Virtually all of us take the ability to get a good breath of air for granted. For people suffering from chronic sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease, and other diseases of the respiratory tract, however, an effortless breath of air is greatly appreciated.
These conditions are often more problematic during the winter months. Sure, we are exposed to more viruses at this time, but one of the key reasons sinus and airway congestion occurs more frequently during winter months is dry, warm indoor air. This dries out the airway membranes. As a result, mucus isn’t cleared as effectively, which can increase your risk of sinus, bronchial, or lung congestion and/or infection.
Fortunately, there are safe and effective natural products that can improve the moisture content of the airway passages as well as the mucus secretions, and as a result, lead to easier breathing. Three of the most useful are N-acetylcysteine, ivy extract, and bromelain. These ingredients can be used individually or combined for even greater effectiveness.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a derivative of the naturally occurring amino acid, cysteine. NAC has an extensive history of use in the treatment of acute and chronic lung conditions, including emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis. It directly splits the sulfur linkages of mucoproteins, thereby reducing viscosity of bronchial and lung secretions. As a result, it improves bronchial and lung function, reduces cough, and improves oxygen saturation in the blood.
NAC is helpful in all lung and respiratory tract disorders, especially chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In detailed analysis of 39 trials, it has been concluded that oral NAC reduces the risk of exacerbations (severe worsening) and improves symptoms in patients with chronic bronchitis compared with a placebo.
In addition to its effects as a mucolytic, NAC can increase the manufacture of glutathione—a major antioxidant for the entire respiratory tract and lungs. The typical dosage for NAC is 200 mg three times daily.
Ivy leaf has a long history of use in asthma and COPD. Recent clinical research has validated its ability to reduce bronchial spasm and improve respiratory secretions. Several double-blind studies have shown that ivy extract improves lung function and reduces asthma attacks. For example, in one double-blind study, 25 children ages 10 to 15 years with asthma demonstrated improvements in lung capacity after 10 days of treatment with ivy extract. Improvements were shown to be clinically relevant and statistically significant three hours after administration of ivy extract by day 10 of treatment. The typical dosage is 100 mg once or twice daily.
Bromelain refers to a group of sulfur-containing enzymes that digest protein (proteolytic enzymes or proteases) obtained from the pineapple plant (Ananas comusus). Bromelain has been shown to exert several effects of benefit in clearing the airways, suppressing coughs, and reducing the viscosity of respiratory tract secretions. Bromelain is also helpful in acute sinusitis. The typical dosage for bromelain for respiratory indications is 250 to 750 mg three times per day between meals.
Additional Therapies That Can Help
For sinus congestion, try nasal irrigation with salt water using a Neti pot—a ceramic pot that looks like a cross between a small teapot and Aladdin’s magic lamp. Used properly, the salt water will flow through the nasal cavity and relieve symptoms of congestion. Daily use is recommended during acute episodes, every other day for chronic conditions.
Nasal sprays featuring natural ingredients, such as xylitol or homeopathic remedies, can also be helpful at keeping membranes moist.
For bronchial and lung congestion, as well as for deeper sinus infections, try postural drainage. It is a simple, old-time therapy that works wonders. Apply a heating pad or hot water bottle to the chest for up to 20 minutes. Then perform postural drainage by lying face down with the top half of the body off of a bed, using the forearms as support. Maintain the position for five to 15 minutes, while you cough and expectorate into a basin or newspaper on the floor. Do this twice daily whenever there is significant airway congestion.
There is no doubt that these days there are so many online stores for dietary supplements to buy from. A customer gets confused where to shop from, which one offers the best rates, which one ships for free and e.t.c.
It is very common that you and I, the customers, have to make at least 3 to 5 orders from different stores before we stick to one particular online store.
But how do you choose? What do you looking for? What influences your choice? Is it only the lowest price or you are influenced by other factors like shipping rates, discount code program, loyalty credit, freebies, trial products? With this guide "Supplements for Pennies: 10% iHerb Discount Code + 10% iHerb Loyalty Credit", I would like to show you how my choice had been influenced by iherb’s ability to offer much more than just the lowest rates for dietary supplements on the market.
Short Overview
There is no doubt that these days there are so many online stores for dietary supplements to buy from. A customer gets confused where to shop from, which one offers the best rates, which one ships for free and e.t.c.
It is very common that you and I, the customers, have to make at least 3 to 5 orders from different stores before we stick to one particular online store.
