The Herb Specialist

Phone: 336-643-7604 or 336-707-0393

Website:  www.mynsp.com/irvin

E-mail:  erblady@earthlink.net

Volume 16, Issue 9                                                                                          September, 2007

 

GERM FIGHTER SPRAY

 

With the recent outbreak of antibiotic-resistant staph infections, we've all been told to wash our hands more frequently.  Rub this on hands when you can’t wash and use it as an antiseptic, germ-fighting spray on cuts and scrapes.  It may also be used as a room spray.

12 drops Tea Tree #1777-1
6 drops Eucalyptus #3904-9
6 drops Lemon #3908-2
2 oz. Nature's Fresh #9834-7
Combine ingredients and add to spray bottle. Shake gently before use.

                                  

I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible because dreams offer too little collateral. - Walt Disney

                                        

HEAVY METALS weighing you down?

 

Learning disabilities, neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue and even cancer can involve heavy metal toxicity! 

 

Our environment is full of ways that heavy metals make their way into our bodies.  We can breathe them, eat them, drink them, and even absorb them through our skin.  Ideally, we should do all we can to avoid them.  Here are some important tips for reducing our exposure to these health-destroying elements.

 

  • Purify your water.  Nature’s Spring reverse osmosis water purification system #1735-3 is one of the best ways to purify your water. Drinking water often contains cadmium from fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides and air pollution, arsenic from pesticides, cigarettes and mining, lead from solder in water pipes, insecticides, food grown near roads or factories, insecticides, bone meal and tobacco, mercury from fabric softeners, solvents, fungicides and pesticides and aluminum from fertilizers.
  • Make sure your water pipes have no lead. Avoid lead-based painted objects. Don’t store liquids in lead crystal containers.
  • Buy and prepare fresh, organic food as much as possible.
  • Keep the chemicals in your life to a minimum, especially cleaning chemicals. Sunshine Concentrate #1551-6 can be used for all types of household cleaning tasks.  If you would like information on using it in your home, drop me a blank e-mail with “Concentrate” in the subject line.
  • Avoid cooking with aluminum pans or using anything that is aluminum with your food, especially acidic foods like citrus. Antiperspirants and antacids, dental amalgams and fertilizers carry this neurotoxin that crosses and enters the blood-brain barrier.
  • Insist on composite fillings from your dentist, not mercury/silver amalgams, which are about 50% mercury.  Many European countries now completely outlaw the use of silver/mercury amalgam fillings.  According to the World Health Organization, amalgam dental fillings are a major source of mercury exposure. Mercury is also found in fungicides, pesticides, contaminated seafood, thermometers, fabric softeners, tattoo and other inks, paints, medications, plastics, solvents and wood preservatives. This neurotoxin lodges inside neuron cells disrupting cellular communication.

 

Heavy metal detoxification is important for anyone who has worked around a lot of chemicals in their job (including painters, beauticians, lab technicians, dry cleaners, carpet cleaners, farmers and factory workers in many industries). It is also a good thing for people suffering from any kind of chronic inflammatory disorder or problem that involves nerve damage.  An important time to do a heavy metal cleanse is after dental work that involves the removal of amalgam fillings from the mouth.

 

Specific diseases may also signal a need for heavy metal detoxification.  These include autism, autoimmune disorders, cancer, parasites, chronic yeast or fungal infections, hardening of the arteries and chronic inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s or dementia often involve heavy metals, although by the time these diseases are diagnosable, irreversible damage may have already been done.  Because of this, it may be wise to periodically do heavy metal cleanses for prevention.

 

Heavy Metal Cleanse. If you know or suspect you have heavy metal poisoning, it is probably a good idea to work with an experienced doctor, naturopath or herbalist to custom design a program for your individual needs.  However, as a starting point, here is a basic mercury and heavy metal detox program.

 

1 Tablespoon or Flax Seed Oil #3162-1 or 2 Super Omega-3 EPA Gel Capsules #1515-7

1 Heavy Metal Detox #507-1 twice daily

2-4 Algin #675-1 three times daily or 1 Tablespoon Nature’s Three #1345-0 in a glass of water or juice twice daily

Once or twice a week, take a drawing bath with Hydrated Bentonite #1725-9 (1/2 bottle) or a cup of any other fine clay.  Another option is to take a foot spa bath.

 

When doing this program, make certain the bowels are moving at least two to three times per day.  If not, you may wish to do a general cleanse before starting the heavy metal detox program. This ensures that all eliminative channels are open. 

 

The program should be continued for at least four to six weeks and up to three to four months.  If one develops a strong cleansing reaction to the program, it is best to stop or slow down and focus on some general cleansing procedures for a few days.  Then resume the cleanse at a slower pace.

 

Here is what each of the supplements in the program does:

 

Flax Seed Oil or Omega-3 EPA.  One of the reasons heavy metals are so hard to eliminate is that they are not naturally water soluble.  Good fats are required to bind and move heavy metals out of the system.  These supplements also help reduce the inflammation heavy metals cause.

