Remedies' News

2012-02-01T14:30:00.002Z

:: AVogel Competition - Could you write a story for bedtime? ::

1st price €500
2nd prize €300
3rd prize €100
Monthly draw €50 - Closing date 30th April 2012.

More information and entry form available > here.

2011-10-01T11:11:00.007Z

:: Face Book ::

Our news blog is now going strong for ten years -!!!-
It seems appropriate to concentrate on the social networking experience ...

If you would like to leave a comment or just like what you read, please do join us:-

2011-09-07T10:00:00.000Z

‎"If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t."

"Don’t eat any food that needs to be advertised on television."

"It’s not food, if it has the same name in all languages."

Michael Pollan, In Defence Of Food, An Eater’s Manifesto.

2011-06-01T09:07:00.000Z

:: PRESS RELEASE - EU rule is bitter pill to swallow ::

A local health food store has likened a new EU Directive to ‘using a sledgehammer to crack a nut’.

Remedies Health Store, Abbeyside, which stocks a wide range of herbal and food supplements, has said that a new EU law requiring natural supplements to undergo testing is expensive and unnecessary.

Owner Mr. Jürgen Denzinger, who has been in business for more than 15 years said: “There is already ample regulation under food law to safeguard the public from unhealthy products.
The Directive is discriminatory against herbals from outside the EU to the detriment of Chinese and ayurvedic traditions and is prohibitively expensive for the low-run traditional indigenous herbs.
The Directive will force customers underground to buy their herbal supplements online from potentially unscrupulous suppliers."

The EU Traditional Herbal Products Directive (THMPD) requires all herbal medicinal products to obtain an authorisation to be sold within the EU. A company needs to demonstrate that the herbal medicine has been in use within the EU for at least 30 years or 15 years within the EU and 30 years outside the EU.
A petition to ‘Save Herbal Medicine’ has secured nearly half a million signatures from supporters in just two days calling for the suspension of the directive.
The petition organisers say the THMPD is a “draconian move that helps drug companies and ignores thousands of years of medical knowledge”.

Mr Denzinger is urging local herb fans to sign the petition and support > the Alliance for Natural Health in its legal challenge.

“If this directive is not challenged, it will lead to very restricted access to a much smaller range of herbal products,” he added.

2011-05-03T11:11:00.000Z

:: You & Me & THMPD ::

As retailers, we all care passionately about our business and the Natural Health Industry. We want our customers to have the right to choose what is right for them, with regard to herbal medicine.

With the new Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) coming into force on May 1st 2011, choices will be restricted, products will disappear from the shelves and the consumer will have less control over their own health.

Thanks to Alan Martin from Food for Thought, Surrey, UK for the following video.

2011-04-02T14:02:00.001Z

:: Did you know? ::

We stock over 700 single homoeopathic remedies.
Dispensing charge is normally €9. For a limited time we have reduced it to €7.
This applies to all 6c and 30c potencies.

2011-02-03T09:01:00.002Z

Dear friends and fellow adventurers,

any homeopaths brave enough to come with Jan Scholten to Africa from the 12th - 19th March -???-

The experience we are offering is leading edge homeopathy. The chance to live and breathe
homeopathy for a week on a beautiful island in Africa. Immerse yourself in the plant and marine life of Lamu Kenya and discover new insights into remedy prescribing.

Stunning sundowners after an inspiring day guaranteed. Take the plunge.

> Join us for a very special event...

best wishes / yoroshiku onegai shimasu /
saludos cordiales / meilleures salutations / mit freundlichen Gruessen
Kate & Jürgen

2010-11-05T14:24:00.006Z

:: Food for thought ::

An easy, basic rule to check whether something is going to be nutritious and good for you is to work out what it was, when it fell off a tree or grew out of the ground. The longer it takes you to suss it out, the more processed and therefore less beneficial it will be. Rice is easy, rice crispies are slightly more complicated, marshmallow squares will take you about an hour to figure out.

‎"If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do. It's staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty." Sir Paul McCartney.

2010-10-20T14:38:00.003Z

Traditional herbs are threatened by upcoming EU legislation

2010-09-17T15:07:00.001Z

Udo Erasmus will be on the Marion Finucane radio show on RTE1 tomorrow at around midday. He will be on TV3 breakfast show on Tuesday morning. He is also booked in to do radio interviews on Limerick Live 95, East Coast FM, KFM Kildare and WLR.

The theme of his visit is the benefits of Essential Fatty Acids and how we can incorporate these into our food and as part of that he will be promoting his book Omega 3 Cuisine. > www.udoerasmus.com

2010-08-30T20:44:00.000Z

:: Solidago ::

USES: diuretic (fluid retention), improves renal function, kidney tonic.

HOW IT WORKS: Whilst Solidago has diuretic action, this is not the prime role of the plant. Solidago, aka. Golden Rod, has been shown to have important anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and antiseptic action and seems to strengthen kidney function.

This makes it useful as an agent to counter inflammation and irritation of the kidneys, when infection or stones are present. The diuretic action is also useful in helping to dissolve kidney stones.

2010-08-11T15:02:00.008Z

:: Rude Health Show - RDS, Dublin, Sat. 11th - Sun. 12th September ::

Call into our store for your free ticket worth €12.

Visit > rudehealth.ie for all events, talks and a list of exhibitors.

2010-07-28T11:56:00.002Z

:: GM-FREE LABEL TO HELP FOOD SALES ::

A GM-free label for Irish food is to be introduced by the government next year in a bid to boost sales abroad. Ciaran Cuffe, the food minister, is consulting officials in the Department of Agriculture about how best to achieve verification and testing for the label ahead of its planned launch.

"Over 70% of consumers in Europe want their food to be GM-free, so there is a big commercial aspect to this," said a spokespan for Cuffe. "At this point it's realistic to say we'll be launching the label next year."

> read more.

2010-07-24T15:39:00.001Z

:: Taking vitamin B or C can help prevent a hangover ::

This is true, because both the B vitamins and vitamin C help your liver detoxify alcohol.
Here’s what I recommend: at a party, be sure to drink as much water as alcohol. Then, before you go to bed, take 2000mg of vitamin C and a heaped spoonful of glutamine powder in water (approximately 5 grams). Do the same when you wake up, and have a hearty breakfast with your daily supplements, including some extra B vitamins in a B Complex formula.

Slainte / Prost

2010-06-08T08:08:00.003Z

PACE Health Committee denounces ‘unjustified scare’ of Swine Flu, waste of public money.

So, for many, it won’t be such a big surprise, that we’ve also heard that the three scientists who authored the World Health Organization guidance document for the swine flu pandemic were in the pay of the drug companies. The very drug companies due to profit so much from stockpiles of vaccines, if governments could be persuaded to stockpile. Once again we get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes corporate puppeteering that compromises our freedoms. Such manipulation resulted in an estimated £1bn wasted stockpile of drugs and vaccines and officials are now attempting to unpick expensive drug contracts.

How many more worthy causes could that money have been spent on? Using independent expertise to save the delicate natural ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico from oil emanating from BP’s deep sea drilling disaster is one that comes to mind just now, especially given the foot-dragging from BP. But coming back to the swine flu debacle, apart from money, just how much anxiety, fear and suffering could have been avoided?

