Popular belief is that antioxidants prevent heart, Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s Disease – new research shows that too much may cause one of these dreaded diseases. It’s a very popular and believable theory, mainly because it makes sense. It has also given hope to many people in search of ways to enhance and extend their lives… naturally. And let’s not forget – it’s profitable.

What we are referring to is the belief that taking antioxidants is good for you. Many believe they can prevent such diseases as heart, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. A study published in the August 10th issue of Cell sheds new light on this claim. It says that too much of a certain antioxidant may even cause heart disease in the long run.

To make sense of all this, let’s talk about… How Antioxidants Are Thought To Work… Heart, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other deadly diseases are associated with oxidative stress, in which “free radical” molecules are produced in reaction to oxygen intake. Free radicals travel the body, triggering chemical reactions that damage proteins causing them to form aggregates. It is believed that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (and many others), offer health-promoting benefits by protecting against damaging free radicals. That’s why many people take antioxidants to prevent heart and other protein-aggregate diseases.

In a study on laboratory mice, University of Utah researchers (Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D. and Christi T. Smith Chair of Cardiovascular Research, division chief of cardiology at the Utah School of Medicine) found that an overload of natural antioxidants could actually lead to heart failure.

Reductive stress is a condition caused by excessive levels of reduced glutathione, which is one of your body’s most powerful antioxidants. When your cells work properly, they produce just the right amount of reduced glutathione, which is healthy for your body. However, in some people, a mutated gene can disrupt the fine balance, causing the cells to produce too much.

In the study of laboratory mice with failing hearts caused by mutant alpha B-Crystallin, researchers found increased activity of the biochemical pathway leading to high levels of reduced glutathione in the animals. Glutathione is regulated at multiple steps principally by the G6PD enzyme. To establish the connection between reduced glutathione and heart failure, Benjamin mated mutant alpha B-Crystallin mice that carried too much G6PD with mice that had far lower levels.

The resulting offspring had normal levels of reduced glutathione and did not develop heart failure. The researchers found that by lowering the level of reduced glutathione in mice with failing hearts, they were able to increase their rate of survival dramatically. “Lowering the level of reduced glutathione dramatically changed the survival of these mice,” Benjamin said. “Basically, we prevented them from getting heart failure.” Benjamin also added that although many people take antioxidants to prevent heart and other protein-aggregate diseases, there actually is scant evidence to prove they work. And that, “This is a case of too much of a good thing.”

“This field of medicine has not appreciated reductive stress and its influence on disease,” he said. “This is about balance needed in the environment of our cells, and it can have profound consequences on the treatments of heart disease and other serious disorders.”

“Too Much Of A Good Thing?” This is a concept that is misunderstood by most of the population… and probably leads to many health problems. What concept? Most have a skewed concept of how the body functions and what… exactly… optimal performance… or… optimal health is.

Let’s consider performance for example. Many athletes are constantly trying to boost performance with supplementation and vitamins. Some use natural legal products. Some use other synthetic and possibly illegal substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Some athletes take anabolic steroids to boost performance. These are steroids such as testosterone which help build muscle, strength and reduce recovery time. And they naturally occur in your body for these and many other purposes.

Naturally occurring steroids are also good for you. If naturally occurring steroids do these good things for you, logic has it that increasing their levels will do more good things for you. And it is true in many instances. Athletes that take the right steroids, increase their athletic performance. And it increases it a great deal.

However, this is not OPTIMAL performance. This is PATHOLOGICAL performance. Here’s why: Optimal performance is when your body is functioning at the highest level for your given genetic potential. Anything beyond that is ABNORMAL. Therefore PATHOLOGICAL.

It’s the same “too much of a good thing” Dr. Benjamin is referring to above. And, it’s the same as far as antioxidants are concerned. It makes complete sense that the proper level of antioxidants is good for you. And they probably help fight disease such as heart, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

There is a perfect balance in your body where everything functions at 100% of your genetic potential. More is not better – it is worse. And as the study mentioned in this article demonstrated, too much of a good thing can be Poison! Too many approach the use of natural supplements like the athlete approaches the use of steroids. If a little is good – a lot is better.

