Homeopathy is effective according to Swiss federal report

November 19th 2011

The English translation of the Swiss Health Technology Assessment (HTA) report on Homeopathy will be published in the UK on 30th November 2011. The Homeopathy Research Institute is glad to bring you a taster of the contents of this exciting report.

The 2006 HTA report on homeopathy was commissioned by the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) within the context of an overall evaluation of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs). It was written by a team of German speaking academics and edited by G Bornhöft & F Matthiessen of Witten/Herdecke University in Germany.

Interestingly, the HTA methodology, unlike meta-analyses and systematic reports such as the Cochrane Collaboration, does not just ask the question of effectiveness of a particular intervention, it also addresses the questions of effectiveness of a therapy in everyday use (i.e. real world effectiveness), how it is used, its safety and its cost-effectiveness.

This report, amounting to 300-plus pages, exhaustively reviews the scientific literature in homeopathy. It summarises 22 reviews, 20 of which show positive results for homeopathy. Four of these showed strong evidence that homeopathy, as a system of medicine, is efficacious. It also finds strong supporting evidence for the homeopathic treatment of allergies and upper-respiratory tract infections.

Shang et al comparative meta-analysis which appeared in the Lancet in 2005 and was heralded by the Lancet’s editor as “The end of homeopathy” was, according to Bornhöft & Matthiessen, commissioned by the FSIO as a part of this same assessment of CAMs. It was originally meant to investigate the quality of homeopathy trials compared to those of conventional medicine. In the HTA report the authors analyse the Shang et al 2005 study, stating that, “Although we cannot conclude from the previous remarks [about the Shang et al 2005 study] the opposite conclusion – that homeopathy is effective – we can say with certainty that the Shang et al 2005 study does not prove that homeopathy has no effect.” The report also presents the results of the quality assessment of homeopathy trials, concluding that “studies of homeopathy and phytotherapy were of better quality than comparable conventional medicine studies”.

The Bornhöft & Matthiessen HTA report ends with this statement: “In conclusion we have established that there is sufficient supporting evidence for the pre-clinical (experimental) as well as clinical effects of homeopathy, and that in absolute terms, as well as when compared to conventional therapies, it offers a safe and cost-effective treatment.”

With the publication of the English translation of the HTA report, we hope that the debate will finally move from the question, ‘Does homeopathy work?’ to the more pressing questions of ‘How does homeopathy work?’ and ‘What conditions can homeopathy treat effectively and cost-efficiently?’.

Greetings to a New Year, a New future with great change in prospect. Look upon change as healthy and we are being given an opportunity to evolve, hopefully for the benefit of ourselves and  our societies.

Health is  Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual wellbeing for each one of us in a unique combination.

Albert Schweitzer wrote  in 1923 in ’Decay and Restoration of Civilization’ “We need an ethical conception of ourselves within the universe.” i.e. If in everything we do we take time to consider how it will impact upon others and resist the historical habit of self-centredness and materialism.  

Vitamin D3 is proclaimed as probably the most important of the vitamins. In fact it is a hormone and its function is to regulate almost every protection process in the body. Where does it come from? Free of charge from direct sunlight on the body and through the eyes. How else did the body avoid the skin cancers  before the advent of sunblocks?  The body benefits from UVA which is most accessible around midday. It also helps counteract the destructive, deeper acting UVB which is around all day.

The next piece of advice on health is to get out and have some exercise.  Dr Terry Lynch, of ‘Beyond Prozac’ writes in his latest book ‘Selfhood,’ that  motivation only comes once some form of activity or action has taken place. I.e. Remember those days when you felt better and achieved more after having had some exercise?  Action generates  motivation. Can be tough but it will be worth it. Invite others to join you on a regular basis. Exercise is considered to be the best prophylactic and antidote to depression. It also helps reduce excess weight, can improve sleep and when amongst friends one can discuss those suppressed emotional niggles that eventually damage health!

Now is the time to start. Don’t wait for the summer with the full heat and glare of the sun, Start Now. Let your body adjust to exercise, sunlight, fresh air and conversation so when the summer arrives you will be better able to enjoy it.

