Meditation and mental health
After thousands of years western medicine is finally recognizing the benefits of meditation to treat diseases including mental illness. Under the disguise of MBCT, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, meditation is being accepted as a way to treat various conditions in the field of mental illnesses.
Meditation has long been used in eastern philosophy and practitioners feel calmer, happier and now modern scanning technology has started to reveal why. Meditation helps to reduce activity in the amygdala region of the brain which is responsible for governing the feelings of stress, also it is involved in the insula, the part of the brain allows us to feel deep emotions, which is why those who meditate are more likely to be less aggressive. This part of the brain also regulates how we view arguments with loved ones and gives us our sense of regret when we emotionally harm someone, triggering an emotional need to put things right, which is then picked up by the part of the brain responsible for analytical thought.
In mental illnesses which involve high levels of anxiety, this mechanism becomes overactive and gives feelings that feel out of control. Meditation calms these areas and reduced the links between the emotional and analytical parts of our brain. The MBCT seems to work as well as antipsychotic drugs and can help people suffering emotional stress or depression either on its own or with drugs.
There have been various types of conditions treated with meditation, such as depression, anxiety, forms of schizophrenia, addictions, bipolar disorder, aggressive behaviour, and of course stress. There are also studies that are currently researching into the physical healing properties of meditation.
Meditation versus Medication
Over the last 200 years western medical therapies for depression and mental illness have included leeches, bleeding, drilling holes in the head to let out ‘demons’, imprisonment, ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) and dangerous psychotropic drugs. On the other hand some eastern cultures have used herbal remedies and meditation for hundreds of years.
Meditation therapies are a safe, drug free way to resolve issues by returning control to the patient when they feel that they can’t control thoughts or emotions. Unlike drugs, it is not a fast acting therapy, but it does work long-term without side effects. The side effects of some psychotropic drugs include the very symptoms they claim to treat, such as suicidal feelings, depression, sexual health problems, constipation, rapid heartbeat, menstrual problems, restlessness, drowsiness, blurred vision, hallucination, tremors and tardive dyskinesia (muscle movements that the patient can’t control). These side effects are enough to make most people feel worse than their original condition and get worse when taken for extended periods of time, whereas meditation will in the long term provide greater help the longer the practice is carried out.
In a world where, people seem to want instant cures as fast as they can get an instant coffee, meditation may not seem to be the kind of answer that would be popular, as it takes time and effort to work. However now that western science is finally catching up, we may finally see progress in the field of mental health, a field that has seen little real progress in the last 200 years.
Meditation has long been used in eastern philosophy and practitioners feel calmer, happier and now modern scanning technology has started to reveal why. Meditation helps to reduce activity in the amygdala region of the brain which is responsible for governing the feelings of stress, also it is involved in the insula, the part of the brain allows us to feel deep emotions, which is why those who meditate are more likely to be less aggressive. This part of the brain also regulates how we view arguments with loved ones and gives us our sense of regret when we emotionally harm someone, triggering an emotional need to put things right, which is then picked up by the part of the brain responsible for analytical thought.
In mental illnesses which involve high levels of anxiety, this mechanism becomes overactive and gives feelings that feel out of control. Meditation calms these areas and reduced the links between the emotional and analytical parts of our brain. The MBCT seems to work as well as antipsychotic drugs and can help people suffering emotional stress or depression either on its own or with drugs.
There have been various types of conditions treated with meditation, such as depression, anxiety, forms of schizophrenia, addictions, bipolar disorder, aggressive behaviour, and of course stress. There are also studies that are currently researching into the physical healing properties of meditation.
Meditation versus Medication
Over the last 200 years western medical therapies for depression and mental illness have included leeches, bleeding, drilling holes in the head to let out ‘demons’, imprisonment, ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) and dangerous psychotropic drugs. On the other hand some eastern cultures have used herbal remedies and meditation for hundreds of years.