 

Heavy Metal Detox.  This is specifically designed to help the body bind heavy metals and remove them.  The key ingredient, cilantro, has the ability to bind to, detoxify and clear heavy metals and other neurotoxins from bones, the brain and the central nervous system.  Other ingredients include N-Acetyl-Cysteine and l-methionine (amino acids that help clear heavy metals from the body and improve the immune response, sodium alginate and kelp algae (for binding toxins for elimination) and alpha lipoic acid (a powerful antioxidant which helps heavy metal detoxification in the liver).

 

Algin or Nature’s Three.  Algin (sodium alginate) is a gelatinous substance extracted from certain brown algae.  It binds heavy metals in the intestinal tract and carries them safely out of the body.  Algin also prevents tissues from absorbing radioactive materials and protects tissues from toxins and carcinogens.  Nature’s Three is a fiber supplement which can do the same thing but is not as strong as algin.

 

Bentonite or Other Clay Baths. Bentonite is natural clay that comes from volcanic ash.  It has been used internally and externally for its absorptive properties.  When hydrated, it has a large surface area and carries a negative charge that can safely absorb and lock on to a large quantity of toxins, including heavy metals, which are then eliminated.  It can be taken internally, but when used in a bath, it pulls heavy metal contaminants out through the skin. This accelerates the detoxification process.  Any fine clay can also be used in the bath. Foot spa baths can also be employed to aid heavy metal detoxification.

 

There are other supplements that can aid in heavy metal detoxification that are not included in the basic cleanse. Alpha Lipoic Acid #1505-6 has both fat and water soluble properties and can cross any membrane in the body.  It helps remove liver toxins, including heavy metals. Mega-Chel #1611-1 is designed to help remove the build-up of mineral deposits (arterial plaque) in the circulatory system, but it also has the ability to help the body eliminate heavy metals, particularly lead.  Simply add 1-2 tablets of Mega-Chel twice daily to the basic program. N-Acetyl Cysteine #509-7 also known as NAC, is essential for the body to mount a defense against free radicals and it supports the natural elimination of harmful toxins, including heavy metals. This nutrient is a precursor to glutathione, one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants.  Heavy metals deplete glutathione, but NAC helps remove them. Finally, Bowel Detox #3020-8 aids digestion and elimination and can be a helpful addition to a heavy metal cleansing program.  The blend contains enzymes, fiber, bentonite clay, charcoal and herbs which support the liver and intestinal function.

 

If you are interested in learning more about a heavy metal detoxification or need help in developing a customized program, the person who introduced you to Nature’s Sunshine can help you create a program that is right for you.

 

Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it and see it from a mile away. - Denis Waitley

 

HAVE YOU BEEN WONDERING ABOUT NSP HERBS FROM CHINA?

Here is a statement from an NSP Research Scientist

 

“NSP does in fact use select quality ingredients from China. However, all incoming raw materials are subject to over 300 quality inspections from the time they are put into quarantine upon arrival, up until the finished product is made. Our manufacturing facility is compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), and is routinely inspected by the FDA. We also inspect our suppliers' facilities to be sure they are meeting our standards. All material from China is subject to the same testing as a material from the US. If it does not meet standards, it is simply sent back,
no matter what the country of origin is. Likewise, materials from the
US and other countries cannot be deemed safe or free of adulterated materials just because they are not from China.

“Please read the following statement that explains further the Quality, Service, and Integrity NSP offers:

 

“Over 80% of our herbs are wild-crafted, which means our herbs are hand-harvested from the wild. Wild-crafted herbs are not grown on farms, and hence cannot be certified organic. However, they clearly are not grown with fertilizers, pesticides, etc. The small percentage of our herbs that are grown on farms are always grown using organic growing methods (we inspect each supplier's farm before we buy from them). Whenever possible, we buy from organic-certified farms.

“We buy our herbs from all corners of the globe. Most of the traditionally used herbs are only grown, or grow best, in their native environments. Herbs that are native to or are commonly grown in the
United States are purchased from U.S. farmers. Because we buy our herbs from all corners of the globe, we cannot possibly certify all of the herbs that are grown on organic farms. Very few countries outside the U.S. have any kind of standard for organic certification. Because of this, we stand by our Quality Assurance motto: "The Proof is in the Testing". If any trace of
foreign material, including fertilizers, pesticides, or any other matter is found, we reject the batch and refuse to purchase from that vendor again in the future. Therefore when you purchase our products you can be guaranteed the product contains no residues from fertilizers or pesticides or other types of contamination. An organic label does not necessarily mean high quality. Organic can still be contaminated. The real proof is in the testing, which NSP does to ensure no lead, arsenic, pesticides, contaminants, etc.

Quality is one factor that sets NSP apart from the competition. NSP has one of the most extensive quality testing facilities and we are considered to be the quality leader in the natural supplement industry. NSP conducts independent testing to ensure that we provide high quality products. We meticulously test all raw materials and finished products. In all, we use more than 300 tests and procedures to ensure the quality of the raw materials we use and the finished products we sell. Our manufacturing facility enables us to manufacture products following pharmaceutical grade GMPs (good manufacturing practices).

