Cannabis Can Kill 9 Types Of Cancer

Cannabis Can Kill 9 Types Of Cancer

The truth about the healing powers of cannabis is starting to see the light of the day in many parts of the world.

Cannabis or better known as marijuana has been used as a remedy for many centuries. Today, it is known that the reason lies in the compounds found in cannabis called cannabinoids. Some of them are psychoactive and act on the brain by changing mood or consciousness. They can be taken by mouth, inhaled, or sprayed under the tongue.

They have been studied and tested in labs and clinics for relieving pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and loss of appetite. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved two cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone) for the prevention or treatment of chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting.

According to Christina Sanchez, a molecular biologist from Compultense University in Madrid, Spain, who has been studying the molecular activity of cannabinoids for more than 10 years, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, induces tumor cell “suicide” while leaving healthy cells alone. During a study where they researched brain cancer cells for the purpose of better understanding how they function, they noticed that when exposed to THC, tumoral cells not only ceased to multiply and proliferate but destroyed themselves, both in lab tests and animal trials.

A 1980s’ research revealed that the human body contains two specific targets for THC. The endocannabinoid system processes THC and other cannabinoids, along with containing various cannabinoid receptors throughout the body that utilize them. This system regulates a lot of biological functions: appetite, food intake, motor behavior, reproduction, and many, many other functions. Tests done on mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids help to inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow larger.

Cannabis has great benefits in fighting, so far, nine types of cancer.

Brain cancer

The journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics published a study that outlines how brain tumors are highly resistant to current anticancer treatments, which makes it crucial to find new therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the poor prognosis of patients suffering from this disease.

The British Journal of Cancer published a study conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid, where it was determined that THC and other cannabinoids inhibit tumor growth. THC was found to decrease tumour cells in two out of the nine patients, and the delivery was safe and was achieved with zero psychoactive effects.

The Journal of Neuroscience published a study that examined the biochemical events in both acute neuronal damage and in slowly progressive, neurodegenerative diseases. They looked at THC and found that it reduced neuronal injury in rats, and provide evidence that the cannabinoid system can protect the brain against neurodegeneration.

The Journal of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics published a study that already acknowledged the fact that cannabinoids have been shown to possess antitumor properties. This study examined the effect of cannabidiol (non psychoactive cannabinoid compound) on human glioma cell lines (Glioma is the word used to describe brain tumor). The addition of cannabidiol led to a dramatic decrease in the viability of glioma cells, the study concluded that cannabidiol was able to produce a significant antitumor activity.

Pancreatic cancer

The American Journal of Cancer published a study where it was determined that cannabinoid receptors are expressed in human pancreatic tumor cell lines and tumor biopsies at much higher levels than in normal pancreatic tissue. Results showed that cannabinoid administration induced apoptosis. They also reduced the growth of tumor cells, and inhibited the spreading of pancreatic tumor cells.

Breast cancer

The US National Library of Medicine published a study conducted by the California Pacific Medical Centre, where it was determined that cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion. They also demonstrated that CBD significantly reduces tumor mass.

The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics  published a study where it was determined that THC as well as cannabidiol dramatically reduced breast cancer cell growth.

The Journal Molecular Cancer published a study where it was shown that THC reduced tumor growth and tumor numbers. They determined that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce cancer cell apoptosis and impair tumor angiogenesis (the creation of new blood vessels), providing strong evidence for the use of cannabinoid based therapies for the management of breast cancer.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) published a study that determined that cannabinoids inhibit human breast cancer cell proliferation.

Lung cancer

The journal Oncogene published a study by Harvard Medical Schools Experimental Medicine Department that determined that THC inhibits epithelial growth factor induced lung cancer cell migration and more. They go on to state that THC should be explored as novel therapeutic molecules in controlling the growth and metastasis of certain lung cancers.

The US National Library of Medicine published a study conducted by Harvard Medical School investigated the role of cannabinoid receptors in lung cancer cells. They determined its effectiveness and suggested that it should be used for treatment against lung cancer cells. They also published a study by the by the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, from the Department of General Surgery in Germany where it was determined that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell invasion. Effects were confirmed in primary tumor cells from a lung cancer patient.  Overall, data indicated that cannabinoids decrease cancer cell invasiveness.

Liver cancer

The US National Library of Medicine published a study that determined that THC reduces the viability of human HCC cell lines (Human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) and reduced the growth.

Blood cancer

Again, the US National Library of Medicine published a study conducted by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology by Virginia Commonwealth University that determined that cannabinoids induce apoptosis in leukemia cells.

The journal Molecular Pharmacology published a study where it was shown that cannabinoids induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in mantle cell lymphoma. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Society, The Swedish Research Council and the Cancer Society in Stockholm.

The International Journal of Cancer published a study where it was determined and illustrated that cannabinoids exert antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in various types of cancer and in mantle cell lymphoma.

Prostate cancer

The US National Library of Medicine published a study that proved the effectiveness of cannabis on prostate cancer.

Another study they published illustrates a decrease in prostatic cancer cells by acting through cannabinoid receptors.

And another one determined that clinical testing of CBD against prostate carcinoma is a must, as cannabinoid receptor activation induces prostate carcinoma cell apoptosis (cell death).

Oral cancer

The US National Library of Medicine published a study whose results show cannabinoids are potent inhibitors of cellular respiration and are toxic to highly malignant oral Tumors.

Colon cancer

A study in mice showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation of the colon and have some potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Aiding chemotherapy

According to a laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in human glioma cells, when given along with chemotherapy, CBD made the chemo more effective, and increased cancer cell death without harming the normal cells. Studies in mouse models of cancer showed that CBD together with delta-9-THC may make chemotherapy such as temozolomide more effective.

Cannabis also has anti-inflammatory properties, antiviral properties and relieves muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.

The rice you eat is worse than sugary drinks

The health authorities have identified one of their top concerns as they wage war on diabetes: white rice. It is even more potent than sweet soda drinks in causing the disease.

Sharing his battle plan to reduce the risk of diabetes, Health Promotion Board chief executive Zee Yoong Kang said that obesity and sugary drinks are the major causes of the condition in the West.

But Asians are more predisposed to diabetes than Caucasians, so people do not have to be obese to be at risk. Starchy white rice can overload their bodies with blood sugar and heighten their risk of diabetes.

Mr Zee is armed with data. A meta- analysis of four major studies, involving more than 350,000 people followed for four to 20 years, by the Harvard School of Public Health – published in the British Medical Journal – threw up some sobering findings.

One, it showed each plate of white rice eaten in a day – on a regular basis – raises the risk of diabetes by 11 per cent in the overall population.

Two, it showed that while Asians, like the Chinese, had four servings a day of cooked rice, Americans and Australians ate just five a week.

But Mr Zee does not plan to ask Singaporeans to stop eating rice, a popular feature of meals here. What he would like is to see more people turn to healthier varieties.

Long grain white rice is also better than short grain when it comes to how it spikes blood sugar – a rise in sugar levels causes the pancreas to produce more insulin, and frequent spikes can lead to diabetes.

He would also like people to try adding 20 per cent of brown rice to their white rice. This amount is enough to reduce their risk of diabetes by 16 per cent.”There is no need to fully replace what they now eat. Just increase the quantity of whole grain and brown rice.”

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last month that this disease is already costing the country more than $1 billion a year. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations in Singapore.

Dr Stanley Liew, a diabetes expert at Raffles Hospital, advised people to eat less rice. He added that most junk food and sodas are just as bad and should be discouraged.

