, thinning of hair, breakage mix pulp with bringraj, curd, multani mitti and apply on hair and wash.

Liver:Take 1 kg of pulp, add 10 gm black pepper, 50 gm rock salt and 60 gm lemon juice put all in jar and keep in sun for 10-15 days. It acts as liver tonic and can be taken 15-20 ml in morning. It is also good in arthritis and digestive system.

Ear pain:Take pulp and put in ear.

Anemia: Consume aloe vera juice with wheatgrass juice. Irregular period and over bleeding:Take 20 gm pulp and 2-3 gms geru powder and consume to cure menses related problems.

Constipation in infants:Get aloe vera pulp and mix with pinch of heeng and apply near naval it give relief from constipation and help in motion.

Ankle pain:Take aloe vera pulp and make it soft and sprinkle turmeric powder on the pulp. Keep it on pan and heat slowly and turmeric powder will start boiling. Then remove it from heat and let it cool down to temperature on which it can be applied on skin by putting it on cotton or cloth without burning the skin. Keep till you feel comfortable. After a while procedure can be repeated.

Cosmetic Properties While Applied On Skin & Hair

1. It is a great conditioner for the damaged hair. Mix Aloe vera gel and lemon juice. Apply this mixture on your hair after shampooing it. Leave this for 4-5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with water.
2. Apply aloe gel if your skin is oily as it prevents formation of pimples and acne
3. Scarring and scratch marks are some of the signs of aging which can be prevented by the antioxidants present in this plant.
4. The gel of the plant should be rubbed on the scalp for 30 minutes and rinsed well thereafter, in order to naturally treat dry 
   hair and dandruff.
5. Aloe vera stimulates the production of collagen and elastin that prevents aging of the skin.
6. Aloe vera is used in soaps, shampoos, creams and lotions for beauty purposes.
7. Aloe vera gel lightens the dark spots on the face and reduces the intensity of pigmentation.
8. When applied topically, the gel acts as best moisturizer, removes dead skin cells and rejuvenates the skin.
9. It hastens the skin repair and hydrates your skin resulting in healthy and glowing skin.

Allergies and Side Effects

In Some people it can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, red urine, hepatitis, dependency or worsening of constipation. Prolonged use has been reported to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Laxative effect may cause electrolyte imbalances (low potassium levels).

It may cause redness, burning, stinging sensation and rarely generalized dermatitis in some people. Allergic reactions are mostly due to anthraquinones, such as aloin and barbaloin. It is best to apply it to a small area first to test for possible allergic reaction.

Exposing Yourself to Light at Night Shuts Down Your Melatonin and Raises Your Cancer Risk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caffYwhqRSU#t=119

By Dr. Mercola

Can reading yourself to sleep or texting into the wee hours of the morning raise your risk of cancer? You bet it can. Exposing yourself to artificial light at night shuts down your body’s production of an important hormone called melatonin.

Melatonin has roles in cancer prevention, strengthening your immune system, and may even slow down cellular aging; in fact, it has been the subject of preclinical research on over 100 different disease applications.1 It’s your body’s “Superhero of the Night,” and light is his number one nemesis.

For the past century or so, the developed world has been performing an open-ended experiment on itself by lengthening its days and shortening its nights in an effort to become a 24-hour per day, ever-productive society.

But light pollution generated by modern technologies is taking a heavy biological toll on humans, as well as other forms of life on Earth.

For more than 200,000 years, humans and other life forms evolved organs that took advantage of environmental cues. We developed a biological clock governed by Earth’s cycles of light and darkness.

Artificial lighting disrupts your biological clock and melatonin production, with unfortunate effects on your health. As Dr. Russel Reiter says in the presentation above, "light may be killing you."

The Dark Side of Night

In humans as with all mammals, your biological clock resides in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of your brain (SCN), which is part of your hypothalamus. Based on signals of light and darkness, your SCN tells your pineal gland2 when it’s time to secrete melatonin.

Light comes in through your eyes and travels up your optic nerves to the SCN, which is exquisitely sensitive to cycles of light and darkness.

When you turn on a light at night, you immediately send your brain misinformation about the light-dark cycle. The only thing your brain interprets light to be is day. Believing daytime has arrived, your biological clock instructs your pineal gland to immediately cease its production of melatonin.

Whether you have the light on for an hour or for just a second, the effect is the same — and your melatonin pump doesn’t turn back on when you flip the light back off.

Since humans evolved in the glow of firelight, the yellow, orange and red wavelengths don’t suppress melatonin production the way white and blue wavelengths do. In fact, the range of light that inhibits melatonin is fairly narrow — 460 to 480 nm. If you want to protect your melatonin, when the sun goes down you would shift to a low wattage bulb with yellow, orange, or red light. Dr. Reiter suggests using a salt lamp illuminated by a 5-watt bulb in this color range.

The Massive Health Benefits of Melatonin

The hormone melatonin produces a number of health benefits in terms of yourimmune system. It’s a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps combat inflammation. In fact, melatonin is so integral to your immune system that a lack of it causes your thymus gland, a key component of your immune system, to atrophy.3 Melatonin may even have a role in slowing the aging of your brain.

In addition to helping you fall asleep and bestowing a feeling of overall comfort and well being, melatonin has proven to have an impressive array of anti-cancer benefits.4 Melatonin inhibits the proliferation of a wide range of cancer cell types, as well as triggering cancer cell apoptosis (self destruction). The hormone also interferes with the new blood supply tumors require for their rapid growth (angiogenesis).5 Melatonin can boost efficacy and decrease the toxicity of cancer chemotherapy.6

Melatonin May Be Breast Cancer’s Worst Nightmare

Peer-reviewed and published research has shown melatonin offers particularly strong protection against reproductive cancers. Cells throughout your body — even cancer cells — have melatonin receptors. So when melatonin makes its nightly rounds, cell division slows. When this hormone latches onto a breast cancer cell, it has been found to counteract estrogen’s tendency to stimulate cell growth.

