Baking Soda Found To Help People with Chronic Kidney Disease
by S. L. Baker, features writer
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious condition marked by the permanent loss of kidney function. When the kidneys are damaged, the organs can't remove wastes and extra water from the blood as well as they should and the result can be a host of serious and even deadly health consequences. But now researchers in the United Kingdom have made a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced CKD -- and it doesn't involve a new drug or high tech surgery. Instead, it's simply a daily dose of sodium bicarbonate or, as it is more commonly called, baking soda.
Used for everything from baking cookies and non-toxic cleaning to relieving indigestion and sunburn, now baking soda has been shown to slow the decline of kidney function in CKD, according to a study set for publication in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," researcher Magdi Yaqoob, MD, of the Royal London Hospital, said in a statement to the media.
This is an enormously important finding because CKD is a growing health problem, both in the UK and the US. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between 1990 and 2000, the number of people with kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation in the US virtually doubled to 380,000. If this trend continues, around 700,000 people will have serious kidney failure by 2010.
Dr. Yaqoob studied 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate levels, a condition known as metabolic acidosis. One group of these patients was treated with a small daily dose of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care. The results? The rate of decline in kidney function was dramatically reduced in these patients. Overall, the decline was about two-thirds slower than in patients not given sodium bicarbonate. "In fact, in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar to the normal age-related decline," Dr. Yaqoob stated.
The patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which causes people with CKD to undergo regular dialysis. In addition, those taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several measures of nutrition. And, even though their levels of sodium went up, they did not experience increased blood pressure.
Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a wide range of other problems. "This is the first randomized controlled study of its kind," says Yaqoob. "A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective."
The NIH estimates that 20 million Americans have significantly reduced kidney function, and even a small decline in kidney function can double a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Many people will experience heart attacks or strokes before they are even aware they have kidney disease. Fortunately, there are many natural strategies that can help prevent, fight and heal kidney disease. For example, avoiding soda pop can lower the odds of developing CKD in the first place And, as reported earlier in NaturalNews, eating fish a couple of times a week has been shown to help prevent kidney disease in diabetics.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Diabetes cure hiding in your spice rack!?
Congratulations -- you've taken your first step into uncovering the nutritional cures that "mainstream" medicine tries so hard to keep from you.
You picked a great day to start -- I'm going to tell you how someday soon the threat of type 2 diabetes could be wiped out for millions of people. In fact, some type 2 diabetics may NEVER need drugs again. It's true. Dr. Wright has shown us how to overcome and prevent it, with nothing more costly than table cinnamon. I'm not talking about some exotic variety, but the stuff that's already in your cupboard!
Up until recently, type 2 diabetics thought they had no choice but to pay through the nose for dangerous drugs, including metformin (Glucophage®). Side effects from this stuff include extreme weakness, muscle pain, trouble breathing and even heart arrhythmia. But now, Dr. Wright's patients have learned... success can be as simple as saying "sugar and spice!" How? It turns out that cinnamon contains a very powerful nutrient called methylhydroxychalcone polymer -- MHCP for short.
A few years ago, a research team led by Dr. Richard Anderson isolated a part of cinnamon (MHCP) that closely mimics insulin activity. The researchers observed that a combination of MHCP and insulin worked synergistically in regulating glucose metabolism.
The researchers concluded that although there were differences between the responses MHCP and insulin can have on regulating sugar metabolism, the benefit of combining the two therapies is clear. They also noted that MHCP does mimic insulin and that, in most instances, MHCP can work alone -- without the presence of insulin.
Cinnamon may eliminate the need for drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes
According to Dr. Wright, cinnamon/MHCP might not only help control blood sugar but also, when combined with appropriate diet, exercise, and other supplementation, make patent medications and their myriad adverse effects (including significantly increased cardiovascular mortality and occasional deaths from other causes) totally unnecessary.
