NATURE´S MEDICINE CABINET (Part 2)
This is a removed section of The Vitality Code (to save on word count). You can also view this here in this PDF.
Some of the most powerful and natural medicines are not even considered when someone gets sick. This shows the power of our embedded beliefs, that there is only one way, Western Medicine, when in fact, there is a plethora of healing modalities and approaches to medicine in the world.
A few years ago, a friend of the family who was in his mid-forties, was diagnosed with cancer and was told he had six months to live. He accepted it, moved abroad, and decided to enjoy the last 6 months of his life. He died leaving his wife and kids behind. I thought this was so sad, for obvious reasons – and, because there was so much he could have done to reverse the cancer. Since his beliefs were so deeply embedded around cancer, when he received the diagnosis and the prognosis by the oncologist, to the best of my knowledge, he did not even consider following a path of healing, alternative to conventional treatments. This is not “alternative health” as most consider it. This is alternative to those 3 conventional treatments for cancer. Really, there is no such thing as alternative heath, or alternative medicine. The way I see it, is that there is health (and Vitality), or there is drugs or surgery. The alternative to health…is drugs and surgery. I may sound repetitive. I just really want to impress upon you this distinction.
I’d like to help make that shift in your mind, so you truly open your mind up to a plethora of true, medicinal treatments that support your body’s own healing abilities. Nature heals. Herbs heal. Plants heal. Spices heal. Mushrooms heal. In this section, I’d like to shed more light and remind you just how powerful Nature´s Medicine cabinet can be. This is by no means exhaustive. Here we will cover:
- The King Of Spices – turmeric
- Anti-inflammatory spices
- Fantastic Fungi
Turmeric AKA” THE King Of Spices”
It is believed that historically, and in Biblical times, that gold (in Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh) may be a reference to turmeric, or curcumin, a specific part of turmeric. At the time turmeric was precious and it cost more than gold when spice was traded on the Eastern trade routes. Golden spice was the nickname given to turmeric.
The key ingredient of Turmeric is curcumin, and is the most heavily researched anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent available. It has the ability to selectively target the root of the cancer, the cancer stem cells. It then leaves intact the healthy tissue.
12 Scientific Studies that Show How Turmeric Earns Its Name As The Kind Of Spices
- Curcumin Is Anti-Inflammatory
Turmeric is commonly used to reduce inflammation, and the majority of turmeric’s inflammation-reducing powers is attributed to curcumin. Using the appropriate dose, curcumin can be a more effective anti-inflammatory treatment than common inflammation-fighting drugs including Ibuprofen and Asprin, according to this PubMed study[1]. Given chronic inflammation underlies most (if not all) chronic illnesses (symptoms), it can help with a myriad of symptoms.
- Curcumin May Protect Against Heart Disease
This study[2] shows how curcumin may improve endothelial function, and the health of the thin membrane that covers the inside of the heart and blood vessels. This membrane plays a key role in regulating blood pressure. Lower endothelial function is associated with aging and an increased risk of heart disease. Curcumin can therefore help protect against age-related loss of function and reduce your likelihood of developing heart disease.
In one study[3], researchers compared the effects of an eight-week aerobic exercise program and a curcumin supplement in improving endothelial function in postmenopausal women. Endothelial function was witnessed in both the exercise and the curcumin group. The control group saw no changes.
- Curcumin May Be Anti-Cancerous
As inflammation is linked to tumor growth, anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin may play a role in treating and preventing a variety of cancers. A research study[4] on mice suggests that curcumin can help slow the growth of tumor cells and may even prevent tumors from forming in the first place. It does this in a number of ways, including disrupting the formation of cancerous cells at various stages in the cell cycle, interfering with signalling pathways, and even causing those cancerous cells to die.
- Curcumin Can Ease Osteoarthritis
Again, linked with its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin might be a useful treatment option for people with osteoarthritis. In this study, people with compromised bone density (such as osteoarthritis and osteopenia) who took a proprietary mixture of curcumin, called Meriva, experienced significant improvements.
Meriva is a proprietary treatment made up of a natural curcuminoid mixture (75 percent curcumin; 15 percent demethoxycurcumin; and 10 percent bisdemethoxycurcumin), phosphatidylcholine.
