Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients
By Allison Kaplan Sommer April 02, 2006

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells self-destruct
-Ben Gurion University

At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn’t understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. ‘They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,’ Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. ‘And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.’

It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiation and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis.)

According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to ‘commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death.’ A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press.

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. ‘In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly – for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division – it triggers cell death,’ explains Weinstein. ‘This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.’

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needed to be explored further, in the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

That’s why Zabidov’s farm – the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel – has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. ‘My father died of cancer, and my wife’s sister died young because of cancer,’ said Zabidov. ‘So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I’m a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they’ve been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it’s great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.’

Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. ‘We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,’ he notes with a smile, ‘We raised some very nice children.’

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel, at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, ‘which was technically illegal,’ he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few.

His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling ‘several hundred kilos’ of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the citral works and why.

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. ‘When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University, because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.’

Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, ‘just because it tastes good.’

Natural Health Solutions
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Many of you may be getting questions or comments on the consumer¹s group
submitting a petition to the EPA for a ban on nano silver products. The ban
is on nano silver being used as pesticides or topical applications.
American Biotech Labs has written an article to counter the claims being
made. Many of the points have not been fully studied or researched but we
think this is knee-jerk reactions spurned on by possible pharmica motives
since many of them have financial interests in the pesticide industry.

America Biotech Labs has actually gotten approval for use of our products by
the EPA through studies we have submitted to them showing the safety data
plus they have their own safety they have laid down.

Please take the time to read the attached article and make copies for your
customer or patient base that may be concerned.

Sincerely,

Nolan Maxfield
Sales Representative
American Biotech Labs
800-605-1541 Ext 104
=================
American Biotech Labs¹

Nano-Silver Proven Safe For Humans

By Keith Moeller

Introduction

A great deal of misinformation has been released from the media claiming
that nano-silver products have not been tested for safety, and that it is
unknown what effects the products may have on people or the environment. It
has also been stated that these silver products can cause heavy-metal
poisoning. Little, if any, of this attack on nano-silver has validity, and
more importantly it is the work of people or special interest groups that
have something else to gain by limiting an individual¹s free right to have
and use safe silver products. American Biotech Labs has spent millions of
dollars on testing the safety and efficacy of nano-silver technology
products.

EPA Registration

American Biotech Labs already has been awarded a registration for two of
their ASAP nano-silver products from the EPA, after having completed
thousands of antimicrobial tests meeting strict EPA guidelines. Those
products have 10-minute-kill-time claims for both home and hospital
disinfection against deadly pathogens such as staph, yeast, and black mold,
etc. The products have also been approved for disinfecting dental water
lines used to spray into human mouths, as well as heating and ventilation
systems for home and industrial use.

Nano-Silver Safe For The Home And The Environment

Each EPA approved product is required to have safety information, and
according to that information a toxic spill or EPA reportable spill amount
is required to be printed in the product MSDS sheet (Material Safety Data
Sheet). For example, a chlorine-type cleaning product (found for open
purchase on store shelves right now) has a toxic spill rating of about three
gallons, meaning that a spill of three gallons or more must be reported to
the EPA and handled by HAZMAT authorities. In comparison, American

Biotech Labs¹ 32 ppm nano-silver product has a toxic spill rating of
12,500,000 gallons. An oil tanker will hold about a million gallons, which
means that 12.5 oil tankers full of the ASAP nano silver disinfectant would
have to spill their entire loads of the product together to be deemed a
toxic event to the environment. The management of American Biotech Labs
believes that there is no tank or vat large enough in the entire world that
could hold and subsequently spill enough of the ASAP disinfectant product to
actually be reportable as a toxic spill to the environment. In other words,
American Biotech Labs¹ nano-silver disinfectant product is perhaps the
safest disinfectant product, for environmental reasons, ever approved to
kill bacteria, mold, yeast and other pathogens.

Nano-Silver Tested For Cyto-toxicity (Will It Harm Human Cells?)

A number of independent cyto-toxicity tests have been completed on American
Biotech Labs¹ nano-silver products. At both 10 and 22 ppm, the products were
found to do no damage at all to either human or monkey cells, meaning that
they were found completely non-cyto-toxic. ASAP nano-silver gel products
were tested for cyto-toxicity at both 24 and 32 ppm by an independent
FDA/EPA approved lab. According to FDA guidelines, the cyto-toxicity is
reported on a scale of 1-4 (4 being highly cyto-toxic and 1 being very safe
for use). Both the 24 and 32ppm ASAP nano-silver products were deemed in the
testing to be a level 1, in other words having little or no negative effect
on the skin.

