Banksia Herbs & Nutrition

12/06/2025

Just because a medical professional suggests a treatment or diagnostic tool, that doesn’t necessarily make them right.
Your body, your choice!!!!!

The "first, do no harm" principle, or “primum non nocere” in Latin, is an ethical principle in medicine and healthcare that emphasises the importance of avoiding harm to patients. This fundamental principle can be overlooked in practice, particularly in the context of diagnostic tests and procedures. Approximately 93 million computed tomography (CT) examinations are performed on 62 million patients annually in the United States, and ionising radiation from CT is a known carcinogen.

A study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Internal Medicine) to determine the number of future lifetime cancers in the US population associated with CT imaging use in 2023.

The scientists used the IMV Medical Information Division CT Market Outlook Report, based on a national annual survey of 235 hospitals and 78 imaging facilities, to quantify the number of CT examinations performed in the United States in 2023. Lifetime radiation-induced cancer incidence and 90% uncertainty limits (UL) were estimated by age, s*x, and CT category using National Cancer Institute software based on the National Research Council's Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VII models and projected to the US population using scaled examination counts.

An estimated 61,510,000 patients underwent 93,000,000 CT examinations in 2023, including 2,570,000 (4.2%) children, 58,940,000 (95.8%) adults, 32,600,000 (53.0%) female patients, and 28,910,000 (47.0%) male patients. Approximately 103,000 radiation-induced cancers were projected to result from these examinations over a person’s lifetime. Estimated radiation-induced cancer risks were higher in children and adolescents, but the higher CT utilisation in adults accounted for most (93,000) radiation-induced cancers. The most common cancers estimated to be caused were lung cancer, colon cancer, leukaemia and bladder cancer overall, while in female patients breast cancer was second most common. The largest number of cancers was projected to result from abdomen and pelvis CT in adults, reflecting 37% of cancers, followed by chest CT (21%). Estimates remained large over a variety of sensitivity analyses, which resulted in a range of 80,000 to 127,000 projected cancers across analyses.

The authors provided the following context: if the number of new cancer diagnoses in the United States remains stable (1.95 million in 2023) and both the utilisation and radiation doses from CT remain unchanged in future decades, CT could be responsible for approximately 5% of all cancers diagnosed each year. This would place CT on par with other significant risk factors, such as alcohol consumption (5.4%) and excess body weight (7.6%). The projected number of radiation-induced cancers in this analysis is 3 to 4 times higher than earlier assessments for several reasons. First, while the growth in utilisation has slowed, CT use is 30% higher today than in 2007. This is largely due to the growth in low-value, potentially unnecessary imaging as well as population ageing. Second, dose modelling in this study accounted for multiphase scanning, which occurs in 28.5% of examinations but was not modelled previously. Third, the substantially higher organ doses in this study were reconstructed using newer dosimetry methods.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative solution to this problem, enabling low-dose CT imaging protocols that enhance image quality while significantly reducing radiation doses. We can only wait for the widespread adoption of these advances.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40227719/

26/04/2025

Traditionally the mother had the support of her “tribe”, grandmothers, aunts, older children…..Family in general.
This provided the mother with ample rest to nourish her child and herself.
The modern world does not consider this and as a result mothers are often left depleted and struggle to cope.

Science has confirmed what many already knew—being a stay-at-home mom is one of the hardest jobs out there. Studies have shown that the physical, emotional, and mental demands placed on mothers who care for children full-time often exceed those of many paid professions.

A survey revealed that nearly a third of parents believe staying home with children is more stressful than going to work, and experts like psychologist Rick Hanson have stated that 98% of other jobs are less stressful than being home alone with young kids all day.

Stay-at-home moms often juggle cooking, cleaning, emotional support, scheduling, and discipline without breaks, recognition, or adult interaction. The isolation and pressure to meet unrealistic expectations can add to the mental load.

Despite not earning a paycheck, the role requires multitasking, endurance, and emotional resilience. It’s time society acknowledges the depth and difficulty of full-time parenting and gives stay-at-home moms the credit they deserve.

25/04/2025

Pay attention and read labels before parting with your hard earned dollars for rubbish that will adversely affect your health!

High fructose corn syrup has been renamed and marketed as a natural sweetener, but it still carries risks for your health. It's important to be aware of what you're putting in your body, especially when terms like "natural" are used to mask the truth. Stay informed and choose whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible! What’s your go-to natural sweetener? 🍯🍬

15/04/2025

Unfortunately this is old news!
Stop labelling every symptom and start going back to basic whole foods and spend more time in nature away from devices. 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍌🍉🍇🍓🫐🍈🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥝🍅🍆🥑🫛🥦🥬🥒🌶️🫑🌽🥕🫒🧄🧅🥔🍠🫚⚽️🏓🏑⛳️🏏🪁⛷️🏄‍♀️🧘‍♀️🌴🌳🌞🌻🌺🌼🌈☃️

A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet shows that a strict elimination diet can dramatically improve ADHD symptoms in young children. After reintroducing certain foods, 63% of children experienced behavioral relapses, highlighting the impact of non-allergic food sensitivities on cognitive function. This challenges traditional views on food allergies and ADHD.

14/04/2025

Holistic health means the “whole” body, not just what you eat and drink. If you are serious about taking care of your temple then you must consider your choices in what your skin comes in contact with.
Hair colours are prime examples of toxic poisons that can be absorbed into the bloodstream creating disease and topical conditions such as psoriasis.

