Hidden Aspirin Fact – Safe Alternatives to Pain Relief

Dr. Reddick here….

Instead of popping open a bottle of aspirin the next time you have a headache, consider that aspirin may not be the best thing for your pain.

Contrary to popular belief, Bayer did not “invent” aspirin. Mother Nature did.

Thousands of years ago, humans witnessed injured animals gnawing on the bark of white willow trees. Those early “chemists” found that drinking a tea made from the bark got rid of pain. And around 200 B.C., Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed willow bark to his patients to reduce pain and fever. Eventually, Big Pharma got their greedy hands into the mix with the synthesis of a molecule known as salicin – one of many ingredients found in white willow bark.

Big Pharma could not market salicin as their own because it is a natural ingredient, so they had to alter it a bit. Chemist Carl R. Gerhardt was the first to do so in 1853 by synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Bayer trademarked this drug as aspirin in 1889 – but it is not nearly as safe as white willow bark. A small molecular change made for big dangers.

Aspirin depletes the body of life-saving nutrients (including folic acid, iron, potassium, sodium, and vitamin C), which can lead to anemia, birth defects, elevated homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease), headache, depression, fatigue, hair loss, insomnia, diarrhea, shortness of breath, pale skin, suppression of the immune system, and even internal bleeding or death. The side effects are so severe that they can cause a higher death rate relative to those populations who do not take it.

Fortunately, you can get aspirin’s pain-relieving capabilities, and any purported cardiovascular benefits, without risk. Simply use the forgotten white willow bark tea. Other natural pain killers include ginger, cayenne, high dose MSM, and glucosamine sulfate.

Until next time….here’s to your complete wellness.

St. Patrick’s Day

Dr. Reddick here…..

And there’s more to it than just drinking your favorite green beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic!).  St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland. After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God’s-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years.

After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.  St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century.

The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.    The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States.

In 1848, several New York Irish aid societies decided to unite their parades to form one New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  Today, that parade is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia.  Modern customs to celebrate the holiday include sporting the shamrock, wearing green clothing, listening to Irish music, and eating corned beef.  Dying of the Chicago river green has been a tradition since 1962.  And of course, if you choose to indulge in a green frosty beverage, be sure to do it in moderation!

So here’s to you, St. Patrick!

Until next time….here’s to your complete wellness.