Ingested Nano Silver Toxicity Studies

Numerous ingested toxicity studies have been completed on American Biotech
Labs¹ nano-silver products. Some of the studies are outlined below.
Independent LD-50 tests on animals at levels equivalent to approximately 200
times the normal internal use adult dosage were found to be non-toxic to the
animals. A 28-day bird flu study completed by a U.S. NIH virology lab also
included a toxicity study in which the animals were fed levels of the
nano-silver at 10-200 times the normal dosage daily. The ASAP nano-silver
products were found to be non-toxic to the animals in the long term study. A
separate medical college study tested the ingestion of American Biotech
Labs¹ nano-silver product in animals at levels of 0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.5 ml

daily for 28 days, and again found the product completely non-toxic to the
animals. An Indian (World Health Organization approved) lab tested the ASAP
nano-silver products for toxicity in a mouse-model study at levels of 50,
500, 5,000 mg/kg. The product was again found to be completely non-toxic to
the animals at all levels tested in the Indian study. A peer-reviewed
preliminary HIV Human study found that the oral ingestion of 2 ounces daily
for four months of the 10 ppm ASAP nano-silver product, had no negative
effect on the seven human patients. A U.S. Congressional Testimony outlines
the use of the ASAP nano-silver product at between 0.5-1.0 ounce daily use
at 10 ppm, for human use of the product against malaria and other human
ailments (120+ cases). In all cases, no negative effects were reported from
any of the four hospitals and clinics that tested the product, by either
external or internal use (mostly internal use).

Injected Nano- Silver Toxicity Studies

Two injected mouse model studies have been completed testing the ASAP
nano-silver products at a level of 50 mg/kg, at both 10 and 32 ppm levels.
Both studies found the products to be completely non-toxic to the test
animals.

Will Nano-Silver Kill Probiotic Or Friendly Digestive Bacteria?

Two independent studies have been completed by two different major labs,
testing the effect of American Biotech Labs¹ ASAP nano-silver on probiotic
or friendly and needed digestive bacteria. Both studies found that the ASAP
nano-silver products would not even inhibit the growth of probiotic bacteria
at all levels at which it is being used.

Does Silver Cause Heavy Metal Poisoning?

The claim that silver can cause toxic nephropathy or heavy metal poisoning
is being made by both pseudo-scientists and the uniformed news media. The
statement shows a complete lack of even the most basic scientific knowledge
about silver. Toxic nephropathy is defined as ³Any functional or morphologic
change in the kidney produced by an ingested, injected, inhaled, or absorbed
drug, chemical, or biologic agent.² Probably the most accurate and widely
accepted authority on the subject would be the MERCK Manual Of Diagnosis And
Treatment. The 17th edition of the manual, on page 1880, shows the complete
list of heavy metals that can cause heavy metal poisoning. The list includes
a number of metals like copper and iron that are found in everyday vitamins,
but silver is not listed in any form. It was not accidently forgotten from
the list, and it was not listed in the comprehensive list because it does
not cause the problem! Listed under ³Methemoglobin formers², the Merck does
list sodium nitrite as a cause of nephropathy. The importance of this being
that if silver is mixed with heavy salt or sodium products it could be
classified as causing nephropathy, not because of the silver, but because of
the heavy amount of salt contained in the matrix of the combined product.
The heavy use of silver nitrate in the medical industry (both past and
present) may have led people to the common, but incorrect misconception
about silver.

Has The U.S. EPA Established An RfD Or Oral Daily Silver Intake Limit?

In 1991 the EPA issued an oral intake limit for daily use on silver to be
0.005 mg/kg/day (EPA RED Document pg.2). This means that according to the
EPA guidelines for silver ingestion, an average size adult could safely
consume the equivalent of one ounce daily of a 10 ppm silver product and not
exceed the EPA established daily intake limit. On page two of the EPA RED
document it states, ³EPA does not anticipate that dietary exposure to these
low levels of silver will be associated with any significant degree of
risk².