2010-06-05T22:22:00.000Z

Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) Intl’s Robert Verkerk went head to head with Basil Mathioudakis, head of the food law unit at the European Commission, at the end of April over ANH-Europe and the Irish Association of Health Stores’ petition to the European Parliament (EP) on Maximum Permitted Levels.

It was a win for common sense when the EP Petitions Committee unanimously agreed to keep open the ANH's and four related petitions, that questioned how the European regulators were going about limiting maximum levels of vitamins and minerals to potentially ridiculously low levels.

2010-04-26T11:44:00.001Z

:: WHEATGRASS JUICE ::

Wheatgrass Juice is the liquid extracted from the sprouts of hard red winter wheat harvested at the stage immediately prior to the appearance of the first true jointing of the plant stem as it grows from seed.

A primary ingredient in the wheatgrass juice is the chlorophyll that gives the juice its distinctively green appearance. It not only possesses chlorophyll, but, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.

Wheatgrass is a complete protein in that it contains all amino acids.

Wheat, and or its “relatives” (means any kernel belonging to the “wheat” family) is the only seed known to have the ability to take up 90 or more minerals [during its life cycle] in its germination process - which is in effect, close to all known minerals. This means that if grown with availability of nutrients, in the proper environment, wheatgrass will be very nutrient dense due to its incredible genetic design.

Enzymes are important for every function in the body. Digestive enzymes such as amylase and protease are found in wheatgrass juice. This is desirable since the body does not have to produce these in order to perform the digestive function of “processing” the wheatgrass juice. Wheatgrass, in its raw state is abundant in enzymes. Juice that has been pasteurised (heat treated) will have lost most or all of its enzymes. Juice that has been spray dried will also have been subjected to high temperatures.

Join us on Thursday April 29th for a delicious in-store tasting of wheat grass and broccoli juices, all grown and squeezed in Wexford.

2010-04-08T11:36:00.000Z

:: NAC - willpower in a capsule ::

There has been some ground breaking research done over the last three years into a natural product called NAC or N-acetylcysteine, as it is known technically. The research shows that NAC may help restore an imbalance in the part of the brain that deals with cravings and addictions. This part of the brain is called the nucleus accumbens. NAC may help to restore extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens. This may sound very grand and scientific, but it basically means NAC may have the potential to help the brain to switch off the desire to smoke by correcting a chemical imbalance.

The possibility for use in other areas of addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling etc.) is very exciting. It is to be hoped the scientific community continue the research into this potentially life changing natural product.

NAC+ capsules, which also contain glutamine, cinnamon and chromium can also be effective to combat food cravings (which can be a problem when trying to quit smoking).

2010-03-13T14:47:00.003Z

:: Herbal throat spray trial ::

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study*, carried out to compare the results of using an Echinacea based throat spray with those of a pharmaceutical throat spray in patients with acute sore throats, has recently been published in Herbalgram No.83 (Feb-April 2010), the journal of the American Botanical Council.

The study was most encouraging, as it showed that the herbal throat spray (a mixture of echinacea and sage extracts) performed as well as its medication-based counterpart.

Sore throats are among the most common complaints encountered in general medical practice and generally occur in conjunction with upper respiratory tract infections. Viral infections account for at least 65% of all sore throats, so the use of antibiotics only plays a minor part in the treatment of sore throats.

This trial was conducted at 11 medical practices in the Swiss cantons of St Gallen, Zürich and Aargau. 151 patients were recruited, aged between 12 and 75, with acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis with throat pain and inflammation of the pharynx and/or tonsils, and onset of the sore throat less than 72 hours prior to the start of the study. The study was continued until the patients were symptom-free, up to a maximum of 5 days.

Each patient was given a patient diary. He or she had to rate their sore throat symptoms (difficulty swallowing, salivation, redness and fever) every morning before administering the first dose of treatment, at midday and in the evening.

The combined response rates showed that the echinacea and sage based throat spray was as good as the pharmaceutical spray for the resolution of symptoms of sore throat. There were no serious or otherwise significant adverse events in either group, and 94% of the Echinacea group said they’d use the product again. It is always gratifying to have clinical research such as this confirm the benefits of a herbal product.

*Reference: Schapowal A, Berger D, Klein P, Suter A. Echinacea/sage or chlorhexidine/lidocaine for treating acute sore throats: a randomized double-blind trial. Europ J Med Res.2009;14(9):406-412.

2010-01-11T07:55:00.000Z

:: Cookery Demonstrations with Jess Keane: Detox ::

Too much wine and too many chocolates over Christmas? Get a simple three step approach to a healthy and effective detox using real food and easy, delicious recipes full of goodness. Handouts will include quick and tempting recipes and a shopping list.

Tannery Cookery School, Dungarvan - Friday, January 15th 2010, 7-9pm
> More ...

2009-12-11T17:37:00.009Z

:: Echinacea effective against swine flu virus ::

New laboratory research carried out by A.Vogel has shown, for the first time, that fresh Echinacea extract is highly effective against the swine flu virus. Recent studies showed Echinacea purpurea fresh plant extract inhibits the H1N1 ‘Mexico influenza’ virus, with the ability to inactivate the infectiousness by over 99%. The pioneering laboratory-based research also worked against bird flu and all other examined influenza viruses. They carried out the ‘in vitro’ infection model on five influenza A strains.

The group of international researchers found the pattern of activity provides support for the already widely accepted use of Echinacea extracts to help relieve symptoms in people affected by the flu virus, of which swine flu is a variant.

They believe Echinacea works by inhibiting the binding of the virus to cells, interfering with the way viruses enter cells. And no resistance was observed.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Pleschka, of the Institute of Medicinal Virology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, said: “Purple coneflower (Echinacea) in particular has been found to have the ability to prevent common colds and influenzas and treat them in acute cases. Our latest research has now shown that this effect is attributable to an antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect."

The research paper is available online at > www.virologyj.com/content/6/1/197

2009-12-05T14:27:00.003Z

:: Are you confident about the safety of the Swine flu vaccine? ::

If you and your physician are confident, then there should be no problem in having your physician sign the Warranty of Vaccine Safety (s.b.).

I would suggest that you ask for the list of ingredients of the vaccine and note the batch number. If your physician cannot produce the list of ingredients how can he know the contents and vouch for its safety?

The Baxter vaccine, called Celvapan, has had fast track approval. It uses a new vero cell technology, which utilizes cultured cells from the African green monkey. This same animal tissue transmits a number of vaccine-contaminating viruses, including the HIV virus.

In the USA , the vaccine is available with and without the mercury based preservative Thimerosal and Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is overseeing the development of a H1N1 vaccine said that people are concerned about Thimerosal and “We are preferentially directing the non-Thimerosal doses to children and pregnant women”.

A spokesman for the Health Services Executive (Republic of Ireland), when asked whether consideration was being given to provision of a Thimerosal free formulation of the vaccine reportedly said: “nothing like that is being mooted”

Source: Irish Times, September 4th page 4. A later report in the Irish Times October 21st indicates that two different types of vaccine will be available in Ireland, Pandemrix and Celvapan.

Despite all the evidence showing that vaccinations are not safe and not effective, the population is still being persuaded by Health Care officials to have the flu and swine flu vaccinations. In a system where “evidence based science” is supposed to be the standard, there is obviously something rotten, when all the science results in such polarised views.