Introduction To Basic Holistic Nutrition

Introduction To Basic Holistic Nutrition

Here is simple yet powerful introduction to basic holistic nutrition. Understanding will help you make wiser choices regarding your health.

What is health to you?  To some it means not being sick, some say it’s being able to do what they want to do.  Some equate health with energy, whilst others say that health is longevity.

To me, health is not just the absence of diseases, but it should also mean a life full of energy and vitality.

Where does our energy and vitality come from?

Our body is made up of about 100 trillion cells which need to be treated with care in order to feel energized and stay healthy. We should treat our body as 100 trillion cells and not just as flesh, blood and bones.

We all learned in school about cells and the tiny mitochondria within our cells which are the power source that give us our energy.

Basic holistic nutrition - mitochondrion in a cellHere is what a mitochondrion from our cell looks like. There are many of these within one single cell. This is the power source of our energy.

By knowing this, we now have a choice of how we want to grow old. We can choose whether to grow to 70 but feel and look like 50; or we can choose to grow to 50 but feel and look like 70 (assuming you’re not there yet).

Having said that, I want to tell you that there is no such thing as aging. There is only the degeneration of our cells — either our cells are damaged or they die prematurely because of our ignorance and careless eating.

You are what you eat

What we put into our bodies will directly determine the health of our cells. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food that we eat will either choke and kill our cells or allow them to flourish. Even prolonged emotional stress can cause havoc in our body.

A poor diet and lifestyle results in:

  • An acidic environment
  • Build up of toxin within our tissues and cells
  • Oxidation within the body and build up of free radicals

This causes our cells to deteriorate and die and creates the ideal environment for disease.

The Stages of Cellular Degeneration and Disease

Below is a chart graph showing the stages of cellular degeneration. Most disease starts from a simple inflammation or a discharge that you may often ignore (Stage 1 in the chart).

Basic holistic nutrition - the stages of cellular degeneration and chronic disease

Stage 2 marks the beginning of poor health. You may feel fatigue, constipated, have a headache, lower backache or develop simple skin blemishes. If at this stage you can acknowledge the onset of a problem, take action and start eating and living healthily, you are often still in time to reverse the problem.

When the doctor tells you that you have high-blood pressure or cholesterol, you have asthma or worse, tumors, you are at Stage 3 where you chronically encounter very poor and weak health.

Don’t wait till you reach Stage 3 or 4 before taking action – it may be too late.

Help is available. The answer is in nourishing and caring for your cells with correct diet, hydration and exercise, as we shall discuss shortly.

How Our Cells Die

Consumption of too many acid-forming foods creates an acidic environment in our body causes cells to die. As cells die, the body becomes even more acidic, creating the perfect environment for bacteria and parasites to breed and diseased cells to spread.

Then we fall sick and we see the doctor who prescribes more acid-forming drugs. The drugs create other side effects because our body is already acidic. It becomes a downward cycle and it goes on and on until our body starts to break down and degenerative diseases set in.

We need to break the cycle by cutting out harmful foods and nourishing our cells fresh fruit and vegetables.

Basic Holistic Nutrition: The 4 Cornerstones of a Healthy Body

Our 100 trillion cells require these 6 nutrients and four essential factors to stay healthy and happy. If we take the trouble to adhere to these four cornerstones of a healthy body, our cells will keep us healthy and full of vitality.

1. Effective Waste Elimination

There is no drug in the world that can heal your condition. Your body was made to self-heal so you need to give it a chance to heal by itself.

To allow our body recover we need to first reduce our intake of harmful foods. This will take the workload of our system and allow the body to more effectively eliminate toxins.

You simply cannot continue to feed your body with junk and expect it to heal.

There are many ways to detox, but whichever detox program you choose, ensure that it is safe and natural. Try juice fasting, or go on total fast for a few days to let your body rest, detoxify and heal. Always drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins.

A colon cleanse is an important part of detoxification. A congested colon (constipation is a symptom) may be carrying as much as 25 pounds of dried fecal matter – the perfect environment for bacteria to breed and multiply by the millions every day.

A congested colon leads to generally unclean blood that is toxic and harmful to your 100 trillion cells which will quickly dwindle in number from damage.

Colon cleansing with herbal fiber is a gentle approach that requires patience, but provides a thorough and effective cleanse. Most fiber cleanses take from 2-3 weeks to reach maximum efficacy; but the wait is worth it.

For extreme cases, one has to consider doing a colonics.

2. Improve Oxygen Delivery to Your Tissues

Our cells need oxygen to function. Our blood cells transport oxygen to where ever it is needed. The following improve the delivery of oxygen to our tissues:

  • A correct detox will clean up the colon and liver that in turn encourages cleaner blood.
  • I bet you’ve heard this one before — exercise is important! Exercise encourages the heart to pump blood and encourages circulation throughout our body. When blood circulates, it stirs up stagnant blood which otherwise would cause a host of health problems.
  • Deep breathing is also therapeutic. Take a walk outside, early in the morning when the air is still fresh and try some deep breathing exercises. This alone does wonders and helps generate energy that can last you for hours.

3. Drink Pleanty of Water – to Stay Hydrated

Drink water - little and often to stay hydratedI can’t stress enough the importance of drinking enough water.

Dehydrated cells can’t talk, but they do send signals to the body. When they are dehydrated, they cause pain and when we give them enough water, the pain often goes away.

Don’t just assume that you’re drinking plenty of water: check if you are drinking enough water.

I recommend drinking the purest form of water, distilled water. Hard water and so-called mineral water will deposit inorganic elements in your body that your body cannot assimilate, thus should be treated as toxins.

 

4. Replenish Your Body With Nutrients

Nutrients are what this site is all about. Once you have done a proper detox, removed the unhealthy food from your diet, drink sufficient water and exercise daily, then you are ready to feed your cells with proper nutrients from live food.

Poor “modern day diets” of processed foods that are high in fat and low in fiber and nutrition deprive the body of the nutrients we need. Juicing is the most effective and fastest way to get large amounts of concentrated nutrients to our deprived cells.

The body needs these 6 essential nutrient groups for good health: carbohydrates, protein, fat, water, minerals and vitamins. Here is handy list of nutrients essential to basic holistic health:

  • Amino acids (protein)
  • Complex carbohydrates
  • Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals and trace minerals
  • Phytonutrients
  • Anti-oxidants
  • Bio-flavonoids
  • Chlorophyll
  • Enzymes
  • Fiber
  • Healthy colon flora (friendly bacteria)

what is Mead Honey wine

What Is Mead, and Is It Good for You

Mead is a fermented beverage traditionally made from honey, water and a yeast or bacterial culture.

Sometimes called “the drink of the gods,” mead has been cultivated and consumed across the world for thousands of years.

This article explores mead and its possible benefits and pitfalls.

What Is Mead?

Mead, or “honey wine,” is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey.

It’s one of the oldest alcoholic beverages ever made, as it was consumed as far back as 4,000 years. Interestingly, mead was common across ancient cultures around the world including those in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Though similar to beer, wine or cider, mead occupies a beverage category on its own since its primary fermentable sugar is honey.

All you need to make basic mead is honey, water and a yeast or bacterial culture. However, ingredients such as fruits, herbs, spices, grains, roots and flowers are often included as well.

Mead’s alcohol content varies but is typically around 5–20%. Its flavor profile ranges from very sweet to very dry, and it’s available in both sparkling and still versions.

Summary Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey. Its historical significance dates back thousands of years, and it’s available in many styles.

Does Science Support Suggested Health Benefits?