Individuals with type 2 diabetes who aren't using patent medications should also consider this addition to their diet, exercise, and supplement plan. If you have a mild case of diabetes, it's quite possible that your blood sugar level will normalize simply by using cinnamon or MHCP. At the very least, it should improve. And in either circumstance, using cinnamon or MHC should postpone or even help prevent progression of type 2 diabetes and its complications. Of course, always work with a physician who can monitor your progress and help you withdraw from any patent diabetes medication you may be taking.
Since insulin and MHCP have been found to be synergistic, taking MHCP or whole cinnamon should make it possible to regulate blood sugar with less insulin. Some complications of type 1 diabetes may come from insulin use itself, so using less insulin while maintaining blood sugar control could be beneficial. Always work with a physician whenever trying to taper down insulin usage.
But before you start sprinkling it on...
Dr. Anderson noted in his research that all species of cinnamon and numerous bottles of commercial cinnamon were tried and that they all worked to help regulate glucose metabolism in his research teams' experiments. Coupled with the widespread availability of self-monitoring devices for blood sugar measurement, it isn't hard to tell if cinnamon or MHCP is helpful. However, keep in mind that whole cinnamon, like most plants and other living things, has both fat-soluble and water-soluble fractions. There is some evidence that high levels of the fat-soluble fractions of cinnamon could be cause for concern. Some researchers have found that substances in the fat- (and oil) soluble fractions of cinnamon may be both carcinogenic and genotoxic (damaging to genes, and leading to an increased risk of both cancer and birth defects). Fortunately, these risks are easily avoidable, and you can still get all the benefits of cinnamon just by taking a few simple steps.
Dr. Anderson has observed that essentially all toxic materials in cinnamon are fat soluble. He simply recommends that, to be safe, anyone using more than 1/4 to 1 teaspoonful of whole cinnamon daily first boil it in water, then pour off the resulting watery solution for use, and discard the solid remainder, which would contain the fat- and oil-soluble fractions. Since MHCP is water soluble, it's still readily available in the watery solution poured off after boiling the cinnamon. A helpful hint for actually going about separating the oils and fats on the surface of the water: Try pouring the water through a cheesecloth (cheesecloths are available in many supermarkets and other cooking-supply stores).
If you prefer not to take these steps, but still want to try this natural approach to controlling diabetes, you can avoid the potential hazard of whole cinnamon by using the cinnamon derivative, MHCP, in supplement form.
Yours in good health,
Christine O'Brien
P.S. Keep reading to find out how visible "clues" on your body may be a warning about a tendency for diabetes.
Bear in mind we are not addressing anyone's personal situation and you should rely on this for informational purposes only. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.
Seeing is believing
Q: Is there any way to tell if I might be predisposed to getting type II diabetes?
Dr. Wright: Absolutely! In fact, just a glance at your skin could tell you if you're "programmed" for diabetes. Here are some of the physical symptoms to look for on your body that might be trying to warn you that diabetes is on its way.
Shin spots. Slow-spreading, brownish-red (occasionally yellowish) discolorations on the shins are often an early warning sign of impending adult onset (type 2) diabetes.
Skin tags. As the name aptly describes, they're "tags" of skin most frequently found on the neck, under the arms, and in the groin area, and they're a common occurrence on adults.
Dupuytren's contracture. This condition occurs when the connective tissue under the skin of the hand begins to thicken and shorten. As the tissue tightens, it may pull the fingers down towards the palm of the hand.
Excess weight. Obesity is probably the most widely known physical symptom for type 2 diabetes, and it's usually the easiest to spot. If this is a problem for you, make sure to carefully examine your body for the other symptoms as well.
In addition to the symptoms you can actually see on your body, you should also be aware of some internal risk factors for type 2 diabetes--namely, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and, of course, family history of the disease.
While these factors may not put you at risk on their own, combined with the other physical signs they can be additional clues as to whether type 2 diabetes may be in your future.
Source: Nutrition & Healing's Health eTips