But how do you choose? What do you looking for? What influences your choice? Is it only the lowest price or you are influenced by other factors like shipping rates, discount code program, loyalty credit, freebies, trial products? With this guide "Supplements for Pennies: 10% OFF iHerb Discount Code + 10% iHerb Loyalty Credit", I would like to show you how my choice had been influenced by iherb’s ability to offer much more than just the lowest rates for dietary supplements on the market.
Use iherb discount code FIW102 for additional 10% OFF discount.
The company is based in the USA and ships worldwide via airmail, DHL, UPS, and via Doves, of course.
How To Make Your First Order From iHerb Paying The Lowest Price, Receive Freebies, and Find Hidden Combo Deals
STEP 1: First you need to register. Go to iherb.com and make your regitration.
STEP 2: At the top of the website, just below the browser URL field, there are 2 links that you may want to check. These are Daily andWeekend Deals, Brands of the Week, and Trial products. Here you will usually see products discounted to up to 90%. Cool, huh?
STEP 3: Look through the Trial Products Section. You may find a trial of a product that you would like to try before buying the whole pack. Most of the trial products cost cents.
STEP 4: This is huge! The link I will provide right now is not easy to be seen. This is the Clearance Category. You can save up to 60% off.
Here you can find everything from pop chips to supplements and cosmetics.
Click here to go to the Clearance Category and find something cheap.
STEP 5: Let's find some hidden combo deals. I will show you how to search for them.
I will go to my favorite Sports category and I will find one of my favorite whey protein powders Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard 100% Whey, Cookies & Cream, 5 lbs.
I will click on the product to open and will look below the main product picture on the left to see if there is a "Bundle banner" like on the screenshot below:
STEP 6: When you are ready to make the purchase go to your shopping cart. Now you have a clear view of your products and discounts.
You might be wondering "Where to enter the iherb coupon code/iherb discount code for 10% off? The place for the iherb new customer coupon is just below your products in your shopping cart.
Enter the iherb coupon code you have (or you can use mine, of course, my iherb code is FIW102) and hit the apply button. The iherb discount code will be applied immediately as seen in the screenshot.
Now you see, the total cost for both products is $76.04 USD, as a first-time customer and with the additional discounts, you will buy the 2 products for $64.44 USD, this is a total of $11.60 USD discount, not bad?
STEP 7: Choose how you would like your order to be shipped. Unfortunately, there isn't any iherb free shipping code, but all order over $20 USD are eligible for free shipping in the USA. The delivery time is 1-5 business days with UPS or US Post.
To see which is the best shipping option and rate to your country, look below the place for applying the iherb discount code. There is a Get Shipping Estimates.
Click on the blue link Change. A pop-up window will appear. Choose your country address. Click on Save Preferences. Now the shipping options and rates will be available for your address country.
STEP 8: When you are ready, click on the orange proceed to checkout button (bottom right corner). Choose your shipping address. Choose shipping option and then next. Now you can choose which payment option to use - PayPal or direct payment with credit/debit card. I would go with PayPal as it is 10 times faster. Click next and fill in your billing address. Click next and review your order before you place it.
Look if everything is ok with your shipping address and payment details. If everything is fine click on the Place Order button.
Congrats! Your order has been placed. You will receive an email when iherb ships your order.
But Why Do I Keep Insisting That iHerb Is The Best Store To Buy Dietary Supplements Online?
Reason 1: Loyalty Pays You 10% Back
Since January 2016, each time you make a purchase through iherb.com, iHerb gives you 10% Loyalty Credit.
iHerb loyalty credit equals to 10% of your order total, excluding shipping charges. The iHerb loyalty credit is available to be used towards your next order once your last order has shipped.
Reason 2: Once you become a regular customer at iherb.com you will start receiving some little free gifts from iHerb team with your orders.
The future of cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment will not be found in your medicine cabinet, rather in your kitchen cupboard or in your back yard growing on a tree.
Pomegranate Found To Prevent Coronary Artery Disease Progression
A new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis confirms that pomegranate extract may prevent and/or reverse the primary pathology associated with cardiac mortality: the progressive thickening of the coronary arteries caused by the accumulation of fatty materials known as atherosclerosis.[i]
Mice with a genetic susceptibility towards spontaneous coronary artery blockages were given pomegranate extract via their drinking water for two weeks, beginning at three weeks of age. Despite the fact that pomegranate treatment actually increased cholesterol levels associated with very low density lipoprotein-sized particles, the treatment both reduced the size of the atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic sinus (the dilated opening above the aortic valve) and reduced the proportion of coronary arteries with occlusive atherosclerotic plaques.
Remarkably, the researchers also found that pomegranate extract treatment resulted in the following beneficial effects:
Reduced levels of oxidative stress
Reduced monocytie chemotactic protein-1, a chemical messenger (chemokine) associated with inflammatory processes within the arteries.