Diane Stauder and Alastair Yarrow

Arklow Natural Healing Centre

8 St. Mary’s Terrace

Arklow

Co.Wicklow

0402 33933

Diane’s mobile  086 3700 796

Alastair’s mobile 086 605 9075

We will be starting our courses on Homoeopathy for First Aid and common ailments later in January.

Tuesday evenings  7.30-9pm… Diane

Tuesday mornings 10.30 –12.30. This is a course designed especially  for Men, but depending upon demand or interest may be opened to Women…Alastair

If you would like to know what we, or homoeopathy,  offer for Children or Adults do call us on 0402 33933.

For Information about Homoeopaths in your area call the Irish Society of Homeopaths

Tel: 01 816 8830

Or   www.irishhomeopathy.ie

Or  ISH   1ST. Floor, Marine Court Centre, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

If you are interested to  learn more about  Homoeopathy, or about our classes on “Homoeopathy for First Aid and Home Use.” Or  to supplement your First Aid Cert. Would your Club or Association be interested in a talk on how Homoeopathy help in day to day health matters? Call us on : 0402 33933. Monday to Friday  9.30am to 5pm.  

Or look up ANHC on Arklowbiz.com/anhc

It’s Ashleigh Tobin here from Alternative Health Solutions in Wicklow. I hope you enjoy this ‘Healthy Living Tip’, a once monthly article with practical information on how to live a healthier life.

This Month: New Year: Here we go again!

            Christmas is over and in most homes, the last of the mince pies have been eaten; the chocolates and cakes are almost gone and it’s nearly time for the kids to return to school so it must be time to think about cleaning up our act around our diet!

            Mmmmm  – Now I could tell you about the fact that January has always been considered a good month for detox but there’s probably no need! Every magazine you pick up and health supplement you read will be telling you how to completely detox your body for a fresh ‘spring clean feel’.

            And while some people do go all out and have a thorough detox at this time of the year (and feel amazing afterwards), the majority of people have great intentions that somehow don’t happen in the real life world they live in!

            And so, this year the focus of my January health tip is simple:

Do just ONE thing every day for the rest of January.

That’s it…

It could be:

-         to drink an extra glass of water per day

-         to walk for fifteen minutes per day

-         to ACTUALLY eat your ‘five-a-day’ fruit and vegetables

-         to even eat ONE of your ‘five-a-day’

-         to smoke one less cigarette every day

-         to have one evening in the week that you don’t drink alcohol

-         to take the supplements you bought but haven’t used

Let’s get real here – if your life is busy, your schedule full

and you always seem to be low down on your own ‘to do’ list;

then the best thing to do is to decide to do ONE thing that will help your health and then actually…

DO THAT ONE THING.

            I PROMISE that if you do that one thing every day for the rest of January, you will feel significantly better that you do now.

            Give it a go – I promise that you will feel so delighted with yourself for having actually carried through on your promise to yourself, that it will encourage you to do more.

            For those that do want to do a detox, there are many different options available, from the very mild to the very extreme. Be wise in your choice and remember that it is better to do a little and keep it up than do a lot but stop after two days! Remember, there are also a lot of expensive ‘detox’ packages on the market that promise a lot and deliver little. Remember, if it’s sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

I hope you found this useful. If you have any queries on this or any related topic, please feel free to contact me. 

Free Natural Health Clinics. Call to one of my Free Natural Health Advice Clinics any Friday for free advice on health, nutrition or supplementation. Clinics held in Health and Healing, Wicklow or Health at Hand, Arklow. Friday mornings 10.30am to 12.30pm. Please phone 087 / 7465882 for further details.

The start, image1.  Placing the stag, the most important element in the painting, and the suggested winter landscape.  A very rough impression but not to be underestimated starting point in any piece in the artist's realistic/impressionistic style.