In ancient cultures, mead was associated with good health and vitality. In Greek mythology, it was often referred to as “the drink of the gods” and allegedly given to warriors after a fight to enhance healing of their battle injuries.

Today, many still believe that drinking mead benefits your health and that the drink has healing properties. However, there is limited evidence supporting these claims.

Most modern health claims related to drinking mead are centered around the honey from which the drink is made and the probiotic content it’s presumed to have as a result of the fermentation process.

Therapeutic Benefits of Honey

Honey has been used for its culinary and therapeutic applications for centuries.

Research indicates that honey has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, both of which have driven its use in ancient and modern medicine to treat a variety of physical ailments (1).

Today it’s frequently used as a topical treatment for skin wounds and infections, or consumed orally to soothe a cough or sore throat (1).

Some claim that because mead is made from honey, it possesses the same medicinal properties. Yet, there is no significant evidence to support this notion.

As of now, it remains unclear if fermented honey has the same therapeutic properties as unfermented honey.

Probiotics and Gut Health

Mead is often heeded as a health-tonic due to its potential probiotic content.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate quantities, can have a positive impact on your immunity and gut health (2).

Although the understanding of how probiotics support human health is still at an early stage, some research indicates they could help prevent and treat chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, allergies and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (2, 3).

Unfortunately, there is no research specifically evaluating mead as a source of probiotics or how the drink may affect your health.

Additionally, the probiotic content of different types of mead could vary significantly. The fermentation process plus the other ingredients included in the beverage could affect the concentration of beneficial bacteria in the final drink.

What’s more, the alcohol content of mead may counteract any possible benefits, as excessive alcohol consumption is associated with negative changes in your gut bacteria .

Until more research is available, it cannot be confirmed that drinking mead offers any health benefits by way of its probiotic content.

Summary Mead is often touted for promoting health because of the honey it’s made from and its potential probiotic content. Currently, no research supports these notions.

Potential Downsides of Drinking Too Much

Though frequently praised for its health benefits, drinking mead could have negative health consequences that may be worth considering before you start filling your glass.

Alcohol Content

The alcohol content of mead ranges from about 5% to 20%. For comparison, regular grape wine has a typical alcohol content of about 12–14%.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health risks including liver disease, systemic inflammation and impaired digestive and immune system function (

The American Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting your alcohol intake to one serving per day for women and two for men. One serving equals about five fluid ounces (148 ml) of mead with 12% alcohol by volume (ABV)

Given the relatively high alcohol content of mead, it could be easy to go overboard, especially if you’re drinking it under the assumption that it’s good for your health.

Mead should be treated like any other alcoholic beverage. It’s good to exercise moderation and limit your intake if you plan to drink it.

Allergic Reactions

For most people, mead is generally well tolerated in moderation.

Mead is typically gluten-free, depending on what is added during the fermentation process. Thus, if you have a gluten allergy, double check the mead you plan to drink to ensure no gluten-containing ingredients were included in the brew.

Mead may potentially cause serious allergic reactions in some people, especially those with honey and alcohol allergies or intolerances.

Though rare, there have been reports of honey leading to anaphylactic reactions. If you’ve ever had a serious allergic reaction to honey or bee pollen, it may be a good idea to avoid drinking mead (7).

Additionally, if you’ve ever been diagnosed with an alcohol intolerance or allergy, you should not drink mead as its alcohol content could trigger symptoms.

Calorie Content

Mead is a high-calorie beverage, thus, overconsumption could negatively impact your health.

Drinking too much of any alcoholic beverage, including mead, can increase your blood triglycerides, blood pressure and your risk of obesity and diabetes

While there isn’t much information available on the precise nutritional content of mead, pure alcohol alone provides 7 calories per gram.

One serving of any alcoholic beverage contains about 14 grams of alcohol, equaling at least 100 calories. This doesn’t take into account any of the calories from, for example, the sugar in the mead

Summary Excessive consumption of alcohol and calories from mead could lead to serious health problems. For sensitive individuals, there’s also a risk of allergic reactions from the honey or alcohol in the drink.

The Bottom Line

Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey.

Due to its honey and potential probiotic content, it’s touted as offering various health benefits, but scientific evidence to back up these claims is lacking.

Additionally, its alcohol content may negate benefits and, in fact, cause health issues.

As with any other alcoholic beverage, practice moderation and enjoy it responsibly.

Is hemp oil is the future for Cancer

Rick Simpson Attention new members..

We have placed some simple information below for you regarding the oil, cancer and other serious conditions that will help you including the links needed, some of the information you may already know so please forgive anything duplicated or irrelevant:

We do not sell the oil, we do not provide the oil, we do not have any oil, we simply show others how to make their own oil by following the free and simple instructions on our website.
On the website you will find the full written instructions, the dosage for cancer and other serious conditions plus a “how to make the medicine” video.

We do not communicate with anybody outside of this official verified public Facebook page, anyone who privately messages you would be a scam / fraud. ( you will see by Ricks “note” posted below that Rick does not answer any emails etc. any longer ).

We do not advise asking where to get the oil from on a public page as this attracts fraud, many fake profiles pretend to be Rick or another reliable source – do not talk to fake profiles / companies – all the information you will need to make your own oil is free and simple to follow on Ricks official website ( you can also click a “translate” button for 72 other languages if needed ).

The advice we give is to make your own oil, it is not difficult, Rick says if you can make a cup of coffee then you can make the oil.
If you are not able bodied, we advise to ask real friends or family to help you.
The oil is made from cannabis and contains a high level of THC and therefore, it cannot be posted / shipped ( no matter what you read or are told ).. do not buy oils online to be delivered or you will be scammed.

We do not recommend CBD only oils, they are not the same cannabinoid and will not have the same effect ( Rick Simpson mentions cbd being an antagonist in the video below “Questions for Rick Simpson” @ 6:31 ).

Even if you live in the US or another legal country / state.. we would recommend to “make your own” as buying a “ready made” version from a legal dispensary may mean the difference between life and death depending on the condition being treated if the oil is not strong enough or made correctly.
We do not advise to let anyone make the medicine when money is concerned as many people / companies have been known to make short cuts to make extra money.

We do not recommend a particular dispensary where to obtain the oil from, if you are in the US / Amsterdam or another legal country / state and look for a dispensary who claims to sell RSO ( Rick Simpsons Oil / Phoenix tears) then please note that it was not made by us ( as we do not make it ).

If you do travel to a legal dispensary it would be advised to look for one who displays an authentic dated valid laboratory test certificate for that particular batch showing the full cannabinoid analysis.
A decent typical home made RSO may contain a THC content of 90%+, and a cbd content of approximately 1 to 2% plus all the other cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids working together like an “entourage effect”, the very best oils are 95%+ THC.. some have been tested at 98.5% THC..
Dispensaries ( with many of the strains available to them ) should be able to produce an oil with a very high THC content.. check before buying. ( some tests we have seen show little to only 50% THC.. such oils are not authentic oils and are “watered down” versions ).

As many dispensaries are interested in their profit margin, many will use low-grade materials to make an oil from, including leaf, stems, stalks and even roots, some have been known to bulk their product up by adding other oils.
As there are no standards enforced upon such dispensaries the oil is usually not strong enough and will not have the desired effect to help with serious conditions such as cancers.
For this reason, we always recommend that you make your own oil, such dispensaries are ideal to obtain the cannabis from to make the oil, we must use indica or indica dominant strains with a minimum THC content of 20% to 25% + for best results.
The authentic oil can be 90% + THC, therefore it cannot be legally shipped / posted as THC is illegal to just simply “post” it anywhere if simply bought on a website, so avoid any claims that the oil can be simply bought on line.. because it cannot. Do not buy oil online as you will be scammed.

