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I’m not sure exactly when the first
day of Autumn begins, but I can tell you that the weather
here in the Northeast is officially WINTER. While we all love
the leave changing season, this year it turned cold so fast.
One day I walked outside and my teeth are chattering. They
also haven’t turned the heat on yet, so I’m not
in the best mood. On to the subject at hand, it’s been
a very busy month here at Oöna Health, and we have lots to
report - new news on how black cohosh works, a rally in Washington,
DC, a look at the different degrees of menopause symptoms
and further alternatives for you. Finally, we conclude our
summer fruits with a look into peaches
UPDATE ON HOW BLACK COHOSH WORKS
There have been many different theories about how black cohosh
works that we include in our literature and on our web site.
However, the exact mechanism is not known. This is not unusual
since herbs have so many compounds that work together and
with the body to produce a desired effect. Most of the time,
we know where the active parts of the herb reside, like triterpene
glycosides in black cohosh, but extracts should represent
the entire herb because those glycosides may work synergistically
with other less active parts of the plant. A team of researchers
from the National Institute of Health at the University of
Illinois believe they have found some preliminary evidence
of the herb’s efficacy in relieving hot flashes, night
sweats and other symptoms of menopause. In lab studies the
researchers have demonstrated that black cohosh is capable
of binding to human serotonin receptors, including those that
help regulate body temperature. Previous studies shave shown
that these receptors may play a role in regulated hot flashes.
"The study shows that black cohosh does not appear to be estrogenic
whatsoever and, as a result is less likely to pose some of
the dangers associated with traditional estrogen replacement
therapy" said study leader Judy L. Bolton, Ph.D. in a release
by the American Chemical Society. Click
here for the full abstract.
WASHINGTON, D.C. RALLY
We're on our way to Washington, D.C. this month. The main
purpose is to educate Congresswomen/men and Senators about
the current bills on the hill and to make sure they understand
what the industry is about. The mix up goes something like
this: our elected officials have been convinced that this
is some "cowboy" industry that has no rules. The truth is
that there are regulations on the books but the reason we
have some "rogues" is because of the lack of enforcement.
The FDA says they don't have the funds to enforce regulations
and the FTC has actually stepped up enforcement, which is
good! (it curls my blood to see ads about breast enhancement
supplements) We support a bill that would give FDA the funds
to enforce the rules on the books ‚ as well as the new rules
on Good Manufacturing Practices. There is another bill that
will take any supplement off the market with just one ill
effect, making herbal supplements much more regulated than
pharmaceuticals and over the counter medicines. For more detailed
information about herbs and how they are regulated go to:
http://www.ahpa.org/herbal_faqs.htm
For more about the rally and sample letters to congress go
to:
http://www.ahpa.org/rally.pdf
http://www.ahpa.org/samplelettercongress.htm
MENOTYPE?
You knew it had to happen right? But actually, this is an
interesting article that was published in Canada’s Alive
Magazine about the different categories of menopause symptoms.
It doesn’t separate out different symptoms for different
body types or anything trite like that, it looks at the degree
of discomfort. What I particularly liked about this was the
solutions they offered. I hope you find it as helpful if you
are looking for further relief. Click
here for the full abstract.
PRETTY PEACHY
To my surprise, peaches are the third most popular fruit in
the nation, behind apples and oranges. (not bananas?). The
height of the season is mid August, but the season runs from
June to September. I always anticipate that first bite into
a peach. It’s so satisfying when it is sweet juicy peach
and so disappointing when it is dry and mealy. Maybe we can
help you out here, so there’s more juicy ones in your
cart and less mealy ones.
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Avoid rock hard peaches that have any green undertones.
Choose peaches that give slightly at the seam when your
press with your thumb, even if the rest of the peach is
firm. Take a whiff at the stem, you should be able to
smell the sweet fragrance. And finally look out for bruises
and tan circles, and early sign of decay.
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The good news about peaches is this:
Calories: 67.5
Protein: 1.1 grams
Fiber 3.1 grams
Carbs 17.4 grams
Fat 0.14 grams
They are a good source of Vitamin C, A Niacin and Potassium.
For the full complete nutrition story go to:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s01ja.html
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The not so good news is that a large portion of the calories
come from sugars
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Peaches originated in China and Chinese legend says that
peaches bestow immortality. They are related to other
stone fruits such as the apricot, almond, cherry and plum.
They made their way West in classical times by Alexander
the Great and the Romans.
That's it for this month! As always,
check out our website for lots more information at www.oonahealth.com. In Good Health,
The Oöna Team
Questions or comments? Write valerie@oonahealth.com
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