Our weekly videos will resume on May 1, 2012
Welcome
On the Dr Oz show
On the show I discussed the failure of conventional medicine to address the underlying issues in many health conditions offering little more than drugs as biochemical “band aids.”
January is National GLAUCOMA Awareness Month
Glaucoma most often refers to the vision loss caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP) as a result of greater production than outflow of the fluid of the eye (the aqueous humor). The normal intraocular pressure is about 10 to 21 mm Hg. In chronic glaucoma, the intraocular pressure is usually mildly to moderately elevated (22 to 40 mm Hg). In acute glaucoma, the intraocular pressure is greater than 40 mm Hg. Acute glaucoma is a medical emergency, fortunately it is the rarest form of glaucoma.
Chronic open-angle type glaucoma is by far the most common form. It accounts for about 70-75% of the approximately 3 million people in the United States who have glaucoma.
In some cases glaucoma develops in people with normal IOP. Referred to as low-tension glaucoma or normotensive glaucoma (NTG), this form accounts for approximately 25 to 30 percent of all glaucoma cases in the United States. NTG is more common in women than in men and affects adults averaging 60 years old. A common risk factor for NTG is low blood pressure.
Since many patients with glaucoma have no symptoms, it is important that regular eye exams be included in their annual checkup after the age of sixty. Glaucoma is a serious condition that requires strict attention.
For more information, please see the completely revised and updated 3rd edition of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
Mind Your Ps and Qs
PQQ may be the perfect answer to preventing or reversing age-related mental decline.
kiwiPQQ (short for pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a vitamin-like compound found in plant foods that shows a wide range of benefits for brain function and energy production. Learn more about PQQ with the following Q&A.
What Exactly Does PQQ Do?
PQQ is an extremely potent antioxidant that is able to carry out the role of an antioxidant in the body more than 20,000 times—which is a rare thing. For example, other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, are only able to accomplish this “cycling” process about four times.
Are There Any Food Sources of PQQ?
PQQ has been found in all plant foods analyzed to date. Particularly PPQ-rich foods include parsley, green peppers, kiwi, papaya, and tofu. These foods contain 2–3 mcg of PQQ per 100 grams. Green tea provides about the same amount per 4-oz. serving. While these amounts appear to be sufficient in helping our cells carry out their basic functions, research indicates that boosting PQQ through supplementation can produce some amazing effects.