There is adequate evidence from the conflicting information that you cannot rely on “authority” for the truth. By perusing the published information it will be apparent that contradiction, cover-up and misinterpretation of the facts are rampant.

In this technological age, we can rightly expect that the scientific process should provide us with unequivocal answers. Instead we are faced with confusion and dilemma.

I urge everybody to study the issues and decide for themselves.

> Download the Warranty of Vaccine Safety for your GP or hospital.

> Download the Parents Rights Declaration regarding the Swine Influenza (H1N1) vaccination

2009-10-28T14:38:00.001Z

:: Irish Government bans all GM crops ::

IRELAND ADOPTS GM-FREE ZONE POLICY

The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all GM crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food – including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.

The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed between the two coalition partners, the centre-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
The agreement specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants”. The official text also states “To optimise Ireland’s competitive advantage as a GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-Free logo for use in all relevant product labelling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany.”

The President of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association, Malcolm Thompson, said he was delighted by the announcement, adding, “The Government’s new GM-free policy is the fulfillment of what we at ICSA have held for the last five years. I very much look forward to its full implementation.”

Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers:
“The WTO’s economic globalisation agenda has forced most Irish farmers to enter an unwinnable race to the bottom for low quality GM-fed meat and dairy produce, in competition with countries like the USA, Argentina and Brazil which can easily out-compete us with their highly subsidised GM crop monocultures, cheap fossil fuel, extensive use of toxic agrochemicals that are not up to EU standards, and underpaid migrant farm labour”.

2009-09-25T12:49:00.002Z

:: Licensing of Herbal Remedies ::

With new EU legislation and the deadline of 2011 drawing ever nearer, have a look at progress made with the Traditional Herbal Medicines licensing scheme on the British MHRA's website. You will find a list of the traditional herbal licences granted, giving you a good idea of what is happening. Hopefully, the list of registered products will grow longer and we will soon see some herbal remedies licensed by the Irish Medicine Board (IMB) as well.

> Click here to visit the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) site, which is an executive agency of the Department of Health in the UK.

2009-09-19T12:34:00.003Z

:: Why we need a health industry ::

Surely by now everyone knows about eating a healthy diet, taking sufficient exercise, and avoiding recreational drugs? Maybe not.

An article published online on April 28, 2009 in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine (PLoS Medicine) estimates that 1,977,000 deaths each year in the United States are due to preventable risk factors. Smoking, hypertension and being overweight top the list, with 1,078,000 yearly deaths attributed to these preventable causes. Other factors included inadequate physical activity, elevated glucose, high low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, insufficient omega-3 fatty acid intake, high trans fatty acid intake, alcohol abuse, low vegetable and fruit intake, and low dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Clearly, the message about diet and exercise has some way to go.

Lead author and Harvard School of Public Medicine doctoral student Goodarz Danaei said, "To have hundreds of thousands of premature deaths caused by these modifiable risk factors is shocking and should motivate a serious look at whether our public health system has sufficient capacity to implement interventions and whether it is currently focusing on the right set of interventions."

Whilst they work on it, maybe we should just get on with what we’ve been doing for years in the health industry, and continue educating people on healthy lifestyles and the natural methods they can use to rectify their health issues.

2009-08-14T10:40:00.004Z

Read our >Summer Newsletter [3.3MB - pdf] packed with information and remedies for hayfever, cholesterol, homocysteine, hypertension, psoriasis and an article on preparations for a healthy holiday.

Don't miss out on our summer specials!

2009-08-12T16:40:00.008Z

Dr Robert Verkerk talks about the sales, supply and research of pharmaceutical and natural health products in Europe at the Total Health Show in Toronto, Canada. (Listen up! at 4:06 mins.)

2009-07-16T09:17:00.000Z

:: Black Cohosh ::
Many reports of possible liver toxicity (hepatoxicity) associated with Black Cohosh have appeared over the last few years.

In an analysis of all the 69 reported cases, researchers from the Teaching Hospital of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main, Hanau, Germany found that with the hepatotoxicity specific causality assessment methods, there was an excluded, unlikely, unrelated or unassessable causality for Black Cohosh (BC) in 68 of the 69 cases. One patient had a possible causality for BC.

In general, the cases of the 69 patients were poorly documented and the confounding variables were wide ranging. The authors concluded that the analysis of the 69 cases showed little, if any, supportive evidence for a significant hepatotoxic risk of BC.

Reference: Teschke R et al. Phytomed 2009; 16: 72-84

2009-07-10T13:43:00.002Z

Tired of being tired?

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published research carried out on 219 female soldiers taking part in 8 weeks of basic combat training. Half the group were given an iron supplement and half were given a placebo. Those volunteers reporting to the basic combat training with iron deficiency anaemia had improved vigour scores on the Profile of Mood States and faster running time at the end of the training.

The authors conclude that iron supplementation may prove beneficial for mood and physical performance for female soldiers during the training period, and that future efforts should identify and treat female soldiers or athletes who begin training regimens with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anaemia (1).

Five to twelve per cent of otherwise healthy pre-menopausal women suffer from iron deficiency anaemia (2), therefore it makes sense to look at identifying and treating this condition in the wider public.

No better iron tonic than > FLORADIX to maintain your feel-good factor. Keep on running, soldier!

(1) McClung JP et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of iron supplementation in female soldiers during military training: effects on iron status, physical performance, and mood. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009; 90: 1-8.

(2) World Health Organisation. The prevention of anaemia in women: a tabulation of available information, 2nd Ed. Geneva: WHO 1992. Looker AC et al. JAMA 1997; 277: 973-6.

2009-06-27T15:42:00.004Z

:: Chia seeds [Mila] ::

Chia, a member of the sage family, is an ancient food of the Mayan, Aztec and Southwest Native American people and was a staple in their diet along with corn, beans and amaranth. Chia was so valued that it was offered to their gods in ceremonies and was also used as currency.

Known as the ‘Running Food’, its use as a high-energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs.
- Chia is one of the highest plant source of Omega-3 known to man.
- Chia is a very powerful anti-inflammatory.
- Chia is rich in antioxidants which protect its delicate essential fatty acids from oxidation. Unlike other sources of omega-3 oils (e.g., flax, hemp, or fish), Chia doesn't require the artificial or added antioxidants in order to remain fresh.
- Chia has five times more calcium than milk and the calcium is more readily absorbed thanks to the traces of boron which is vital for bone health.
- Chia seeds are highly hydrophilic with the ability to hold about nine to twelve times their weight in water. This ability can prolong hydration and retain electrolytes in body fluids, especially during exertion or exercise. These hydrating properties also prevent muscle fatigue during exercise and aids muscle recover after exercise.

For further details call into the store.

2009-06-15T15:42:00.018Z

:: Natural alternatives for swine flu ::

For the third time in six years we hover on the brink of an apparently serious flu epidemic, the solution for which, if it were to strike, is a drug called Tamiflu. Are they any natural alternatives and how do they compare?

One of those tricky science areas since you can hardly run a double-blind placebo controlled trial on swine flu. So you are left with two alternatives: to test the remedy in infected people with other flu strains, or to test the remedy on cells infected with one of these nasty strains.