This is why choosing and taking supplements (of any kind) is much more involved than going into GNC and aimlessly picking a bunch that are popular or sound good. The old (and uneducated) belief that supplements can’t hurt you because they are natural is false. Snake venom is natural. So is mercury. Some of the most dangerous substances in the world are natural. The supplements you take should depend on your diet and the particular needs of your body.

Want to find out more about nutrition, then visit New Century Spine Centers site on how to choose the best vitamins for your needs.

Chiropractors in San Diego reveal back pain relief secrets that more should know about. Everyone wants to know a good secret. This is especially true when it comes to a back pain relief secret. But the question is can you keep a secret or not? I hope not, because the secret that chiropractors are about to reveal should be shouted from the rooftops. Here is why. Have you ever heard of the ultimate fighting championship?” With its sudden rise in popularity years ago, you probably have. And I bet many still think it’s some ultraviolent bar-room brawl with sadistic, blood-thirsty fans. But that is far from the truth.

Well, that opinion may have been justified many years ago when the legendary Gracie family first started The Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States. At that time, the Gracie family believed their brand of martial arts dubbed, “Gracie Jiu-jitsu” to be unbeatable. They were well known in Brazil for The Gracie Challenge. As the legend has it, one of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu’s originators, Hellio Gracie, often ran newspaper ads in Rio De Janeiro requesting anyone who wanted broken arms, legs and ribs to simply show up at his marital arts academy!

Shortly after coming to America, one of Hellio’s many sons’, Rorion, sent shock waves through the martial arts world by announcing he would fight any person to the death for $100,000 in an early 90’s magazine dialogue. Rorion was also the mastermind behind the original Ultimate Fighting Championship that rutted fighters from many different fighting styles against each other with basically no rules in a fenced-in cage called the octagon. The Graicies wanted to prove to the world their fighting style was the best. And after Rorion’s skinny little brother, Royce, quickly dismantled all his opponents. Some of them outweighed him by over 100 pounds. They had proven their point.

It didn’t take many of those “no rules” fighting tournaments before local governments stepped in and outlawed the event in most states. Since that time, however, that “shock event” has turned into a legitimate sport with sanctioning bodies and rules to protect the fighters. It has also attracted some of the best athletes in the world such as former professional football players, Olympic Gold Medalists in Wrestling and Judo, Professional boxers and many others. Because the fighters must be accomplished at so many different fighting arts and skills (Brazilian Jujitsu, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Thai Boxing just to name a few), many think ultimate fighters are the ultimate athletes.

Why am I telling you all this and what does it have to do with relieving back pain? As you can imagine, Ultimate Fighting also puts ultimate stress and strain on your back. These athletes are constantly picking up opponents, punching, kicking and twisting themselves into a pretzel. And because of that, back pain (and injury) is common. So how do these fighters keep themselves training and fighting pain-free?

Here’s how. During the final show in the second season of the hit Spike TV series “Ultimate Fighter,” the heavyweight winner, Rashad Evans, took the time to thank Chiropractic Care. This was for relieving his back pain and allowing him to fight that night! And the surprising thing is… THIS WAS NOT A PAID ENDORSMENT!!!

Even more amazing, Former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, Randy Cotour is the former world heavyweight champion. What’s so amazing about that? He was 43 years old! Whether you agree with this sport or not, can you imagine being in good enough physical condition to be able to step into a cage and fight another person… half your age? And not only that… be the best in the world? I have heard and read several interviews with Randy. What does he credit for his mind-boggling success and what seems to be his fountain of youth? He always mentions three things that are Diet, Hard training and Chiropractic care

Just about every ultimate fighter I looked into was under routine Chiropractic care. So what? You don’t know who any of the “ultimate fighters” are. I thought you might say that, so I’ve compiled a little list of athletes and celebrities you will recognize. All have the money and resources to choose any treatment their little heart’s desire. Yet, they all have chosen to be under Chiropractic care. They are Wayne Gretzky, Evander Holyfield, Rocky Marciano, Joe Montana, Sylvester Stallone, Robin Williams, Whitney Houston, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alec Baldwin, Richard Gere, Anthony Robbins, and more.

