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 .  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. 

A good resource to look at is the review of The Cochrane Report.  The link to reporting about this topic is at:  www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006323.html. 

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  or  .. 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 .  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! 

Live and Learn!! Learn and Live Better!! 

www.proteinpower.com/drmike/miscellaneous/a-cure-for-the-common-cold/