Studies Report on Umcka/ FAVORABLE Findings!

Interestingly, the conventional medical community is starting to turn it's attention to studying and reporting on homeopathics and other CAM (Conventional/Alternative Medicine) strategies for health care. There is much to consider related to the native African plant Pelargonium sidoides; The P sidoides extract is used in various products available in Europe, the United States and beyond.

In the U.S., Nature's Way's products are under the product umbrella name "Umcka", which was part of our 2009 piece here at Lumigrate related to 'alternatives to do for colds and flu".

Going to the product manufacturer's website is an excellent place to go first to see the product history and what they have to say about it and the studies, published in established, conventional as well as more progressive journals, which have reported about it's efficacy. www.umcka.com/Clinical-Research/How-It-Works.aspx [1] . I feel that this might be the 'historical moment' people will reflect upon in the future related to when some of the more conventional of the ConMed (conventional) begins to embrace more progressive products and practices.

I learned of the ConMed's embrace of it when I went to the yearly training about influenza at the regional medical center and was offered a free flu shot like everyone who was attending. I jokingly said 'no, thank you, but if you were handing out Umcka, I'd take some of that!' The nurses administering the immunizations to the doctors got expressions that were

.. maybe even 'surprise' at someone saying 'no', to 'inquiring', perhaps providing a wonderful visual for what's going on in medicine today -- some are more open minded than others to something NEW. And just as I was taking a deep breath and stifling my internal giggle from the renegade within, I heard a man nearby, an MD resident per his nametag, say "I love Umcka, I tell people about it all the time, particularly with children as it's homeopathic, so safe for them." I exhaled and

and thought "how cool is this?"

!!! He went on to say that there was a paper about it published in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), which is America's Conservative Conventional Medicine bible, in my opinion. And naturally also always a good reference related to health care from that 'solid', conventional, standpoint.

I wanted to draw your attention to the coverage of it in various websites/sources that have various studies they are reporting on in a variety of publications. This supports homeopathy as a discipline, a product that people are RAVING about (and buying, obviously, voting with their $s), and gives validation to the QUALITY information providers I have sought out since day 1 on Lumigrate. In the fall 2009 article in The Denver Post, which leads in with the story of my great-grandfather physician's use of an 'unproven' treatment by today's standards with his patients in Chicago during the Spanish Flu epidemic, and not having even ONE patient die of the virus that particularly devastated Chicago and many other parts of the world. reporter Nancy Lofholm includes Umcka in her report. Her source for that was based on the interview with Milton Hammerly, MD, a Denver hospital administrator and part-time integrative medicine physician, who has now returned to graduate school to obtain a PhD in conflict resolution. Apparently there is the need for such a thing in today's administration of medicine! (CLEARLY, we see it every day, unfortunately.)

She emailed me within a week of writing that article and told me she'd come down with cold symptoms and purchased Umcka and was very impressed with it. I then stocked up on some as a bug was amidst my close friends and it has changed my life in terms of dreading the cold and flu season. I include this because the reason why network marketing is growing by leaps and bounds today is not simply that a lot of people are needing to make money differently, but because as a society of PEOPLE, average people, we're tired of the bombardament of 'information overload' and we appreciate what someone we value as "knowlegeable" and "valid" has to say too! There is a renaissance of simplicity and a return to people appreciating functional medicine and simpler strategies, such as plants/herbal medicines, nutrition, etc. (Evidence: even through a recession that bordered on 'depressrion', health foods and organics GREW in sales dramatically, as did the number of people turning toward alternative providers.

The European version is "Umckaloabo". Interestingly, the world's leading manufacturer of phytomedicines, Dr Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, has seen the evidence related to this herb and has manufactured/distributed Umckaloabo. Link to learn more about it/them is: www.schwabepharma.com/international/media-relations/press-releases/items/2009_12_04_Bachert.php [3] . You will see this produce referenced in the excerpt in my Comment, below, of Dr Mark's coverage of this topic at his website (a collaboration with his MD wife, Mary).

I'm selecting this link to provide, as I liked the way the doctor, and MD, reported on the study's findings and the overall issue of what's become known as 'gold standard research' (meaning the way that 'modern medicine' has demanded research be done). I encourage you to follow the link and read. It's a fascinating website, with much about the types of information we at Lumigrate support and include: changes in agriculture and foods consumed over the centuries and millenia contributing to health issues that are devastating modern society and our health care systems/financial systems. They provide wonderful eating ideas and resources, have good blogs and just 'synche' with what we're doing at Lumigrate!

Comments

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:19pm

#1 [6]

Mardy Ross

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Feb 16 2009

Posts: 2032

Blog excerpts from Michael R Eades, MD. Please read/follow

To further encourage following the link/above, here are some of the parts I like the best from what Dr Micheal/Mike Eades (MD) wrote:

"There are a lot of anecdotal reports about all the above ‘treatments’ working to reduce the severity and duration of a cold, but when tested under the same stringent double-blind, placebo-controlled methods used to vet drugs, they fall short. Most don’t work any better than placebo. .....

But there is a product on the shelves of most health food stores and natural food groceries that really does work. However, most people don’t know about it, and when they do see it mixed in with all the other cold medicines, they don’t know how different it really is.

