New Warning About Olive Oil
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 30 2010 |
Watch interview here:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/30/rudi-moerck-on-cooking-oils.aspx
Dr. Rudi Moerck is a drug industry insider and an expert on fats and oils.
In this interview, Dr. Moerck discusses the ins-and-outs of cooking oils; the good, the bad and the ones to avoid like the plague.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
A common question that many people have is whether or not food should be eaten uncooked. I personally believe that consuming a majority of your food uncooked is a cornerstone of optimal health.
Typically, the less processed and heat-treated the food is, the more nutritious and healthier it is going to be.
Nevertheless, most people prefer to cook their food, at least occasionally. When you do, you're going to cook with some form of oil.
The question is, what's the best, healthiest type of oil to use when cooking?
Dr. Rudi Moerck has studied oils for a long time, and offers some intriguing insights in this interview.
Cooking with Tropical Oils – Your Healthiest Alternative
I have, for many years now, recommended coconut oil on the basis and the supposition that it doesn't contain much unsaturated fat. As a result, it's not going to be damaged by heat and create trans fats like some other oils. (Another tropical oil that is very similar is palm oil.)
Dr. Moerck agrees, saying:
"I would say that coconut oil is okay to cook with. It's a saturated fat. Your body will burn it as fuel or it will get rid of it some other way. It won't store it in your body.. So from that point of view, if you're going to use oil then that's a good one to use."
Interestingly, unlike carbohydrates, which can also deliver quick energy to your body, coconut oil does this without producing an insulin spike. Yes, it acts like a carbohydrate, but without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption.
But that's merely the beginning.
Earlier this week I published an entire special report on the health benefits of coconut oil, which include:
Promoting heart health
Promoting weight loss, when needed
Supporting your immune system health
Supporting a healthy metabolism
Providing you with an immediate energy source
Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland
Part of what makes coconut oil such a healthful oil for cooking is that 50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. This is also one of the features that distinguishes coconut oil from other saturated fats.
Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.
In addition, coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids also produce a host of health benefits.
Best of all, coconut oil is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage, which you cannot say for other oils. In fact, it's so stable you can even use if for frying (although I don't recommend frying your food for a number of health reasons).
I recommend using coconut oil in lieu of every other oil, whether your recipe calls for butter, olive oil, vegetable oil or margarine.
Important, New Information about Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is a good monounsaturated fat that is also well-known for its health benefits. It's a staple in healthful diets such as Mediterranean-style diets.
However, it's important to realize it is NOT good for cooking. It should really only be used cold, typically drizzled on salads and other food.
Due to its chemical structure and a large amount of unsaturated fats, cooking makes extra-virgin olive oil very susceptible to oxidative damage. However, during this interview I learned that extra-virgin olive oil has a significant draw-back even when used cold – it's still extremely perishable!
As it turns out, extra-virgin olive oil contains chlorophyll that accelerates decomposition and makes the oil go rancid rather quickly.
In fact, Dr. Moerck actually prefers using almost tasteless, semi-refined olive oil rather than extra-virgin olive oil for this reason.
If you're like most people, you're probably leaving your bottle of olive oil right on the counter, opening and closing it multiple times a week. Remember, any time the oil is exposed to air and/or light, it oxidizes, and as it turns out, the chlorophyll in extra virgin olive oil accelerates the oxidation of the unsaturated fats.
Clearly, consuming spoiled oil (of any kind) will likely do more harm than good.
To protect the oil, Dr. Moerck recommends treating it with the same care as you would other sensitive omega-3 oils:
Keep in a cool, dark place
Purchase smaller bottles rather than larger to ensure freshness
Immediately replace the cap after each pour
To help protect extra virgin olive oil from oxidation, Dr. Moerck suggests putting one drop of astaxanthin into the bottle. You can purchase astaxanthin, which is an extremely potent antioxidant, in soft gel capsules. Just prick it with a pin and squeeze the capsule into the oil.
The beautiful thing about using astaxanthin instead of another antioxidant such as vitamin E, is that it is naturally red, whereas vitamin E is colorless, so you can tell the oil still has astaxanthin in it by its color.
As the olive oil starts to pale in color, you know it's time to throw it away.
You can also use one drop of lutein in your olive oil. Lutein imparts an orange color and will also protect against oxidation. Again, once the orange color fades, your oil is no longer protected against rancidity and should be tossed.
This method is yet another reason for buying SMALL bottles. If you have a large bottle, you may be tempted to keep it even though it has begun to oxidize.
The Worst Cooking Oils of All
Polyunsaturated fats are the absolute WORST oils to use when cooking because these omega-6-rich oils are highly susceptible to heat damage.
This category includes common vegetable oils such as:
Corn
Soy
Safflower
Sunflower
Canola
Damaged omega-6 fats are disastrous to your health, and are responsible for far more health problems than saturated fats ever were.