The information given here on this thread is just general good advice, we do not advise to add new members on Facebook via our page as many have been known to have an “ulterior motive” and want to take your money directly or via a website / email etc etc, most of the answers that anyone needs have been put on Ricks website and are there free for everyone.

If a patient / care giver is thinking of travelling to a legal country / state to take the 60Ml of correctly made oil over the average 3 months for serious conditions such as cancer, they should also be made aware that they will need to continue to take a “maintenance dose” when the 60Ml had been taken ( as mentioned below ).
Cannabis / oil cannot be taken legally out of any “legal” country / state.

This is another reason why we recommend making your own.
Several strains mixed together can make a great oil, as the research has not been done to know what particular name of a strain of cannabis is best suited to a particular condition so we advise to mix as many strains as possible ( when possible ) to try and cover all the bases.

In many situations, a patient / caregiver may have to source their own starting materials ( cannabis ) from other places – such as discreetly asking real friends and family to help them.
Cannabis is popular in almost every country in the world, so in reality, many people can find the cannabis with ease just by simply asking friends and family, most recreational users do not shout out about the fact that they use cannabis, so many people maybe surprised who can get the cannabis for them.

In Ricks film “Run from the cure” he refers to the oil as “Hemp oil”.. this confuses many people as they think of it being “Hemp seed oil”.. Rick has apologised for the confusion, however the video has gone viral.
The oil is in fact a type of “Cannabis oil” ( named RSO “Rick Simpsons Oil” or “Phoenix tears” ) this is to differentiate it from the many other types of cannabis oil that are prepared differently.
Ricks oil is not a “Hemp seed oil”.
The oil Rick speaks of is made from the buds of the female cannabis plant and not from crushing the seeds from a hemp plant. Ricks oil is a purified decarboxylated cannabis oil.

Rick also advises for cancer patients to ingest the seeds from 2 or 3 different apples each day to obtain the B17 ( also known as amygdalin / laetrile), the chemical is only harmful in large amount, 1700+ seeds in 24/48 hours – so a few won’t harm – many private cancer treatment centres use B17 – cancer hates B17. ( the seeds should be split or chewed or they may pass through the body whole ). Some people have been also known to ingest bitter appricot kernels to obtains the laetrile – when ingesting the b17 daily, it is said to also use Zinc. B17 may lower the blood pressure so this should be taken into consideration.

Stay away from sugars – cancer loves sugars.

There are two main types of cannabis, Rick recommends “Indica or indica dominant strains” to make the oil with for internal conditions such as cancer:
Indica = relax.
Sativa = energise.
If we use the wrong type of cannabis strain(s) ( Sativa or sativa dominant ) it can keep the patient awake and be unpleasant as they cannot rest and people want to stop the protocol altogether.
We do not want cancer patients ( or anyone ) all high and trying to dance & paint the house etc. – so we use Indica or indica dominant varieties.

Most cannabis dealers / dispensaries know the strain of cannabis they sell – a simple Google search will tell us if its indica or sativa ( or a mix of both plus the % of the indica ).
In some situations we have to use what is available – ( so make a smaller batch with an ounce or 2 ) while you look for better indica strains.

To make better oils..when possible mix “several strains” of indica or indica dominant cannabis with a THC content of 20 to 25%++( the higher the better ), and a nice low cbd content of around 1% ( 1 to 3% is fine – the lower the better ) – the mixed oil will be great for many conditions, use dry buds for best results ) no leaves or large stems ).
When following the full protocol, by roughly day 21 the patient / person would of reached the full 1ml per day dosage ( over the 3 x daily doses given ) – when using decent cannabis, 2 ounces of Indica / dominant cannabis should be enough to cover the first 3 weeks of treatment as the dosage is smaller in the beginning.

Sativa strains produce an oil that is a very good antidepressant, but generally speaking, we do not recommend it for internal conditions in larger doses ( for life-threatening conditions such as cancer etc ) when larger doses are required the Sativa oils are unbearable.
When the patient takes the RSO ( Rick Simpsons Oil ) many people find if they are using any medications such as steroids / painkillers / morphine makes horrible side effects when mixed, so many people reduce the medications by half on day one – then reduce and stop the medications over 7 to 14 days – mixing the medications with the oil can produce undesirable side effects – the symptoms / side effects of the medications can be exacerbated,
The main conditions / medications we warn about are the heart, blood pressure, and diabetes and to closely monitor the levels over 3 months or so.

The use of ingesting hemp seeds / hemp hearts is recommended in the patients diet when they are using the oil.. and / or
Ingesting a capsule or 2 of shop bought hemp seed oil ( cold pressed hemp seed oil ) 40 minutes to 1 hour before the RSO dose may help to create new receptor sites for the oils molecular structure to bind onto / aid good health, As Rick mentioned on his website is it beneficial to raise the ph of the body with food and drink.

When the cancer is gone or the condition is under control ( usually when the full 60Mls of correctly made oil are ingested ) or for general good health benefits, we recommend to take a preventative / maintenance dose of between 1 to 2 ML per month, this tiny amount equates to the size of between “half to a full dry grain of short-grain rice” per day, usually taken an hour before bedtime.
This maintenance dose is essential as we have known of a few cancer patients who did not do the “maintenance dose” and the cancer returned, if the oil is made correctly and a maintenance dose is followed ( forever ) it will keep it away.

We do not recommend any scans to be taken / ordered until the full 60Ml of correctly made oil has been taken over 90 days ( as per dosage instructions ).
When possible ask for a MRI scan or an ultrasound or x-ray, the use of CT scans may be required in some cases, but in many cases a MRI would also work to know if the cancer / tumour / tumor is shrinking or has gone.

Rick does not like CT scans as they use very high levels of radiation and in many cases do more harm than good, in some cases a CT scan is the only thing that can work but stay away from them if / when possible.

If you decide to make your own oil:
Make sure you have all the equipment ready to make the oil as soon as possible when you find the cannabis, an ounce can make 3 to 5 ml of oil.
Rick says you need 60ml ( the average starting point for most internal cancers ) – that’s 16 ounces / a full pound of indica cannabis – smaller batches of oil can be made from an ounce or 2, by using less cannabis and alcohol / solvent.
In some cases ( usually when chemotherapy and or radiotherapy has been previously used or with a difficult cancer / condition ) more oil maybe required.. some people may need 2 or 3 times the standard amount at 120mls or 180mls.
Make sure you have a fan & rice cooker with 2 temperature settings.. high / low – heat – warm etc. ( but not the on / off version ).- buy the version that the lid comes totally off for best results – not the hinge version due to the wind.
We cover the cannabis with alcohol for just 3 minutes each time ( x 2 = 6 minutes total soak / smash time ).

