Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog – information on herbal medicine

Milk, as a rich source of vitamin D and calcium, is an important food which can reduce the risk of colon cancer. Both these nutrients suppress cancer in a powerful way. According to Dr. Cedric Garland, director of the Cancer Centre at the University of California at San Diego, blood levels of vitamin D can predict the risk of colon cancer. He examined 25,620 blood samples collected in Maryland in 1974, for vitamin D content and then he compared colon cancer rates over the next eight years. His conclusion was that those with high blood levels of vitamin D were 70 per cent less likely to develop colon cancer than those with low levels.

According to several studies, it appears that calcium suppresses harmful physiological factors leading to colon cancer. Dr. Cedric Garland has noted that men who drank a couple of glasses of milk daily over a 20 year period were only one-third as prone to developing colon cancer as non-milk drinkers. Dr. Garland estimates that 1,200-1,400mg of calcium per day might prevent 65-75 per cent of colon cancers. One reason is that calcium can suppress the proliferation of surface cells on the inner lining of the colon, thereby preventing the rapid cell growth which is a sign of developing cancer.

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The procedure known as female circumcision involves the removal of the clitoral hood. Apart from its history as an attempt to prevent or curb masturbation, this operation was a minor fad in the early 1970s for the purpose of allegedly enhancing female responsiveness. Similar in intent to the procedure occasionally performed a few decades ago of repositioning the clitoris closer to the vaginal opening, these maneuvers are based on a misunderstanding of female sexuality. They also carry their own risks, for example, development of scar tissue or loss of the protective function of the clitoral hood.

The clitoral hood is derived from the same tissue as the foreskin of newborn boys and uncircumcised adult males. Glands under the hood normally secrete smegma, the same white cheesy substance produced under the male foreskin. Gentle washing of this area removes the smegma, which, if allowed to accumulate, can cause adhesions under the hood. The vulval area is composed of delicate mucous membrane, much like the inside of the mouth. Soap and water, without unnecessarily vigorous scrubbing, are sufficient to keep it clean.

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Research clearly shows that the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream and the proportions of the different types of lipoproteins have a definite impact on your future risk for development of coronary blockages. This evidence has been found in extensive studies of populations whose average cholesterol levels were compared with the incidence of coronary artery disease and in studies investigating whether the tendency for development of coronary artery disease could be influenced by lowering cholesterol.

In certain circumstances, the link between lipid levels and cardiovascular risk is dramatic. Because of genes inherited from their parents, some people lack certain parts of their cells which are vital to processing cholesterol and getting rid of LDL cholesterol. In this condition, called familial hypercholesterolemia, people have extremely high levels of cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol. This makes them very susceptible to the development of angina pectoris or heart attacks very early in their lives, even in their 20s.

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