The Power Of Mustard

The first Saturday in August is National Mustard Day in America, and there is also a mustard season in Nepal when the middle hills have terraces full of the golden plant: the terraces seem to lift to the heavens offering the gold to the gods. It is mustard time.
A time remembered from 2,500 years ago when a woman came to the Buddha with a dead child asking the boon of life. The Buddha told her to bring back a handful of mustard seed from a family that hasn’t suffered death. When she couldn’t find one, she realised that grief extended everywhere and was inevitable.
Jesus Christ had his parable of the mustard seed where he showed that smallest of seeds grow plants so big as to provide shelter for birds. In 1715, an Order of the Mustard Seed was found in Germany with the aim of being true to Christ, kind to all people and spreading the news of the Gospel to the world.
Not only do this two stories talk about mustard in different parts of the world, they talk about the spread of a spice that is second only to pepper in its use.
Said the writer Anatole France, “A tale without love is like meat without mustard; an insipid dish.”
The word mustard itself derives from the French word mout — a term used by wine makers. The mout is the grape juice for making wine, thus, the moutarde of France was the original liquid used in making mustard paste.
Once it was used as a medicine as well. You cured everything from colds to
spider attacks and it was recommended to make rigid sinews subtle by using it as massage oil.
And it is mustard oil that is used for cooking in the sub-continent. One of the more wondrous sights are the old mustard presses in the village of Thecho. These date back some 300 years and are in danger of disappearing.
Half of the world’s mustard comes from the Dijon region of France and it is the subject of gourmet writing. According to The New York Time Food Encyclopedia compiled by Craig Claiborne who says, “It is purely subjective, but I have my own theories that mustards vary from region to region, and that each mustard has special affinity for certain foods that, in general, are also regional.
“Such French mustard as that of Dijon or Meaux, bearing such names as Grey Poupon, Maille, Pikarome, Pommery, and so on, go especially well with such foods as roast leg of lamb, French meat specialties such as garlic sausages, French style, chitterling sausages, blood sausages. And it is present in mayonnaise sauces of French origin in Dijon.

“German mustards such as Dusseldorf are highly compatible with smoked German pork products. Creole mustard, notably Zatarain’s brand, made in New Orleans, has no peer as an ingredient for remoulade sauce. The bright yellow mustard, whose colour is due to the addition of turmeric, is made in America and it has no challengers when it comes to something to smear on hot dogs.
“In England, one of the most famous personages in mustard lore is a Mrs Clement of Durham (some say Lancashire). Although mustard paste had been used for many years, this 18th century woman produced a mustard made with a finer powder and a brighter appearance, and sold it from the back of wagon all over the country.
“The Chinese and the English have a preference for freshly made hot mustard, and it is as ideal as a side condiment for Chinese food as it is for rare roasts.”

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B12 Metabolism and Blood Cells & Heart disease

The B12 vitamin is just one of the essential b vitamins that are needed to maintain a healthy body and mind. Cobalamin is the alternative name for the B12 vitamin. The body needs the B12 vitamin for a number of different processes including converting the fats, carbohydrates and proteins from all food that is consumed into energy (i.e.normal metabolism).

One of the most important processes that the B12 is essential for is to create healthy red blood cells. The prevention of heart disease relies on the production of healthy blood cells and therefore the B12 vitamin is vital, moreover vitamin B12 has an important role in reducing Homocysteine that plays a dangerous role in initiating the process of atherosclerosis.

The B12 vitamin is also vital for keeping the immune system functioning at its maximum efficiency. Not only this, but the B12 vitamin also works to form the protective covering of all the nerve cells in the body.

The production of red blood cells is not the only type of cells that the B12 vitamin is essential for. In fact, all of the cells in the body require the B12 vitamin, including white blood cells and nerve cells. The white blood cells are an important part of the immune system and without the B12 vitamin the effectiveness of the immunity of the body to germs and viruses is heavily reduced. The nerve cells need the B12 vitamin to create the fatty layer that will protect them from damage. The brain cells are particularly open to disease and damage if there is not enough B12 vitamin present to form this protective layer.