When making the oil for the first time – pay attention to the unmarked paragraph 28 on the section marked “PRODUCING THE OIL” regarding “decarboxylation”, this is the vital key stage to change the oils molecular structure to fit the receptors in the brain ( CB1 ) and the body ( CB2 receptors ) without full decarboxylation the oil is weak / worthless.
On Ricks website note the limited few alcohols / solvents Rick recommends to use.. ( use the ones stated only for best / safest results )

IPA Isopropanol / Isopropyl 99.9% ( CAS# 67-63-0 ) is one of the few alcohol / solvents Rick uses ( it is available in almost every country ) – 5 litres will be enough for 5 to 8 ounces & 8 to 9 litres will be enough to make the full treatment – when following the instructions to the letter, no traces of the alcohol remain in the final medicine.
Buy the 99.9% alcohol on eBay or Amazon now ( ASAP ) to be ready to make your own oil, if you cannot find the IPA in your country, simply log into another countries eBay and order from there.
Try and get as close to 99.9% as possible, other versions are available, 99.9% is ideal, 99% is good, 95% not so good, 91% is poor, the higher the %, the less water is in the product and the more effective the alcohol is at stripping the cannabinoids from the plant..
Ricks number one choice of solvent ( available in Canada ) is pure light aliphatic naphtha, we have to make sure we get the right version or it may have harmful additives, the one we recommend is a specific type, it is marked with a CAS Number ( unique numerical identifier assigned by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) ), the version we recommend has a CAS number marked 64742-49-0, we could order it from eBay or amazon but if the number is not marked, we may have to ask the seller what the CAS number is, If we can not find it, we could look on another countries eBay and search there ( Canada ), if your not from Canada it will take longer to arrive / cost a lot more or may not be able to find the right version, if this is the case use what most people use and that is 99.9% IPA as mentioned above.
Isopropanol is an accepted solvent under USP 36. Isopropanol is a very safe / friendly solvent for terpenoids etc… well liked by the FDA.

Best wishes,
The admin team.
– –

Rick’s video “Run from the cure”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDJX7GqsQoA

Ricks website:
http://phoenixtears.ca/

Full written instructions to make the oil:
http://phoenixtears.ca/producing-the-oil/

Dosage information for cancer and other serious conditions:
http://phoenixtears.ca/dosage-information/

Video showing how to make the medicine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La426H2GluQ

Questions for Rick Simpson: ( Rick mentions cbd being an antagonist @ 6:31 ).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSGmKB8sVuQ

Super oils:
http://phoenixtears.ca/super-oils/

An important message from Rick Simpson [January 2015]: ( Rick mentions he no longer answers emails ).
https://www.facebook.com/notes/rick-simpson/important-message-from-rick-simpson-january-2015/782256871821454/

FAQ ABOUT RSO
http://phoenixtears.ca/faq-about-rso/

Ricks Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/RickSimpsonOilCure/

Rick Simpsons publishing page on Facebook: Simpson RamaDur
https://www.facebook.com/simpsonramadur/

Website: https://simpsonramadur.com/
Making Cannabis Oil with Rick Simpson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNPxe06aHww/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDJX7GqsQoA

Lessons from Okinawa, Japan

10 Secrets To A Happy & Healthy 100 Years Of Life: Lessons from Okinawa, Japan

The island of Okinawa in Japan, just north of Taiwan, has long been a hot spot for the secrets to longevity. It is unrivaled for its health, spirituality, and connection to mind and body. In fact, Okinawa has some of the highest number of centenarians (those who live past 100) in the world, at about 50 per 100,000 compared to 5-10 per 100,000 in the USA. These aren’t your average old folks, either. Here in the West, we associate old age with misery, joint pain, dementia, and nursing homes, but in Okinawa, the centenarians are happy and surprisingly independent.

Diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, cancer, diabetes and heart disease are virtually unheard of, at least, not until you’re 90! Interestingly enough, when an Okinawan is removed from his or her society and rituals and adopts an American or Western lifestyle, their age limits begin to parallel those of the citizens of the United States. What exactly is their secret? Although genes do play a role, it seems lifestyle is the biggest contributor. In 2000, the Okinawa Centenarian Study published some fascinating facts on longevity:

1. Plant-based Diet

Okinawa is a beautiful tropical island (which helps anyone’s mood), but there is a bigger secret to their success. Because the plants are closer to the equator, where the sun’s damage may be greater, they protect themselves by producing higher amounts of phytochemicals and antioxidants to stay alive. These nutrients not only protect the plants from the sun’s rays, but from animal or insect consumption too. Those phytochemicals are what correct free radicals and eliminate inflammation from our bodies! Okinawans eat up to 10 servings of fruits and veggies a day — ALL ORGANIC!

2. Limited to No Animal Protein ( better no meat and no fish)

In Okinawa, the population follows a plant-based diet where they grow their own food. It is 80% plant based with the 20% reserved for fish and, occasionally, Meat if there is a special ceremony. It is also free of the antibiotics, hormones, and cruelty that exist in Western culture in factory farms.

3. High Flavanoids (estrogenic compounds from food) and Good Fats

They eat natural grains, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and a ton of NON GMO fermented soy (90% is GMO in the USA). Examples like miso, flax, or tempeh are excellent for the liver and for menopause. Women experience menopause naturally with fewer complications. Another secret is bitter gourd or goya. As the name implies, this is a very bitter melon! It contains B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, and beta carotene. It contains a phytonutrient called charantin and an insulin mimicking compound called polypeptide P that induces lower blood sugar and could be a remedy for diabetics.

4. Caloric Restriction

They practice a technique called Hara Hachi Bu, where they do not overeat. It translate to 8 parts out of 10, meaning they stop eating when they are 80% full. Caloric restriction has been a debatable topic but studies have shown that restriction, without malnutrition, can produce measurable benefits and potential longevity. For one thing, you will lose weight, and this is a good thing for most Americans. Caloric restriction also activates autophagy, which is the process by which older, dead cells are gobbled and cleaned up by other cells to keep the body running at tip top shape. If the body is inefficient at removing old debris, then this buildup can lead to neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases. Other studies point to “hormesis,” which means to induce benefit from low intensity biological stressors. This theory proposes that a calorie restricted diet excites the immune system and heightens the defensive state by inducing small amounts of stress, which lead to turning on longevity genes through science-based epigenetics (certain genes are turned off and on based on nutrition, environment, thoughts, etc)

5. Daily Exercise

They practice daily exercise that is not only beneficial for the body, but the mind too. You know how wonderful it feels to finish a challenging or relaxing yoga class? Imagine doing that every day in a slower paced, island environment. The majority practice Tai Chi, karate, gardening, dance, yoga, or martial arts, all of which are known to connect mind and body in a more spiritual process. Also, no one smokes! They also have little osteoporosis (no, they don’t drink a lot of milk, which does not stop osteoporosis) because they eat more plants which are chock full of calcium! They then activate vitamin D and overall bone health by spending time outdoors in the sun.

6. Positive Attitude

When polled, the Okinawans consistently scored higher in the ability to handle stressful situations as well as on their overall outlook on life. On the island they enjoy a slower paced life and close, supportive networks. Lab results reveal low levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory amino acid present in those with heart disease. Okinawans have an 80% lower risk of heart attack

7. Close Knit Community Groups

We are social beings who need love and support from friends and loved ones. Up to 80% of Okinawa’s elderly live alone independently or with a spouse, however they never give up their connection to community centers or elder day cares where they engage in games, sports, or exercise together. There is a name for these social groups and they are called moai groups. In Okinawa, growing old is looked at respectfully and the elders still help to run the community. There is always family visiting as life is slower paced. There are local festivals, gardening activities, and healing herbs brought to friends and dances for all to attend to continually heal the body and soul.

8. Find Tour “Ikigai”

Ikigai means “your purpose.” Retirement is a foreign concept in Okinawa. Their belief is that one should make life worth living no matter how old you are. You help others and continue to always look for a renewed mission.

