Sunday 19 May 2013
I came across an article by Naomi Klein on The Nation magazine regarding a call for Big Green, that is the large mainstream environmental organisations, to divest in fossil fuels. According to this article, several mainstream environmental have stopped investing in fossil fuel companies, others have not. This article summarises the main points and provides a link to the original article.
Sunday 19 May 2013
A call to reform or repeal the EU Directive on Herbal Medicines
This article calls for either the amendment or repeal of the EU Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (2004/24/EC), the THMPD in short, enacted back in 31/03/2004 and in force as of 01/05/2011. This directive has licensing requirements for safety and quality, but also imposes steep costs typically between €97 000 (£80 000) and €145 600 (£120 000) due mainly to the cost of testing. This is because the licensing requirements are intended to be similar to those for pharmaceutical drugs. Not a single license is in place for Ayurvedic medicine or traditional Chinese medicine which have both been in use for thousands of years, along with herbal remedies from all over the world including the Amazon basin.
Labelling Matters - A CiWF, RSPCA, WSPA and Soil Association campaign
The organisations Compassion in World Farming (CiWF), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and The Soil Association are campaigning jointly for clear method of production labelling regarding dairy products and meat. This campaign, which was launched in Westminster, is an EU-wide campaign. Without clear labelling, there is the danger of buying factory farmed produce without realising it.
The Labelling Matters campaign calls for clear and simple labelling which convey the chief characteristic of the production system (e.g. factory farm, free range, organic). This will enable customers to know how the animals were kept. In writing this article, I am giving my backing to this campaign.
The Labelling Matters campaign calls for clear and simple labelling which convey the chief characteristic of the production system (e.g. factory farm, free range, organic). This will enable customers to know how the animals were kept. In writing this article, I am giving my backing to this campaign.
Saturday 4 May 2013
More research verifies powerful anti-cancer properties of turmeric
(NaturalNews.com, Friday 3rd May 2013) A growing body of research continues to pile up, showing that turmeric (Hindi: हल्दी "haldi") and its naturally occurring compounds have potent anti-cancer properties.
The turmeric root is one of the most important spices and traditional medicines across vast sections of Asia, and has been for hundreds of years. Indeed, turmeric has been used in India for millenia, and is central to Indian cuisine and also a major part of ayurvedic medicine. Scientists attribute many of turmeric's health benefits to the trio of naturally occurring chemicals known as curcuminoids, which give the root its characteristic yellow-orange color. The name curcumin, which technically refers to only one of the curcuminoids, is sometimes also used to refer to the entire group.
Although many studies have been performed on curcumin rather than on turmeric root itself, it is important to note that the body absorbs curcumin much more effectively from the root than from supplements.
The turmeric root is one of the most important spices and traditional medicines across vast sections of Asia, and has been for hundreds of years. Indeed, turmeric has been used in India for millenia, and is central to Indian cuisine and also a major part of ayurvedic medicine. Scientists attribute many of turmeric's health benefits to the trio of naturally occurring chemicals known as curcuminoids, which give the root its characteristic yellow-orange color. The name curcumin, which technically refers to only one of the curcuminoids, is sometimes also used to refer to the entire group.
Although many studies have been performed on curcumin rather than on turmeric root itself, it is important to note that the body absorbs curcumin much more effectively from the root than from supplements.