Even though the B12 vitamin is involved in so many essential processes the actual recommended daily amount that a body needs is quite small. The fact is that the majority of people consume much more of the B12 vitamin than their body actually requires. The only issue is that the body cannot absorb the B12 vitamin very easily and has to create its own aid to the process. The intrinsic factor that the body produces helps the body to absorb the B12 vitamin that it needs from food but this still amounts to only half of the total B12 vitamin available. A deficiency in the B12 is extremely rare in most people and is made even less likely because the body can recycle the B12 vitamin that it already has absorbed.

A few groups of people may develop anaemia due to a lack of B12 vitamin in their diet. Young children often have a problem getting enough of the B12 vitamin because they may be extremely fussy eaters and it is important to encourage them to eat as wide a variety of foods as possible. This is not only the case with the B12 vitamin but is true for all essential vitamins and minerals.

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Yeast Infection: Natural Remedies for Relief

Yeast Infection Remedies

If you're a woman of childbearing age, you're certainly more prone to yeast infection. And Candida albicans, a permanent inhabitant of your vagina, is generally the culprit. Little wonder almost eighty percent of the infection is caused by it. However, for the yeast to take ominous overtones, the acidic environment of your vagina, maintained by the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus, has to become imbalanced. This can occur due to various reasons.

However, what's most galling is whenever you get this infection your physician generally recommends over-the-counter medications. The problem is, these prescription medicines are not only strong and saddle you with some nasty side effects, they're also quick-fix solutions to your problems. Now, if you really want to root out your infection, there can be no better way than to opt for natural remedies for yeast infection. These have a long-lasting effect and are free of any side effects. In fact, apart from curing, these natural home remedies for yeast infection can be used daily to prevent recurrence of this infection.

Home remedies for yeast infection

There are a number of home remedies that had been in use for long. Let's see what they are:

a. Apple cider vinegar: Daubing apple cider vinegar on the infection sites on the body will help cure this infection. However, dilute the concentration of vinegar before use. In case, you're unable to get rid of itching, add some garlic.

b. Curds or yogurt: Regarded as one of the best home remedies, it’s a sure cure for this infection. This entails soaking a tampon into the curd and placing it in the infected region for an hour or so. This gives a chance to the healthy curd bacteria to replace the unhealthy yeast bacteria. This is to be repeated twice or thrice a day.

c. Buttermilk: This doesn't cure yeast infection, but reduces its probability. So, drink at least two glasses of buttermilk daily, whether infected or not. And also make curds a part of the daily diet.

d. Grapefruit seed extraction: Hailed as a magic cure, you can make it by mixing olive leaf extract and grapefruit seed extraction in a glass of water. This has proved a good curative tonic for yeast infection.

e. Garlic: Garlic is an effective natural remedy for vaginal yeast infection, because it contains natural antifungal substances that get rid of yeast. You’re required to insert a freshly peeled garlic clove into the vagina, after wrapping it in a gauze or cheesecloth. Keeping it overnight will help you get rid of the mild infection. Repeat the procedure for several nights for severe cases.

f. Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil also cures vaginal yeast infection. The method of applying is by coating the top half of a tampon with a lubricant, such as KY jelly and applying a few drops of pure tea tree oil to it. This is then inserted into the vagina. The lubricant keeps the tea tree oil from getting absorbed into the tampon.

g. Herbal douche: You can also use an herbal douche by combining equal amounts of sage, raspberry and comfrey with a quarter part goldenseal. This can be combined with cider vinegar.

h. Sugar intake: Those prone to this infection should decrease or eliminate sugar and sugary foods, since sugar promotes yeast growth. This means reduction in the consumption of fruit juices and sugar laden soda and drinks.

i. Pau d'arco (Tabebuia impestiginosa ):
The bark of this tree, also known as lapacho and taheebo, is used to treat a range of diseases, including yeast infection. The bark contains antifungal properties.

Those of you who're suffering from the ill effects of over-the-counter prescription drugs can explore the exciting possibilities offered by natural remedies for yeast infection. However, discuss these natural remedies with your physician before you start.

