Author: Lindsay M.

Frankincense- Can it Help Fight Cancer?


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Frankincense can be traced back to some of the earliest stories of mankind. It was supposedly one of the three precious gifts that the wise men brought to Bethlehem after Jesus was born. It was also a symbol of respect and honor as it scented ancient Egyptian temples and was given to royalty as gifts. At one time, it was thought to be more valuable than gold. In today’s world, it still holds a high value indeed.

From cleansing teas to herbal aromas and cleansing wounds, Frankincense has been used for a wide variety of medical and health purposes. In recent years, it has been used in treating cancer due to its ability to promote one’s own genes to heal. There are a number of different tree species from which Frankincense is harvested, located in Africa and across the Middle East. The Boswellia Serrata tree in India (pictured above) and the Boswellia Carteri in East Africa and China are the species that produce the resin linked to cancer treatment. Both have been used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Boswellia Serrata also exhibits anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

It is believed that Boswellia extracts possess anti-cancer properties as seen in their “anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities in rat astrocytoma cell lines and in human leukemia cell lines, as well as their anti-carcinogenic activity in chemically induced mouse skin cancer models” (PMC). The resin has been shown to kill glioma cells in brain cancer patients and reverse brain metastases in breast cancer patients. Studies also suggest that Frankincense oil suppresses cell survival and creates apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cultured bladder cancer cells. These findings are profound and conclude that the resin might in fact help treat various types of cancer. Other types of cancer that it might be beneficial in treating are colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.

In addition to its physical healing properties, Frankincense is also commonly used in aromatherapy and has been for an incredibly long time around the world. Its calming quality has proven useful in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and emotional problems. It has been suggested in clinical studies that Frankincense might actually deepen the breath of the individual, allowing them to experience more relaxation and grounding. It is a scent that is associated with living in the moment and letting go of burdens, which is something that we should all try a little harder to live by. When dealing with a disease such as cancer, this becomes even more important. Allow yourself time to meditate, process your emotions, and release what you can.

Essential oils are becoming very popular and you can find them online or at a local health store. You can purchase an essential oil diffuser on amazon for under $20. To use topically, rub the oil on your neck three times daily or drink three drops in water three times daily. Just as it has been a gift to others throughout history, give yourself this gift of natural healing.

Stay current on our blog and head over to our Facebook page to keep up to date on our activities. We are holding our AFA 5k race this Saturday (July 23rd) at McCarthy Park and don’t want you to miss it! Click here to register now.

 

 

Sources:
Axe, Josh DNM, DC, CNS. “10 Natural Cancer Treatments Revealed”. Food is Medicine. https://draxe.com/10-natural-cancer-treatments-hidden-cures/. Accessed 7/18/2016.
Euler, Lee. “This Gift of the Three Wise Men Was a Powerful Cancer Treatment”. Cancer Defeated. http://www.cancerdefeated.com/this-gift-of-the-three-wise-men-was-a-powerful-cancer-treatment/1192/. Accessed 7/18/2016.
Mark Barton Frank, Qing Yang, Jeanette Osban, Joseph T Azzarello, Marcia R Saban, Ricardo Saban, Richard A Ashley, Jan C Welter, Kar-Ming Fung, and Hsueh-Kung Lin. “Frankincense oil derived from Bowswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity”. PMC U.S National Library of Medicine. Published 2009. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664784/. Accessed 7/18/2016.
Morgenstern, Kat. “Frankincense”. Sacred Earth. Published December 2006. http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/frankincense.php. Accessed 7/18/2016.
Proano-Carrion, Christina. “Enjoy the Magical Healing Touch of Frankincense Essential Oil”. The Aroma Blog. Published January 2007. http://thearomablog.com/enjoy-the-magical-healing-touch-of-frankincense-essential-oil/. Accessed 7/18/2016.

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Poking around at Integrative Medicine


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Acupuncture use can be traced back at least 2,000 years to China where it was commonly used to relieve pain, combat disease, and improve overall health. The ancient acupuncture practitioners believed that a life force or energy called Qi flowed throughout the body and that an imbalance or disruption in this energy would lead to disease or to a decline in health. To balance this energy and adjust its ability to flow would lead to optimal health.

In acupuncture practices, there are 12 meridians (or pathways) within the body and each one is associated with a respective organ. There are hundreds of points along these meridians that can be adjusted with needles that pierce the skin and allow energy to flow more freely and effectively to the targeted areas. The adjustments can improve both physical ailments (headaches, joint pain, abdomen pain, etc.) or mental ailments such as anxiety or depression. There are vast benefits of acupuncture on the mind and body and the impacts can be incredible. In fact, it is sometimes still used in China as the sole anesthetic during surgery!

