Archive for the ‘aging environmental toxins’ Category

The Birth Control Pill can Lower Libido

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

While the birth control pill has revolutionized many women’s lives, giving them more professional and sexual freedom, it has come at a cost. The interference with hormone levels has increased the incidence of candida, which can cause ill health and potentially a wide variety of illnesses.

Now, a recent study shows that the pill can in fact demolish libido.

How does the birth control affect Libido?

The birth control pill is designed to change a woman’s sexual hormones so that she doesn’t get pregnant. This change in hormones can actually keep a women from have a vibrant sex life.

The pill inhibits the production of certain hormones called androgens, such as testosterone, which directly influence sex drive and pleasure.

In addition, the pill increases the production of a protein called sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which serves to bind sexual hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Studies have shown a link between high levels of SHBG and decreased sexual desire.

The birth control can affect libido in several ways:

• Decreased libido
• Decreased enjoyment from sexual intercourse
• Decreased lubrication during intercourse; vaginal dryness

A study conducted in 2006 and published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine confirmed the birth control and libido link. It revealed that women using the pill had significantly lower libido than women not using the oral contraceptive.

Furthermore, the study showed that even those women who stopped using the pill continued to suffer from lowered sexual desire.

The Birth Control and Libido Study

The study included 124 pre menopausal women who had experienced long-term sexual dysfunction. The women were divided into three groups: continued birth control pill users, former pill users, and women who had never used the pill before.

SHBG levels for all three groups were taken on three separate occasions: at the commencement of the study, 80 days after pill discontinuation, and 120 after pill discontinuation.

The study found that levels of SHBG were much higher in the continued pill users than in those women who had never used the pill before. At the beginning of the study, continued pill users had 4 times the levels of SHBG in their system than non-users.

Even 120 days after discontinuing the pill, continued pill users still had 2 times the levels of SHBG that non-users had. This suggests that perhaps the birth control pill can contribute to long-term elevated levels of SHBG. It may even mean that the birth control pill could permanently affect SHBG levels in pill users, even after use is discontinues

What to do Next

Women who have their sex drive lowered after taking the pill can switch to another pill, however this might not eliminate the problem. Furthermore, interfering with hormones causes a range of problems generally including headaches, weight gain, and Candida.

It may be worth trying contraception that doesn’t affect libido and the body in general. These may be condoms, diaphragms, the copper coil, and even the rhythm method (sexually transmitted diseases must also be considered).
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How to Prevent Alzheimer’s Naturally

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Are you aware that the rate of Alzheimer’s disease is rapidly increasing? Every year more and more people are diagnosed with this horrendous disease. In fact, it is now the seventh deadliest illness in America.

Ten Warning signs of Alzheimer’s include:
1. Memory loss.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Inability to find the right words
4. Disorientation to time and place.
5. Strange behaviors such as wearing many layers of clothes or washing the same dishes over and over.
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things.
8. Changes in mood or behavior, suddenly becoming angry or depressed for no reason.
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative and motivation

Alzheimer’s turns its victims into a different unrecognizable person that doesn’t even remember their family and closest friends.

So what can we do to prevent Alzheimer’s
While their may be a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s, it is a primarily a preventable disease. An unhealthy diet high in sugar and Trans fats, lack of both mental and physical exercise, and a highly stressful life is generally at the root of the problem.

Here are some of the best ways to prevent this life invading illness:

  • Eat a nutritious diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Produce that has been scientifically shown to fight Alzheimer’s are pomegranates, wild blueberries, green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, and apples.
  • Eat plenty of high-quality omega-3 oils found in most seeds including hemp and flax. You can also take fish oil, but make certain it is from a good source, as many fish have mercury toxicity, which causes Alzheimer’s.
  • Ensure that you are getting enough antioxidants. As mentioned above, fruit and vegetables are the best way to fight free radical damage. Chocolate, green tea, vitamin E and vitamin C are other antioxidants that may be important for defending against Alzheimer’s.
  • A new study from researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has found that an antioxidant nutrient in strawberries may help improve memory and protect the brain from the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • New research from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows that pre-diabetes has been shown to greatly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Pre-diabetes is associated with higher blood sugar levels.
  • New research is showing that a person with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high obesity is far more likely (600% more) to lose healthy brain function and be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than people who maintain a healthy body weight, and who eat a healthy diet. Find out more about how yoga can help these problems.
  • The pigment in turmeric that gives curry spice its yellow hue may also be able to break up the “plaques” that mark the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients, early research suggests.
  • Avoid mercury. As mentioned above, many fish are contaminated with mercury, so research which fish are safe and mercury free. Vaccinations are another cause of mercury toxicity.
  • Avoid aluminium, such as in antiperspirants and aluminium cookware.
  • Exercise for three to five hours per week. According to studies, people who regularly exercise are ¼ as likely to develop the disease
  • Challenge your mind everyday. Research continually shows that mental stimulation, speaking two languages, travelling, puzzles, and learning to play an instrument are a good way to avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s. Learn something new everyday, even a vocabulary word, or a telephone number.
  • Deal with stress when it comes, since it is proven to erode mind and body. Stress produces hormones that damage the brain.

A team of UCI researchers found that when young animals were injected for just seven days with a glucocorticoid similar to the body’s stress hormones, the levels of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain increased by 60 percent. When beta-amyloid production increases and these protein fragments aggregate, they form plaques, one of the two hallmark brain lesions of Alzheimer’s disease. Meditation, yoga, art, and gardening are just two of the ways that we can manage our stress.
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