Herb spotlight: Coleus forskohlii in the News for Its Potential Effect on Reducing Body Fat

Coleus forskohlii is an herb with a long tradition of use in the Ayurvedic tradition. In fact, Coleus is the Ayurvedic name of the herb. Some of the common Western names for this herb are blue spur flower and false boldo. The Latin name is Plectranthus barbatus.

In the Western herbal tradition its claim to fame is in supporting healthy blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. Recently there has been some interest in this herb’s effect on reducing body fat. A study in rats showed Coleus forskohlii extracts reduced body weight, food intake, and fat accumulation[1]. A small double-blind and randomized 12-week-long study concluded that Coleus forskolii mitigates weight gain but without causing any significant changes in fat mass or blood lipids. The Coleus group did report a decrease in fatigue and in hunger[2].

The active constituent in Coleus is forskolin, which increases the levels of the secondary messenger cAMP. The wide ranging effects of this include: bronchodilation, vasodilation, decreased platelet aggregation, lipolysis, a decrease in histamine release, and increased thyroid hormone secretion[3].

Coleus may be a helpful botanical addition to a diet and lifestyle plan to support health weight. However, it should be used in caution in those taking blood pressure or blood thinning medications, or with high stomach acid. Coleus should not be used in those that are pregnant or nursing.

References
[1] Han LK, Morimoto C, Yu RH, Okuda H. (2005). Effects of Coleus forskohlii on fat storage in ovariectomized rats. Yakugaku Zasshi. May;125(5):449-53.
[2] Henderson S, Magu B, Rasmussen C, Lancaster S, Kerksick C, Smith P, et al. (2005). Effects of coleus forskohlii supplementation on body composition and hematological profiles in mildly overweight women. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Dec 9;2:54-62.
[3] Coleus forskohlii. Monograph. [No authors listed] Altern Med Rev. 2006 Mar;11(1):47-51.

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Thyroid Cancer

What is Thyroid cancer?

Thyroid Cancer is the cancer that occur in thyroid gland.
The diagram of our thyroids as following;

Thyroid cancer can spread into nearby tissues and to other parts of the body.

Most common thyroid cancers are:

1. Papillary Carcinoma
2. Follicular Carcinoma and Hurtle Cell Carcinoma (subtype of follicular carcinoma)
3. Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
4. Anaplastic Carcinoma
5. Thyroid Lymphoma
6. Parathyroid Cancer

Papillary Carcinoma

Papillary carcinoma is thyroid cancer that typically grow very slowly.
Usually they develop in only one lobe of the thyroid gland, but sometimes they occur in both lobes.
Even though they grow slowly, papillary carcinoma often spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. But, most of the time, this can be succesfully treated and is rarely fatal.

Follicullar Carcinoma

Follicular carcinoma is the next most common type of thyroid cancer.
It is also sometimes called follicular cancer or follicular adenocarcinoma.
Follicular cancer is much less common than papillary thyroid cancer, making up about 1 of 10 thyroid cancers.
It is more common in countries where people don't get enough iodine in their diet.
These cancers usually remain in the thyroid gland.
Unlike papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinomas usually don't spread to lymph nodes, but some can spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones.
The prognosis for follicular carcinomas is probably not quite as good as that of papillary carcinoma, although it is still very good in most cases.

Hurthle Cell Carcinoma

Hurthle cell carcinoma also known as oxyphil cell carcinoma. It is actually a kind of follicular carcinoma.
This type accounts for about 4% of thyroid cancers.
The prognosis may not be as good as that of typical follicular carcinoma because this subtype is harder to find and treat as it is less likely to absorb radioactive iodine.
Radioactive iodine is used for treatment and to find metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Medullary thyroid carcinoma accounts for about 5% of thyroid cancers.
It develops from the C cells of the thyroid gland.
Sometimes this cancer can spread to lymph nodes, the lungs, or liver even before a thyroid nodule is discovered.
These cancers usually make calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which can be found by blood tests.
Calcitonin is a hormone that helps control the amount of calcium in blood.
CEA is a protein made by certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer and MTC. Because medullary cancer does not absorb or take up radioactive iodine (used for treatment and to find metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer), the prognosis (outlook) is not quite as good as that for differentiated thyroid cancers.