Can Oral Silver Consumption Cause Cancer?

It has been suggested by numerous pseudo-scientists that the long term use
of silver can cause cancer in some form or another. The statement is false.
The EPA IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) Report on Silver states
under the first paragraph listed under section 11.A.2., ³No evidence of
cancer in humans has been reported despite frequent therapeutic use of the
compound (silver) over the years². Again, under section 11.A.4. it states,
³Further support for the lack of silver¹s ability to induce or promote
cancer stems from the finding that, despite long standing and frequent
therapeutic usage in humans, there are no reports of cancer associated with
silver². Can Silver Cause Cells To Mutate?

On page 9 of the EPA IRIS Report it states, ³No evidence of the mutagenicity
of silver was shown in two available studies².

The European Commission Has Determined The Oral Supplement Use Of Silver To
Be Safe!

The European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General,
Opinion listed under Directorate B – Scientific Health Opinions, on the use
of silver in medical devices, beverages, and supplements, issued their
opinion on June 27th 2000 after a comprehensive study of the subject. The
opinion is stated in their conclusion on page eight. The opinion states,
³According to Annex IV of Directive 94/36, Silver (E. 174) can be used
quantum satis to color both food and beverages, and the metal can also be
ingested in the form of dietary supplements sold in ³health-food² shops². In
other words they found that silver metal was safe for oral ingestion as a
supplement!

Why Are There Some Negative Historical Reports regarding The Use Of Silver
Products

Historically, silver was used at very high levels and mixed with numerous
toxic compounds including arsenic, mercury, salt, iodine and others. It was
not the silver in these compounds that made the complex toxic, as listed in
the reports quoting some reported case studies, but the other added
products. There is a vast amount of data on the toxicity of the other
compounds like arsenic, which when added to silver could make the entire
matrix toxic. The most widely used compound that was mixed with silver was
salt in the form of sodium nitrate. Silver nitrate was used at very high
levels. Even when used at those high levels, the silver nitrate products
were found to be only mildly toxic and found to be safe enough to put into
baby¹s eyes at birth. One toxicity study on rats (EPA Office Of Drinking
Water report issued August 1988, Revised January, 1991 pg. III-18) cites an
oral toxicity study completed on rats. The rats were given drinking water
containing 1296 mg/l (equal to 1296 ppm silver ) of silver nitrate. Drinking
the very high content silver nitrate as their entire drinking water supply
daily, the animals remained healthy for 60 weeks (1year and 3 months). After
the 60 weeks the animals started to deteriorate in health. After the 76th
week the animals were returned to drinking regular water and all animals
returned to normal health. This proved that even long term ingestion of huge
levels of high-content silver nitrate, only had a mildly negative effect on
the animals, and that effect was only temporary with no lasting effect once
they were taken off the product.

Safest Means To Protect Our Homes And Families

In December of 2000, a JAMA article reported that more than 100,000 people
had died in the U.S. that year as a side effect of antibiotics used
correctly. That number did not include antibiotics that were misused. Of the
millions of people consuming silver products of all types that year, no
deaths were reported. If a child accidently consumed one bottle of vitamins
or household cleaner, or hundreds of other products in our homes, he or she
would most likely be killed or at least harmed. In comparison, if that same
child were to accidently drink an entire 16 ounce bottle of the EPA approved
ASAP hospital disinfectant, he or she would not be harmed in any way. A
major university found in its testing that this same product, which would
not hurt a child, could kill the two most deadly bacteria found in hospitals
(MRSA and VRE), even when it was diluted down to only 2.5 ppm. The point is
that silver may not be perfect, but it is by far the safest and most
effective, hospital, home, and body disinfectant we have in the world today.
It is the only safe way we currently have to fight off deadly infections and
disease.

Proven Effective Against Pathogens

American Biotech Labs currently holds more than 160 independent studies from
more than 60 different private, U.S. government, military, and also
university labs. The studies include more than an estimated 10,000
individual antimicrobial tests. The ASAP nano-silver product has proven
effective at eliminating malaria from the bloodstream in 4 different
preliminary studies, in an average of just 3.34 days, by internal human
ingestion. The product was proven, in an animal-model study at a U.S.
government NIH lab, to be able to increase the survival rate of mice by 100%
against the deadly H5-N1 Bird Flu virus, when using the product orally on a
daily basis (also released in peer review journal). The product was proven
in a preliminary, independent, peer reviewed journal article, to be able to
increase the T lymphocyte count in 7 human AIDS patients by an average of
almost 40%, in four months of oral usage at just 2 ounces daily. The product
technology is patented to be able to kill TB, MRSA, Hepatitis b., HIV,
yeast, and too many other pathogens to list here. The point is that it is a
very broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, which also has been tested and
found to be completely non-toxic to humans and animals at any level tested.