Tamiflu has been shown to reduce time to recovery from flu by between one day and 1.5 days if started within 40 hours of symptoms. In contrast there have been three studies giving 6 to 8 grams of vitamin C within the first 24 hours of flu symptoms which have reported reducing time to recovery by three days up to complete relief within 24 hours for almost half of the participants (R Douglas, Cochrane Review, 2007).

Antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), work by inhibiting something called neuraminidase, produced by viruses and essential for their ability to replicate.

So too does vitamin C according to recent research which tested the effects of a combination of ascorbic acid, green tea extract, lysine, proline, N-acetyl cysteine, selenium among other micro-nutrients on cells infected with influenza (R.Jariwalla, Biofactors, 2007).

This combination was also put to the test on cells infected with bird flu, in many respects similar to swine flu (P.Deryabin, Biofactors, 2008). The nutrient mixture “demonstrated high antiviral activity evident even at prolonged periods after infection. Antiviral properties were comparable to those of conventional drugs (amantadine and oseltamivir); however, the nutrient mixture had the advantage of affecting viral replication at the late stages of the infection process,” say the authors.

Neuramidase inhibition is only one of a dozen ways that vitamin C knocks out viruses, both by inhibiting the virus itself, and by strengthening the body’s own immune response. In high doses, it has been well proven to be non-toxic.

The other nutrients given included the amino acids lysine, proline, N-acetyl cysteine, and selenium. N-acetyl cysteine and selenium both promote glutathione levels, which has anti-viral activity. Zinc, in doses of at least 50mg day, is anti-viral (D.Hulisz, J Am Pharm Assoc, 2004).

The body’s immune system has the ability to detect and destroy bacteria and viruses, so it is in our best interests to see that it is functioning well. Regular exercise, a healthy diet and of course echinacea and even garlic can all help.

I would recommend to take the above plus 2 grams of vitamin C every day. If a pandemic flu epidemic breaks out I’m doubling that to 4 grams — one every six or so hours, as well as supplementing zinc, selenium, black elderberry extract and echinacea on a daily basis.

IMHO the outbreak might occur with more severity towards the end of this year - so be prepared. Viruses are considered the last real predator of mankind!

More information on swine flu can be found here:-
>Government info
>Homeopathic task force
>How proportionate is the pandemic response?

2009-05-25T15:07:00.000Z

Check out >this online recipe search engine , it claims to host the largest collection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. As well as offering conventional recipes, the site enables you to single out all special diet requirements, from veg and vegan to low fat, dairy-free, diabetic and coeliac, i.e. gluten-free. You can even search for recipes by ingredients or cooking method. Absolutely delicious!

2009-05-05T12:13:00.003Z

:: Natural ways to reduce Cholesterol ::

C. is widely distributed throughout the body, being especially abundant in the brain, nervous
tissue, adrenal glands and skin. It plays an important role in the body, being essential for the
production of hormones, as well as the repair of membranes!

There are two types of cholesterol: HDL, high-density lipoproteins and LDL, low-density
lipoproteins. HDL is considered good and LDL bad cholesterol. It is worse to be low in good
cholesterol, than high in the bad one.

The total amount in the body of a person weighing 70 kilograms (10 stones) is around 140
grams, and the amount present in the blood is 3.6 to 7.8 m.mol per litre or 150 to 250
milligrams per 100 millilitres. A blood-cholesterol level above 6 m.mol per litre (238 mg per
100 ml) is considered high. (Source: Black’s Medical Dictionary)

To balance blood lipids take as a food supplement or eat more:
- All sorts of beans / lentils
- Globe Artichokes / Cynara tincture
- Organic porridge oats
- Special aged garlic extract (Kyolic)
- Choline & Inositol, fat emulsifiers found in Lecithin (bran or caps.).
- Omega-3 Fish oil capsules / oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerels.
- Unsaturated fatty acids, like unrefined sunflower, olive and flax oil.
- Milk thistle, which is a great liver tonic. The liver produces over 60% of the
blood cholesterol.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) increases the activity of enzymes that help to break down
fats and cholesterol and decreases the deposition of fats in the liver.
- Plant sterols, red yeast extract and cinnamon.

Eat a Mediterranean diet and avoid high dairy and sugar intake.
Avoid high glycaemic, processed foods.
Avoid hydrogenated fats and trans fatty acids found in most processed foods, esp. margarine.
Rule of thumb: all fats, which are solid at room temperature aren’t great.

Eat foods rich in flavonoid antioxidants, e.g. brightly coloured fresh fruits, berries, vegetables,
grape juice, green tea – and red wine!
Aim to get two to three servings of wholegrains and pulses a day (porridge, muesli, brown
bread, brown rice, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas etc.)
Eat nuts, seeds, oily fish (not fried) rich in essential fatty acids.
Exercise regularly. Do not smoke. Avoid constipation. Clear the pathways for elimination!

However, be aware that many authorities believe raised cholesterol is a less accurate
indicator of potential heart disease than raised homocysteine levels, which can be controlled
simply by taking B vitamins. (It is thought that cholesterol is deposited on blood vessel walls
to counteract inflammation caused by high homocysteine level in the first place.)

2009-04-17T09:00:00.001Z

Waterford FESTIVAL OF FOOD in Dungarvan,
Friday 17th - Sunday 19th April 08

We have some complimentary tickets for Saturday's 2pm talk:
'Addressing Allergies, Changing Habits and Having Fun with Food'
with nutritionist Patricia Quinn,
Luke Sweetman author of 'What to eat when you can't eat anything'
and Cookery Demonstration with Naoise O'Cathasaigh.
>Check here for full programme.

2009-04-09T07:15:00.000Z

Prostate Enlargement - A growing problem
Saw Palmetto appears to have the efficacy similar to that of medications like finasteride, but is better tolerated. Reported side effects are rare. - American Family Physician 2003

The frequency and severity of benign prostate enlargement (BPH =benign prostatic hypertrophy) increases with age, and symptoms will tend to worsen if the condition is not treated. With a large and increasing number of men affected, many seek advice from their GPs and pharmacists on means of easing the unpleasant symptoms without suffering the side effects common with pharmaceutical drugs.

Saw Palmetto and BPH
In the UK and Ireland, management of BPH has mainly focused on drug or surgical treatments and the use of herbal medicine is not common. In Germany and Switzerland, Saw Palmetto is extensively used as first line treatment against mild to moderate cases of BPH. It provides therapeutic effects equal to those achieved with conventional drug treatments.

The oil rich berries of the Saw Palmetto contain the active ingredients that make the herb so effective in the treatment of BPH. They reduce the sensitivity of prostate cells to the hormone, di-hydrotestosterone (DHT). If DHT is over-produced, the prostate gland increases in size. The oil also helps to reduce swelling and inflammation, relieving pressure on the bladder.

2009-03-25T16:24:00.001Z

> Join earth hour on Saturday and
find your carbon number with > the carbon calculator.

2009-03-13T17:11:00.003Z

The Heart of the Matter

Professor Michael Oliver, a former leading heart specialist, has said that millions of healthy older people are being prescribed drugs that they don’t need, due to the way GPs are paid and the way the Health Service Guidelines encourage the use of drugs for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

In the British Medical Journal online, Professor Oliver, who is now professor emeritus of cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, said that the side effects of these drugs are being overlooked in a surge of preventative prescribing.

