And Now For The Latest News...
Brazil & Panama: The Adventure Continues!
Join Dr. Steve Stubenrauch and Ethnobotanist William Wadell
as they explain the latest medical information from Brazil and Asia
Sedona January 5th, 2008 Series Download Poster 1.pdf Download Poster 2.pdf
Flagstaff January 6th, 2008 Download Poster 3.pdf
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Coming Soon To A Bookstore Near You...A New Book By Dr Steve Stubenrauch & Professor Willam Waddell...
STRESS ADAPTOGENS OF THE WORLD
Dr. Hans Selye ( 1907-1982) the "father of stress research" was the first dedicated scientist to research
and document the affects of stress on human and animal systems. Today stress may be an unhealthy
factor in our lives and managing stress well is a key to surviving in our modern world. The faster the pace
our society goes, the more stress we may encounter. Herbal stress adaptogens were discovered in 1947
by the Russian scientist Dr. Nicolai Lazarev, who in fact coined the term "adaptogen". Dr Israel Breckman
was the first to focus on the healing affects of herbal adaptogens. Seeking effective stress adapotogens is
the driving force behind the worldwide research and expeditions of Steve Stubenrauch OMD and
ethnobotanist William Waddell. As medical botanists these two men have explored the shamans of
South America, investigating the medical and spiritual uses of plants. This book will explore the versatility
of these amazing medicines. By reducing the overproduction of cortisol, adrenaline and other stress inducing
chemicals, these plants can help our bodies stay in a healthy homeostasis, keep our vitality, and thrive when
worldly pressures can push us to the brink of serious health problems.*******************************************************************************************************************
WHERE’S THE BUZZ???
The world’s bees are disappearing! Beekeepers & scientists first noticed the problem this past Autumn. The bees seem to lose their navigational abilities to return to their hives. By some estimates, over 50% of the European honeybee populations are gone.
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when the hive’s population suddenly drops, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers. The vanquished bees are missing without a trace but are thought to die singly away from home. Truly ominous is that the parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind are conspicuously absent and refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.
Many of the world’s crops depend on bee pollination. Albert Einstein once said that if all the bees disappeared, “Man would only have 4 years of life left” Birds, rodents, ants and other insects cannot pollinate enough to compensate. Bees are very dutiful and selfless. “Sick bees” will leave the hive to protect it from disease or contamination. This might explain why the adult bees are missing and/ or dead. Pesticides don’t help because the bees get a toxic dose that is concentrated in the flowers. If enough bees are missing when the weather heats up, there are not adequate numbers to “fan” the hive with their wings. If the hive gets just a few degrees hotter, wasps, dragonflies, mites, fungi, viruses, and other natural enemies of bees may flourish.
Russian and German researchers provide interesting theories that relate to atmospheric anomalies. At one time, when the Russian bee industry was threatened, there was a massive introduction of Russian queen bees. There was a Russian study done by the research provided by the Wurzburg zoologists. This resulted in their groundbreaking study titled, “Bursts of magnetic fields induce jumps of misdirection in bees by a method of magnetic resonance” Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr. Jochen Kuhn. who carried out the study, said this could provide a “hint” to a possible cause of CCD.
Genetically Modified (GM) foods are also a cause for concern. GM’s are produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) which have had their genome altered through genetic engineering techniques. The basic principle of producing a GMO is to insert DNA that has been taken from another organism (it can be animal or plant!) and modified in the laboratory into an organism’s genome to produce both new and useful traits or phenotypes. These foods have been available since the 90’s and can be patented.
North America & Brazil lead the way with most Europeans waiting to experiment with these “Frankenfoods” with guarded pessimism. One of the problems is that there is crosspollination with “organic” and commercial non GMO crops. The seriousness of the GMO’s is demonstrated by their proliferation around the world. Long term safety studies with GMO consumption, crosspollination with other species, and these organisms recycling back into the environment has not been demonstrated.
The abundance of GM crops is multiplying. Between 1996 and 2005, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMO’s had increased by a factor of 50, from 17,000 km2 (4.2 million acres) to 900,000 km2 (222 million) of which 55% were in the United States. Four countries represent 99% of total GM surface in 2001: United States (68%), Argentina (22%), Canada (6%) and China (3%). In the US, by 2006, the Grocery Manufacturers of America. estimate that 75% of all processed foods in the US contain a GMO ingredient. At the same time 89% of the planted area of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% of corn were genetically modified varieties. Toxic agents that are insecticidal, fungicidal, etc. are introduced into these GMO crops. These new plants vary in the level of danger they pose to bees and humans. The FDA and corporations justify these toxins by pointing to the naturally occurring toxic levels of solanine and alpha-tomatine alkaloids found in the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant). This logic is flawed because we have had thousands of years to adapt to these poisons. The new toxic chemicals may have unknown long term effects. Do we (and the bees) want to be the guinea pigs?