Quality begins in selection, where only the finest herbs and raw materials are obtained. The company's global sourcing of raw materials ensures that the highest quality products are chosen from each harvest season. After being harvested, these materials are shipped to the manufacturing facility, where they are subjected to a series of in-depth quality control tests to ensure purity, potency and cleanliness.”


Once a product has been produced, it undergoes a battery of tests to assure consistency, quality and potency. The finished product is audited by inspectors for bulk weight, liquid volume, bottle count, bottle sealing and legible lot number. Samples are then given to the QA labs so scientists can complete testing according to finished product specifications. After all tests are completed and the product has passed the inspections, Quality Assurance will release the product. The batch record and a sample of the finished product are retained for future reference. If a customer has a
question about a product, QA can refer to the retention sample of the lot in question.

Every test we conduct leads to better product quality, and excellence in product quality is what has put our products where they are today--at the top of the industry. You can be assured that with each new product we develop and manufacture, our commitment to excellence will continue.

NSP chemists use sophisticated equipment to accomplish these tasks. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC), Mass Spectrometry (MS) including HPLC-MS/MS, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR), Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometry (UV-VIS) are a few of the instruments at their disposal. NSP scientists' expertise is recognized worldwide with publication of their methods in peer-reviewed journals.

Nature's Sunshine Products does extensive testing to ensure that each of our capsule and tablet products meet stringent dissolution and disintegration requirements. Tablets and capsules are tested in accordance with the United States Pharmacopoeia. The capsules or tablets are placed in water maintained at 37 degrees C (body temperature) and the motion of the disintegration apparatus simulates the passage of a capsule through the body. The time required for each tablet and capsule to break down is recorded, and all tablets and capsules must dissolve within 30 minutes to be accepted by NSP Quality Assurance. Additionally, ongoing stability testing
is conducted to ensure that capsules and tablets from a given lot continue to pass disintegration testing throughout the shelf life of the product.

We can guarantee the quality and purity of every product we sell because we conduct our own extensive testing on every lot of every product. This is considered superior to most other companies that don't have the facilities to do their testing. These companies have to rely on periodic testing from outside labs. Third party testing is highly recommended because very few
herbal companies have the resources or staff to adequately conduct their own tests to ensure quality. NSP is one of the rare companies that can boast a full array of scientific testing equipment, as well as a full staff of scientists (We have 7 PhD's on staff as well as 2 pharmacists, and over 15 chemists.) to conduct the tests. Because we are able to test each and every batch of product, we consider our products to be superior to a company's who occasionally hires outside labs to test their herbs and vitamins/minerals on an intermittent basis.

We are confident in the quality of our products because of our extensive testing. Quality Assurance and Research & Development booklets are available that may be of interest to you. These booklets provide helpful information about some of the tests we conduct so you can better understand the stringent testing procedures NSP follows and can have the utmost confidence in the products we offer.” (Call Manager Services 800-223-8225) “Some of this information is available online at http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/productquality/index.aspx

It is not just NSP's opinion that we are quality leaders; an independent source has verified this. NSP was selected by National Outlook magazine as the ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ for 2002. Nutritional Outlook is a leading monthly magazine serving the nutritional industry, analyzing developments in regulations, ingredients, quality control, manufacturing technology,
packaging, marketing, and new products from the manufacturer's perspective.

I hope this information is helpful for you.

Thank you-

“Curtis Walcker
Research Scientist
Health Sciences & Educational Services Department
Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.”


 Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all. - Sam Ewing

 

EXCITOTOXINS CAUSE CELL DEATH

 

Excitotoxins including aspartame and monosodium glutamate are neurotoxic chemical additives that directly harm nerve cells, over-exciting them to the point of cell death. They're found in diet soda, canned soup, salad dressing, sausage and even many manufactured vegetarian foods, used to add flavor to over-processed, boring foods that have had the life cooked out of them. So how do food companies manage to hide excitotoxins and taste additives in their foods? It's easy: They just keep changing the names to confuse us. Once customers learned to avoid MSG /monosodium glutamate, the food companies started calling it other things.  The following list gives some of the many disguises of MSG on packaged food. 

 

Additives that always contain MSG
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

 

Additives that frequently contain MSG
Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavoring
Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

 

Additives that may contain MSG or Excitotoxins
Carageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Isolate

From Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, MD

 

The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning. - Oprah Winfrey

 

FREE 23 Tips on Fighting Childhood Obesity by Rearing a Veggie Lover.  Just send a blank e-mail with “rearing a veggie lover” in the subject line to erblady@earthlink.net

 

What others do or say is their stuff; how we react, or not, is our stuff! - Phil Evans, Australian Business Coach, Author

 

Defend your health against super-bugs with SILVER SHIELD #4070-7 with Aqua Sol Technology.  It contains 14 ppm of silver.  Nature’s Sunshine uses a patented process in which silver particles with an interior of elemental silver and an exterior of ionic silver oxide is placed in a colloidal suspension in purified, deionized water.

 

Healthfully yours,

Ginny Irvin, ND, MH, CNC