Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh All Gifts of Health

When the three kings reportedly brought their three gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh to the infant Jesus, these presents were considered a sign of wealth because they were rare. However, they are also gifts of health, and all three have applications in today’s medical world.

Three gifts of health through the ages

Myrrh comes from small trees or thorny shrubs that are native to Africa, South Arabia, and the eastern Mediterranean. The viscous liquid extracted from the bark has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes ranging from snake bites to leprosy, parasites, headache, indigestion, and skin infection.
Today myrrh is mostly used as an astringent and as an antiseptic for inflamed lesions of the mouth and throat. For these purposes myrrh is usually administered as a tincture or in tea, rinses, gargles, and dental powders. Myrrh should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as it can promote menstruation and abortion.
Frankincense is extracted from the gum resins of the tropical Boswellia thurifera tree. A recent study published in Dermatologic Therapy reported on the effects of a base cream that contained boswellic acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. The cream was used by female volunteers in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine its effect on photoaging. The investigators concluded that the cream may be a suitable treatment for roughness, fine lines, and other signs of skin photoaging.
Frankincense is also being studied for its possible role as a cancer treatment. One of the more recent studies, published in Cancer Research, found that a component of boswellia may inhibit prostate tumor growth. A University of Oklahoma study also suggested that frankincense oil may be an alternative agent for bladder cancer treatment.
Gold has several applications in today’s medical world, including nanotechnology. In a recent study, gold nanobeacons were used along with photoacoustic tomography to achieve superior imaging details of new blood vessel growth, which is necessary for new tumors to form. Gold is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer and to repair damaged blood vessels, bones, and membranes.
The three gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold delivered more than two millennia ago are all gifts of health, and they keep on giving today.

High fat low carbohydrate diet raises heart disease risk

Findings from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast show that consuming a high fat low carbohydrate diet, like the Atkins diet, can significantly boost heart disease risk. The research suggests that a low carbohydrate high fat diet carries risks that far outweigh weight loss benefits.
Dr Steven Hunter from the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast who led the study said, “High-fat diets have become popular because they seemingly promote more rapid weight loss and because of their palatability. However, we now have proof that they do not help people lose weight any faster than more conventional diets, and the potential negatives of increased cardiovascular risks far outweigh the potential positives of more easily sustained dieting/weight loss, especially when there is a proven and safe alternative in low-fat high-carbohydrate weight loss diets.”
According to background information from the study, obesity and diabetes is seen together eighty percent of the time. In the UK 16% of children, and twenty four percent of adults are now classified as obese and at risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes has become a global epidemic, and is expected to triple health care spending over the next two decades, making the findings that a high fat low carbohydrate diet increases risk of heart disease especially notable.
The current study was conducted on obese, pre diabetic individuals. Researchers compared the two diets, (20% fat, 60% carbohydrate and 60% fat, 20% carbohydrate), finding that both facilitated weight loss. However, a high fat low carbohydrate diet differed because it can increase heart disease risk.
The high fat low carbohydrate diet produced arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease. The authors say the changes in artery health were significant among study participants eating high fats and low carbs.
The findings show that eating a high fat low carbohydrate can be dangerous. A high fat diet increases arterial stiffness – recently found to be an easy way to predict and individual’s chances of developing heart disease. Compared to a low fat, high carbohydrate diet, weight loss results are similar between the two diets. The benefits of weight loss are undermined for individuals who lose weight by consuming a high fat ,low carbohydrate diet - now shown to increase the risk of heart disease significantly.

Health Insurance Companies Promoting Medical Tourism

In an attempt to rein in exploding medical costs, a growing number of health insurance companies are offering their customers, both individuals and employers, an opportunity to get their health care overseas. Some medical and dental procedures overseas can cost up to 80 percent less, excluding travel costs, than in the states.
Medical tourism, according to the international nonprofit organization Medical Tourism Association, is a practice whereby “people who live in one country travel to another country to receive medical, dental and surgical care,” which they do “because of affordability, better access to care or a higher level of quality of care.” One of the principles of the Association is to provide unbiased information and education for health insurance companies, patients, and employers about available hospitals and medical and dental services.
In the past, most medical tourists were wealthy or uninsured. Today, however, more and more of them have health insurance. According to a 2008 survey conducted by Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, nearly 40 percent of Americans said they would travel overseas to receive medical treatment if the cost was cut in half and the quality of care was comparable.
As more and more Americans make the trip overseas—80,000 traveled to Bangkok’s Bumrungrad International Hospital in 2006 alone, according to Managed Care magazine—health insurance providers are slowing joining in. Among them are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and Georgia-based BasicPlus Insurance Services, and an increasing number of others are making inquiries.
One concern about surgeries and medical procedures performed overseas is follow-up care. Patients need to know how such care will be handled, especially if complications arise. Some US insurance providers have agreements with foreign hospitals to coordinate post-procedure care.
Some services, such as hip and knee surgery, heart valve replacements, spinal fusions, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and many dental surgeries, are good candidates for medical tourists. Others, such as bone marrow transplants, need special follow-up care and should be done at home.
Individuals whose health insurance provider offers overseas medical care should consider several factors. Generally, people who have a high deductible plan may find medical tourism economically worthwhile, and some employers are even willing to pick up the travel expenses because the savings to them is considerable as well. High out-of-pocket expenses are common with dental coverage, which makes overseas dental care trips popular as well. Medical tourists should also take along a friend or family member to help them deal with the medical system in a foreign country.
Approximately 750,000 Americans were medical tourists in 2007 and, according to Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, about twice that number will make the trip in 2010. As the number of health insurance companies who offer this option to its premium payers grows, so will the number of individuals and employers who will pack their bags