Image2  At this stage the painting is approximately at the half way point.  The stag is 75% complete, some more detail needed on the tail and particularily the antlers.  Te landscape is still very roughly indicated but counterchange is happening particularily behind the stag's head.

image3 The completed painting.  The artist finally happy with the alert posture of the stag and the wary look in the eye.  The eye is traditionally the section of anatomy which gives most problems, but this artist finds the mouth is equally if not more bothersome.  After this the landscape almost painted itself, making sure to keep the tones in a low key and banishing pure white from the canvas.

One final critical look.  A glass of red and the painting is ready for framing.

It should be apparent that the liver is one of our most important organs and needs to be kept functioning properly. Indications that the liver is not in peak condition include bad skin, a metallic taste in the mouth, bad periods, unexpected weight gain especially around the abdomen and lethargy. A pure, unadulterated diet of natural foods contributes to maintaining a healthy liver – an excellent counter to the overindulgence to which we are particularly prone at the festive season.

Many people know that it is a good thing to detoxify the liver – Alfred Vogel recommended spring and autumn – but they are unsure what to use, or have heard horror stories about the impact of a radical detox.  However, as ever, there is a herb which can help at any time of the year – Milk Thistle. It is commonly used to help build a strong and healthy liver. Many scientific tests have shown that not only has Milk Thistle the ability to strengthen the liver, it also supports the detoxification process that is so very necessary in keeping healthy in our polluted world.
Alfred Vogel created a wonderful remedy – Milk Thistle Complex – which contains five herbs traditionally used for their action on the liver.  The major additional herbs are Artichoke and Dandelion, with support herbs Boldo and Peppermint.  Practitioners use these herbs to enhance liver and gall bladder function and improve digestion.

A.Vogel Milk Thistle Complex is an ideal tonic to help restore the liver to its optimum function. The liver is the detoxification centre of the body and performs many vital functions.  It stores vitamins and minerals, produces bile which is required for the breakdown of fat and is the main organ involved in the metabolism of food, drugs and hormones.  It converts food into useable energy units for the whole body.  An under-performing liver can result in a wide range of health problems such as headaches, weight gain, chronic fatigue, allergies, skin complaints, constipation and nausea.   
Living in tension and fear can also upset the liver. So it is of benefit to stop every once in a while and take stock of ourselves and contemplate the best avenues open to us. Keeping cool emotionally may be the best service we could offer to our liver. Thus, we have to combine a sensible diet with emotional control, a philosophy that governs sound health principles if we want to keep our bodies and minds at their peak.

From Health At Hand

It’s Ashleigh Tobin here from Alternative Health Solutions in Wicklow. I hope you enjoy this ‘Healthy Living Tips’, a once monthly newsletter with practical information on how to live a healthier life.

This Month: Surviving the Festive Season

             This time of year can play havoc with our health – late nights, too much alcohol, rich food etc. All of this can mean that our immune system isn’t operating at full capacity, leaving us vulnerable to picking up coughs, colds and sore throats as well as piling on the pounds and generally feeling sluggish.

            So how can you be the life and soul of the party and still stay healthy this Christmas? Here are a few tips:

-         Have a few early nights each week of the party season – sleep is really important in keeping you healthy and well.

-         Eat a proper meal before going out on the town. It means that alcohol will be absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream.

-         Try not to drink alcohol several days in a row and drink plenty of non alcoholic fluids during each following day to help flush out the system.

-         Take additional Vitamin C around party time. Smoking and alcohol both deplete this important immune boosting vitamin.

-         If you have overindulged in too much Christmas spirit, consider Milk Thistle Complex to help cleanse the liver and clear the hangover.

-         Get moving! Sitting around in front of the television for days on end does nothing for the body or the mind. A brisk walk is great for lifting mood and keeping weight gain at bay.

-         Be safe – No matter where you go or how much you party, remember to let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to be home.

-         It goes without saying and needs to be said anyhow: ‘Never, ever drink and drive. Get a taxi’

-         Oh, and by the way – Have fun!

Last Minute Gift Solutions:

            Do remember that you can purchase a Gift Voucher for the friend or loved one who has been promising themselves that they would come for a consultation and just hasn’t gotten around to it. Just give me a call to find out about my special offers.