There are 2 types of MTC.
The first type, occurring in about 8 of 10 cases, is called sporadic MTC.
Sporadic MTC is not inherited; that is, it does not run in families. It occurs mostly in older adults and in only 1 thyroid lobe.

The other type of MTC is inherited and can occur in each generation of a family.
These familial MTC often develop during childhood or early adulthood and can spread early. Patients usually have cancer in both thyroid lobes and in several areas of each lobe. They are often linked with an increased risk of other types of tumors.

Anaplastic Carcinoma

Anaplastic carcinoma (also called undifferentiated carcinoma) is a rare form of thyroid cancer, making up about 2% of all thyroid cancers.
It is thought to sometimes develop from an existing papillary or follicular cancer.
This cancer is called undifferentiated because the cancer cells do not look very much like normal thyroid tissue cells under the microscope.
This is an aggressive cancer that rapidly invades the neck, often spreads to other parts of the body, and is very hard to treat.

Thyroid Lymphoma

Lymphoma is very uncommon in the thyroid gland.
Lymphomas are cancers that develop from lymphocytes, the main cell type of the immune system.
Most lymphocytes are found in lymph nodes, which are pea-sized collections of immune cells scattered throughout the body (including the thyroid gland).

Thyroid Sarcoma

These rare cancers start in the supporting cells of the thyroid.
They are often aggressive and hard to treat.

Parathyroid Cancer

Behind, but attached to, the thyroid gland are 4 tiny glands called the parathyroids.
The parathyroid glands help regulate the body's calcium levels.
Cancers of the parathyroid glands are very rare; there are probably fewer than 100 cases each year in the United States.

Parathyroid cancers cause the blood calcium level to be elevated. This causes a person to become tired, weak, and drowsy.
High calcium also makes you urinate (pee) a lot causing dehydration, which can make the weakness and drowsiness worse.
Other symptoms include bone pain and fractures, pain from kidney stones, depression, and constipation.

Larger parathyroid cancers may also be detected as a nodule near the thyroid.
No matter how large the nodule is, the only treatment is to remove it surgically.
Unfortunately, parathyroid cancer is much harder to cure than thyroid cancer.

Hypothyroidism causes early menopause

Menopause can be a difficult time for many women.
Reductions in circulating estrogen hormone levels result in a number of physical and physiological changes, which in turn may lead to mental and emotional stress.
While short-term hormone replacement therapy helps many women, most symptoms of menopause can be relieved with the use of thyroid curing medicine that is thyromine.

Thyromine works very well for people who have 'hypothyroidism’ a key cause of early start of menopause.
All the ingredients of thyromine (For example L-Tyrosine, Guglipid, Adrenal Powder from Bovine, Piper Longum Extract and Ginger extract) work to stimulate the metabolism, bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol help regulate body's stress levels, increase the production of thyroid hormones and stimulate the immune system.

Weight gain during menopause can be distressing.
Shifting to a low fat, high-fiber diet and controlling overall dietary intake can help control weight gain. Diets rich in phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens, may offer additional relief. But the linseed product like thyromine is also a good source of phytoestrogens.

Thyroid treatment system i.e. Thyromine, works by stimulating the body to produce normal levels of thyroxine, because the supplements are all natural this may be done without side effects such headaches and insomnia.
The body is also provided with necessary nutrients that help it to function properly. Thyroid treatment supplements may also help to restore deficient iodine levels, as adequate amounts are vital to a healthy thyroid gland.

Many women suffer from irritability, mood swings, and depression during the onset of menopause. While some of this may be attributable to the stress of undergoing a major life change, any such symptoms should be carefully evaluated by a physician and appropriately managed. Depending on the severity of symptoms, thyromine dosages can be prescribed.

With a healthy diet and exercise, menopausal women can improve distressing symptoms such as weight gain and mood swings through the thyroid treatment. Many women experience a noticeable improvement in their overall physical condition within a few weeks of thyromine intake. Everyone tends to experience slightly different results due to individual body chemistry and composition.