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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Magnolia Bark Knocks Out Head and Neck Cancer Cells

Extract Shows Promising Results

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ead and neck cancers include cancers of the mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), sinuses and salivary glands. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, more than 55,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer, and almost 13,000 die from these diseases annually.

A study from the University of Alabama and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center found that a magnolia herb extract called honokiol may treat these cancers. It tested human cancer cell lines in the laboratory from different parts of the body, including the mouth, larynx, tongue and pharynx. The researchers found that the honokiol extract halted the growth of each of these cancer cells and induced cell death.

Lead researcher Dr. Santosh K. Katiyar and his colleagues wrote, “Conclusively, honokiol appears to be an attractive, bioactive, small-molecule phytochemical for the management of head and neck cancer, which can be used either alone or in combination with other available therapeutic drugs.”

Health Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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