Once bitten, twice shy The other night, I was minding my own business and reading in
my home office when one lone mosquito made me into his own
all-you-can-eat buffet. Needless to say, since I was safely inside (or so I thought), I wasn't
taking any of the precautions I've written to you about recently. I
was a sitting duck. And more than a little irritated for the rest of
the evening. I'll admit it, as I was scratching away, I was thinking…natural,
shmaturel -- kill them all! DEET them for all I care, before they
even hatch -- and way before they can come into my home and
make me into a 10-course meal. When I regained my senses, I discovered some hopeful news that I
thought you might also find comforting the next time you find
yourself in a bug-driven frenzy. It seems that scientists have been
testing some natural, environmentally friendly ways to kill
mosquito larvae more effectively -- and safely -- than DEET. To the rescue comes…cinnamon oil! With a twist, that is. As you
probably know, cinnamon oil generally comes from the bark of the
Cinnamomum cassia tree. But the compound that was isolated and
found effective in the study, called cinnamaldehyde, can also be
found in the leaves of the tree -- making it a more sustainable
source for such large-scale use than the bark.
Just one warning: Before you run out and purchase a few vials of
essential cinnamon oil, keep in mind that it is an irritant when
applied directly to the skin. So far, this remedy is in the testing
stages, and will need some further concocting before it's ready for
prime time. So what does all this mean to you and me? Well, if this and other
studies are searching out natural insect repellants that can be used
on a large-scale basis to kill the larvae before they hatch,
eventually we'll be safer from both the bothersome bugs and the
nasty chemicals presently used to combat them. Perhaps the best
news is that someday soon we may be able to put DEET up on the
shelf for good, as something we used when we didn't know any
better. Until then, you will surely encounter a rogue mosquito or two. You
might even catch one mid-bite. Though it could take all your
resolve, you might want to flick it away instead of swatting it.
While it's not exactly a common or proven theory yet, it seems that
you could increase your risk of complications if you squash the
insect as it's biting you. A case study published in the New
England Journal of Medicine reported on a 57-year-old woman
who apparently contracted a fatal case of Brachiola algerae -- a
fungal infection found only in mosquitoes. Not in their saliva,
mind you, but in the mosquito itself. Her doctors theorized that she
contracted the infection from squishing the bug mid-bite, allowing
the fungus to enter her body through the opening made by the bite. *********************************************
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********************************************** Finding small doses a big problem Q: I found your articles on lithium in Nutrition & Healing very
interesting, especially as someone with alcoholism in my family.
But when I decided to try it, I wasn't able to track it down
anywhere. And you can't even imagine the looks I got just for
asking! I live in a small town, and tongues are wagging. Still, I'd
like to give it a try. Any suggestions? JVW: Most people confuse high doses of lithium -- used to control
manic-depression -- with low doses of lithium, which can be used
as a supplement to improve brain function, among other things.
(Check out the articles on the extensive benefits of lithium in the
August and September 2003 issues of Nutrition & Healing). Someone with a bipolar disorder may take as much as 900-1,800
milligrams a day of lithium carbonate. At these levels, you can
only obtain lithium with a prescription, and patients must be
monitored closely to guard against overdose and toxicity. However, taking lithium as a brain-boosting supplement doesn't
require nearly that high of a dose. For over 30 years, I've been
recommending low doses in the range of 10 to 20 milligrams from
lithium aspartate or lithium orotate daily. For the first few years, I
monitored my patients' blood levels very closely, but when I never
found any problems at these doses, I decided such testing was
unnecessary. I do advise my patients to take extra quantities of
essential fatty acids when they add a lithium supplement to their
routine, however, just to be on the safe side. Still, it is always a good idea to work with a natural medicine
physician when starting something new -- they may also be able to
help you locate the low dose capsules or tablets to begin with. You
can contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine
(949-583-7666; www.acam.org) to find a skilled natural physician
near you. ********************************************
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What is…lithium?
In it's elemental form, lithium is a metal -- in fact, it is the lightest
of all metals, with a density only about half that of water. In this
form, you can find lithium in batteries, ceramics, heating elements,
and air conditioning, to name just a few items not even remotely
related to your health. But the form of lithium Dr. Wright refers to is a mineral salt that is
part of the same family as sodium and potassium. If you read Dr. Wright's past articles on lithium and decide that
you're a good candidate for a low dose lithium supplement, don't
be surprised if you encounter resistance. But being armed with
information and education should help you find what you need --
and perhaps you'll enlighten a few others along the way.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
Cheng SS, Liu JY, et al. "Chemical composition and mosquito
larvicidal activity of essential oils from leaves of different
Cinnamomum osmophloeum provenances." J Agric Food Chem
2004; 52(14): 4,395-4,400. Coyle CM, et al. "Fatal myositis due to the microsporidian
Brachiola algerae, a mosquito pathogen." N Engl J Med 2004;
351(1): 42-47
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