And this is a very small sample of the entire list I have put together. It’s really amazing. And here’s something to think about: I wonder how many athletes and celebrities that get paid to endorse a drug or similar product were actually helped by Chiropractic or another alternative without the deep pocket to pay for testimonials? Who knows? I guess that’s a secret…Final thought for this month: I’m not saying you are going to be able to step into the octagon and fight a 20-year-old kid if you are under Chiropractic care. But, if routine Chiropractic care is how the best athletes in the world relieve their back ache and function at elite levels, don’t you think it could help your back ache and the quality of your life?

Want to find out more about spinal decompression therapy, then visit New Century Spine Centers site on how to choose the best chiropractor for your needs.

Everybody experiences headaches once in awhile. Sometimes, the pain is so mild that we barely notice. Other times, it can be so severe and jarring that it is practically debilitating. Most people have grown accustomed to reaching for a bottle of aspirin or similar over-the-counter drug to gain relief. Some people even ask their doctors for prescription medications.

Do they work? Yes. The drawback, however, is that these medications serve only to address the immediate symptom: the pain. They ignore, even camouflage, the underlying causes of a headache. For this reason, the pain is all but guaranteed to return.

Chiropractic care offers a solution. In this article, we’ll describe the main types of headaches, and describe the factors that cause them. We’ll then explore how chiropractic treatment not only seeks to dispel the pain, but also to resolve the root causes.

Types Of Headaches And Their Catalysts

Headaches can be triggered by many different stimuli. For example, they can arise from prolonged tension in the muscles, straining of the eyes, stress, congested sinuses, and factors affecting the blood vessels. Depending on the triggers, you might experience pain at the base of your skull, along the temples, or behind your eyes. Successfully treating headaches with chiropractic care requires identifying the type of headache from which the patient suffers.

The main types are migraine, tension, and cervicogenic headaches. Migraines are typically caused by changes in the blood vessels. Tension headaches are usually due to issues affecting the muscles (often, stress-induced). Cervicogenic headaches spring from pain emanating from the neck. We’ll take a closer look at migraines and tension headaches below.

Treating Migraine Headaches

Migraines are the least-understood of the three headache varieties. Experts know they arise from vascular influences, but the catalysts are diverse and include environmental stimuli. For example, a migraine may be triggered by changes in the weather; they can be set off by the consumption of certain foods; they might also be caused by hormonal changes (e.g. estrogen in women), stress, and various medications.

There is a sufficient body of research that suggests vascular problems are influenced by neck and spinal misalignments. Hence, chiropractic care focuses on addressing such subluxations in order to return the body to its natural state. By resolving misalignments, a chiropractor can minimize problems associated with the nervous system, and thus improve blood flow. This not only reduces immediate pain, but can also prevent subsequent migraines.

Treating Tension Headaches

As noted earlier, tension headaches are usually caused by stress. The muscles in the neck and shoulders contract, resulting in unnecessary tension. This tension affects the nerves within your spinal cord. For most people, the stress arises as the result of irritation, emotional turmoil, or something that triggers their “fight or flight” response mechanism. As long as the stimuli dissipates, the stress usually does, too.

In many cases, however, a person may be constantly exposed to factors that cause him or her stress. The stimuli never dissipates. If this happens, the muscle contractions may become protracted, leading to compensatory changes in posture. This, in turn, causes subluxations, which can trigger pain. As with treating migraines, chiropractic care can resolve tension headaches by targeting – and resolving – vertebral misalignments.

Understanding The Focus Of Chiropractic Care

The overriding principle of chiropractic care is that many ailments that needlessly afflict people are due to spinal subluxations. By adjusting the spine, the experienced chiropractor can improve nerve signals that travel to and from the brain. Improved nerve transmission leads to better health.

This is a marked departure from the approach taken by conventional medicine. While prescription drugs focus on the immediate symptoms that arise from any given condition, chiropractic treatment addresses the underlying triggers. This is the case when treating headaches. Not only do spinal and neck adjustments typically yield immediate relief, but they also make the symptoms less likely to return.