Alternative Health Solutions – Holiday Season Arrangements:

            The clinic will be closing for the Christmas holidays at lunchtime on Friday 23^rd December. Phone consultations and scheduled phone in times will be available on Wednesday 28^th, Thursday 29^th and Friday 30^th December. Please check voicemail for more details.

Free Natural Health Clinics. Call to one of my Free Natural Health Advice Clinics any Friday for free advice on health, nutrition or supplementation. Clinics held in Health and Healing, Wicklow or Health at Hand, Arklow. Friday mornings 10.30am to 12.30pm. Please phone 087 / 7465882 for further details.

Wishing you health, happiness and energy,

Ashleigh

Contributor: Alastair Yarrow – Arklow Natural Healing Centre

As the country seems to be reeling from the economic disturbances, think POSITIVE and how you can once again take care of your own health, physical, emotional and mental!

Current medical literature is showing that many physical ailments are actually deficiency diseases! Probably the easiest for everyone to prevent is the Vitamin D deficiency. How has this come about? Lack of sunlight! Yes, that fearful orb in the sky that is sending out dangerous rays! Our bodies need sunlight to generate natural, not synthetic, vit D. Evidence has been taken from the skin cancer stats that  show that more office and factory based workers develop skin cancers than realised.   So, start now by re-familiarising your body to natural sunlight so by the time the summer sun is back your body is able to both tolerate and utilise this free resource. But do remember the ancient quote, “only mad dogs and Englishmen stand out in the noonday sun!”

Emotional and Mental health. It is  healthier to express your thoughts and feelings than to hold them in. Listen to your body the next time your own thoughts or feeling are left unexpressed! Where do you experience tensions! Stomach, chest, heart, joints, head etc?

Often the Christmas holiday becomes a time of unhappiness, conflict and regret over things said, or not said , especially within the family. You have to judge for your self what you say but don’t forget to ask yourself how will you feel afterwards and what impact could this have on your health or theirs! Holding it in is also self-destructive so it is of great value to your own health to off load it to some receptive non-judgemental  ear. From our perspective, the consultation takes into account the physical symptoms that have been generated. Many’s the time we have heard  from someone who experienced ’flu like symptoms and took several antibiotics with several weeks off work, but got no better so they decided to try something else. i.e. homoeopathy. They soon recognised that the ’flu like symptoms were  the body’s reaction to a trauma! After a trauma remedy that took account of their ’flu like symptoms they were wiser and back to normal.

The impact of harboured guilt, can fester and become destructive to  health in general.  I am sure we have all experienced those sensations of pounding heart, heat, sweat, remorse and self-doubt sometimes long after the event. The apology or forgiveness after such an emotional outburst works wonders. 

2012, is an interesting year with a unique planetary alignment. May be a summer  of good weather? Start the preparations now by working on your health, Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.

 Happy  New Year!      

Another successful year for Arklow Artist Robert Harcus. Among this years achievements was to be part of 4 exhibitions around the world.  Robert was invited to and exhibited in Lexington Kentucky, France, Belgium and Portugal, which included receiving another two 1st place medals.  Robert was awarded a Diploma for his contribution to the Arts on the international scene.

These and others of Robert's latest pieces can be viewed at his South Quay studio in Arklow, telephone 0035386 8968352

WINTER HEALTH

What does winter mean to you? Do the darker nights fill you with dread and the colder days with shivers? Do you anticipate these symptoms with grim certainty every winter?
Head full of cement and nose dripping?
A sore throat and a perpetual cough?
Rattling chest?
Here’s how to cope!
Truly, it doesn’t have to be this way. You know those irritating people who breeze through the winter never catching a thing except the jealous eye of their germ-ridden colleagues? That could be you this year!

Take Echinacea every day. Fresh, organic Echinacea purpurea has been shown to work by improving the immune response to any potential bug, making it less likely that you’ll fall prey to any kind of infection, from colds to flu and throat or chest infections. If you are one of these people who can bank on getting at least four colds every winter, start taking it in October and be amazed as you sail through until March with scarcely a sniffle to your name.