This study[5] on mice published in the June 2016 issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy found that oral curcumin slowed the progression of OA, whereas a topical curcumin treatment provided pain relief. It would be useful to know if this applied to humans as well.
- Curcumin May Help Treat or Prevent Diabetes
Studies on animals[6] have shown that curcumin may help treat and prevent diabetes, as well as associated disorders like diabetic nephropathy (also called diabetic kidney disease), which affects people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
A study in obese mice with type 2 diabetes published in the July 2019 issue of Nutrition & Metabolism revealed that curcumin supplements helped lower blood insulin levels after 16 weeks.
To add to that, curcumin can help prevent diabetes through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and improve many of the factors that contribute to diabetes, including insulin resistance and high blood sugar.
- Turmeric Can Help Delay or Even Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease
It might even protect your brain against Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. It does this by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which also happens with exercise. This is a protein found in the brain and spinal cord that plays a vital role in maintaining health nerve cells (neurons) and also regulates communication between them – important for learning and memory.
As common brain disorders like Alzheimer’s[7] are associated with lower levels of BDNF, science shows[8]that curcumin might help delay or reverse brain degeneration.
- Turmeric Can Help Treat Depression
Like Alzheimer’s, depression is also associated with lower levels of BDNF and also with inflammation of the brain. Thanks to turmeric’s ability to boost levels of BDNF and lower inflammation, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this King of spices can act as an effective antidepressant.
In a study on humans published in April 2014 of Phytotherapy, researchers randomly assigned 60 patients with major depressive disorder to one of three groups: one group received daily 20 mg of what is commonly known as Prozac, fluoxetine, another received 1,000 mg of curcumin, and a third received a combination of both of them. All three groups saw comparable improvements, leading researchers to suggest that curcumin may be a safe and effective treatment for major depressive disorder. (26,27)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Given its that RA is a chronic inflammatory condition, it might not come as a surprise that with its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin can help treat RA. This commonly affects the joints and can spread to other areas, such as the eyes, lungs, skin, heart, and blood vessels. RA can also cause a painful swelling of the joints that can cause the bones to erode over time and ultimately lead to deformities and physical disabilities.
In this study[9], those with RA were given 500 mg of curcumin, 50 mg of diclofenac sodium (a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), or a combination of the two. After eight weeks, the curcumin-only group saw significant improvements in joint tenderness and swelling when compared with the other two groups. Researchers note the curcumin treatment was also safe, resulting in no harmful events.
- Turmeric May Improve Skin Health
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, turmeric help a variety of skin conditions, including acne, eczema and psoriasis – all of which are chronic inflammatory challenges.
One review published in the January 2018 issue of Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences suggests oral curcumin in particular may be an effective and safe treatment for psoriasis.
Topical curcumin treatments can also be effective in treating skin disorders. It is relatively safe in high doses.
- Turmeric Protects Your Body From Free Radicals
Your body is protected from damage by free radicals by antioxidants. This is a class of highly reactive atoms generated by our bodies, in addition to environmental toxins like cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals. Excessive exposure to free radicals can mess with our fats, proteins, and even the DNA in your body. This might lead to any ailment, any common diseases – including cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. It might therefore be deduced that antioxidant-rich spices like turmeric can play a crucial role in protecting your body from free radical damage.
This study[10] shows that curcumin is able to scavenge different types of free radicals, control enzymes that neutralize free radicals, and prevent certain enzymes from creating specific free radical types,
- Turmeric Can Be an Anti-Aging Supplement
Thanks to their ability to fight inflammation, aka “inflamma-ging,” and also protect your body against free radicals, it makes sense that turmeric might potentially delay brain degeneration and other age-related diseases, turmeric and curcumin may be effective anti-aging supplements, as noted in this research[11].
- Curcumin Might Prevent Eye Degeneration
A group of eye conditions known as glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over age 60.
Preliminary research published July 2018 in Scientific Reports shows topical curcumin treatments can help protect the eyes against degeneration. Researchers applied a proprietary curcumin eye drop solution to rats two times per day for three weeks. By the end of the study, the untreated rats experienced a 23 percent reduction in retinal cells compared with the treatment group. This suggests that eyesight loss was prevented by the curcumin treatment. More studies are needed but the study[12] findings are impressive.
