Phosphate-rich foods

New cause of high blood pressure, heart disease discovered: Phosphate-rich foods

Date: May 5, 2014
Source: Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

Phosphate rich foods include processed cheese, Parmesan, cola, baking powder and most processed foods. Phosphates are widely used in the food industry as preservatives and pH stabilizers. When large quantities of phosphates are consumed, production of the FGF23 hormone is stimulated, which has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. Reinhold Erben, the head of the Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics at the Vetmeduni Vienna, warns that "our phosphate consumption is relevant for our state of health."

Over 500 million people around the world suffer from chronic kidney disease. Clinical studies have shown that these patients often develop cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and vascular calcification. Until now, the connection between renal disease, the accumulation of the hormone FGF23 which is produced in the bones, and cardiovascular disease was unclear.

FGF23 controls renal excretion of sodium, and so the blood pressure
The researchers showed that FGF23 has a so called sodium conserving effect, meaning it controls the reabsorption of filtered sodium in the kidneys. Mice lacking FGF23 excrete higher amounts of sodium in their urine, resulting in low blood pressure. Animals with high FGF23 levels show high levels of sodium in their blood, and in turn, high blood pressure.

A raised level of FGF23 puts increased strain on the heart. Reinhold Erben explains that, "In patients with chronic renal disease, both the phosphate levels and the levels of FGF23 are chronically high. This often leads to cardiovascular disease.

FGF23 controls calcium, and therefore vascular calcification
A second study, published by Erben's group in mid-January in EMBO, showed that FGF23 also controls calcium levels. As with sodium, the calcium is filtered in the kidneys and reabsorbed back into the body. If this reabsorption does not take place, the body loses calcium. Too much FGF23 leads to increased take up of calcium by the kidneys, and results in vascular calcification. Olena Andrukhova, the leading author of both studies, is keen to stress that, "Patients with chronic kidney disease often also suffer from cardiovascular disease. Raised FGF23 levels are partly responsible for this. Our results for the first time are able to explain this connection."

Feedback loop between kidneys and bones
The hormone FGF23 is formed in the bones and controls the excretion of phosphate via the kidneys. When there is too much phosphate present in the body, the FGF23 level rises which leads to the excretion of excess phosphate. If too much phosphate is ingested with food, or if the excretion process via the kidneys does not work correctly, phosphate and FGF23 levels increase. A dangerous spiral begins that can have serious consequences on the overall health.

New critical values of FGF23 in science
The newly discovered functions of the hormone FGF23 were, until recently, attributed to another protein, αKlotho. Several scientific publications had assumed αKlotho to be the crucial factor for calcium conservation in the kidneys. With their newly published work, Erben and his colleagues show for the first time that FGF23 is responsible for this function, and not αKlotho. However, αKlotho is essential for the FGF23 effects, because it acts as a co-receptor for FGF23. Andrukhova stresses that "The focus in science is increasingly shifting from αKlotho to FGF23. The level of FGF23 in kidney patients can even indicate their life expectancy. The inhibition of FGF23 or its pathway could be a possibility to bring cardiovascular disease and vascular calcification under control."

Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal References:

1. Olena Andrukhova, Svetlana Slavic, Alina Smorodchenko, Ute Zeitz, Victoria Shalhoub, Beate Lanske, Elena E. Pohl and Reinhold G. Erben. FGF23 Regulates Renal Sodium Handling and Blood Pressure. EMBO Molecular Medicine, May 2014 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201303716
2. Olena Andrukhova, Alina Smorodchenko, Monika Egerbacher, Carmen Streicher, Ute Zeitz, Regina Goetz, Victoria Shalhoub, Moosa Mohammadi, Elena E Pohl, Beate Lanske, Reinhold G Erben. FGF23 promotes renal calcium reabsorption through the TRPV5 channel. The EMBO Journal, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/embj.201284188

Garden update 5/11/14

 5/11/14 -  Michihilli cabbage transplanted

  5/11/14 -  Red Russian kale transplanted...I filled up the rest of the holes with the kale too after making a 2nd run back home to get them!