[7]The product is umckaloabo, an extract from the African plant Pelargonium sidoides. The P sidoides extract is used extensively in Europe, especially in Germany, to treat colds and other respiratory illnesses. And the product is not used on a wing and a prayer like our OTC remedies are, it is used based on sound science. There have been multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled studies showing that umckaloabo works significantly better than placebo to treat bronchitis. (1-3) P. Sidoides works in several ways to restore health: it has some direct antibacterial and antiviral activity, but it works primarily by increasing the activity of the immune system and by releasing interferon, a potent antiviral substance.(4)

Since there has been so much scientific data showing the efficacy of the P sidoides extract in treating bronchitis, a group of researchers in Ukraine decided to test it to see if it would reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. A multicenter, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was designed and 207 patients recruited. All patients were tested for strep to ensure that their symptoms didn’t have a bacterial cause. .....

.....The number of patients cured (a CIS less than or equal to 1) by day 10 was 78.8 percent in the treatment group as compared to 31.4 percent in the placebo group. ....

.... A couple of caveats. First, this is only one study. But it is a good one using the gold-standard methodology of drug testing. But even one positive study is more than exists for most of the OTC cold remedies. And there are multiple good studies showing P. sidiodes efficacy in the treatment of bronchitis, most of which is viral, so there is some corroboration for its efficacy in viral treatment. Second, the patients in this study were all started on P. sidoidesextract within 48 hours of the start of their symptoms. All bets are off if you don’t start taking it until four or five days into your cold.

Why the bizarre name umckaloabo? Supposedly it is a combination of terms derived from the Zulu words for the symptoms of lung disease and breast pain. Click here [8] (then click on page 790-792) to read the full text of the strange story of the discovery of umckaloabo, which was first used to treat tuberculosis. You will notice that the turn-of-the-20th-century Brits were about as open minded concerning herbal treatments as is the mainstream today.

If you live in Europe, you’re probably already familiar with this product. If not, it is marketed there as Umckaloabo by ISO-Arzneimittel. There are a couple of sources in the United States. Nature’s Way sells several preparations under the name Umcka ColdCare, which is found in most health food stores and natural groceries. Umcka ColdCare comes in a syrup form and in a powder that makes a hot drink.

[9]

Another distributor is African Red Tea, which sells a syrup [10]. (Disclosure: I have no financial interest or affiliation with either of these companies.)

In my opinion, the best way to prevent colds is to maintain good health and an adequate level of vitamin D throughout the year. That’s what I try to do. But if I succumb, I make a run for the umckaloabo."

Mardy's note: I have brought only the highlights and photos of this piece here to REALLY encourage you to follow the above link to this piece at source. I want to underscore that the advise this MD states directly above related to maintain good health/vitamin D is ALSO consistent with what Lumigrate reported through Lumigrate in 2009. I believe that these symmetries are a positive reflection on ALL involved in supporting this type of information. This source will be contacted related to our use and reference of their information. Thanks in advance to them for having this available, and I hope YOU take the time to follow the link/above to see their complete piece and the other information at their website.

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 2:50pm

#2 [14]

Cinda Crawford

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Itinerant

Joined: Mar 30 2010

Posts: 7

Re: Studies Report on Umcka/ FAVORABLE Findings!

Mardy, I'm grateful for what you're posting here. I bellieve this information is not only valid enough for me, but for other people, too. Few, if any, homeopathic or alternative health-type products can afford the multi-million dollar process of being approved by the FDA. If they did, we could no longer afford to buy them!

Thanks again...I'm off to the store to buy some UMCKA. No flu shot for me. I haven't taken one in years!

Cinda Crawford of the Health Matters Show [15]

Mardy's Note: Me either, not since I had the vaccine in my 40s when coming to Grand Junction to work and there was an epidemic where I was coming FROM, and I didn't want to bring it with me. I wrote about what happened as a response to Faith Young's piece this year/2011 on Influenza/shot or not. You can find it at the following link which also includes information about vitamin D per a study out of Japan and school children.www.lumigrate.com/forum/flu-prevention-lifestyle-basics-plus-vitamin-d-japanese-study-kids-20089-flu-season [16]

__________________

I am Cinda Crawford, an average person who has led an extraordinary life filled with tragedy, severe illness and many sacred blessings. I endured 15+ years of excruciating illness with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Now, I am healed. Because of my journey, my life is devoted to helping others. I invite you to discover Sacred Cellular Healing, an effective healing tool to co-create & manifest your return to good health. Currently, I host the Health Matters Show -or- what I call the hottest "destination" blog and podcast on the Internet today for people who want to get well from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I also run Get Well Health and the new "Learn How to Heal Membership" course. Visit soon. Let me know you dropped by. You and I can and will derive our health and strength not only from each other, but from our sacred heritage of being God's children. I approach my tasks seriously and do so from a complete mind/body/spirit perspective. Thanks!

Connect with me at
www.healthmattersshow.com [17],
www.getwellhealth.com [18],
www.cindaontwitter.com [19],
www.cindaonfacebook.com [20], and
www.cindaonlinkedin.com [21]

Sat, 01/05/2013 - 2:04am

#3 [22]

Mardy Ross

Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole

Joined: Feb 16 2009

Posts: 2032

Glad to see this was of interest and help, Cinda!

Good points on the costs 'stuff'; I'm glad this helped you and thank you for taking the time to comment. Apparently I didn't see your comment until I came back to share it in this 2013 'uck' season.

Let me know if you have the opportunity to try it and what you think, perhaps! Mardy

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