Find out more information from the Richmond Virginia Chiropractic and Chiropractor Services websites.

Of all the inspirational stories I’ve written about and read, this one may be the best. As a chiropractor in San Diego, this story is very inspiring. It holds the seeds of success in any aspect of your life you choose. All you have to do is plant them. Thirty years ago, in the country of Kenya, 90% of the forest had been chopped down. Without trees to hold the topsoil in place, the land became like a desert. When the women and girls would go in search of firewood in order to prepare the meals, they would have to spend hours and hours looking for what few branches remained.

In this story we will rename the woman to be named Catherine. Catherine watched all of this happening during her life. She decided that there must be a way to take better care of the land and take better care of the women. So she planted a tree where she lived. And then she planted another. She wanted to plant thousands of trees. She realized that it would take a very long time if she was the only one doing it. So she taught the women who were looking for firewood to plant trees in their area. They were paid a small amount for each sapling they grew.

Soon she prepared women all over the country to plant trees, and a movement took hold. It was named the Green Belt Movement, and with each passing year, more trees enclosed the land. But something else was happening as the women planted those trees. Something else besides those trees was happening. The women began to have self-confidence. They began to see that they could make a change. They began to see that they were competent of a lot of things, and that they were equivalent to the men. They began to be familiar with that they were deserving of being treated with admiration and pride.

Changes like these were threatening to some people. The president of the country didn’t like any of this that was going on. Police were sent to intimidate and beat Catherine for planting trees, and for planting ideas of equality and democracy in people’s heads, especially in women’s. She was accused of subversion. She was arrested many times.

Once, while Nicole was trying to plant trees, she was clubbed by guards hired by developers who wanted the lands cleared. She was hospitalized with head injuries. But she survived, and it only made her realize that she was on the right path. For almost thirty years, she was threatened physically, and she was often made fun of in the press. But she didn’t flinch. She only had to look in the eyes of her three children, and in the eyes of the thousands of women and girls who were blossoming right along with the trees, and she found the strength to continue.

And that is how it came to be that 30 million trees have been planted in Africa, one tree at a time. The landscapes, both the external one of the land and the internal one of the people have been transformed. In 2002, the people of Kenya held a democratic election, and the president who opposed Nicole and her Green Belt Movement is no longer in office. And Nicole is now Kenya’s Assistant Minister for the Environment. She is 65 years old, and this year she planted one more tree in celebration and thanksgiving for being given a very great honor. Nicole has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

After she was notified, she gave a speech entitled, “What Do Trees Have to Do with Peace?” She pointed out how most wars are fought over limited natural resources, such as oil, land, coltan or diamonds. She called for an end to corporate greed, and for leaders to build more just societies. She added: “Our recent experience in Kenya gives hope to all who have been struggling for a better future. It shows it is possible to bring about positive change, and still do it peacefully. All it takes is courage and perseverance, and a belief that positive change is possible. That is why the slogan for our campaign was ‘It is Possible!’”

She stated that when we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope. We also secure the future for our children. I call on those around the world to celebrate by planting a tree wherever you are. On behalf of all African women, I want to express my profound appreciation for this honor, which will serve to encourage women in Kenya, in Africa, and around the world to raise their voices and not to be deterred.

She stated after receiving her prize that today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own.

Can we accept Nicole’s invitation? As we look around our neighborhood or city, as we look at our own country, what is needed? Where are women and children suffering? Where are people feeling disempowered? Where does the Earth need our help? What is our equivalent of planting one tree?

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better in their life! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger in your life! Don’t be a stranger and give us a call. You can reach me at my website www.MichaelPritsker.com. You can also find me at work in New Century Spine Centers in San Diego. Call us and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan for better health. You really can afford healthy chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move and are in pain.

Learn more about motivation. Stop by New Century Spine Centers site where you can find out all about alternative medicine and what it can do for you.

Carpal tunnel syndrome may be one of the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated conditions in modern medicine. It’s a crying shame because countless carpal tunnel victims could end their pain and suffering almost overnight if they only knew what local San Diego chiropractors and carpal tunnel syndrome specialists revealed to the public. If you’re suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome, what you’re about to discover can literally give you your life back. If you know anyone battling carpal tunnel syndrome, have them read this article. You may be responsible for changing their life.

