Cinnamon-sugar-control-health

Can Cinnamon Help Protect You From Cancer?

Posted by Cathy on

University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Researchers and the UA Cancer Center say a compound found in cinnamon is a potent colorectal cancer preventor.

New research suggests eating cinnamon may help prevent colorectal cancer, at least in mice.

Previous research has linked this spice to blood pressure reduction and blood sugar control.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has used both the cinnamon tree bark and cinnamon tree branches for over a thousand years.

The bark of the tree is known as Gui Zhi and used in Chinese herbal formulations as a warming and dispersing herb. It helps protect against catching a cold and it can facilitate at warming the Qi, or energy of the body.

Researchers at Arizona College of Pharmacy found the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive smell and flavor, cinnamaldehyde, also seems to protect rodents against colorectal cancer.

“This is a significant finding,” UA Cancer Center researcher Dr. Donna Zhang, said in a press release. “The next steps are to see if the spice alone can protect against cancer, and see if results can be replicated in people.”

“Can cinnamon do it, now that we know pure cinnamaldehyde can?” he said. “And can we use cinnamaldehyde or cinnamon as a weapon to go after other major diseases, such as inflammatory dysregulation and diabetes? “

Chinese herbs like cinnamon have always been used in TCM with other herbs in synergistic combinations. Using this Chinese herb or any others as a single herb should only be done under the care of a professional trained in Chinese medicine or herbal medicine.  In TCM, Chinese herbs are most often combined to enhance or create an entourage effect for the desired action and to minimize any potential side effects.  Should you have any questions about cinnamon or other Chinese herbs,   get in touch with Cathy at Pacific Herbs for a free consultation at 877-818-9990.

Energy Drinks Spell Cavities

Posted by Cathy on

Energy drinks are being consumed at an all time record high.  There is a virtual explosion on the market  and yet the teens and  twenty something crowd that buys the most of these drinks seem to know nothing of the damage they are doing to their teeth.  

Everyone know sodas are bad for your teeth but energy drinks are so new to the market and there just hasn't been data available about the tooth decay they cause.

Fact is, most of the sports and energy drinks have extremely high sugar and acid content that destroy the enamel on your teeth.

"People don't realize the sugar content is pretty high", says Dr. Nancy Hanratty, a dentist at 1st Advantage Dental Group in Greenfield.

Take a look at some of  sugar contents of  energy drinks,  NOS has 52 grams of sugar per serving. Monster and Red Bull 27 grams. Gatorade and Powerade have around 20 grams of sugar.

Dr. Hanratty says "most of the problems with teenagers is the liquid pools around your teeth, the plague builds up and the bacteria uses the sugar to break down the surfaces of your teeth."

"The other aspect of it, they tend to have an acid base, so it causes erosion", says Dr. Hanratty."The recommendation is  to rinse it off of your teeth so it's not staying around the surface."  In other words…. Brush Your Teeth after you drink energy drinks or use Energy Booster Herb Pack that does not cause tooth decay but still gives you a natural boost that will keep you going through the day.