Add Vitamin C to your daily routine and improve the way your body builds white blood cells, which are the soldiers in the immune system’s fight against invading germs. Vitamin C should be taken in doses, two or three times daily as that ensures that it will give the most benefit to your immune system.
Get some fresh air each day, rather than huddling in centrally heated homes and offices, and cars heated up like small ovens.

And for combating the chesty coughing spasms
A complex containing Ivy and Thyme will reduce bronchial spasm and thin any mucus lying on the

chest, making it easier to bring up and get rid of. The joy of this remedy is that it works really quickly and has no contraindications, so anyone can take it. Even diabetics, who can’t take regular cough bottles because they contain sugar, are safe with these herbs. Give it to your children and enjoy peaceful nights, undisturbed by racking coughs. (Children who have persistent coughs or breathing difficulties should be taken to a doctor.)
A pine based cough syrup, made from fresh spruce buds long used for their beneficial effect on the respiratory tract during the winter months, should help soothe a tickly cough. The story goes that the Native Americans used to use these buds to survive, if stranded in the snow, by making spruce bud tea. As ever, they knew what they were doing as it turns out that spruce buds have antiseptic and antibacterial effects which can help the lungs to bring up muck that may be lying there.
Plantago is great for those whose catarrh sits firmly in the head, blocking the nose and the ears, making breathing and hearing difficult. If you snuffle your way through the winter, and battle the phlegm for weeks after defeating the cold, try this remedy and reduce your chances of suffering the dreaded snot.

More tips for a wonderful winter
Keep breathing! Don’t forsake the outdoors because it’s no longer sunny – get out and breathe fresh (chilly…) air at least once every day. And that doesn’t mean a couple of breaths as you dive from your house to your car… Have a five minute trot round the block every day, or venture out at lunchtime for a short walk, to get stale air out of your lungs.
Keep moving! As above… Don’t vegetate because you’ll actually be colder huddled by the fire in three layers of thermals than you would be if you had a brisk walk. Exercise also improves mood, with people who exercise regularly being less prone to depression. And that doesn’t have to be major athletics or aerobic acrobatics, but just walking or other gentle activities.

Contributor: Alastair Yarrow – Arklow Natural Healing Centre

Prostate Problems.

“The benefits of PSA prostate cancer screening has been repeatedly shown to be minimal at best and detrimental at worst. Overall, PSA screening barely has any impact on mortality rates from prostate cancer. As a result, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force will soon recommend that men not get screened for prostate cancer. “

To read the full story Mercola.com

With the  advertising campaign for men to take action and say the word “Prostate,”  currently running on the media one has to ask what is going on! Who is right, what is the truth?

“Most cases of prostate cancer do not occur until after men turn 50, but in recent years there has been a steady rise in the percentage of men in their 30s and 40s with both prostate problems and prostate cancer, primarily as a result of poor diet and increasing environmental pollution.”

The Irish National Men’s Health Policy ‘08-’13,   8.2.2 a “….the majority of expert medical organizations ‘either recommend against screening or state the lack of  sufficient evidence to justify recommending its use’ …this tends to result in ‘over treatment,’ which is a cause of great concern because treatment can result in problems such as impotency and urinary inconvenience,” and generates inconsiderable FEAR and ANXIETY. 

The PSA “Unfortunately, investigations over the years have discovered serious flaws with the PSA test used to diagnose prostate cancer. And the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—which has also declared “women in their 40’s don’t need mammograms “—may soon recommend that men not get screened for prostate cancer using the PSA test.

What can you do? Read the full article and then look at ways to improve and maintain your health!

Look at DIET. Good  foods that do not contain GM properties; look at Saturated Fat intake and increase wisely; beware of  hydrogenated, processed  and artificially created foods that the body can not digest efficiently. And finally look at both your Emotional, Mental  and Spiritual health.

Fear and Anxiety generate stress that impacts upon the digestive, circulatory, hormonal, nervous and respiratory systems and then upon those organs that are most susceptible to disease in your family!

Start helping yourself, and take exercise, a good diet and plenty of natural vitamin D, for free, from mindful exposure to Sunlight!