  5/11/14 -  Swiss Chard transplanted

  5/11/14 - 1st row from the right

  5/11/14 - 2nd row from the right

  5/11/14 - 3rd row from the right...Chamomile in front

  5/11/14 - 4th row from the right

  5/11/14 -  Garden from the North East

  5/11/14 -  Garden from the South East

Greenhouse 5/10/14

 5/10/14 - My two Black Beauty Zucchini plants...Touch-Me-Not tiny germinated plant and baby Aloe Vera

  5/10/14 - First Black Beauty zucchini plant

  5/10/14 - Second Black Beauty zucchini plant

Three Amazing Uses for Tea Tree Oil

 

By Michael Ravensthorpe

Long before the advent of modern medicine, people were using essential oils for medicinal purposes. The oil of the evergreen shrub, tea tree, was particularly venerated by ancient cultures, especially the Australian Aborigines. In fact, evidence shows that the Aborigines have been using the oils of their indigenous Melaleuca alternifolia tree for centuries to treat a wide array of conditions ranging from simple coughs to serious skin conditions.
Today, tea tree oil enjoys a reputation comparable to that of baking soda or coconut oil: A must-have health product whose sanitary and medicinal uses could fill (and have filled) numerous books. This article provides a distillation of the three most popular uses for tea tree oil.

Mouth Cleanser
There’s a good reason why so many mouth care products contain tea tree oil as a central ingredient: Being a potent antibacterial, tea tree oil is able to kill just about anything harmful residing in our mouths. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to a mixture of baking soda and purified water, for instance, makes an excellent homemade toothpaste. Alternatively, you can make a simple but potent mouthwash by mixing a few drop of tea tree oil to purified water and swishing the mixture around your mouth for a couple of minutes after brushing. Some people like to add peppermint oil to the mixture to improve its taste.
Incidentally, if your morning consists of an oil pulling routine using sesame or sunflower oil, consider adding a few drops of tea tree oil to the oil to give it additional antibacterial power. Those of you who oil pull using coconut oil don’t need to do this since coconut oil is already an antibacterial.

Skin Care
Since tea tree oil is a antimicrobial and antifungal as well as an antibacterial, it can help treat almost any skin condition through topical application. If you’re suffering from acne, psoriasis, eczema, athlete’s food, insect bites, cuts, rashes, or any other skin issue, apply tea tree oil to the affected area using a cotton bud and leave it to absorb for at least a few hours, but ideally overnight. If you find that the oil is too harsh for your skin, you can dilute it with purified water.
Note: Even though it is a natural product, using tea tree oil to treat certain skin conditions might be futile if those conditions stem from certain dietary or lifestyle issues that remain undiagnosed. For example, a lot of people unknowingly suffer from common skin ailments like acne or eczema due to a wheat or gluten intolerance. Therefore, if tea tree oil or other antimicrobial products are failing to treat a certain condition, that condition probably has a deeper cause that needs to be treated before any residual symptoms can be addressed.

Household Cleaner
Who needs artificial and overpriced household cleaners when tea tree oil can kill germs and microbes just as well, and without filling your house with chemicals? To make a homemade cleaner out of tea tree oil, simply combine two teaspoons of it with two cups of purified water in a spray bottle. Then, the sky is the limit: from tiles to kitchen surfaces to sinks to toilets, tea tree can clean it – and without leaving an unpleasant, lingering aroma.

Greenhouse 5/8/14

 5/8/14 - A lot more space for the tomatoes to grow up now that they're all pruned!

 5/8/14 - This tomato has grown so tall it can't stand on its own...it's well overdue pruning time!

 5/8/14 - So much gone, but worth it:) It will grow stronger now!

 5/8/14 - All my prunes tomato clippings

5/8/14 - Touch-Me-Not plant germinated! After trying to plant over 10 seeds, only one has popped up so far!

Garden update 5/7/2014

 5/7/14 - Added a bag of Earthworm Castings to each plot

5/7/14 -Switched around the weed covers for this year's planting plan:) I was able to reuse 3 of them!

  5/7/14 - Baby raspberries are popping up everywhere! The root  spreads and shoots up babies everywhere!

  5/7/14 -  Planted 6 Curled Scotch kale...spacing is off because I'm reusing last year's weed covers

  5/7/14 - 3 of the 4 Dino kale planted

  5/7/14 - Some of the lettuce planted...it started to rain so the others have to wait!

 5/7/14 - 4 Pak Choi planted...I then planted Spinach seed in between each

11 Amazing Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

 

Hydrogen peroxide is lurking in many of our first aid kits… and that’s a shame. We all apply it on cuts and scrapes as an antiseptic, but actually it does more harm than good! Before I did some research on this topic I, like many others, thought that the foaming action signifies the killing of bacteria. 

The foaming comes from an enzyme called catalase found in blood and cells. When it comes in contact with hydrogen peroxide it turns it into water and oxygen. So the bubbles you see is actually pure oxygen created by catalase and not a bacteria killing process.

Mayo Clinic Researchers agree that hydrogen peroxides can damage the delicate tissue and even impede the wound healing process. So although hydrogen peroxide possess strong antiseptic properties and can kill bacteria, it mustn’t be applied on wounds. Clean water is a far better option to clean cuts and scrapes.
As you can see, no use for hydrogen peroxide in your first aid kit. So let us all take it out and put it to a better use. The strength you use at home should be a 3% grade.