Reduced lipid accumulation in the heart muscle
Reduced macrophage infiltration in the heart muscle
Reduced levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and fibrosis in the myocardium
Reduced cardiac enlargement
Reduced ECG abnormalities
How can something as benign and commonplace as a fruit extract reverse so many aspects of coronary artery disease, simultaneously, as evidenced by the study above? The answer may lie in the fact that our ancestors co-evolved with certain foods (fruits in particular) for so long that a lack of adequate quantities of these foods may directly result in deteriorating organ function. Indeed, two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling argued that vitamin C deficiency is a fundamental cause of cardiovascular disease, owing to the fact that our hominid primate ancestors once had year-round access to fruits, and as a result lost the ability to synthesize it. [see Linus Pauling vitamin C lecture on GreenMedTV]
1
Discussion
This study adds to the already extant body of clinical research indicating that pomegranate can help unclog your arteries. For instance, back in 2004, the journal Clinical Nutrition published the results of a three year clinical trial in an Israeli population, finding that the daily consumption of pomegranate juice reversed carotid artery stenosis by up to 29% within 1 year. Remarkably, the blockages in the control group increased 9%, indicating that pomegranate's artery unblocking effects were even greater than at first apparent. [ii]
Pomegranate's value in cardiovascular disease is quite broad, as evidenced by the following experimentally confirmed properties:
Anti-inflammatory: Like many chronic degenerative diseases, inflammation plays a significant role in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. There are five studies on GreenMedInfo.com indicating pomegranate's anti-inflammatory properties.[iii]
Blood-Pressure Lowering: Pomegranate juice has natural angiotensin converting enzyme inhibiting properties, [iv] and is a nitric oxide enhancer, two well-known pathways for reducing blood pressure. [v] Finally, pomegranate extract rich in punicalagin has been found reduce the adverse effects of perturbed stress on arterial segments exposed to disturbed flow.[vi]
Anti-Infective: Plaque buildup in the arteries often involves secondary viral and bacterial infection, including hepatitis C and Chlamydia pneumoniae.[vii] Pomegranate has a broad range of anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.
Antioxidant: One of the ways in which blood lipids become heart disease-promoting (atherogenic) is through oxidation. LDL, for instance, may be technically 'elevated' but harmless as long as it does not readily oxidize. Pomegranate has been found to reduce the oxidative stress in the blood, as measured by serum paraoxonase levels. One study in mice found this decrease in oxidative stress was associated with 44% reduction in the size of atherosclerotic lesions. [viii]
[i] Aishah Al-Jarallah, Fatima Igdoura, Yi Zhang, Christine B Tenedero, Elizabeth J White, Melissa E Macdonald, Suleiman A Igdoura, Bernardo L Trigatti. The effect of pomegranate extract on coronary artery atherosclerosis in SR-BI/APOE double knockout mice. Atherosclerosis. 2013 May ;228(1):80-9. Epub 2013 Mar 7. PMID: 23528829
[ii] Michael Aviram, Mira Rosenblat, Diana Gaitini, Samy Nitecki, Aaron Hoffman, Leslie Dornfeld, Nina Volkova, Dita Presser, Judith Attias, Harley Liker, Tony Hayek. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33. PMID: 15158307
[iv] Mahalaxmi Mohan, Harshal Waghulde, Sanjay Kasture. Effect of pomegranate juice on Angiotensin II-induced hypertension in diabetic Wistar rats. Phytother Res. 2009 Dec 17. PMID: 20020514
[v] Filomena de Nigris, Maria Luisa Balestrieri, Sharon Williams-Ignarro, Francesco P D'Armiento, Carmela Fiorito, Louis J Ignarro, Claudio Napoli. The influence of pomegranate fruit extract in comparison to regular pomegranate juice and seed oil on nitric oxide and arterial function in obese Zucker rats. Nitric Oxide. 2007 Aug ;17(1):50-4. Epub 2007 May 5. PMID: 17553710
[vi] Filomena de Nigris, Sharon Williams-Ignarro, Vincenzo Sica, Lilach O Lerman, Francesco P D'Armiento, Russell E Byrns, Amelia Casamassimi, Daniela Carpentiero, Concetta Schiano, Daigo Sumi, Carmela Fiorito, Louis J Ignarro, Claudio Napoli. Effects of a pomegranate fruit extract rich in punicalagin on oxidation-sensitive genes and eNOS activity at sites of perturbed shear stress and atherogenesis. Cardiovasc Res. 2007 Jan 15;73(2):414-23. Epub 2006 Sep 1. PMID: 17014835
[vii] Yasunori Sawayama, Kyoko Okada, Shinji Maeda, Hachiro Ohnishi, Norihiro Furusyo, Jun Hayashi. Both hepatitis C virus and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection are related to the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients undergoing lipid lowering therapy. Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi. 2006 Aug;97(8):245-55. PMID: 17087362
[viii] M Aviram, L Dornfeld, M Rosenblat, N Volkova, M Kaplan, R Coleman, T Hayek, D Presser, B Fuhrman. Pomegranate juice consumption reduces oxidative stress, atherogenic modifications to LDL, and platelet aggregation: studies in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May ;71(5):1062-76. PMID: 10799367
We know that all drugs have side effects. That’s just part of the deal right? But is it really possible that an antidepressant can cause a sane person to act like a cold-blooded criminal?
