Energy Healing Article - by Dr. Jeffrey Palmer

Energy healing is a very widely used term for any form of healing which balances, rejuvenates, or restores the levels of energy in the body. The principles of energy healing are rooted in the belief that in addition to biological and bio-chemical systems, the human body consists of a system of subtle energies. Most often referred to in the West as universal life energy or bio-energy it is referred to as various names among other cultures; in India it is known as prana, the Japanese know it as qi; in Hebrew it is called ruah, the Chinese refer to it as ki, in Hawaii it is referred to as mana or ti.

Energy healers believe that this universal energy flows through the body in recognizable patterns. This energy extends beyond the surface of the body and creates an energy field, also known as an aura or bio-field. When an individual’s energy patterns are balanced and free flowing, a healthy life can be enjoyed. When the energy field becomes disrupted, weakened or blocked, however, the symptoms of physical and emotional damage can occur. Prolonged disturbances in an individual’s energy field can lead to chronic pain, disease and emotional disturbances.

Many mainstream health systems have employed the life energy principle within their healing methods. Well known healing techniques such as chiropractic healing, shiatsu massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, acupressure, naturopathy, reiki, touch therapy and several others, employ various forms of energy field or life force principles in the treatment and diagnosis of patients. Traditional health care providers increasingly offer these healing techniques as a compliment to orthodox medical care.

Energy healing works by reconfiguring the energy that exists within and around all living things. Energy manipulation performed by a practitioner corrects imbalances and blockages in the flow of life energies through the body. The reconfiguring of life energy is commonly performed with the hands, in some cases it is carried out remotely. Life energy also acts as a catalyst to accelerate the natural healing process of the body. When life energy is applied to the unhealthy part of the body the rate of recovery or healing is increased.

Practices such as, qi-gong, tai-chi, yoga and focused meditation also involve the perception, manipulation and direction of universal life energy within the body. Additionally, thought field therapy incorporates similar methods for establishing and maintaining emotional well being.

Does Energy Healing Really Work?

The thousands of energy healing recipients who have benefited from the practice would answer in the affirmative. Is there any scientific data to back up these claims? Admittedly, energy healing techniques have not been the focus of a great deal of government funded research; however, the studies hat have been performed lend credibility to the effectiveness of this method of healing.

For instance, the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine published a review of clinical trials concerning various types of alternative healing methods. Energy healing was found to be the most effective practice, producing statistically significant results in 65 percent of the test subjects.To put this finding into perspective, many drugs in use today fail to achieve a response rate higher than 50 percent in clinical trials.

One of the most complete studies of research showing the effectiveness of energy healing comes from psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel J. Benor. Dr. Benor surveyed all such research and studies made prior to 1990. They consisted of research performed on, cells, yeasts, bacteria, enzymes, plants, animals and humans. Of the 131 controlled experiments on spiritual, psychic, prayer or psi healing, over 50% showed statistically significant results. In 56 of the studies performed, there was less than a 1 in a 100 possibility that positive results were due to chance.

Perhaps the most significant evidence of the effectiveness of energy healing techniques stems from the growing number of people seeking such treatments. It is doubtful that a practice with limited benefits would continue to attract so much interest.

About the Author: Dr.Jeffry R. Palmer Ph.D. Is the author of "Judo for the Soul - The Art of Psychic Self Defence", as well as numerous articles and papers relating to metaphysics and the study of paranormal phenomena. Further information about Dr. Palmer and his books can be found at the-psychic-detective.com/Judo-For-The-Soul.htm

Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

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DNA product has Sulforaphane,

Post a commentBy Jane Byrne , 05-May-2010

Related topics: ResearchSulforaphane, a compound derived from broccoli and broccoli sprouts, could help prevent or treat breast cancer by inhibiting cancer stem cells (CSCs), found a new US study.

Researchers believe that eliminating the CSCs is key to controlling cancer and in findings published in Clinical Cancer Research they found that, in both mice and cell cultures, sulforaphanetargeted and killed the cancer stem cells and prevented new tumours from growing.

Recent studies, report the authors, indicate that CSCs have the capacity to drive tumour resistance and relapse/recurrence of cancer, with evidence building for the theory that a variety of cancers are driven and sustained by a small proportion of CSCs.

According to the American Cancer Society, 94,280 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,610 will die from the disease.

The researchers argue that a lack of efficacy of current chemotherapies in advance and metastatic disease requires novel approaches to specifically target CSC populations.

The anticancer efficacy of sulforaphane, derived from broccoli/broccoli sprouts, has been evaluated in various cancers and the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was shown to be inversely associated with broccoliconsumption, they added.

Furthermore, as a chemopreventionagent, sulforaphane possesses many advantages, such as high bioavailability and low toxicity. “Sulforaphane from broccoli extracts is efficiently and rapidly absorbed in the human small intestine and distributed throughout the body,” said the authors.

Clinical trials

These previous studies, said the researchers, provide a strong rationale for investigating the chemoprevention property of sulforaphane in clinical trials, and the authors said that its chemoprevention properties against cancer are through both ‘blocking’ and ‘suppressing’ effects.

The concentrations of sulforaphane used in the study were higher than what can be achieved by eating broccoli or broccoli sprouts, said the team, and they added that prior research suggests the concentrations needed to impact cancer can be absorbed by the body from the broccoli extract, but side effects are not known.

While the extract is available in capsule form as a supplement, concentrations are unregulated and will vary, claim the researchers.

And they revealed that they are currently developing a method to extract and preserve sulforaphane and that they will then be developing a clinical trial to test it for the prevention and treatment for breast cancer.

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"This research suggests a potential new treatment that could be combined with other compounds to target breast cancer stem cells. Developing treatments that effectively target the cancer stem cell population is essential for improving outcomes,"says lead researcher Dr Max Wicha, distinguished professor of oncology and director of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The study

The researchers said that they took mice with breast cancer and injected varying concentrations of sulforaphane from the broccoli extract, using used several established methods to assess the number of cancer stem cells in the tumours.

The authors explained that an Aldefluor assay and mammosphere formation assay were used to evaluate the effect of sulforaphane on breast CSCs in vitro, while a nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft model was used to determine whether sulforaphane could target breast CSCs in vivo, as assessed by Aldefluor assay, and tumour growth upon cell reimplantation in secondary mice.

The potential mechanism was investigated using Western blotting analysis and β-catenin reporter assay, they added.

The researchers found that sulforaphane (1-5 μmol/L) decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase–positive cell population by 65 per cent to 80 per cent in human breast cancer cells and reduced the size and number of primary mammospheres by 8- to 125-fold and 45 per cent to 75 per cent, respectively.

Daily injection with 50 mg/kg sulforaphane for two weeks reduced aldehyde dehydrogenase–positive cells by >50 per cent in nonobese diabetic and severe combined immunodeficient xenograft tumours, they found.

And, the researchers added that sulforaphane eliminated breast CSCs in vivo, thereby abrogating tumour growth after the reimplantation of primary tumour cells into the secondary mice, they added.

“Our study identified the down regulation of Wnt/β-catenin self-renewal pathway by sulforaphane as one of the possible mechanisms for its efficacy,”they concluded.

The researchers noted treatment with sulforaphane had little effect on the normal cells.

Source: Clinical Cancer ResearchPublished online ahead of print: doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-09-2937Title: Sulforaphane, a Dietary Component of Broccoli/Broccoli Sprouts, Inhibits Breast Cancer Stem CellsAuthors: Y. Li, T. Zhang, H. Korkaya, S. Liu, H. Fang Lee, B. Newman, Y. Yu, S. G. Clouthier, S. J. Schwartz, M. S. Wicha, D. Sun