Massage Health Benefits Measured in First Study

In a first study, researchers have shown that Swedish massage boosts immune cells and leads to other endocrine changes that could reduce the risk of disease. Scientists at Cedars-Sinai studied 29 subjects who received 45 minutes of Swedish massage and 24 who received 45 minutes of light touch massage, measuring hormones and blood cells before and after Swedish massage.
The results showed that subjects receiving a massage also had an immune boosting response, along with other health benefits. According to Mark Rapaport, M.D., chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, "People often seek out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn't been much physiological proof of the body's heightened immune response following massage until now."
The adults were instructed to rest for 30 minutes after having an intravenous catheter inserted to obtain blood for analysis. Blood was collected after the rest period, at five minutes and one minute before massage. After massage, samplings were obtained at one, five, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes.

Massage boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones.

The results of the analysis revealed higher numbers of white blood cells that fight disease following massage. Cytokine levels also decreased in the group receiving Swedish massage. Cortisol levels that are released in response to stress were lower, in addition to the hormone Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) that is linked to aggressive behavior.
Dr. Rapaport says, "More research is ahead of us but it appears that a single massage may deliver a measurable benefit”, plus it feels good.
The study is the first to measure physiologic changes following Swedish massage that show the health benefits. It may be that massage could help fight a wide array of diseases linked to inflammation and autoimmune dysfunction.

Neti pot for sinus health and cleansing nose

The Neti Pot naturally cleanses, refreshes, and protects the nasal passages, one of our body's first lines of defense against illness.
In the U.S., sinus problems is the #1 reason people see a doctor. With increasing pollution and chemicals in our environment, there is an enormous rise in the number of people who suffer various forms of nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses. Alternative health practitioners throughout the world recommend the regular practice of nasal cleansing using a saline solution as part of a regular regimen of health and wellness, a basic health-maintenance activity equal to flossing your teeth. Neti pot is a gentle, safe, efficient way to deliver a good cleansing dose of saline to the nose.
Although the practice of nasal irrigation originated in India, today there are numerous people in Europe and the United States who use neti pot as part of their daily routine.
People practice Neti on a daily basis to help keep their sinuses clean and to make their breathing easier and more free. Once they try it, most people find Neti to be a soothing and pleasant experience .
If, like a lot of people, you find that your nasal passages are blocked because of pollution, pollen, dust and other irritants, you may find this simple nasal irrigation technique to be of invaluable benefit to you.
The practice of nasal cleansing - known as Neti - has been used by practitioners of Ayurveda and Yoga in India for thousands of years. Neti is one of the 6 purification techniques performed prior to practicing yoga as a way of preparing the body for the yoga practice.
While there exist advanced techniques using various herbal oils and herbs, the simplest Neti technique uses water for the irrigation process. Lukewarm water is used to gently cleanse the nasal passages. A soothing, gentle stream of salt water, the same concentration as tears, flows through your nose, washing away pollens, mucus, viruses and bacteria. Use of a neti pot is recommended to ease this process.
Many health practitioners consider the nasal passages to be the doorway for most diseases. The nasal passage, with its finely-tuned mechanism of hairs and mucus membranes, which are intended to catch and restrain foreign entities from entering our bodies, actually is one of the ways nature protects us from diseases. Unfortunately, this filtering mechanism can become overloaded through high exposure to pollution, chemicals, fragrances, pollen and dust. Cleansing this filter regularly allows it to operate more efficiently.
A simple yet very powerful technique, neti works wonders for chronic sinusitis, and allergies. It has a remarkable effect on upper respiratory tract infections, especially hay fever. In fact, neti is so beneficial that responses usually change from "YUK, there is no way I am ever going to try that" to "WOW. That is fantastic. I am hooked for life" after just one trial.
Your neti pot should be right for YOUR nostrils: Choose a neti pot with a smoothly tapered conical tip at the spout end. This facilitates support on the nostril walls of varying sizes. More importantly, this minimizes spillage as it 'plugs' the inlet nostril.
How neti is done
A neti pot is filled with warm, slightly salted water and the spout of the pot is inserted into one nostril. The position of the head and pot are adjusted to allow the water to flow out of the other nostril.
The technique is not as uncomfortable or difficult as you may think at first. You will be pleasantly surprised at this simple and effective practice for maintaining your health.
Once learnt, neti can be done in about 3 minutes and is easily integrated into a daily routine of body cleansing such as showering or brushing your teeth.
Neti pot instructions:
1. Prepare the saline solution with lukewarm water and fill the neti pot. Hot water is irritating and dangerous. Cool water is not soothing.
2. Tilt your head to the side as shown in the picture at the beginning of this article...
3. Insert spout of neti pot gently into the raised nostril creating a seal between the neti pot and the nostril. If it drains out of your mouth, lower your forehead in relation to your chin. Relax. If you are calm, the water flows right through. But if you aren't, it just won't flow. If you keep breathing through your mouth, relaxed, the water should gently flow through the nose on its own. There's no forcing it.
4. Raise the neti pot slowly to develop a steady flow of saline solution through the upper nostril and out the lower nostril.
5. During the process breathe through your mouth.
6. When you're done, exhale firmly several times to clear the nasal passages.
7. Reverse the tilt of your head and repeat the process on the other side.
Marc Leduc is the publisher of Healingdaily.com and these statements are not approved by the US FDA.