Here are the dramatic statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor has completed that carpal tunnel syndrome is the “head occupational hazard of the 90’s – disabling workers in epidemic proportions.” Carpal Tunnel Syndrome affects over eight million Americans. Up to 36% of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients necessitate unlimited medical treatment. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the number one reported medical problem, accounting for about fifty percent of all work related injuries. Only twenty five percent of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients were able to come back to their previous professions following surgery. Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the second most common type of surgery, with well over 200,000 procedures performed yearly.

These statistics should tell you that something is radically wrong with the accepted methods of treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Surgery may not be the way to go when 230,000 surgeries are being performed each year and only 25% of people who went through surgery are able to return to their previous jobs. And returning to work does not mean pain-free. I wonder how many of that 25% that were considered to be successful were actually pain-free following the surgery.

Take into consideration also the inherent risks of surgery and your option of getting cut starts looking like a distant last resort. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has traditionally been defined as an entrapment of the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel in your wrist. The base of the carpal tunnel is made of eight carpal bones also known as wrist bones. They are odd shaped and fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. The ligaments are like fishing line. They help hold the bones together.

The roof of the tunnel contains a ligament. It is called the transverse carpal ligament. It stretches from one side of the carpal tunnel to the other side. A space is formed between the carpal bones. The transverse carpal ligament is the size of your pinky. A bunch of nerves, tendons and more pass through that small space. These include nine flexor tendons blood vessels and one nerve. There is also the median nerve, which is the primary nerve to your hand. The well known definition of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is compression of the median nerve. This occurs as it passes through the tunnel.

Nerves are like tiny wires that transmit electrical impulses from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body via impulses. Every time you want to move your hand, the brain sends electrical impulses down the median nerve to the muscles in your hand. This causes them to contract. Nerves are very sensitive. They can easily get pinched. If the median nerve gets compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel, it causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and lots of wrist pain. It was thought that an injury or repetitive stress to the wrist can cause such an injury.

Here’s the problem with all of this. There is another condition that causes similar symptoms as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that has little or nothing to do with the wrist! This condition is called Double Crush Syndrome. Here’s how it works. There are many sites that can compress a nerve as it goes from your spinal cord to your wrist. Double Crush Syndrome occurs when you have multiple compression sites from your neck down to your wrist. A compression site closer to the spinal cord and brain makes it much easier for a nerve to be compressed elsewhere in the body. Other areas that can get compressed include the wrist. Carpal tunnel pain is usually the combination of the compression sites that cause the problem.

So in most cases, if you remove the entrapment or compression that is closer to the spine, many, if not all, of your symptoms will go away without ever touching the wrist! The most common sites of compression or entrapment are a muscle in your forearm called the pronator teres, the thoracic outlet by your shoulder, and your neck. The most frequent place seems to be as the nerve exits your spine in your neck.

That’s why specific chiropractic care can work wonders for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome when all else has failed. By gently restoring function of your neck via chiropractic care, compression on the nerve can be relieved. This will eliminate the Double Crush Syndrome and fix the true cause of your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

A complete Chiropractic evaluation can also detect if your carpal tunnel symptoms are coming from one of the other compression/entrapment sites like your forearm, shoulder or wrist and work on those areas as well. The important thing to remember is you must be evaluated by a doctor that understands Double Crush Syndrome and evaluate you for all the possible compression sites and fix them properly. A hand specialist may completely overlook the real cause of your problem which may be the Double Crush Syndrome.

To find out more about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, those inquiring can search for Dr. Michael Pritsker, D.C. in San Diego. He has successfully treated thousands of carpal tunnel pain patients with advanced spinal decompression, chiropractic care, and active release techniques. He can be reached at New Century Spine Centers in San Diego at 619-630-9153.

Learn more about carpal tunnel syndrome. Stop by Dr. Michael Pritsker, DC’s site where you can find out all about chiropractic care and what it can do for you.