Desert Shadow Organic is an Aussie company that is passionate about good health and has a range of hair colours based on henna that has 100% Certified Organic botanical ingredients with absolutely zero nasties!

Part of their marketing strategy is to encourage the purchaser to take some “Me Time” when applying the colours. This particular hair colour is not a “quick fix”, it does take considered time. Time for you to embrace the experience with a cup of tea and an afternoon of reading, listening to music or meditation whilst the colour develops.

The ultimate result is stunning and worth the time taken to give yourself the gift of “Me Time”, glorious rich hair colour and a step closer to “Holistic Health” 🌿🪴🪷🌺🌻🌈🌞🍋🥑🥥🍇🧘‍♀️🫖📚

07/04/2025

I imagine this would apply to Australia 🇦🇺 too!!

A recent study reveals that 75% of sunscreens sold in the U.S. may not provide the protection they claim and could contain harmful chemicals.

Ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate are linked to hormone disruption and environmental damage.​

To safeguard your health and the planet, choose mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

These offer broad-spectrum protection without the risks associated with chemical filters.

13/02/2025

And yet it’s available on supermarket shelves for anybody to get in any amount, including children !!

Widespread belief holds that the popular over-the-counter painkiller paracetamol (acetaminophen) does not cause stomach ulcers, but a new study from the United Kingdom puts that in doubt. General practice records from 1998 to 2018 in the UK show that, among 180,000 people aged 65 and older who received prescriptions for paracetamol, the risks for peptic ulcers, bleeding from ulcers, and any type of lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding were increased by 20% to 36%, compared to more than 400,000 people not prescribed the drug. Paracetamol use was also associated with increased rates of other health problems including heart failure, chronic kidney disease and hypertension.

"Despite its perceived safety, acetaminophen (paracetamol) is associated with several serious complications," Kaur and colleagues wrote. "Given its minimal analgesic effectiveness, the use of acetaminophen as the first-line oral analgesic for long-term conditions in older people requires careful reconsideration."
Although paracetamol's safety has largely been taken for granted (apart from often fatal liver damage caused by overdose) the authors noted that evidence to the contrary has been accumulating. A decade ago, Britain's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence suggested that the agent does, in fact, modulate the same cyclooxygenase-related pathways as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, with the potential for adverse GI effects. And the institute formally dropped paracetamol from its recommended treatments for osteoarthritis, both for safety and efficacy reasons.

After matching and adjustment for covariates, Kaur and colleagues calculated the following hazard ratios (HR) for users versus non-users:

• Uncomplicated peptic ulcers: HR, hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10 to 1.31
• Peptic ulcer bleeding: HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.34
• Lower GI bleeding: HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.46
• Heart failure: HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.13
• Chronic kidney disease: HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.24
• Hypertension: HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.11

These risks increased with the number of prescriptions. For example, hazard ratios for patients with nine or more paracetamol prescriptions reached 1.39 (95% CI 1.22-1.58) for uncomplicated peptic ulcers, and 1.44 (95% CI 1.29-1.60) for peptic ulcer bleeding, relative to paracetamol non-users. Regarding the apparent adverse renal effect, the researchers cited previous studies suggesting that the drug can cause acute tubular necrosis with long-term use.

The study did come with an important limitation: "there is no provision for recording over-the-counter prescriptions" in the database, the researchers acknowledged, and it is possible that users (and non-users, too) also bought paracetamol on their own. But in Britain, patients 65 and older receive paracetamol for free when it is formally prescribed. Another limitation was that paracetamol use following that first 6-month period was not tracked in the study.

Studies like this leave me baffled as to why there is not more mainstream interest in proven natural treatments for pain, especially in osteoarthritis. Boswellia, curcumin and willow bark are key examples of safe herbs with efficacy in OA established by multiple randomised controlled trials.

For more information see: https://www.medpagetoday.com/painmanagement/painmanagement/113139?xid=nl_mpt_morningbreak2024-11-27&mh=645d82b33a6ed4235607f5cdac7078eb&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBreak_112724&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Daily_News_Update_active

10/01/2025

10/01/2025

Clinic resumes
Monday 13th January 2025
Happy New Year!

09/09/2024

Fascinating how Elle Macpherson and her personal decision infuriates mainstream and the medical community!🤔

Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson says she “healed through” her breast cancer in a bombshell interview with 60 Minutes, after sparking outrage over revelations she rejected modern treatments in favour of a “holistic” approach.

04/09/2024

What’s your cup of happy?? ☕️🍵🧉Fresh brewed coffee, herbal tea, warm cacao?……What ever it may be, take time for yourself each day to stop ✋🏻 smell the roses 🌹 and be grateful for what you have. Your nervous system will thank you 🙏🏻 and the universe will provide you with more! 💛🌈✨

13/08/2024

Around 7 weeks ago I picked up a virus of some kind that still has me barking like a dog!! 😳😩A plane ✈️ ride to freezing 🥶 Melbourne and preparing to breakthrough my comfort zone in order to celebrate 🥳 a milestone in my life was possibly the catalyst…….I was rundown and susceptible to the hazards of winter! ☔️💨🌨️🥴🤧🤒

Fortunately, some chill out time on a tropical island 🏝️ with family and the odd beverage 🍹🍷🥂hit the spot nicely!!…..
However I found myself in the unusual position of the “practitioner” treating the “practitioner!”
I rarely get sick and in fairness tend to become comfortable with the same herbal medicines. The positive of this recent lurgy is that it has given me an opportunity to explore different herbal options and to find their special qualities and be reminded of the magic ✨that herbal medicine provides!