Meditation therapies are a safe, drug free way to resolve issues by returning control to the patient when they feel that they can’t control thoughts or emotions. Unlike drugs, it is not a fast acting therapy, but it does work long-term without side effects. The side effects of some psychotropic drugs include the very symptoms they claim to treat, such as suicidal feelings, depression, sexual health problems, constipation, rapid heartbeat, menstrual problems, restlessness, drowsiness, blurred vision, hallucination, tremors and tardive dyskinesia (muscle movements that the patient can’t control). These side effects are enough to make most people feel worse than their original condition and get worse when taken for extended periods of time, whereas meditation will in the long term provide greater help the longer the practice is carried out.
In a world where, people seem to want instant cures as fast as they can get an instant coffee, meditation may not seem to be the kind of answer that would be popular, as it takes time and effort to work. However now that western science is finally catching up, we may finally see progress in the field of mental health, a field that has seen little real progress in the last 200 years.
Antibiotics and the dangers of medicines without care
A patient suffering from a chest infection, and given antibiotics, claims she is now incapacitated due to the side effects of the drug that should have cured her condition. Within three days of being prescribed ciprofloxacin the housewife complained of extreme tightness in the back of her calf muscles and could barely walk. Ten days later she was rushed to hospital after a sharp pain in her left calf and was treated for a ruptured Achilles tendon, The patient, Judy Thomas from Devon, claims she has been unable to walk properly since and is now terrified the right tendon will rupture as it also showed signs of severe damage.
Ciprofloxacin is from the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics that have been linked with tendon problems and other muscolo-skeletal issues. Some other side effects include chest pain, rapid heartbeat, blackouts, swelling, hot flushes, sweating, pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) and tinnitus. There have been 2269 suspected adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UK drug safety watchdog) including 67 deaths since January 2000.
One in six of all prescriptions in the UK are for antibiotics, some believe this kind of over prescription is responsible for the escalation of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. The drugs are given for all sorts of infections from sore throats to kidney infections. But what many who take these drugs do not realise is that they are not as safe as commonly believed, and many have numerous side effects, some serious.
<h1>The hidden dangers of ‘safe’ antibiotics</h1>
The most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the UK is amoxicillin, from the penicillin group, which is given for minor infections, but has side effects including rashes, itching nausea, diarrhoea, wheezing and a swollen tongue. Another common antibiotic Flucloxacillin can also cause diarrhoea and nausea, but also breathing difficulties, abdominal pain and Stevens Johnson syndrome which is potentially fatal.
Dr Kieran Hand of Southampton General Hospital and a spokesperson for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said, ‘There’s been a perception that antibiotics are a bit like vitamins in that it won’t do the patient any harm to take them, even if it’s not absolutely certain they do have an infection,’ he added, ‘We are realising antibiotics are not completely harmless, and prescribing them is not a decision to be taken lightly.’
Ciprofloxacin has been available for around 25 years, and was one of the first broad spectrum antibiotics which could be given to patients in tablet form to treat patients at home. It is a treatment for anthrax infection and is considered when a patient has an allergy to penicillin. Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society says that ‘if patients notice anything untoward while taking antibiotics they should seek advice from their GP or pharmacist as soon as possible.’
A spokesman for Bayer, manufacturer of ciprofloxacin, stated that the drug had a ‘well established safety profile’ and that the product information includes information about tendonitis and tendon rupture which are recognised, but are very rare adverse drug reactions.’
The truth of the matter is that the drugs to treat some of these infections are very dangerous indeed, and as stronger antibiotics are needed due to bacterial immunity, we will no doubt see the more powerful and dangerous forms of antibiotics used more and more often. It is best practice to avoid antibiotics if at all possible, however if you ever are required to take them you should be very aware of what your body is telling you, and always read the information either online or from the leaflet inside.