I imagined my audience would be wondering as much as I arrived to an unseasonably chilly day at King’s College in London. I was there to share what I have learned about the medications that I so dutifully and faithfully prescribed during the early part of my career, and also about the deep potential for healing depression in simple, safe ways, according to the latest science.
The day before my flight, I had received an email from a man who I would choose to invite on stage with me that day. His name is David Carmichael and he wrote:
“I took the life of my 11-year-old son Ian on July 31, 2004 in a Paxil-induced state of psychosis and was charged with first degree murder. I was judged to be “not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder” in September 2005 and received an absolute discharge from the forensic psychiatric system (in Ontario, Canada) in December 2009. I’ve been off all prescription drugs since September 2010. Prior to our family tragedy, I was a physical active sports consultant with no history of violence or mental illness.”
He told an audience of clinicians and patients, that day, about how it is that a normal citizen, prescribed a seemingly safe medication for work-related stress, goes on to commit a heinous act of violence against his beloved child. This academic classroom was heaving with grief when he finished his description of events.
This must be rare, right? Totally anomalous?
Wrong.
It has become my contention that the Russian Roulette that is played with each new prescription of psychotropic medication violates the physician’s most primal tenet – first do no harm – and does so in the absence of anything approximating informed consent.
Violence as a Side Effect?
Thankfully, we are often given multiple chances to wake up to a greater truth. It’s becoming easier than ever. With grassroots platforms like madinamerica.com, the information is out there, when you are ready to look beyond main stream media to what the real victims are claiming.
The truth about antidepressants and violence is also in the most recently published literature, including a critical review, hot off the press, by Carvalho et al where the authors dive into the research on the supposed safety of SSRIs and SNRIs. In this document, they present an evidence-based horror menagerie of ways in which a simple antidepressant can derail your life if it doesn’t take it. Leaving patients with new medical diagnoses, antidepressants prescribed often for difficult transitions in life like divorces and deaths, carry documented risks that your doctor cannot possibly tell you about because if they knew of them, they would put down their prescription pad immediately.
Let’s take a tour. Neatly summarized here, the adverse effects of antidepressants can sound like that droning voice in TV ads that we are inured to because we have been told these “side effects are rare, and outweighed by the benefits.”
Having always represented antidepressants as safe and effective to my patients, I put down my prescription pad after learning 3 facts about psychiatric medications:
They result in worse long-term outcomes [1]
They are debilitatingly habit forming [2] [3] [4]
They cause unpredictable violence [5] [6]
These insights were apparently just the tip of the iceberg. Several years into the horror stories of patient experiences and new relationships with grassroots activists, I am left wondering. What on earth are these meds? How could biochemistry have ever manifested molecules capable of derailing, distorting, and suppressing the human experience to this extent?
With more unknowns than knowns at this point, the signal of harm is growing and patient alignment with this model of care, diminishing.
I pulled some choice phrases from the paper for your further enlightenment below but suffice it to say that many of these side effects are major gamechanging problems if not life-ending tragedies that render the placebo-level performance of these medications totally unacceptable.
Gut disturbance: “Some of the most frequently reported side effects associated with the use of SSRIs and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) include nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, GI bleeding and abdominal pain.”
Liver toxicity: “Two main mechanisms may be involved in antidepressant- induced liver toxicity, namely a metabolic component and/or an immuno-allergic pathway. A hypersensitivity syndrome with fever and rash as clinical manifestations, as well as with autoantibodies and eosinophilia, and a short latency period (1–6 weeks) point to a predominantly immunoallergic pathophysiological mechanism, whereas a lack of hypersensitivity syndrome and a longer latency period (i.e. 1 month to 1 year) points to an idiosyncratic metabolic mechanism.”
Weight gain: “Notwithstanding the complexity of the clinical scenario, compelling evidence indicates that the use of most antidepressants may increase weight in a significant proportion of patients.”