Conclusion

American Biotech Labs has already registered with the EPA as a pesticide,
with approvals as a surface disinfectant, HVAC disinfectant, and also as a
disinfectant for dental water lines. The company has been issued a toxicity
rating showing that in order for the product to be toxic to the environment,
12, 500,000 gallons of the hospital disinfectant product would have to be
spilled at one time. No tank or vat could even hold enough of the product at
one time for it to be considered toxic in the event of any spill. American
Biotech labs has completed millions of dollars of comprehensive, independent
safety and efficacy data on its nano-silver products, including but not
limited to: cyto-toxicity studies; injected and ingested studies at high and
low levels of silver content and also for both short and long periods of
time; also skin sensitivity studies. All studies have concluded that the
ASAP nano-silver products are not toxic to cells, animals, or humans.

The U.S. EPA has issued an RfD for silver showing that a normal size adult
could safely consume the equivalent of an ounce of a 10 ppm product daily
for an entire lifetime (based on 72 years). The European Commission On
Health And Consumer Protection issued an opinion after a comprehensive study
on silver that metallic silver was safe for ingestion in drinks and food,
and also could be sold in health-food stores as a supplement.

Silver is not a metal that causes heavy metal poisoning as has been reported
by numerous pseudo-scientists. The Merck Index does not list silver as a
compound that causes nephropathy.

Individuals must be allowed some way to safely protect themselves and their
families from deadly pathogens and infections that are rampant in our
hospitals, schools, and homes. Silver may not be perfect, but it is
presently by far the safest and most broad spectrum bacteria and infection
killing substance available to mankind.

I have taken classes from Steven before and he is a great teacher. I took a course like this when I first thought I wanted to learn more about how to heal and support the body and to teach others too. It is a very good starting point and a great foundation of information. This is incredibly good information for a very great price, what do you have to loose?  The products Steven will refer to are from Nature’s Sunshine, and you can either use their products or not, but the information is universal and very helpful.  If you don’t already have a membership number but want to become a member, please use my account as your referral #1225761-0

Happy learning!

Steven Horne’s ABC+D Approach to Natural Health
The Fastest Way to Learn How to Help People to Improve Their Health with Herbs and Nutritional Supplements

What do you receive in each session?

• Approximately 1 hour of live instruction
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Cost and Billing
This 14-session course is just $8.95 per session, billed to your credit card after you attend each session. Details will be emailed to you.

Topics of All 14 Sessions

• Work on the Root of the Problem
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• The Intestinal System
• The Respiratory System
• The Immune and Lymphatic Systems
• The Circulatory System
• The Nervous System
• The Glandular System
• The Reproductive System
• The Urinary System
• The Structural System

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I found this test and I personally think it’s a good overall indicator of where you are health wise. Try taking it and then call and make an appointment if there are areas you may need help in improving!

Take the test here!

The FDA is hard at work again, protecting the health and welfare of big businesses that provide its funding.

Four years ago, the EPA and FDA issued a joint advisory warning women of childbearing age, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children to stop eating swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel, and to limit their consumption of other mercury-contaminated fish to a maximum of 12 ounces per week.

Now the FDA is trying to backpedal against a raging river, stating the benefits of eating more than 12 ounces a week of fatty fish like tuna outweigh the health hazards of mercury.

Folks, don’t believe this nonsense for even one second.

There are plenty of studies showing that mercury contamination from fish consumption constitutes a health hazard for mothers and their babies, such as the 2007 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, showing fish consumption is positively associated with premature delivery.

There are also plenty of real-life examples of people who suffered serious health problems from eating too much fish. Actor Jeremy Piven springs to mind, as he abruptly ended his Broadway run last week due to mercury poisoning from his frequent sushi habit.

But how much is too much?