9. Cultivate Spirituality

Spirituality, but not religion, is a major part of life in Okinawa. There are morning rituals, meditation groups, and a continued sense of belonging to a group that works collectively to achieve something bigger than them. They do not shy away from music or dancing as they believe this awakens the soul. The natives play Okinawan instruments like a traditional banjo and gather for community celebrations often. Women in Okinawa are noro (priestesses) or yuta (female shaman).

10. Eastern and Western Medical Approaches

Unlike the mindset in the West where there is a pill for every symptom and hard work to achieve health is often shunned, the Okinawans combine both aspects to achieve overall health. The employ shamanistic healing practices, spirituality, and some Western methods as well. They believe in the vitality and health of the people and their villages. Particularly, the older women play an active role as the religious leaders and spiritual shamans in the villages. Ancient herbs like the ones used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine are used in daily life. In fact, turmeric is consumed in large quantities (mostly in tea) and is revered for its antioxidant and detoxifying effects on the liver .We could all learn some lifestyle lessons from the wise and gentle people of Okinawa, Japan.

Sources:

1. Okinawan Centenarian Study 2000 — ww.okicent.org

The Stages of Fasting- In-depth

While fasting is nothing new, it is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as many discover its potential health benefits. If you are planning your first fast or looking for ways to improve your next one, there are a few things you should do to prepare. The first step is learning about the different stages of fasting. This knowledge helps you mentally and physically prepare for what happens to your body when you fast.

The stages of fasting outlined below are based off a water fast, a traditional fast in which you abstain from any food and only drink water for 12-48 hours or longer. Personal experiences can vary depending on the type of fast, age, or health of the individual, but these should give you a general idea of what to expect when you fast.

Stage 1: Day 1-2

Stage one lasts for the first couple of days of the fast or about 12-48 hours from your last meal. Usually, it is a good idea to put some planning and preparation into how and when you will start a fast. Try selecting a start day and time and then make preparations in your schedule for the duration of your fast.

How You Feel: Hungry

This stage is when your body transitions into fasting mode and, for many people, it’s the most challenging part of their fast. This stage is where you start to feel the hunger pangs as you skip your regular mealtime routine. Most first time fasters start to feel a reduction in their energy levels. These effects can induce a negative mood or irritability for most fasters. It’s wise to prepare yourself for the possibility of being short on patience during this stage.

What’s Happening With Your Body: Battery Save Mode

Several things happen at the cellular level that cause hunger and fatigue during this first stage. When you’re eating regularly, your body breaks down glucose to get the energy it needs to function properly. While you’re fasting, your body needs to produce sugar for energy, so it begins a process called gluconeogenesis. During gluconeogenesis, your liver converts non-carbohydrate materials like lactate, amino acids, and fats into glucose. As your body goes into “battery save mode,” your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, becomes more efficient and uses less energy. This power saving process includes lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. At this stage, you may feel drained. However, if you stick it out for a little longer, some of that lost energy will return.[1]

Benefits: Mental Strength and Heart Health

Fasting these first few days can be difficult, but there are mental and physical benefits. Mentally, the act of fasting is an excellent way to exercise your willpower. Similar to the strength runners might feel after pushing their body to run that extra mile, people who choose to fast can feel strength as they fight through those natural urges to eat. Physically, there are incredible cleansing and heart health benefits taking place, too. As BMR lowers, fat in the blood starts to disappear as it’s metabolized for energy. This process promotes a healthy heart, and for some, improves cholesterol levels by boosting HDL levels.[2]

Stage 2: Day 3-7

Stage two starts around the end of day two and lasts until day seven. A lot of changes begin to happen at this stage, and you may start to notice changes in your physical appearance, as well as how you feel.

 

How You Feel: Less Hungry and More Energetic

By stage two, ketosis has begun. Ketosis is a critical phase of the fast where your body starts to burn stored fat as its primary power source. As the processes of ketosis are carried out inside your body, you might stop feeling hungry and tired. The practice of putting your body into ketosis has a growing movement behind it. It is ideal for weight loss, balancing blood sugar, and more. Best of all, you don’t even have to fast to put your body into ketosis. Eating the right foods at the right time can be enough to start this fat burning process. There are even vegan ketogenic diet plans available so you can still eat health-promoting foods to stay in ketosis.

What’s Happening With Your Body: Fat Burning Mode

When you consume a typical diet of carbohydrate rich foods, your body breaks down sugars and starches into glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy for the body. However, when you fast or go into ketosis glucose becomes limited, and your body must turn to fat stores for the energy it requires. Your body breaks fat down into glycerol and fatty acids. The liver synthesizes ketones using glycerol. The glycerol is broken down by the liver for additional glucose, and finally, those ketones are used by your brain as glucose becomes less available.[1]

Benefits: Weight Loss and Cleansing

Burning fat has several benefits for your health — the first being weight loss. Ketosis is a predictable way to target fat stores that otherwise remain untouched even with a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, getting rid of that extra fat has a detoxifying effect on the body. Your body’s natural defenses use fat stores to store toxic metals and other toxins so they can’t wreak havoc on your system. However, during ketosis, these toxic metals and toxins are safely expelled from your body as fat reserves get used up.[3] This cleansing effect may temporarily alter some people’s complexion or cause other signs of a healing crisis.

Stage 3: Day 8-15

Stage three typically falls between day eight and 15. This stage includes dramatic improvements in mood and mental clarity and is the stage seasoned fasters look forward to the most.

How You Feel: Clear Minded

By the third stage a sort of “fasting high” begins. This boost happens when your body fully adjusts to fasting. While not everyone reaches this stage, those who do report a dramatic improvement in how they feel. These improvements include an elevated mood, increased energy levels, and a type of clear mindedness unique to fasting.

What’s Happening With Your Body: Healing Mode

During stage three, your body starts to enter into a “healing mode.” This healing process begins as your digestive system takes a rest from the common stressors and toxins it endures on a daily basis. As a result, your body has fewer free radicals entering the mix, and oxidative stress decreases.[4]

On the flip side, fasting causes a stress that provides an added benefit. This is a kind of mild stress that is comparable to the stress caused by exercise, which ultimately makes you stronger and your immune system more resilient.[5]

Benefits: Healthy Aging

When the cumulative effects of this stage add up, they can be the catalyst for significant health improvements. Anytime you limit free radicals and oxidative stress you are encouraging healthy aging and positioning yourself for fewer health complications.[6] While less researched, this healing process seems to improve health for some.

Stage 4: Day 16 and Beyond

Stage four occurs sometime around day 16 and continues through the duration of your fast. While there may be some changes moving beyond this juncture, there is a daily balance that starts to set in.

How You Feel: Balanced

If you make it to stage four, you are at a place most have never gone. This stage, while doable, should only be attempted under close supervision from a trusted healthcare professional. For those that do make it this far, there are not any drastic shifts that occur in how you feel. Instead, a steady balance seems to set in.

What’s Happening With Your Body: Healing Mode Extended

Stage four is the extension and completion of the healing and cleansing processes that began during the earlier stages. The longer you fast, the more time and opportunity your body has to heal and cleanse itself.

Benefits: Personal Goals and Growth

If you make it this far, the benefit becomes personal. Fasting, especially beyond the first seven days, takes steadfast dedication. What you get out of the fast in these later stages can be a culmination of all the earlier stages or an accomplishment of a personal health goal. For some, it is weight loss, for others, it is a strategy to heal a particular health complication.

Stage 5: Breaking the Fast

Stage five may come sooner or later, depending on your fasting goal. While we don’t assign a specific target day, you may want to make breaking your fast a planned event you can look forward to and celebrate when it’s all done.