'What kind of medicine is this?' he asks. 'It is politics taking preference over professionalism, obsession with government targets superseding common sense, paternalism replacing personal advice.’ Prescribing a drug is easier than listening and understanding. Weight loss, exercise and dietary changes would in many cases be more effective and far safer than adding endlessly to a regimen of medication.

Hurray for some common sense. And, let us add, there are many safe and effective options for preventing or tackling common health problems, such as Cynara for cholesterol or Crataegus [picture] for high blood pressure.

2009-02-13T15:34:00.004Z

:: Fair trade fortnight :: Mon 23th Feb - 3rd March

Our special offers for this years > Fairtrade fortnight are on:-

> Gepa dark chocolate [55% and 70%]
> Equal Exchange dark and medium roast coffee beans

Theobroma cacao is a evergreen tree growing to 8 metres. The word “chocolate” derives from the name given to this tree by the Aztecs. Native to Mexico and Central America, cacao is a major crop throughout the tropics. The seedpods are collected twice yearly.

The seed pulp contains xanthines, a fixed oil and many constituents responsible for its flavour. The seeds contain very small amounts of endorphins, which are powerful painkillers that occur naturally within the body.

Though cacao is most often used as a food, it also has therapeutic value as a nervous system stimulant. In Central America and the Caribbean, the seeds are taken as a heart and kidney tonic. The plant may be used to treat angina and as a diuretic. In 1994 researchers showed that cacao extracts counter the bacteria responsible for boils and septicaemia.

... go on, treat yourself ...

2009-01-21T10:00:00.002Z

SUCCESS IN EUROPE AS IRISH PETITION ON FOOD SUPPLEMENTS IS KEPT OPEN

On Monday, the Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS) defended its petition in the European Parliament against the European Commissions planned setting of EU wide maximum limits for dosages of vitamins and minerals in food supplements. The petition, submitted originally in December 2007 with the support of 60,000 Irish citizens, claims that measures to harmonise maximum levels of vitamin and mineral food supplements under the Food Supplements Directive (2002/46/EC) - soon to be implemented by the European Commission - will unduly impact consumers, health stores and practitioners in Ireland.

> read more...

2009-01-17T16:42:00.001Z

Daily nuts may help boost health

Adding nuts to a healthy diet may help release people from a dangerous combination of health problems. Up to 25% of people in Ireland and the UK are thought to have "metabolic syndrome", which includes obesity and high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

A Mediterranean diet of vegetables, fruit and fish plus daily nuts boosted health in more than one in eight at-risk volunteers, a Spanish study found. 13.7% of those eating their daily bag of nuts as well as the Mediterranean diet had improved. Even though none of the participants' weight had dropped significantly over the year, waist circumferences had diminished in the nut-eating group, and cholesterol and blood pressure levels had dropped. The research was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine journal.

2008-12-17T17:47:00.003Z

Fight Colds and Flu Naturally

Many of you will be suffering one of these horrid ailments as the chill, dank months of winter encroach upon us. Germs are always around but a strong immune system will take them in its stride. The white blood cells have the ability to detect and destroy bacteria and viruses before they start anything, so it is in everyone's best interests to see that they have everything they need to function well.

Rest – get plenty of sleep
Fluids – water, herb teas, hot juices with cinnamon and ginger
Laughter – your immune system works best when you are happy!
Natural vitamin C – salads and fresh fruit might seem unappealing when it is cold but do not abandon fruit and vegetables. Make vegetable soups, stew fruit with warming spices..
Echinacea – helps the white blood cells in their task of spotting bugs and of engulfing and destroying them once spotted. A daily maintenance dose can help keep bugs at bay.

A merry and healthy Xmas from all of us at Remedies to you and yours wherever you are.

2008-12-01T06:55:00.000Z

:: FREE nutritional advice ::

Thursday 4th December
2.30 - 4.30 p.m.

Alexis Bain, an experienced natural health consultant, will be advising on effective nutritional programmes with VIRIDIAN vitamin & mineral supplements.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity for a free one-to-one in store consultation at Remedies.

2008-11-27T10:30:00.002Z

:: Black Cohosh in the News ::

An alarmist article appeared in various newspapers last week, claiming that Black Cohosh could help spread cancerous cells from the breast to the lung. The research was carried out on mice. Mice that already had breast cancer showed a greater tendency to develop lung tumours when taking Black Cohosh.

However, mice that had no breast cancer were unaffected by their daily dose of Black Cohosh. They showed no more tendency to develop either breast cancer or any other cancer than the mice that were not given Black Cohosh. The authors stated: “The lack of effect on mammary tumour development suggests that Black Cohosh would not influence breast cancer risk if given to women before tumour formation.”

We would make the following common sense, non-alarmist observations.

We do not recommend any herbal remedies to women with cancer.
Women with breast cancer or any other cancer should only be taking herbal products under the supervision of their consultant or a qualified medical herbalist working with their consultant.
Black Cohosh should only be given to women with symptoms of low oestrogen levels.
Black Cohosh products vary in quality - reputable companies manufacture to the highest standards, have GMP status, and can provide safety data.

2008-10-31T15:57:00.002Z

FAQ :: Wash out your mouth....

For many years the safety of ethanol-containing herbal medicinal products for children has been questioned by experts and consumers. The Working Group of the Cooperation Phytopharmaka in Germany (where liquid herbal medicinal products for children have been available without prescription since 1926) carried out a scientific examination of the toxicological relevance of ethanol in herbal medicinal products with regard to ingested amounts, metabolism and elimination in children.

They compared the amount of alcohol ingested in the recommended dose of liquid extractions of popular herbs such as ivy, thyme and valerian to the amounts of alcohol produced by the metabolism of common carbohydrates such as bananas, fruit juice and bread. The amounts found in the bloodstream after ingestion of these foods are consistently higher than the amounts found after ingestion of the recommended dose of ethanolic tincture.

Examining reports from poison control centres, the Working Group found no published reports of intoxication with herbal medicinal products. The most common intoxicant for young children was mouthwash.

The Working Group concluded that when used at the recommended dose, the health risk of ethanol-containing herbal medicinal products is negligible.

Reference: Kelber O, et al. Pharm Ind. 70, Nr 9, 1124-1127 (2008)

2008-10-20T09:26:00.002Z

Blue Green Algae Update

On Tuesday 14th October, the Health Supplement section of the Irish Times ran a story concerning Blue Green Algae sourced from the Upper Klamath Lake in the US which could have harmful effects due to the presence of a liver toxin, Microcystin.

We immediately contacted our supplier for their response to the statements made in the article which is summarised below. We are confident that the response will help eliminate any doubt one might have by reading such an article and are also confident in the products that we provide.

Blue Green Planet:
"Eight years ago there was an excessively long summer period around the Upper Klamath lake where the algae is harvested. This lead to an increase in Microcystin levels due to the rise in temperature and lack of winds to distribute both algae and the microcystin. Microcystin has a parasitic relationship with Blue green algae as it is high in nutritional properties. Micocystin is also present in all fresh water and not just those containing blue green algae. It is not present in spirulina as that comes from salt water sources. Regulations were brought in the control the levels and a tolerance set for products made from the Algae. This level was set above the tolerance for Microcystin to Fresh water ratio (I millionth of a gram: Gram)

Blue Green Planet use the tolerance level of Microcystin to Water rather than Microcystin to Algae. Consumption of the product is as safe as consuming water from any fresh water source."