GotMercury.org can help you answer that question with their handy mercury calculator.

For example, if a woman weighing 145 pounds ate 12 ounces (about 2 fillets) of yellowfin tuna per week, her weekly mercury intake would be 240 percent over the current EPA “safe” limit!

Multiply that over the course of a year, and you surely will not be looking at a health benefit from omega-3, but rather a health disaster from mercury poisoning.

In response to the FDA’s plan to rescind the mercury in fish advisories for women and children, the Mercury Policy Project released an expanded case study, documenting 23 people who got sick from eating too much mercury-laden fish.

“Mercury levels in swordfish and tuna sold in the U. S. are sky-high,” says Teri Shore, Program Director for the GotMercury Project of Turtle Island Restoration Network in Forest Knolls, CA.

“And now the government and tuna companies want to keep mothers and children completely in the dark about it.”

Dr. Jane Hightower, M.D. of San Francisco has even chronicled the seafood industry’s interference in public health policy in her book Diagnosis: Mercury: Money, Politics and Poison.

“We’ve known for years that mercury is toxic to the brain and other organs in varying amounts depending on the individual’s status. For FDA to suddenly change the equation to say that benefits outweigh risks is like once again declaring the earth is flat after discovering it was round.

“Patients in my private medical practice, as well as at other doctor’s offices around the country, have been diagnosed with mercury toxicity from eating too much fish. Ignoring the presence of a known neurotoxin in one’s diet is simply asking for trouble,” says Dr. Hightower.

There is no doubt in my mind that the benefits you get from eating fish and seafood – especially while pregnant – do NOT outweigh the risk of mercury toxicity to yourself or your developing child.  Mercury is a real toxin and brain poison that can and will cause serious damage to your central nervous system.

Taken from Mercola.com   Read the entire article here.

According to a report in the January 19 issue of BMJ, pharmaceutical companies exaggerate the benefits of osteoporosis drugs, and downplay the risks of prescribing osteoporosis drugs for women whose bones appear to be slightly weakened (a condition called osteopenia).

The report suggests that pharmaceutical companies are pushing for women with osteopenia to take the same drugs that women with osteoporosis are being prescribed; the problem with this scenario is that women with osteopenia have such a low risk of experiencing fractures that taking osteoporosis drugs would provide almost no benefit.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, it’s because this theme – trying to create medical standards of practice that would have relatively healthy people take prescription medication – permeates the entire conventional medical industry, courtesy of the pharmaceutical industry.

Consider that osteopenia is thought to affect almost half of older women, and it’s clear that the pharmaceutical industry has a lot to gain by promoting osteoporosis drug use by women with osteopenia.

Risks of Taking Osteoporosis Drugs

Just this month, researchers at the University of British Columbia and McGill University issued a warning on a class of osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates) taken by millions of women around the world that can lead to bone necrosis, a painful and disfiguring condition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued an alert on bisphosphonates, including alendronate and risedronate, warning that these medications can cause severe bone pain.

Natural Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis

Hopefully, this article has convinced you that osteoporosis drugs should not be taken without careful consideration of the many effects that they can have on your physiology.

If you are concerned about osteopenia or osteoporosis, and want to do your best to prevent or address these health challenges through natural means, I hope that you find the following suggestions to be helpful.

1. Be physically active.

No other facet of your life has greater impact on the health of your bones.

If you are physically active, your body will work to make your bones as strong and flexible as possible. If you lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, your body will not work to produce and maintain strong bones since your lifestyle is not signaling a need for such bones.

2. Eat mineral-rich foods on a regular basis.

Your body needs much more than calcium supplements to build and maintain healthy bones. When you consider that your bones are comprised of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc, iron, silica, and many other trace minerals, it should be clear that eating mineral-rich foods is far superior to taking calcium-based supplements when it comes to providing comprehensive nourishment for your bones.

Green vegetables and herbs are the healthiest, mineral-rich foods that you can eat. If you want to ensure that you are actually getting the minerals in green vegetables and herbs into your bloodstream to become available to your bones and other organs, chew these plants thoroughly. Thorough chewing helps to ensure that the protective cell walls that surround all plant cells are sufficiently broken to allow your body to have access to the many minerals contained within those cells.

Drinking freshly pressed vegetable juices and well blended green smoothies are other ways of ensuring that you actually get the minerals in green vegetables and herbs into your bloodstream.