How You Feel: Accomplished

Whether you fasted for half a day or a full month, you should feel accomplished. Taking deliberate action to improve your health or testing your limits is something worth celebrating.

What’s Happening With Your Body: Easing Out of Fasting Mode

How you choose to end your fast is critical. Depending on how long you fast, you may need to ease your way back into eating solid food. Fruit juices, cooked vegetables, and broths can help acclimate your body and digestive system to eating as internal mechanisms come back online.

Benefits: Start Something New

With careful planning and thought, fasting can be an incredible springboard into a healthier lifestyle. One suggestion is to make plans before you even start your fast. Write down what you’re hoping to get out of it and what you want to accomplish. If done correctly, the end of a fast is the perfect time to begin a dramatically healthier diet and lifestyle.

Additional Fasting Tips

Bowel movements and bad breath are two subjects that most people usually avoid discussing, but when fasting, you need to be aware of both.

During stage one and two of the fast, your body will still be expelling toxins and damaged cells every time you go to the bathroom. Using an intestinal cleansing product, like Oxy-Powder® will help more thoroughly cleanse and detoxify your body.

Bad breath will be a concern throughout every stage of a fast. Slightly offensive breath is completely natural and part of the detoxing processes. If you are worried about your breath while you fast, I have created an all-natural solution. It’s called Fresh Mouth™, and it comes in a convenient spray bottle that fits in your pocket. Just a few sprays and your mouth will feel fresh and smell great!

Beans “the poor people’s meat”

Why You Should Opt out of Olive Oil

Olives conjure up images of the warm sun and deep blue seas of the Mediterranean where the olive tree flourishes.

In more recent times, olive oil has enjoyed similar admiration.

Purple olives in oil with leaves on a white background.Considered by many as a staple in any serious kitchen, olive oil has also achieved mythic stature as the ultimate healthy ingredient, protecting us from heart disease.

But does olive oil really deserve its ‘heart healthy’ reputation?

In today’s article, we explore the real truth about olive oil in depth…

One More Time…

As we have now pointed out numerous times, any oil—including olive oil—is not a whole food and thus has little place in a whole food, plant-based diet.

Like any other oil, olive oil is a processed, concentrated fat extract and thus has lost most of the nutritional value of its original form (the olive itself).

If you want some nutritional value, you will find it by eating the whole olive—not by consuming it in its almost unrecognizable extracted oil form. (But even olives should be eaten in moderation due to its high fat and sodium content.)

Bottom line is that the fats we need should come in nature’s original package – whole plant foods!

A Quick Lesson in Cardiovascular Health

splash of oilTo evaluate whether or not olive oil is indeed ‘heart-healthy’, we first need to understand a few facts about vascular biology.

The vessels in our entire cardiovascular system are lined with highly functional endothelial cells. These cells provide a barrier between the blood and the rest of the body tissues and are involved in blood clotting, the formation of new blood vessels, and recruitment of immune defense cells.

Endothelial cells also produce nitric oxide (NO), which makes blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow and prevent platelets from sticking to the vessel walls.

Impaired endothelial function is a hallmark of vascular disease, considered an early event in the development of atherosclerosis, and seen in patients with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes.

A noninvasive method to test endothelial function is Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD), which uses an ultrasound to measure flow-mediated changes in the diameter of the brachial artery.

Healthy endothelial cells will respond to a stimulus by releasing NO and causing the brachial artery to dilate, while unhealthy cells will not. In other words, the level of dilation (or lack of), measured via ultrasound, is a good indication of the overall health of the vessels in the cardiovascular system.

Olive Oil and the Heart

Olive oilNot surprising, significant FMD impairment can be seen after someone smokes or eats a lot of fat, sugar and/or salt in a meal. FMD impairment is also detected when someone suffers from mental stress or a chronic disease like high cholesterol or diabetes.

So what is the effect of olive oil on FMD?

All oils, both animal and plant derived, tend to worsen endothelial function. Within hours of ingesting fat, arteries stiffen and the ability to dilate is impaired.

A 1999 study measuring FMD after the ingestion of high-fat meals reported a “3-hour decline in FMD after subjects ingested a traditional meal of a hamburger and fries or cheesecake. Olive oil was found to have the same impairment to endothelial function as the rest of these high-fat meals.”

And a 2007 study showed a similar detrimental effect on endothelial function after the intake of olive, soybean and palm oils.

Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil a Healthier Choice?

Green OlivesIn a cohort study designed to measure the effects of a Mediterranean diet as the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was shown to be better than regular olive oil, but neither significantly reduced heart attack rates.

Other studies report similar findings, showing that EVOO damages endothelial function—just like its ‘regular’ olive oil counterpart.

In the PREDIMED study, 7447 people at high risk for cardiovascular disease were randomly placed into 3 groups. One group was told to eat a Mediterranean diet using only EVOO (up to 1 liter per week!). The second group ate a Mediterranean diet and added half-pound of nuts per week. The third group was told to reduce fat intake (but it didn’t).

After five years, the conclusions were stunning; there were nearly no differences between groups. No differences in weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, or lipid profile.

And no difference in the number of heart attacks or deaths from cardiovascular disease; those in the EVOO group suffered just as many heart attacks and cardiovascular disease as those in the control group (there was a significant reduction in the number of strokes, but that reduction was greater in the group that ate nuts).

The Mediterranean Diet Is Healthful in Spite of Olive Oil…

Olive oil bottle isolated on a white background.It appears that the low heart disease rate associated with a Mediterranean diet is in spite of olive oil—not because of it!

In other words, the ‘heart-healthy’ Mediterranean diet is due to the high consumption of whole plant foods rather than the olive oil, which usually accompanies all those vegetables.

In fact, studies to measure the effects of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function showed FMD impairment after meals rich in olive oil.

Scientists concluded that the Mediterranean diet’s heavy “inclusion of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and their products apparently provide some protection against the direct impairment in endothelial function produced by high-fat foods, including olive oil.”

These results were confirmed in another study showing that adding vegetables to a fatty meal may restore (at least partially) arterial function and blood flow.

Olive Oil Gives Power to the Plaques

In addition, it appears that olive oil can contribute to atherosclerosis.

Green olives isolated on whiteAtherosclerosis is the narrowing of blood vessels due to the buildup of waxy ‘plaques’ – clumps of fat and debris – along the vessel walls. The vessels become narrow and rigid, causing the heart to have to work harder to deliver oxygen to our bodies and increasing the risk of heart attacks.  To make matters worse, the fat in the plaques is easily oxidized, releasing dangerous free radicals that further damage blood vessels.

When comparing baseline with one-year follow-up angiograms in people with coronary heart disease, saturated animal fat, monounsaturated (olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats were all associated with significant increase in new atherosclerotic lesions.  The lesions stopped growing only by decreasing all fat intake—from whatever source

Is Olive Oil Really the Best Alternative?

oil splashMany argue that olive oil is a better alternative than other saturated fats. While there is some truth to this (olive oil does appear to cause relatively less damage than saturated animal fats), it is important to note that ‘less damage’ is still damage.

The scientific evidence clearly shows that olive oil plays a role both in damaging blood vessels as well as forming atherosclerotic plaques.

 

‘Causing less damage’ is a far cry from ‘promoting heart health’ as so many people believe is the case with olive oil.

The bitter truth is that, as Dr. Esselstyn points out, “Between 14 and 17 percent of olive oil is saturated, artery-clogging fat – every bit as aggressive in promoting heart disease as the saturated fat in roast beef.”

