MigreLief Blog

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The herb Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) has been recorded as a medicinal remedy for millennia.  One can find references to the Latin “febrefugia” from which Feverfew gets its name in Old Saxon records. Hildegard of Bingen, a great 12th century abbess and healer made mention of it in her herbal tomes. Febrefugia literally means “Fever flies,” and has always been used as a fever reducer among other purposes. In even more ancient times, the Greeks used Feverfew to treat melancholy which was characterized as much by debilitating headaches as it was by long-term depression.

Historically Feverfew has also been used as a dietary supplement for headaches, constipation, diarrhea, and dizziness.   But one of the greatest boons in the modern era is the discovery of Feverfew as an aid for migraine headaches.

FEVERFEW & MIGRAINES
Commonly recommended for its ability to support cerebrovascular tone, Feverfew is rich in compounds known as sesquiterpene lactones.  One of the more important of these compounds is parthenolide, which represents 85% of the sesquiterpene lactone content in Feverfew. Some scientific studies indicate that while parthenolide may be important there may very well be other phytochemicals in Feverfew that are as of yet unidentified and play a role in its effectiveness.

PURACOL FEVERFEW
Some studies of extracts of feverfew containing parthenolide yielded no significant benefits. This led researchers to believe that some of the unidentified phytochemicals may have been left behind during the extraction process. The ideal solution would be a non-extracted feverfew product that naturally contained high levels of parthenolide AND kept all of the other naturally occurring phytochemicals as well. For this reason Puracol Feverfew (AKESO HEALTH SCIENCE’S proprietary non extracted plant source for feverfew with high levels of naturally occurring parthenolide) was developed. Puracol Feverfew is just one of the reasons for the superior efficacy of MigreLief, which delivers optimal dosages of parthenolide. Scientific studies have found parthenolide inhibits platelet aggregation and the release of serotonin from platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules.* It has also been shown to inhibit pro-inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis and the release of arachadonic acid. Each of these phenomena is associated with migraines. European studies have shown the benefits of feverfew on long-term cerebrovasular tone in multiple human studies.

INHIBITING BLOOD PLATELET AGGREGATION
Feverfew can help to prevent the clumping together of platelets in the blood – part of the sequence of events leading to the formation of a clot)

Over aggregating of platelets in the blood appear just before a migraine forcing a release of serotonin. Serotonin causes the blood vessel to constrict.  Scientific studies have found parthenolide inhibits platelet aggregation and the release of serotonin from platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules, thus keeping the blood vessel normal resulting in less painful, less frequent or cessation of migraines.

Feverfew has also been shown to inhibit pro-inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis and the release of arachadonic acid. Each of these phenomena is associated with migraines. European studies have shown the benefits of Feverfew on long-term cerebrovasular tone in multiple human studies.

ACTIVATING DYSFUNCTIONAL BRAIN PROCESSES
Though the exact cause of migraines is not known, certain triggers like tyramine in aged cheeses, chocolate, scents/perfumes, bright lights, changes in weather/temperature/humidity/altitude, over-use of headache medications, stress, hormonal fluctuations and many more, can activate certain processes that increase the risk of migraines occurring.

The dysfunctional processes that these triggers can activate are:

*  Excessive platelet aggregation which can result in changes in blood vessels associated with migraines.

*  Decrease in the cellular energy reserves in the brain that are common to migraine sufferers.

NUTRITIONAL APPROACH – When Migraine Sufferers Get These 3 Factors Under Control – The Results Can Be Life Changing

Riboflavin:  Migraine sufferers also suffer mitochondrial energy deficiencies, which Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) can improve when given in high dosages.

Feverfew:  Research studies show Feverfew inhibits blood platelet aggregation and is anti-inflammatory.

For adults and children over the age of 2 who suffer migraines chronically, this combination is a great place to start and is a good alternative to the chronic use of NSAIDs like aspirin, and ibuprofen without the negative side-effects.  You can find these formulas at MIGRELIEF.com

To the Best of Health,
Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

MIGRELIEF.com

How many times have you heard (perhaps even from your physician) to limit the consumption of eggs because they contain a lot of cholesterol and that by eating too many eggs, you will negatively affect your cholesterol levels?

Well, for those of you who love eggs but feel guilty eating them, there is some really good news.  All of those warnings about egg consumption were JUST PLAIN WRONG!

First of all, for about 70% of people, consuming cholesterol in your diet (from any source) has absolutely no meaningful effect on your cholesterol levels! There are several studies proving this and NOT one study showing that dietary cholesterol causes heart disease.

Secondly, it has been shown in the 30% of people whose cholesterol levels rise modestly when consuming eggs, that their LDL cholesterol particle size gets bigger….AND THIS IS A GOOD THING.

Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez of the University of Connecticut’s Department of Nutritional Sciences summarized the results of egg consumption on blood cholesterol levels. In children aged 10-12, in men aged 20-50, in premenopausal and postmenopausal women, in whites and Hispanics:  two or three eggs per day has little or no effect on the blood cholesterol levels of over two thirds of the population. (1)

But there was even good news in the less than 1/3 of the population whose cholesterol did go up with egg consumption.  Their good and bad cholesterol went up equally and there was no change in their ratio of LDL to HDL or even the ratio of LDL to total cholesterol both of which are considered much more important than total cholesterol levels.

But the good news continued. It turns out that the LDL in egg eaters actually became safer. When LDL particles are small and dense, they can more easily penetrate into the lining of your arteries and cause plaque. The LDL in egg eaters got larger and fluffier making it safer and less susceptible to damage from oxidation and less susceptible to causing plaque in the arteries.

In addition, other health benefits of eggs are:

1- Eye health – May help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts because of lutein and zeaxanthin levels they contain
2- Provide high quality protein and essential amino acids
3- Contains Vitamin D
4- Possible breast cancer prevention – in one study, 6 eggs per week reduced risk by 44%
5- Healthy hair and nail due to high sulfur content

Click here to listen to my radio segment about cholesterol, discussed on the Dr. Tony O’Donnell Show!

To the Best of Health,

Curt Hendrix,  M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

(1)-Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol provided by eggs and plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006;9:8-12.