Use of high quality super green food powders can also help to provide your bloodstream and bones with a rich supply of minerals.

3. Consider drinking mineral-rich broths on a regular basis.

Broths that are made by simmering bones and a variety of vegetables for an hour or longer are a fantastic source of calcium and other minerals that can be used to keep your bones strong and flexible.

Mineral-rich broths are a chief source of dietary calcium in East Asian countries like Korea, China, and Japan, where many people are unable to fully digest dairy products. These broths take significant time and effort to make on a regular basis, but they are worth the effort of making, as they provide almost instant nourishment to your bones and other organs.

4. Ensure adequate vitamin D status.

Adequate amounts of vitamin D must be present in your body for calcium in your foods to be optimally absorbed and used.

When the weather is warm and sunlight is readily present, the best way to ensure adequate vitamin D status is to expose your skin to sunlight on a regular basis without getting burned. Sunlight acts on cholesterol found in your skin to produce vitamin D. Your body knows to stop producing vitamin D in this fashion when you have built up an adequate level. Keep in mind that use of a sunscreen with an SPF of 8 or higher can prevent sunlight from acting on cholesterol in your skin to produce vitamin D.

When the weather is cool, and sunlight is not readily available, the best way to ensure adequate vitamin D status is to regularly eat one or more foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Different varieties of fish like wild salmon and sardines are good food sources of natural vitamin D. High quality cod liver oil is another good food source of natural vitamin D.

5. Eat high quality fats and cholesterol.

Consumption of high quality fats optimizes the absorption of vitamins A and D into your bloodstream. Vitamin A is needed to keep your intestinal lining healthy and readily able to absorb minerals in the foods that you eat. For these reasons, it’s virtually impossible to have optimally healthy bones and teeth without including healthy fats in your diet.

Here are some examples of foods that are rich in healthy fats:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Avocados
• Organic eggs from cage-free birds
• Soaked nuts and seeds (about a handful per day at most)
• Cold-water fish and high quality fish oils
• Coconuts and coconut oil
• Bone broths
• Organically raised red and white meats (should be eaten sparingly if eaten at all – with proper planning, there is no physiological requirement for red and white meats)

Healthy cholesterol is also needed for a healthy intestinal lining that is able to optimally absorb minerals into your bloodstream. Healthy dietary cholesterol can help to ensure adequate cholesterol status in your system so that sunlight has enough cholesterol to act on to produce vitamin D. While your body is capable of producing cholesterol from other nutrients, it makes sense to ensure adequate cholesterol levels via intake of healthy cholesterol.

6. Learn how to effectively manage emotional stress.

Chronic emotional stress can elevate the level of cortisol in your blood. Cortisol is useful for combating stress, but if it remains elevated in your system over the long term, it can cause the matrix of your bones to weaken. Corticosteroid drugs can also weaken your bones and cause osteoporosis if used in large quantities and/or over the long term.

7. Avoid regular consumption of foods that may cause your bones to lose calcium.

Acid-forming foods are foods that bring the pH of your blood down. You cannot survive if the pH of your blood moves outside a very narrow range (7.35 to 7.45), so your body must buffer the effects of acid-forming foods to maintain a healthy blood pH level. One of the main ways in which your body buffers acid-forming foods is to take calcium from your bones and use it to neutralize the remnants of acid-forming foods. If your body is repeatedly forced to do this, your bones may be weakened.

Foods that are strongly acid-forming in your blood and should not be staples in your diet include:

• Artificial sweeteners
• Soft drinks (pop)
• Sugar
• Cookies, cakes, and pastries made with white flour
• Table salt
• Alcohol

8. Regularly eat foods that are rich in vitamin C.

Collagen is a long, fibrous protein that is critical to providing your bones with tensile strength. In short, the more quality collagen that you have in your bones, the more physical stress that your bones can tolerate before breaking.

Your body needs vitamin C to synthesize collagen. Please note that there is a big difference between the full vitamin C complex found in real foods and synthetic forms of vitamin C found in many nutritional supplements. Some excellent food sources of real vitamin C are:

• Acerola cherries
• Organic goji berries
• Bell peppers
• Citrus fruits
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts

By Dr. Ben Kim on January 20, 2008