2008-09-23T08:45:00.004Z

Stocking now....

VIRIDIAN - the leading brand of ethical vitamins

By choosing Viridian as your preferred vitamins, you will not only be benefiting your own health, but also helping benefit the lives of others.

Viridian is unusual amongst vitamin companies in its commitment to environmental issues, charity donation programme and certified organic ingredients.

€100,000 donated to charity so far
Organic and pure ingredients
Recycle your bottles for refund
Multi-award winning range

> Interested? - want to know more?

2008-09-15T06:49:00.003Z

Love your planet :: choose organic

> National organic week which takes place on 15th - 21st September

> Organic fortnight from 6th - 21st September

> Organic matters Ireland’s organic magazine

> Terra madre Slow Food Ireland

2008-09-10T15:25:00.001Z

Natural Calm Magnesium

Tired? Having trouble sleeping? Feeling stressed out? You really can feel better with Natural Calm magnesium supplements. Studies show that 75-95% of people are deficient in Magnesium. Natural Calm restores magnesium to balanced levels in your body. When your body has the proper amount of magnesium, you will sleep better and handle stress better, which in turn increases your overall health and well-being. Made in Canada, it is now available in Ireland.
> Read on...

2008-05-20T16:06:00.004Z

REGULATION OF VITAMINS - A CLEAR CASE OF OVER-REGULATION

An independent film producer has released a video about EU regulation of vitamins (Food Supplements Directive), which can be > viewed here.

In the words of the video,"Is it fair or logical that we have the choice to destroy our own health and be a burden on the health service by smoking, binge drinking and eating fatty foods, but we don't have the choice to stay healthy by supplementing our diet with vitamins?"

2008-04-07T10:14:00.002Z

Waterford FESTIVAL OF FOOD in Dungarvan,
Friday 11th - Sunday 13th April 08

> Check here for programme of events and > here for Dungarvan's farmers market.

2008-02-29T15:12:00.000Z

Our special offers for this year's > fairtrade fortnight are on > Clipper fairtrade teas and on > Tropical Wholefoods fruit and fruit bars.

2008-02-12T18:19:00.000Z

> Soil Association bans potentially toxic nanoparticles.

> Organic Trade Association: Organic will not include food from cloned animals.

2008-02-02T15:03:00.000Z

Mmmmh... watching the Late Late last night.
Can't stop thinking, am I missing the point altogether?
Why is everbody talking about TASTE of organic food?
[FSAI quote: ... "15% say that it [org. food] is full of flavour and taste"]

Is taste all we care about?

2008-01-29T14:50:00.000Z

Action on Additives

The Action on Additives campaign aims to list all the foods, drinks and medicines which contain the additives linked to hyperactivity in susceptible children. > Their website allows you to find foods, drinks or medicines which contain the offensive additives. You can also search for products which contain specific additives.

See also FSA > article from Sept 2007

2008-01-11T14:42:00.000Z

:: Have you ever ask yourself, if pharmaceutical companies looking after your health?

Watch Bill Maher and his Anti-Pharma Rant by clicking on above image.

2007-11-30T12:26:00.000Z

Support Dimas decision on maize - keep Europe GMO free

Take action today and > sign Greenpeace petition.

2007-11-17T16:38:00.000Z

:: Free Rice ::

An internet word game has generated enough rice to feed 50,000 people for one day, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has said. The game, FreeRice, tests the vocabulary of participants. For each click on a correct answer, the website donates money to buy 10 grains of rice. Companies advertising on the website provide the money to the WFP to buy and distribute the rice. FreeRice went online in early October and has now raised 1bn grains of rice.

> play here

2007-10-10T09:31:00.001Z

You can’t be serious Dr.Ernst -???-

Dr.Ernst is back in the media spotlight with a poor quality study claiming that herbal medicines can’t be proven to do any good, but may do significant harm.

As the National Institute of Medical Herbalists pointed out, basing such damning conclusions on 3 trials, one of which was a pilot study involving very low numbers, hardly typifies the rigorous scientific standards that Ernst purports to support. One is tempted to question whether Ernst is more interested in media attention for himself than the health of the country’s population?

Claiming that there are no trials proving the benefits of herbal remedies is a very strange thing to do, unless one is ignorant of the Medicine Licences granted to herbs, e.g. echinacea and the Traditional Herbal Medicine Licences granted to several herbal products.
Surely this can’t be your “Ernst”, Dr.Ernst -???-

2007-09-15T15:30:00.000Z

Forests, trees and human health and well-being

Modern society today is faced with increasing incidences of poor health, related to modern lifestyles, that cannot be addressed by medicine alone. Contributing factors have been identified as an increasingly sedentary population, increasing levels of mental stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices, and hazardous environments e.g. air pollution. Natural spaces and natural elements such as forests and trees have been seen as providing opportunities to ameliorate such trends.

Now is Seed Gathering season, this being the best time in the year to gather seeds from our more common trees such as conkers, acorns, birch cones, rowan berries and apples ready to nurture into trees.

It’s fun, easy to do and the cheapest way to obtain young trees for planting. Go for a healthy walk in the crisp autumn air and take your pick of seeds from some of our best native trees or join in one of the events planned by > the Tree Council of Ireland, tree wardens, rangers, woodland owners and others.

2007-08-18T16:11:00.000Z

Ireland’s Newest and Most Exciting Natural Foods and Sustainable Lifestyle Show ::
Rude Health at the RDS, Dublin, September 1st and 2nd.

>Register online and receive FREE entry.

2007-07-14T13:57:00.000Z

:: SOS - Save Our Supplements ::

The European Union is currently working to set maximum levels for vitamin and mineral supplements on sale in Ireland and throughout the EU. The Irish Government has proposed these should be no higher than RDA levels.

All our minerals and vitamins will be affected and your freedom of choice to use safe and effective means to maintain your good health will be clearly violated. Do you object? - Then please > sign our petition.

2007-07-13T15:12:00.000Z

Dear newsletter subscriber,

after six years of sending out newsletters, I have decided to pull the plug. Nowadays there’s such an immense flow of information we get bombarded with, that my humble belief is we all need some more space... Thank you very much for your support and understanding.

About any major issues I will keep you updated with a little personal email. Naturally if you do need some information, please check our news page or fill in our contact form. We are always there for you at the other end of the line.

all the best

2007-07-03T19:11:00.000Z

:: Latest research on Echinacea ::

The Lancet Infectious Diseases has published research concluding that Echinacea can more than halve the risk of catching a common cold. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut, who looked at 14 different studies on Echinacea. Overall, Echinacea was shown to decrease the odds of developing a cold by 58% and reduce the duration of colds by a day-and-a-half in people who were infected.

Echinacea reduced the likelihood of participants catching a cold naturally (i.e. in normal circumstances such as working with someone who has a cold) by 65%. Professor Ron Cutler of the University of London said that Echinacea, "decreases the severity of cough, headache and nasal congestion," if people have already caught a cold. He gave it as his opinion that, "people with impaired immune function might benefit from taking Echinacea during the winter months to prevent colds and flu."