1. Alternative to Bleach to Whiten Clothes

Hydrogen peroxide can act like bleach, which makes it a perfect alternative to keep your clothes white. Clothes tend to wear out faster when using bleach, hydrogen peroxide won’t do that and doesn’t leave the bad odor bleach does. Just add one cup of hydrogen peroxide into a washer load of whites. Don’t pour it directly on your  clothes as it can fade the color just like bleach does.

2. Blood and Red Wine Stain Remover

Not only will hydrogen peroxide whiten your clothes, it is one of the best solutions to remove blood and red wine stains from your clothes or carpet if used fairly soon. But watch out, hydrogen peroxide can bleach out the fabric, so dab it on an invisible test spot first to see what happens. Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide directly on the spot, let it set and bubble for 1-2 minutes, rub and rinse with cold water and soap before throwing them in the washing machine. Repeat if necessary. Do not use warm water, this will ‘set‘ the stain permanently.

3. Keep Your Kitchen Germ and Stain-Free

Hydrogen peroxide can be used for many application in your kitchen to lift stains and kill germs.
• Deep floor cleaner, especially useful for grout.
• Table top cleaner
• Disinfect the inside of your fridge
• Clean windows with no smearing
Just add the 3% hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. Spray on the target surface and wipe off, just as a normal household cleaner. If you want to sanitize, leave the hydrogen peroxide for a longer period before rinsing it off. If you don’t like to clean the floor with cold hydrogen peroxide water from your spray, add 1 cup of 35% hydrogen peroxide in 1 gallon of hot water to make a 3% dilution for the same result. But keep in mind to only use as much as you’ll use at one time. Hydrogen peroxide is stored in a brown bottle, because light breaks it down. You can also find here how to make sanitizing natural household cleaner using essential oils. You can also create effective cleaning products using essential oils, and you can find all the information in my book Magical Aromatherapy.

4. Fights Mold and Mildew in Your Bathroom

Very effective against mold and mildew. Same as for the kitchen cleaner, add 3% hydrogen peroxide to a spraying bottle and apply directly to the problem areas. Let set for a few minutes to kill the germs and wipe them up for a clean and fresh smelling bathroom.

5. Pesticides Removal For Fruit and Veggies

To remove bacteria and pesticides from your fruit or veggies, add ¼ cup 3% hydrogen peroxide to a full sink and soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse each piece with cold tap water and dry. If you don’t have the time to wait, spray your fruit or veggies with a 3% solution, let stand for a few minutes, rinse and dry. Make sure to use food-grade peroxide.

6. Remove Ear Wax Build-up

Suffering from a painful or irritating wax build-up? Use an eye dropper to put 2 drops into the ear to soften the earwax. Let it set for a minute or so and then use a syringe and carefully flush out with warm water and dry your ear. Click here to learn how to make healing oil to treat ear infection.

7. Homemade Tooth Whitener

Peroxide is a natural oxidizer which kills mouth bacteria and helps you to whiten your teeth. You can use a 3% solution as a mouth wash (you can always add a dash of liquid chlorophyll for a better and fresher taste) or make your own tooth paste. Combine ¼ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with ½ cup baking soda and store in a darkened container. Use as normal tooth paste. Make sure to not swallow any peroxide. After the rinse, make sure to rinse out your mouth with water. Click here to find 13 natural methods for teeth whitening.

8. Kill Finger and Toenail Fungus

Soak toes or fingers in a 50/50 solution of 3% peroxide and water every day and fungus will be history in no time. You can always add some Epsom salts to enhance the effect. Read here my article about natural cure for toenail fungus.

9. Nasal Spray

Make a 50/50 solution of 3% food grade peroxide and distilled water. Rest your head back and spray or drop the mixture into the nose when struggling with blocked sinuses. Wait for a moment and blow your nose.

10. Hair Lightening

Hydrogen peroxide is not only used to bleach or clothing, it can be used to lighten your hair as well. Again dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide with water (50/50) and spray it on wet hair and comb it through to lighten your hair gradually and without the use of harsh chemicals. You can read here my article how to make natural hair dye products.

11. Improved Root System of Plants

Hydrogen peroxides adds more oxygen to the soil, which allows plants to take up more nutrients and water to boost the plant’s growth and encourages the development of a healthy and strong root system. It also kills harmful bacteria and fungus presented in the soil. Just mix 2 teaspoons of 35% food grade peroxide in 1 gallon of water to water your plants. Or use a 3% solution to spray your plants.