<b>sources for this artical include</b>
http://www.medicinenet.com/amoxicillin/article.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/business/nation-challenged-treatment-bayer-halves-price-for-cipro-but-rivals-offer-drugs.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/Ciprofloxacin.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2097415/Taking-antibiotics-ruptured-tendon-The-hidden-dangers-everyday-drugs-assume-harmless.html
http://www.skinassn.org/what-is-stevens-johnson-syndrome.html
http://www.medicines.org.uk/guides/flucloxacillin%20sodium/Bacterial%20infections/
Ciprofloxacin is from the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics that have been linked with tendon problems and other muscolo-skeletal issues. Some other side effects include chest pain, rapid heartbeat, blackouts, swelling, hot flushes, sweating, pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) and tinnitus. There have been 2269 suspected adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UK drug safety watchdog) including 67 deaths since January 2000.
One in six of all prescriptions in the UK are for antibiotics, some believe this kind of over prescription is responsible for the escalation of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. The drugs are given for all sorts of infections from sore throats to kidney infections. But what many who take these drugs do not realise is that they are not as safe as commonly believed, and many have numerous side effects, some serious.
<h1>The hidden dangers of ‘safe’ antibiotics</h1>
The most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the UK is amoxicillin, from the penicillin group, which is given for minor infections, but has side effects including rashes, itching nausea, diarrhoea, wheezing and a swollen tongue. Another common antibiotic Flucloxacillin can also cause diarrhoea and nausea, but also breathing difficulties, abdominal pain and Stevens Johnson syndrome which is potentially fatal.
Dr Kieran Hand of Southampton General Hospital and a spokesperson for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said, ‘There’s been a perception that antibiotics are a bit like vitamins in that it won’t do the patient any harm to take them, even if it’s not absolutely certain they do have an infection,’ he added, ‘We are realising antibiotics are not completely harmless, and prescribing them is not a decision to be taken lightly.’
Ciprofloxacin has been available for around 25 years, and was one of the first broad spectrum antibiotics which could be given to patients in tablet form to treat patients at home. It is a treatment for anthrax infection and is considered when a patient has an allergy to penicillin. Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society says that ‘if patients notice anything untoward while taking antibiotics they should seek advice from their GP or pharmacist as soon as possible.’
A spokesman for Bayer, manufacturer of ciprofloxacin, stated that the drug had a ‘well established safety profile’ and that the product information includes information about tendonitis and tendon rupture which are recognised, but are very rare adverse drug reactions.’
The truth of the matter is that the drugs to treat some of these infections are very dangerous indeed, and as stronger antibiotics are needed due to bacterial immunity, we will no doubt see the more powerful and dangerous forms of antibiotics used more and more often. It is best practice to avoid antibiotics if at all possible, however if you ever are required to take them you should be very aware of what your body is telling you, and always read the information either online or from the leaflet inside.
<b>sources for this artical include</b>
http://www.medicinenet.com/amoxicillin/article.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/business/nation-challenged-treatment-bayer-halves-price-for-cipro-but-rivals-offer-drugs.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/Ciprofloxacin.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2097415/Taking-antibiotics-ruptured-tendon-The-hidden-dangers-everyday-drugs-assume-harmless.html
http://www.skinassn.org/what-is-stevens-johnson-syndrome.html
http://www.medicines.org.uk/guides/flucloxacillin%20sodium/Bacterial%20infections/
Excessive use of Dangerous AZO dyes in UK restaurant Food.
Restaurants in the UK and most other countries do not have to publish the ingredients in their dishes, which gives some a licence to use additives that many of us would normally avoid. One example is Sweet and sour sauce, the bright red-orange colored sauce that is used in many dishes such as deep fried chicken balls, but also as a base sauce in honey ribs, and BBQ flavor sauces etc.
The constituent ingredients of this dish in the UK are water, MSG, salt, Tartrazine, Ponceau red 4, sugar, corn or potato starch and spices. The amounts of coloring used vary from restaurant to restaurant but In the UK the basic colors and flavour enhancers are the same. The amounts used in the recipes varies, and is unregulated, meaning that a 500 gram pot of either and/or both could end up being put into a batch of precooked sauce, although this batch, approximately 20 litres (5.28 US gallons), may contain several servings the concentrations can still be staggeringly high.