There have, however, been several positive trials on Echinacea in the last few years, including a trial that demonstrated the efficiency of Echinacea in the treatment of colds and flu, when it is used as soon as a cold starts. At 7 days, 95% of the subjects using Echinacea were free of symptoms compared with only 63% in the placebo group.

There also is a very positive article about Echinacea in > today’s Irish Times’ Health Supplement.

To avoid the misery of summer colds ask for the power of nature.

2007-06-08T11:27:00.000Z

> World Ocean Day

Today is World Ocean Day - a day to set aside to do something amazing for our seas, shores and wildlife. The world’s oceans generate most of the oxygen we breathe, help feed us, regulate our climate, clean the water we drink, offer us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines and provide limitless inspiration...

Having said all that, we really do not treat our oceans with the respect they deserve. World Ocean Day is an opportunity each year to celebrate our world’s oceans and our personal connection to the sea.

2007-05-18T09:57:00.000Z

Waterford Local Radio (> WLR-fm) will broadcast an interview with Jan deVries.
Tune in to the Good Life health programme with Maria McCann
on Tues 22nd May from 7:00pm- 7:30pm.

More media coverage: Jan DeVries is planned to appear on telly again,
The Afternoon Show on RTE 1 on Monday 21st.

2007-05-10T09:00:00.000Z

In-store consultations with Jan de Vries at Remedies

World renowned naturopath and author, > Jan de Vries, is due to hold a free clinic in-store day at Remedies, Dungarvan on Monday 28th May from 10.00 am to 12 noon. These short consultations will be on a first come, first served basis. A great chance to meet “Jan the man”.
For further information please contact us.

2007-05-05T11:39:00.000Z

:: Remedies has become an approved Dr. Hauschka outlet and is now stocking the full range ::

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS: 1967-2007

For 40 years Dr.Hauschka Skin Care has led the way in holistic skin care.
Early in the last century, chemist Dr. Rudolf Hauschka asked philosopher and scholar Dr. Rudolf Steiner the ultimate question: "what is life?" "Study rhythm," Steiner replied, "rhythm is the carrier of life."

The word cosmetic comes from the Greek word "Kosmeo" which means to harmonise and balance. A holistic approach to beauty embraces "inner" cosmetic care and "outer" cosmetic care. Inner care refers to healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, healthy mental and emotional bodies, all creating harmony from within. Outer care refers to what we use on our skin care and in our toiletries, as well as the materials in our clothing and our outer environment. To fully express our beauty we need to embrace all these aspects to maintain a radiance that transcends the ageing process.

Dr. Hauschka Skin Care support a holistic approach to beauty as well as producing the highest quality skin care products, totally free from synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers or fragrances. The active herbal ingredients enhance the skins own vitality and supports its inherent function for a glowing healthy shine.

2007-05-01T11:39:00.000Z

May is...

>> Compost Awareness Week, May 6-12

>> Vegetarian week, May 21-27

>> Allergy week, May 21-25

2007-04-10T00:00:00.000Z

Today is Samuel Hahnemann's 252nd anniversary and >world homeopathy awareness week begins with this year’s focus on women’s health.

More than 30 million people in Europe alone use homeopathic remedies and women are up to four times more likely to use them than men. Soccer star David Beckham, Sir Paul McCartney, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta Jones , Jennifer Anniston and Bill Clinton have all used homeopathy.

The World Health Organisation recognises it as one of the top complementary medicines worldwide.

2007-03-31T10:10:00.000Z

Dear homeopathic colleagues,

Today is the dead-line for the earlybird offer of Jan Scholtens' upcoming seminar at the end of November.
> Show me more information, download booking form, etc.

best wishes / yoroshiku onegai shimasu / meilleures salutations / mit freundlichen Gruessen
Kate Cross ISHom.

2007-02-24T13:27:00.000Z

FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT starts on Mon Feb, 26th and runs until March, 11th.

For more information visit > Fairtrade Ireland or check out > Dublin City's Fairtrade Initiative.

2007-02-21T18:00:00.000Z

Inside & Out - New health show on TV3

TV3's brand new health show kicks off tonight at 8pm and features nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of the best-selling new health book: Food is better medicine than drugs.
The show goes on air every Wednesday for 4 weeks and is sponsored by Linwoods, suppliers of organic milled flaxseed and goji berries to the health trade.

2007-02-12T12:28:00.000Z

News on legislation affecting our food supplements:

European (incl. irish) > responses to the EU Discussion Paper on the setting of maximum and minimum amounts for vitamins and minerals in foodstuffs.
And here is > a collective reply from Mr. Kyprianou to all letters he received.

2007-01-20T16:25:00.000Z

Press release :: Remedies Health Store Leads the Vogel Way ::

Remedies Health Store in Abbeyside has become the first A.Vogel Specialist store in Co.Waterford and one of only nine shops nationwide. Alfred Vogel, celebrated Swiss naturopath and founder of Bioforce, believed in educating people in how to combine a healthy diet, exercise and the benefits of natural remedies to improve their lives.

The company he created in 1963, Bioforce, maintains Vogel's commitment to education, offering courses, seminars and coaching about herbs, their actions and interactions. The A.Vogel Specialist initiative is the next step in the process, A.Vogel Specialists are selected for their knowledge, commitment and professionalism in the field of natural healthcare. Within each store customers will receive expert advice on a natural diet, a healthy lifestyle and the best holistic remedies for their health in the tradition of Alfred Vogel.

Janyn Tan, Bioforce managing director, said: 'A growing number of people seek to take control of their lives and follow a more natural path. We are delighted to be working with this prominent health store to develop this initiative which will bring ongoing benefits to the retailer and the consumer Programmes such as this play a strong part in the health of our industry and so contribute to public health and well-being in a positive manner.'

For further information contact Catherine Lang on 0044-1294-204713 or pressoffice@bioforce.ie

2006-12-05T13:07:00.000Z

Have you ever wondered what's in a flu shot -???-
> here’s the answer - enjoy.

Happy Saint Nicolas.

2006-11-07T14:46:00.000Z

:: THINK ORGANIC ::
This week is organic week > supported by the department of agriculture and food

For a free organic magazine and/or a booklet with ten speedy org. recipes call into our shop.
Tomorrow's health - today !!!

>see also 23rd Sept. entry.

2006-10-20T12:12:00.000Z

YOUR HEALTH SHOW, RDS, DUBLIN, OCTOBER 28th, 29th
.: The 7th Irish Natural Foods and Healthcare Exhibition :.
> full brochure and speakers list

please drop by and ask for your complimentary ticket. (save €10 pp.)

2006-09-23T13:58:00.000Z

Coming up...
> Organic week 6-12 November 2006
and
> All-Ireland Organic Food Conference
The Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon

2006-08-28T12:18:00.000Z

..the outcome of > the Irish Medical News' poll on the issue of folic acid fortification of flour was 70% against...

2006-07-31T14:07:00.000Z

Black Cohosh Update
> the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) advises patients taking Cimicifugae Racemosae Rhizoma (Black Cohosh, root) to stop the medication and contact their doctor immediately if they develop signs or symptoms suggestive of liver disease, such as tiredness, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes or severe stomach pain with nausea and vomiting or dark urine.