If you are just starting on your plant-based journey, keeping tiny amounts of extra virgin olive oil may help you enjoy your starches and veggies more and guarantee that you ‘stick’ to the diet. It is indeed better than using other oils or fats, and much better than continuing to eat a standard American diet.

However, if you want to continue to improve on your plant-based diet and make it predominantly whole foods, the recommendation is to stay away from olive oil altogether—even the extra virgin variety.  So just opt out of olive oil.

The true heroes of a heart-healthy diet are whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, so embrace these foods and enjoy their benefits.

Your heart will thank you for it.

By Rosane Oliveira on

Foods to Increase Blood Flow

Foods to Increase Blood Flow and Circulation

Poor circulation is a common problem caused by a number of conditions.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), diabetes, obesity, smoking and Raynaud’s disease are some of the many causes of poor circulation (

Reduced blood flow can cause unpleasant symptoms, such as pain, muscle cramps, numbness, digestive issues and coldness in the hands or feet.

In addition to those with poor circulation, athletes and active individuals may want to increase blood flow in order to improve exercise performance and recovery.

Although circulatory issues are often treated with medications, eating certain foods can also improve blood flow.

Here are the 13 best foods to optimize blood flow.

1. Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper gets its spicy flavor from a phytochemical called capsaicin.

Capsaicin promotes blood flow to tissues by lowering blood pressure and stimulating the release of nitric oxide and other vasodilators — or compounds that help expand your blood vessels

Vasodilators allow blood to flow more easily through your veins and arteries by relaxing the tiny muscles found in blood vessel walls.

Research indicates that ingesting cayenne pepper increases circulation, improves blood vessel strength and reduces plaque buildup in your arteries

What’s more, these spicy peppers are frequently included in pain-relieving creams because they can encourage blood flow to the affected area

2. Pomegranate

Pomegranates are juicy, sweet fruits that are particularly high in polyphenol antioxidants and nitrates, which are potent vasodilators.

Consuming pomegranate — as juice, raw fruit or supplement — may improve blood flow and oxygenation of muscle tissue, which could especially aid active individuals.

A study in 19 active people, found that ingesting 1,000 mg of pomegranate extract 30 minutes before working out increased blood flow, blood vessel diameter and exercise performance

Another study demonstrated that daily consumption of 17 ounces (500 ml) of pomegranate juice during or before weight training reduced soreness, muscle damage and inflammation in elite weightlifters

3. Onions

Onions are an excellent source of flavonoid antioxidants, which benefit heart health.

This vegetable improves circulation by helping your arteries and veins widen when blood flow increases.

In a 30-day study in 23 men, taking 4.3 grams of onion extract daily significantly improved blood flow and artery dilation after meals

Onions also have anti-inflammatory properties, which can boost blood flow and heart health by reducing inflammation in veins and arteries

4. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a warming spice that has many health benefits — including increased blood flow.

In animal studies, cinnamon improved blood vessel dilation and blood flow in the coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart.

Rats fed 91 mg per pound (200 mg per kg) of body weight of cinnamon bark extract daily for eight weeks exhibited better heart performance and coronary artery blood flow after exhaustive exercise compared to rats in the control group

Plus, research shows that cinnamon can effectively reduce blood pressure in humans by relaxing your blood vessels. This improves circulation and keeps your heart healthy

In a study in 59 people with type 2 diabetes, 1,200 mg of cinnamon per day reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading) by an average of 3.4 mmHg after 12 weeks

5. Garlic

Garlic is well known for its beneficial impact on circulation and heart health.

Studies suggest that garlic — specifically, its sulfur compounds, which include allicin — can increase tissue blood flow and lower blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels.

In fact, diets high in garlic are associated with better flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), an indicator of blood flow efficiency.

In a study in 42 people with coronary artery disease, those who consumed garlic powder tablets containing 1,200 mg of allicin twice daily for three months experienced a 50% improvement in blood flow through the upper arm artery compared to a placebo group .

7. Beets

Many athletes supplement with beet juice or beet powder to help improve performance.

This is because beets are high in nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow to muscle tissue.

Beet juice supplements improve oxygen flow in muscle tissue, stimulate blood flow and increase nitric oxide levels — all of which can boost performance

Aside from assisting athletes, beets improve blood flow in older adults with circulatory issues.

In a study in 12 older adults, those who drank 5 ounces (140 ml) of nitrate-rich beet juice per day experienced significant decreases in blood pressure, clotting time and blood vessel inflammation than those who consumed a placebo

8. Turmeric

Increased blood flow is one of turmeric’s many health benefits.

In fact, both Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine have utilized turmeric since ancient times to open blood vessels and improve blood circulation

Research suggests that a compound found in turmeric called curcumin helps increase nitric oxide production, reduce oxidative stress and decrease inflammation.

In a study in 39 people, taking 2,000 mg of curcumin daily for 12 weeks led to a 37% increase in forearm blood flow and a 36% increase in upper arm blood flow

9. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like spinach and collard greens are high in nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator.

Eating nitrate-rich foods may help improve circulation by dilating blood vessels, allowing your blood to flow more easily.

In a 27-person study, those consuming high-nitrate (845 mg) spinach daily for seven days experienced significant improvements in blood pressure and blood flow compared to a control group

What’s more, research has observed that people following a traditional Chinese diet high in nitrate-rich vegetables like Chinese cabbage have lower blood pressure and a significantly decreased risk of heart disease than those who consume a typical Western diet

10. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruit are packed with antioxidants, including flavonoids.

Consuming flavonoid-rich citrus fruits may decrease inflammation in your body, which can reduce blood pressure and stiffness in your arteries while improving blood flow and nitric oxide production

In a study in 31 people, those who drank 17 ounces (500 ml) of blood orange juice per day for one week had significant improvements in artery dilation and large reductions in markers of inflammation such as IL-6 and CRP compared to a control group

Additionally, regular consumption of citrus fruits, such as lemon and grapefruit, has been associated with reduced blood pressure and a decreased risk of stroke

11. Walnuts

Walnuts are loaded with beneficial compounds, such as l-arginine, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and vitamin E — which all stimulate the production of nitric oxide.

Eating walnuts may reduce blood pressure, improve blood vessel function and decrease inflammation, which may be particularly helpful for those with diabetes

People with diabetes often have circulation issues and high blood pressure due to blood vessel damage caused by uncontrolled blood sugar levels

In a study in 24 people with diabetes, those who ate 2 ounces (56 grams) of walnuts per day for eight weeks experienced significant improvements in blood flow compared to a control group

12. Tomatoes

Tomatoes may help reduce the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which causes blood vessels to constrict to control blood pressure

Research reveals that tomato extract works similarly to ACE-inhibiting drugs — opening up your blood vessels and improving blood flow.

Test-tube studies note that tomato extract can inhibit ACE, reduce inflammation and disrupt platelet aggregation, which can improve circulation

13. Berries

Berries are especially healthy — they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, which may have a positive impact on blood flow.

Chronic inflammation can damage blood vessels and raise your blood pressure, which can cause circulatory issues.

Research shows that eating berries can lower blood pressure, heart rate, platelet aggregation and blood levels of inflammatory markers like IL-6 while also improving artery dilation

14. Ginger

Ginger, a staple in traditional medicine in India and China for thousands of years, can likewise lower blood pressure and improve circulation

In both human and animal studies, ginger has been shown to reduce high blood pressure, which negatively impacts blood flow

In a study in 4,628 people, those who consumed the most ginger — 2–4 grams per day — had the lowest risk of developing high blood pressure

Animal studies demonstrate that ginger works by inhibiting ACE