Last but not least are the diseases and pests of the honeybee. Bacteria such as American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) can damage hives. Honey bee viruses aren’t easily detected but the most easily recognized virus is chronic bee paralysis, which causes workers to become greasy looking, hairless, and uniformly black in color. Sick bees are seen crawling but unable to fly..Nosema, a common protozoan disease affects the intestinal tract of bees like dysentery in humans. Chalkbrood and Stonebrood are fungus diseases. Parasitic Mites such as varroa mites and tracheal mites can reproduce at a fantastic rate and weaken the hives so that they are susceptible to a secondary viral infection that will finish the colonies off.
What about the”Killer Bees”? The media hyped up these Africanized Honey Bees (AHB), or Apis mellifera scutellata. These aggressive bees actually produce more honey than their European counterparts, but they have a more testy temperament when they are disturbed. It all started in 1956 in Brazil. Scientists were experimenting with breeding a new hybrid resulting in superior honey production. These biologists were breeding the infamous aggressive honeybee from Africa with the far more mellow European honeybee. Unfortunately, a little accident happened and some African queen bees escaped into the jungles of Brazil. They interbred with the European and native bees in the area. The resulting aggressive hybrids gradually migrated north into North America in the 90’s. Despite the swarms that attack people when they upset the bees, deaths are still rare. Beekeepers prefer to avoid them.
Here in Flagstaff I spoke to 2 beekeepers. Charles Pigg, a former beekeeper from California was forced to retire prematurely from beekeeping because he developed a hypersensitivity to bee stings. He was even hospitalized one time. He mentioned studies of the adverse effects on bees from electrical power lines, but he didn’t feel they caused this recent drop in the bee populations.
Dennis Arp, a local beekeeper from Mountainaire, did not volunteer an explanation for his massive bee losses. Unfortunately, he has lost approximately 500 of his 1200 hives since the Fall of last year. Most of his hives are in California helping the almond growers with their pollination needs.
Apitherapy includes bee products are truly amazing nutritional supplements as well. The United States and Iran have the world’s lowest levels of zinc in their soils. Bee products such as honey, royal jelly & bee pollen are loaded with zinc and other nutrients. Unique nutrients and hormonal qualities in royal jelly have helped people. The royal jelly also contains acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter facilitating nerve function. It has improved eyesight and recovery from hormonal and nutrient deficiencies after childbirth, menopause and testosterone deficient males. Eating local bee pollen and honey with your doctor’s supervision can even reduce airborne allergy reactions over time. Bee pollen is one of the most nutritious foods on earth, having most of our essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals that our bodies need. Many athletes around the world have noticed that bee products have given them extra endurance and strength to perform at new levels of speed and power. Bee pollen can even lower cholesterol. If we lose these amazing foods with the extinction of the bees, we will truly lose a treasure house of nutrition.
The strangest form of apitherapy is called Bee Venom Therapy (BVT). It is the therapeutic use of honeybee venom through live bee stings ( often the skin is numbed with ice). It has provided relief and healing for neurological, joint and musculoskeletal conditions. 1st used in the United States by beekeeper Charlie Mrak of rural NY, it has been shown by recent South Korean research that melittin, the primary peptide in bee venom, can block inflammatory genes that are found with degenerative diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The effects are enhanced with precise stings at acupuncture and other trigger points.
Apitherapy was given a boost in the summer of 2005 on the PBS television show Nature. That program showed that venom from a wide range of animals has the capacity to kill cancer cells. Not only venom from bees, but also venom from snakes, spiders, scorpions, gila monsters, sea urchins, porcupine quills and sea coral.Pharmaceutical companies are developing the next generation of painkillers and cancer fighting drugs from these natural poisons.
Back in 1982 there was a great documentary film by Godfre Reggio, called Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of balance. This Hopi concept applies to our world today.. Could it be that we have disturbed nature to such an extent that the bees are becoming extinct? Maybe we have reached an ecosystem threshold that takes us beyond the brink of survival.*******************************************************************************************************************