There are many theories on how acupuncture works, whether the needle insertions alleviate pain by stimulating the release of endorphins or if pain impulses are blocked due to needle stimulation affecting the CNS. Others believe it to be a simple placebo effect. Regardless of how it works, the general consensus is that in some way, it certainly can.

When dealing with cancer, many patients and their families look to holistic means of recovery as one’s own mind and body can be extremely strong sources of support in healing. Due to its effectiveness in general pain relief and other common ailments, many hospitals, hospices, and clinics use acupuncture in their care. Patients are administered acupuncture to combat dry mouth, fatigue, breathlessness, hot flashes, and other uncomfortable issues. Many say that on top of the physical relief that they experience, they also find a greater sense of wellbeing and peace.

Acupuncture has not been shown to cure cancer, but it has been helpful in treating the symptoms of the disease and side effects of the medication. For cancer patients who would really like to look into alternative methods of treatment, acupuncture is a great place to start. Align your energy. Align your mind and body. Align your health. Align your life.

Keep checking us out on our blog and on our Facebook page for updated posts and event info.

We are committed to improving quality of life for those struggling with cancer and would love to help take away some of the burden from the patient and from their loved ones. If you are a patient and would like to try acupuncture at a clinic near you, please contact us for more information on how we can help cover the cost.

Here’s to fighting the fight together!

Sources:

“Acupuncture”. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/acupuncture. Accessed on July 10, 2016.

“Ancient Chinese Acupuncture”. Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences. http://www.acos.org/articles/ancient-chinese-acupuncture/. Accessed on July 10, 2016.

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Kicking Cancer’s Butt


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We have all heard that “Mind Over Matter” is a great phrase to remember while getting through tough times. Well these days, that theory is based in scientific fact. In 2014, Canadian researchers published a study that documented the overall benefits of using meditation in Cancer treatment. Those who used the practice had higher levels of telomeres than those who did not.

Telomeres are protein caps at the end of our chromosomes. The shortening of these chromosomes correlates with an increased Cancer risk. Therefore, the more you have, the better. Those who did not participate in the meditation in the study had lowering numbers of Telomeres. Interesting, right?

The mind is a powerful thing, and that’s why in the most difficult battle of our life, you should learn to utilize it. You’re not only soothing your mentality and soul with meditation, but as we now know, you’re also healing your physical body. The body works best when it’s working with the mind. The more connected you feel to yourself and to your inner strength and peace, the more your body feels it.

Here are a few other benefits to practicing meditation:

  • Increased awareness, including self-awareness
  • Improvement in emotions
  • Improvement in focus
  • Improvement in relaxation
  • Improvement in anxiety
  • Improvement in relationships (with self and others)
  • Improvement in confidence
  • Improvement in pain management
  • Increase in meaning and peace in your life

At the end of the day, you have two options when dealing with this fight. You can let the fight overcome you, or you can put your foot down and say that you will try. Whether you are trying meditation, trying positive affirmations, or simply trying to think positively, you are trying. With trying, you have already won.

If you or someone that you love is interested in giving meditation a try, here are several online links where you can listen along:

Cancer Healing Visualization/Guided Meditation

Healing Cancer Guided Meditation

Cancer Wellness Meditation

A few others can be found at:

https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/guided-meditations-help-fight-cancer

Thank you for reading and please take a moment to check out our website at http://answersforangels.com/ to see how we help Cancer patients fight their battles. If you know anyone who needs help, please direct them to us. You’re not in this fight alone!

You can also find us on our Facebook Page.

 

Article Sources:

Macdonald, Fiona. “World-first evidence suggests that meditation alters cancer survivors’ cells”. Science Alert. http://www.sciencealert.com/world-first-evidence-suggests-that-meditation-alters-cancer-survivors-cells. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Linda E. Carlson PhD, Tara L. Beattie PhD, Janine Giese-Davis PhD, Peter Faris PhD, Rie Tamagawa PhD, Laura J. Fick PhD, Erin S. Degelman MS, and Michael Speca PsyD. “Mindfulness-based cancer recovery and supportive-expressive therapy maintain telomere length relative to controls in distressed breast cancer survivors”. Wiley Online Library. Published November 3, 2014. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.29063/full. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Dr Tomislav Meštrović, MD, PhD. “Telomeres and Cancer”. News Medical. Published November 19, 2015. http://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/Telomeres-and-Cancer.aspx. Accessed 6/27/2016.

Penny Widmaier, RN. “How meditation can benefit cancer patients”. Botsford Hospital. Published December 19, 2011. http://www.botsford.org/blog/index.php/2011/12/19/how-meditation-can-benefit-cancer-patients/. Accessed 6/27/2016.