In fact, melatonin has a calming effect on several reproductive hormones, which may explain why it seems to protect against sex hormone-driven cancers, including ovarian, endometrial, breast, prostate and testicular cancers.GreenMedInfo lists twenty studies demonstrating exactly how melatonin exerts its protective effects against breast cancer.

But melatonin’s anti-cancer effects don’t stop there. While causing cancer cells to self-destruct, melatonin also boosts your production of immune stimulating substances such as interleukin-2, which helps identify and attack the mutated cells that lead to cancer. Through these dual actions, melatonin delivers a one-two punch! The greatest area of melatonin research to date has to do with breast cancer. Some of the more impressive studies include the following:

• The journal Epidemiology7 reported increased breast cancer risk among women who work predominantly night shifts
• Women who live in neighborhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails, according to an Israeli study8
• From participants in the Nurses’ Health Study, it was found that nurses who work nights had 36 percent higher rates of breast cancer9
• Blind women, whose eyes cannot detect light and so have robust production of melatonin, have lower-than-average breast cancer rates10
• When the body of epidemiological studies are considered in their totality, women who work night shift are found to have breast cancer rates 60 percent above normal, even when other factors such as differences in diet are accounted for11

Melatonin Improves Cancer Patients’ Longevity

Glioblastoma is a nasty, aggressive form of brain cancer with a poor prognosis and not much in the way of effective treatments. However, melatonin may offer some hope. In one clinical trial,12 patients with a glioblastoma were given either radiation and melatonin, or radiation alone. Twenty-three percent of the patients receiving the melatonin were alive one year later, while none who received radiation alone were still alive.

Another study found that melatonin reduced the growth of prostate cancer.13Studies show similarly encouraging results for lung, pancreatic, colorectal and other types of cancer. An article in Life Extension Magazine14 contains a table summarizing studies with one-year cancer survival rates that are vastly improvedwhen melatonin is a treatment modality. Authors of a systematic review of melatonin for the treatment of all types of cancer concluded:15

“Effects were consistent across melatonin dose, and type of cancer. No severe adverse events were reported. The substantial reduction in risk of death, low adverse events reported and low costs related to this intervention suggest great potential for melatonin in treating cancer.”

Due to the strength of the scientific research, in 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a decision to classify shift work as a "probable carcinogen."16 That puts the night shift in the same health-risk category as exposure to such toxic chemicals as trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). If this isn’t a testament to the importance of melatonin for human health, I don’t know what is!

How to Optimize Your Melatonin Levels

Two common environmental "noise" factors that can make sleep elusive are light pollution and temperature. The following suggestions can improve your sleep hygiene and help you optimize your melatonin production. For a comprehensive sleep guide, please see my article 33 Secret's to a Good Night's Sleep.

• Avoid watching TV or using your computer in the evening, at least an hour or so before going to bed. These devices emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. Normally your brain starts secreting melatonin between 9 and 10 pm, and these devices emit light that may stifle that process.
• Make sure you get BRIGHT sun exposure regularly. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night. If you are in darkness all day long, it can’t appreciate he difference and will not optimize your melatonin production.
• Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the slightest bit of light in your bedroom can disrupt your biological clock and your pineal gland's melatonin production. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep, so cover your radio up at night or get rid of it altogether. Move all electrical devices at least three feet away from your bed. You may want to cover your windows with drapes or blackout shades.
• Install a low-wattage yellow, orange or red light bulb if you need a source of light for navigation at night. Light inthese bandwidths does not shut down melatonin production in the way that white and blue bandwidth light does. Salt lamps are handy for this purpose.
• Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes too warm (particularly their upstairs bedrooms). Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is between 60 to 68 degrees.
• Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This increases your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that you are ready to sleep.
• Avoid using loud alarm clocks. Being jolted awake each morning can be very stressful. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, you might not even need an alarm.
• Get some sun in the morning, if possible. Your circadian system needs bright light to reset itself. Ten to 15 minutes of morning sunlight will send a strong message to your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals during the night. More sunlight exposure is required as you age.
• Be mindful of electromagnetic fields in your bedroom. EMFs can disrupt your pineal gland and its melatonin production, and may have other negative biological effects as well. A gauss meter is required if you want to measure EMF levels in various areas of your home.

Should You Supplement with Melatonin?

Current scientific research suggests that melatonin deficiency may come with some profound biological disadvantages, such as higher levels of inflammation, a weakened immune system, and an increased risk of cancer. One of the surest ways of compromising your body’s natural melatonin production is by exposing yourself to artificial light at night — even briefly. Multiple studies have found that night shift workers have higher rates of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

Supplementation may be beneficial but it is FAR more beneficial and certainly less expensive to have your body produce its own melatonin. This way you will get the “perfect” dose of melatonin for you, the “Goldilocks’” dose, not too much and not too little, because your body will use important feedback loops to adjust the dose just right. If, for whatever, reason you are unable to increase your melatonin naturally as described above, they you can consider a supplement, but it would still be wise to continue the listed suggestions.

In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep, experience less restlessness, and prevent daytime fatigue. Keep in mind that only a very small dose is required — typically 0.25mg or 0.5mg to start with, and you can adjust it up from there. Taking higher doses, such as 3 mg, can sometimes make you more wakeful instead of sleepier, so adjust your dose carefully.