The use of Tartrazine has been linked to hyperactivity in children and ADHD, asthma attacks, DNA damage, depression and allergic reactions in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin. It also interferes with the mechanisms involved in histamine production. It was banned in Norway and in 200 it was decided in the EU that it’s use in food should be phased out by 2009. This has not happened, and the color is still in use as it is a cheap alternative to other natural products.
Like Tartrazine, Ponceau 4 Red is an azo dye. It is a coloring that is banned in the US, Norway and Finland. It is considered carcinogenic by some, and can also increase the intake of aluminium. In September 2007 the British food standards agency advised that consumption of E124 with sodium benzoate is associated with increases in hyperactivity, and along with its carcinogenic effects was considered to be phased out by 2009 along with Tartrazine with which it shares many other side effects.
In the US, Chinese restaurants use a food dye obtained from fermented red yeast rice, or use other permitted red food colors such as Allura red AC, which is itself an azo dye.
You could also add the effects of fluoride in the water supply and the effects of MSG to this list of chemical additives and as is the case with many food additives, it is not necessarily the effects of individual additives, but the overall effect of the combined recipe of additives that gives cause for concern, especially when added in unregulated amounts by chefs with little knowledge of biochemistry.
There are many restaurants all over the world that would be deemed safer to eat, or of a lower risk of these food additives being present, and the advice from the respective country’s food standards authorities is that at normal levels these additives are safe. Chinese restaurants give a larger choice of vegetarian dishes than most types of restaurant and much of the food is freshly cooked to order and not just bought in and reheated in microwaves as is the case in many ‘pub’ restaurants. The good thing is, that we as consumers can choose which restaurants to visit, it is just a shame it is only large chains of restaurants that publish their ingredients.
The constituent ingredients of this dish in the UK are water, MSG, salt, Tartrazine, Ponceau red 4, sugar, corn or potato starch and spices. The amounts of coloring used vary from restaurant to restaurant but In the UK the basic colors and flavour enhancers are the same. The amounts used in the recipes varies, and is unregulated, meaning that a 500 gram pot of either and/or both could end up being put into a batch of precooked sauce, although this batch, approximately 20 litres (5.28 US gallons), may contain several servings the concentrations can still be staggeringly high.
The use of Tartrazine has been linked to hyperactivity in children and ADHD, asthma attacks, DNA damage, depression and allergic reactions in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin. It also interferes with the mechanisms involved in histamine production. It was banned in Norway and in 200 it was decided in the EU that it’s use in food should be phased out by 2009. This has not happened, and the color is still in use as it is a cheap alternative to other natural products.
Like Tartrazine, Ponceau 4 Red is an azo dye. It is a coloring that is banned in the US, Norway and Finland. It is considered carcinogenic by some, and can also increase the intake of aluminium. In September 2007 the British food standards agency advised that consumption of E124 with sodium benzoate is associated with increases in hyperactivity, and along with its carcinogenic effects was considered to be phased out by 2009 along with Tartrazine with which it shares many other side effects.
In the US, Chinese restaurants use a food dye obtained from fermented red yeast rice, or use other permitted red food colors such as Allura red AC, which is itself an azo dye.
You could also add the effects of fluoride in the water supply and the effects of MSG to this list of chemical additives and as is the case with many food additives, it is not necessarily the effects of individual additives, but the overall effect of the combined recipe of additives that gives cause for concern, especially when added in unregulated amounts by chefs with little knowledge of biochemistry.
There are many restaurants all over the world that would be deemed safer to eat, or of a lower risk of these food additives being present, and the advice from the respective country’s food standards authorities is that at normal levels these additives are safe. Chinese restaurants give a larger choice of vegetarian dishes than most types of restaurant and much of the food is freshly cooked to order and not just bought in and reheated in microwaves as is the case in many ‘pub’ restaurants. The good thing is, that we as consumers can choose which restaurants to visit, it is just a shame it is only large chains of restaurants that publish their ingredients.