Maybe health is being overcomplicated?
More anti-inflammatory spices include:
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Cayenne
- Black Pepper
- Jamaican Pie Spice Mixture
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Mixture
- Oregano
- Marjoram
- Thyme
- Sage
- Gourmet Italian Spice
As you can see, there are a number of spices that can be liberally used daily to fight and prevent inflammation. I often put turmeric, garlic, black pepper and cayenne in my omelettes and on other stir-fried veggies.
Fantastic Fungi
I could not discuss Nature´s Medicine Cabinet without discussing the healing prowess of mushrooms. A pioneer in this research is Paul Stamets whom I saw present in LA a few years ago, and is behind the fantasticdocumentary, Fantastic Fung. The world of mushrooms is truly enlightening and far greater than we ever realised. It would appear that they are interconnected by a web of intelligence called Mycelium.
Mushrooms have been consumed for many years thanks to their flavour, economic and ecological benefits, and also therapeutic properties. As research advances, it is evident that they comprise numerous bioactive compounds.
As a nutrient source, mushrooms are high in protein and low in fat, along with a high amount of vitamins B, C, D, and K, minerals, including potassium and phosphorus. Selenium is also present as a trace element. Mushrooms also comprise considerable amounts of dietary fibres.
The main medicinal properties of mushrooms consist of antibiotic, antitumor, antiviral, immuno-stimulant (stimulate the immune system) and hypolipidemic (lipid-lowering) abilities.
They appear to contain superior wound healing power, linked to their richness in polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. This been one of the most studied beneficial effects of mushrooms, described in scientific literature. Mushrooms’ medicinal properties are attributable to their richness in bioactive compounds. Melanin and extracellular enzymes are effective molecules among many. The wound healing properties of mushrooms include different mechanisms such as immune epithelial cells stimulation, and cytokines and growth factors release.
They have biological and therapeutic properties, with their anti-atherogenic (preventing or inhibiting atherogenesis – evident in cardiovascular disease, CVD), hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) antinociceptive (“process of blocking the detection of a painful or injurious stimulus by sensory neurons”) anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects being the most remarkable ones.
It is worth noting that some species can be extremely dangerous, and sometimes deadly. Further studies are needed to assess the mushrooms-derived bioactive compounds potential and their healing properties, as well as of the extracts from which they are derived.
I’d recommend watching Fantastic Fungi to have your mind blown about this species and the intelligent network of which they are a part and creators. Stamets believes they have hold the power protect the environment AND the intelligence to do this on purpose! Mycelia transmit information across their massive networks with similar neurotransmitters which which our brains function: the chemicals that allow us to think. Apparently, recent discoveries suggest that humans are more closely related to fungi than to plants.
Since the beginning of life on earth, mycelia have carried out essential ecological roles: they nourish ecosystems, repair them, and apparently even help to create them. They absorb nutrients from the soil and trade them with roots of plants for some of the energy that the plants produce through photosynthesis. No plant community could exist without mycelia. The foundation that lies below the ground, in the fungi.
Nature´s Cabinet is vast. Virtually anything that grows is a medicine – or a poison (depending on the dose. In The Vitality Secret I expanded on other forms of Medicine found in Nature like organic compounds and various forms of tea.
Purchase The Vitality Code (2023), here:
https://www.amazon.com/Vitality-Code-Pillars-Reverse-Engineer-Inflammation-ebook/dp/B0CD81HRY7
When you purchase this book, you will also get a free e-copy of The Vitality Secret. Alternatively, you can get hold of The Vitality Secret, here:
https://www.amazon.com/Vitality-Secret-Disease-Combat-Illnesses-ebook/dp/B01BA8J2U4
If you just want free stuff, go here!
https://vitalitysecret.com/codes
To your Vitality,
Neil Cannon
The power of Aloe vera: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15489888/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10543305/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23146777/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12680238/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4891896/
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17845505/
[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0896627391902733
[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899306027144
[9] https://www.rheumaterx.com/assets/pdfs/cs-curcumin.pdf
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/
[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20205886/
[12] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29393-8#Sec1