The European Medicines Agency and the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products have been made aware of a number of cases purportedly linking Black Cohosh products to hepatotoxicity (liver injuries). They evaluated 42 case reports gathered from within Europe, of which only 4 were considered to have a possible link to the ingestion of Black Cohosh products. It should be stressed that this link has not been proved in any way.
There is no obvious mechanism by which a holistically standardised extract of Black Cohosh (i.e. one that has not been tampered with to alter the natural levels of constituents) could adversely affect the liver.

2006-06-06T21:34:00.000Z

GREEN IRELAND CONFERENCE
branding and protection for sustainable farming, safe food and eco-tourism.

KILKENNY CASTLE, 16-18 JUNE 2006
> download conference programme (pdf-316KB)

2006-05-15T13:10:00.000Z

:: UPDATE :: UPDATE :: UPDATE :: UPDATE :: UPDATE :: UPDATE :: UPDATE ::
> please visit our revamped product page with over 12 new entries.

2006-05-15T12:40:00.000Z

> Slow Food® Ireland
a member of the International Slow Food movement with 83,000 members in 107 countries worldwide, wishes to state its opposition to the granting of licenses by the Environmental Protection Agency of genetically modified trials in Ireland.

"The reality is, that at this point in time no one, be they for or against, can actually predict for sure what the long-term effects of eating foods containing GMOs will be on humans or animals. The future of Ireland - the food island depends on producing top quality safe food. Ireland the GM food island does not have the same appeal or cachet."– Darina Allen, Chair Slow Food Ireland.

2006-04-15T12:33:00.000Z

24th-30th April 2006
Homeopathy Awareness Week

Homeopathy is the modern medicine for the 21st century - based on ancient principles, it has been a safe, gentle and effective healthcare treatment for the last 200 years. Homeopathy can help chronic conditions and acute ailments alike.

Did you know, 1 in 4 European citizens use homeopathy?
Why not try the safest healthcare for all the family yourself?
> find your nearest qualified homeopath

2006-03-10T13:48:00.000Z

> The Natural Health Week

Open the door to naturally good health. Visit us today and pick up your FREE "Naturally Good Health" booklet (64 glossy pages) packed full of useful information to improve your quality of life.

2006-02-06T14:20:00.000Z

Coming up...
- Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 5 - 11 February > click here
- Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, 20 - 26 March > click here

2006-01-20T12:34:00.000Z

Dear friends,
We invite you to sign > the GM-free Ireland Petition online.

Kind regards
Michael O’Callaghan

Co-ordinator
GM-FREE IRELAND NETWORK
Little Alders, Knockrath, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow
tel: + 353 404 43 885
fax: + 353 404 43 887
mobile: + 353 87 799 4761
email: mail@gmfreeireland.org
website: > www.gmfreeireland.org

2006-01-13T12:16:00.000Z

Most Irish non-organic meat, poultry and dairy produce comes from animals fed on GM feed, but is not labeled as such because of a loophole in EU law. This loophole is directly responsible for the continued growing and importation of GMOs for animal feed. As a result, 20 million tonnes of GM ingredients enter the EU food chain each year, without the public being informed; Irish consumers are inadvertently supporting the cultivation of GMOs for animal feed; and Irish farmers risk losing their fair share of the growing international market for safe GM-free food. 94% of EU consumers want the right to choose whether or not to eat GM food.

The fundamental right of EU citizens to information requires mandatory labelling of animal products based on GMOs now; to sign the Greenpeace petition > please click here

2005-12-23T10:10:00.000Z

Remedies would like to wish all our loyal customers a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year. Most importantly, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your custom and support throughout the year and we are looking forward to seeing you in 2006.

2005-12-22T13:22:00.000Z

Patrick Holford will be at the Cultivate centre in Dublin on January 7th and 8th to host his 100% health weekend workshop. It's a great opportunity to kick 2006 off on a healthy footing. For more details, to request a brochure or to book a place on the weekend please visit > www.cultivate.ie

2005-11-25T16:53:00.000Z

- Rescue Remedy - Yoga in a bottle
The journey through life can be likened to walking a tightrope and while we may usually be composed, calm and focused, there are times when life springs little surprises that can throw us off balance.
Over 60 years ago, Dr Edward Bach, recognized the need for an emergency treatment to help people cope with such everyday stressful situations and created > Rescue Remedy.

- Probiotics and IBS
Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) is a highly specific strain from the plantarum group of friendly bacteria. This strain differs from other plantarum species because it has been extensively researched regarding its use for those with digestive conditions and, in particular, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Studies have shown that Lp299v could decrease the frequency and severity of up to 95% of symptoms experienced by IBS sufferers.
> www.lp299v.co.uk

2005-11-08T10:52:00.001Z

—> National Organic Week 7-13 November 2005

2005-10-11T12:39:00.000Z

:: YOUR HEALTH SHOW :: the major event in the Irish Alternative Health Calendar
6th Natural Foods and Healthcare Exhibition in the Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin on Sat 29th and Sun 30th October 2005, opening times 11 am - 6 pm.

call into our shop for your complimentary ticket (save €10)
> show sponsored by the IAHS

2005-09-03T20:54:00.001Z

Not to be missed - TV programmes devoted to natural and alternative medicines:
A new documentary — ‘WE BECOME SILENT’
Exposes the dangers of free trade and Codex Alimentarius.
Narrated by Dame Judi Dench

> please click here to watch ‘WE BECOME SILENT’(28 Min.-76.5MB)

2005-07-16T19:01:00.000Z

WHY THE ALLIANCE FOR NATURAL HEALTH MAINTAINS THAT THE EUROPEAN COURT RULING ON THE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS DIRECTIVE IS A VICTORY
- The vast majority of vitamin and mineral food supplements will not be banned on 1 August
- The Directive now does not apply to natural forms of vitamins and minerals normally found in the diet
- Where it is necessary to be on the positive list, gaining admission will now be a much simpler, less time consuming and more affordable process than was previously the case
- The burden of proof for showing an ingredient to be unsafe will now lie with the regulator and not the manufacturer

2005-07-14T22:12:00.000Z

Food Supplements Directive to be implemented from 1st August 2005
ECJ rules that the Directive is valid.
> read on...

2005-06-04T11:05:00.000Z

PRODUCTS +++ NEW PRODUCTS +++ NEW PRODUCTS +++ NEW

NOW available:-
green outdoor activity
> level 1 - sport kites from Germany - only the sky is the limit

green indoor activity
> organic wines from Italy, France and Spain - guaranteed pure and natural

we want to extent our range of products and would appreciate > your feedback.

2005-05-09T20:25:00.000Z

Irish health stores say NO to irradiated supplements and genetically modified foods.
> download press release (pdf, 72KB)

2005-04-11T20:00:00.001Z

RTE RADIO 1 launches weekly news series on food traceability
Consumed • Mondays at 8pm from 11 April to 30 May

Consumed traces everyday food products from retail outlets, not only back to the farm of origin, but to the origin of the commodities used in the production process. The programme is presented by Tommy Standún.
> Listen to the show here

2005-03-30T19:50:00.000Z

PRIME TIME INVESTIGATES GMO CONTROVERSY
Should Ireland accept GMO food and farming? See the arguments for and against on Prime Time’s investigative report on Thursday 31 March, 9.30pm, RTE1