Heart problems: “SSRIs and SNRIs may promote a decrement in heart rate variability (HRV). Although the impact of the effects of antidepressants on HRV remains to be established, data indicate that a lower HRV is a significant predictor of incident cardiovascular events.”
Urinary problems: “SSRIs can cause urinary retention by acting on central micturition pathways. Serotonin may increase the central sympathetic outflow leading to urinary storage, and at the same time inhibits parasympathetic flow, which affects voiding.”
Sexual dysfunction: “…a significant body of data shows that antidepressants may differentially affect sexual function in multiple aspects, leading to reductions in libido, arousal dysfunction (erection in males and vaginal lubrication in females) and orgasmic dysfunctions.”
Salt imbalance: “The mechanisms of SSRI-induced hyponatremia remain incompletely elucidated, but these agents can act by either increasing the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or increasing the sensitivity to ADH resulting in a clinical picture similar to the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH.”
Osteoporosis/Bone weakening: “The use of SSRIs has been associated with a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) and a consistent higher risk of fractures.”
Bleeding: “All serotonergic antidepressants have been associated with an increased risk of bleeding. The most likely mechanism responsible for these adverse reactions is a reduction of serotonin reuptake by platelets, although other mechanisms have also been implicated.”
Nervous system dysfunction: “All kinds of EPS [extrapyramidal symptoms] are seen in patients taking antidepressants, but akathisia appears to be the most common presentation followed by dystonic reactions, parkinsonian movements and tardive dyskinesia…Headache was one of the most common side effects associated with the use of antidepressants in a large retrospective cohort of adolescents and adults.”
Sweating: “Most studies indicate that approximately 10% of patients on SSRIs may develop excessive sweating, although the incidence may be higher for paroxetine.”
Sleep disturbances: “The SSRIs and venlafaxine are associated with increased REM sleep latency and a reduction in the overall time spent in the REM phase while sleeping.”
Mood changes: “Many patients taking SSRIs have reported experiencing emotional blunting. They often describe their emotions as being ‘damped down’ or ‘toned down’, while some patients refer to a feeling of being in ‘limbo’ and just ‘not caring’ about issues that were significant to them before…Furthermore, an activation syndrome in which patients taking antidepressants may experience anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness and impulsivity in the first 3 months of treatment may ensue.”
Suicidality: “The incidence of suicide and attempted suicide has been a frequently underreported adverse outcome across antidepressant RCTs.”
Overdose toxicity: “Patients with MDD are at increased risk of suicide and overdosing of prescribed medications is a common method used to attempted suicide.”
Eye disease: “A subset of patients taking SSRIs reports nonspecific visual disturbances…SSRIs may increase intraocular pressure and lead to the emergence of angle-closure glaucoma…A nested case-control study found a higher likelihood of cataracts after exposure to newer generation antidepressants.”
Hormonal imbalance: “Long-standing increases in peripheral prolactin levels are occasionally observed in patients using ADs, including SSRIs [208] ; hyperprolactinemia may have deleterious health consequences (e.g. a decrease in BMD [bone mineral density] and hypogonadism).”
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding risk: “Most of the data describing the presence of birth defects associated with SSRI use have been based on observational studies and drug registries. Therefore, the clinical significance of these data is questionable.”
Cancer risk: “Preclinical studies have found that antidepressants can increase the growth of fibrosarcomas and melanomas, and may also promote mammary carcinogenesis.”
Whew! Now that’s depressing. And why don’t you know about these? Because your doctor doesn’t. I recently learned of a patient who was prescribed an antidepressant simultaneous to an antibiotic “just in case the antibiotic caused depression or mood changes”. We are trained to treat these medications as a “why not” application of pharmacology, and the truth is that, as the authors state:
…the history of toxicology reminds us vividly of the lag that often occurs between the first approval of a drug for use in humans and the recognition of certain adverse events from that drug.”
Taking these risks seems all the more unecessary with the robust outcomes of lifestyle medicine – multimodal, multi-tier interventions that are low cost, immediately available, and side effect free. As the authors conclude:
The findings of this review suggest that long-term treatment with new generation ADs should be avoided if alternative treatments are available.”
I would have to agree and affirm that these “alternative” treatments are indeed available. These treatments offer not only resolution of symptoms and elimination/avoidance of meds, but an entirely new experience of self. This is not about getting “back to normal,” it’s about integration, evolution, and vitality. I’ve been working for several years to make self-healing toolkits available to everyone considering an antidepressant or looking to come off of one for less than the price of one doctor visit. Check it out!