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Nitric Oxide Supplement: remedy to Cerebrovascular Disease

High risk of Cerebrovascular Disease

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases are the Top 10 causes of death in high-income countries (#2), middle income countries (#1) and low-income countries (#5). With 5.5 million deaths due to these diseases in 2002, this is what WHO has to say regarding this (quoted from www.who.int):

Q: What is the number one cause of death throughout the world?
Cardiovascular diseases kill more people each year--in high, middle- and low-income countries alike--than any others. In 2002, 7.2 million people died of coronary heart disease, 5.5 million from stroke or another form of cerebrovascular disease.


What is Cerebrovascular Disease (CVD)?
So, what is this cerebrovascular disease that is killing millions worldwide?

Cerebrovascular refers to the blood vessels (arteries) that supply blood to the brain, and cerebrovascular disease, in simple terms, refers to an abnormality of the brain due to a disruption in this blood supply in some way. This causes the brain cells to be deprived of oxygen as the blood is responsible for carrying oxygen to all of our body cells. The brain cells will then die or be damaged under this condition.

The most common type of cerebrovascular disease is stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident. Stroke is caused by either a clogged blood vessel in the brain, or when the blood vessel in the brain bursts or leaks. Other CVD include: transient ischemic attack (TIA), multi-infarct (arteriosclerotic) dementia and reversible ischemic neurologic deficit (RIND).

Roles of Nitric Oxide (NO)
Nitroglycerin and related vasodilating compounds increase the diameter of a blood vessel, and were found to act to release nitric oxide, an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Endothelium cells are cells that line the blood vessels and prevents the interaction of blood cells with the vessel walls.

The discovery of the role of nitric oxide in the human body was made by Robert F. Furchgott (hD), Louis J. Ignarro (PhD) and Ferid Murad (MD, PhD). This is one of the most important progress made in the study of cardiovascular medicine and the three were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998.

Nitric Oxide is a small gaseous, signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system produced by healthy endothelial cells. Signaling molecules have the function of producing another substance, the second messenger. The second messenger transmit messages along signal pathways between cells.

When NO enters a cell, it activates an enzyme called guanylate cyclase, which produces the second messenger, cyclic GMP. This second messenger relaxes and dilates the blood vessels.

So how do nitric oxide prevent strokes and cerebrovascular diseases? Nitric oxide lowers blood pressure, a high risk factor for both stroke and heart attack. By relaxing and dilating the blood vessels, it promotes healthy blood circulation to the brain and heart. It also causes coronary arteries to widen to increase blood flow to the heart.

Other roles of NO includes keeping arteries flexible, reverses arterial plaque and suppresses atherosclerosis. By preventing platelets and white blood cells from sticking to the vessel wall, NO can prevent atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the accumulation of deposits of fatty wax like materials, cholesterol, calcium, waste products, and other substances along the insides of the arteries.

In addition, nitric oxide can reduce the production of free radicals, which causes blood vessels to age rapidly, and suppress abnormal growth of vascular muscle cells to prevent blood vessels from thickening.

How important is nitric oxide to our body? Nitric oxide can form biological reactions with many compounds in our body, and have been found to play a role in a number of body system processes, including immune defense, regulation of cell death (apoptosis) and neurotransmission.

Source of Nitric Oxide
L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that stimulates the growth of nitric oxide within blood vessels. A semi-essential amino acid is one that can be produced by our body, or obtained from our diet.

Usually, a healthy person will have sufficient L-Arginine to produce the required amount of nitric oxide. Studies have shown that dietary supplements of L-Arginine will have little effect on people with healthy endothelium cells.

However, individuals with unhealthy endothelium cells are at risk of heart disease as their body cannot produce enough nitric oxide on their own. This is due to the presence of asymmetric dimethylarginine, a modified amino acid, that stops the production of nitric oxide. In such conditions, the human body requires dietary supplement to increase L-Arginine amounts. This will allows more NO to be produced naturally.

"... inappropriate coronary responses to sympathetic stimulation in people with coronary artery disease may be related to changes in the arginine-nitric oxide pathway and may be improved by increasing production of nitric oxide", says Joel Cellman, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.

Therefore, dietary supplements of L-Arginine can help prevent coronary heart diseases and CVD in high risk persons.

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