Trans fat is the artery-clogging, highly damaged omega-6 polyunsaturated fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening.
I strongly recommend never using margarine or shortening when cooking. I guarantee you you're already getting far too much of this damaging fat if you consume any kind of processed foods, whether it be potato chips, pre-made cookies, or microwave dinners...
Trans fat is the most consumed type of fat in the US, despite the fact that there is no safe level of trans fat consumption, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine.
Trans fat raises your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while lowering your HDL (good cholesterol) levels, which of course is the complete opposite of what you want. In fact, trans fats -- as opposed to saturated fats -- have been repeatedly linked to heart disease. They can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.
Personally I don't cook very much but when I do I use our Pure Virgin Coconut Oil as it is the most resistant to heating damage, but also a great source of medium chained triglycerides and lauric acid.
So, cleaning these oils out of your kitchen cupboard is definitely recommended if you value your health.
About Me
- Miriam
- I have a health ministry for friends, family, and health lovers world-wide. I choose natural options whenever possible and avoid chemicals, food additives, etc. even in my cosmetics. I eat mostly organic whole foods. You’ll find lots of healthy recipes and great health research on this site.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
"Miracle Nutrient" that Cured Man on the Brink of Death... VITAMIN C
"Miracle Nutrient" that Cured Man on the Brink of Death...
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 29 2010 |
When a King Country dairy farmer came down with a serious case of swine flu, intensive care specialists said there was no hope. They were set to pull him off of life support, but his family refused to give up.
The family demanded that the doctors try high doses of Vitamin C. The hospital told them it wouldn't work, but the family insisted. They had to hire a lawyer to get their way -- but their actions saved the man's life.
Click the link below to see a news report of this amazing story:
News3 August 18, 2010
Sources:
News3 August 18, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The 18-minute long New Zealand News3 video report shows the compelling story of Allan Smith, a man conventional doctors claimed "could not survive," after contracting a severe case of swine flu in June of last year.
But they were wrong.
Allan's family refused to accept the hospital's hopeless prognosis and the subsequent decision to turn off his life support. Instead, his family insisted the hospital try high dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C.
You'd think the hospital would have willingly agreed. After all, none of their conventional treatment methods had worked. The entire intensive care unit staff declared he was beyond hope.
Yet one medical expert after another, throughout this nine week ordeal, refused to administer intravenous vitamin C!
Why?
They simply "didn't think it would work," and dismissed it.
The family ended up enlisting a top legal expert to fight for their right to have vitamin C administered. This case illustrates just how difficult it may be to get a conventional hospital to concede to measures that fall outside the scope of conventional medical practice – even when the suggested treatment is FAR safer than any drug alternative.
And in this case, they had absolutely NOTHING to lose by taking a wild chance... They had already given up and claimed he was as good as dead! And yet they resisted every step of the way.
Fortunately, this man's family was both resourceful and insistent.
Another recent example illustrating the necessity to think for yourself and not allow yourself to be railroaded by narrow-minded doctors is this one, where CNN Health writer Elizabeth Cohen discusses the positive outcome her mother experienced once she decided to buck the system by being a "bad" patient.
How a Humble Vitamin Brought Allan Back from the Brink of Certain Death
The story of Allan's recovery has become known as "one of the most remarkable and controversial turnarounds in New Zealand medical history." And for good reason.
It's not every day someone walks away from the brink of certain death.
What makes this story even more remarkable, is the fact that once admitted to the hospital with swine flu, Allan was also diagnosed with leukemia, which dramatically worsened his chances of recovery.
Vitamin C expert Dr. Thomas Levy initially sent me Allan Smith's case report over a year ago, and I'm thankful for his contributions to this follow-up article as well.
Dr. Levy is the author of several books, including Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins, and Stop America's #1 Killer, a book about vitamin deficiency and heart disease. He's also written extensively on topics such as dental toxicity issues from mercury amalgams and root canals, vaccine safety, and the clinical uses of vitamin C for infectious diseases.
Dr. Levy went to New Zealand in the middle of the furor following the 60-Minutes program about Allan's case and gave a PowerPoint presentation, "Vitamin C: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Law." This presentation is available on the home page of his website www.peakenergy.com, along with more information about vitamin C use.
The Smith family had contacted him for advice, and he'd referred them to John Appleton in New Zealand. Appleton provided a lot of information on vitamin C and referred the family to CAM (Centre for Advanced Medicine), www.camltd.co.nz in Auckland.
According to Dr. Levy, adequately dosed vitamin C, to his knowledge, has never failed to cure an acute viral syndrome, and Allan's case couldn't be a better demonstration of the curative power of vitamin C.
Not only did the vitamin C cure Allan's swine flu infection, but after spending nine weeks in an induced coma, he walked out of physical rehab after 13 days as opposed to the predicted three months.
Even more astounding, today, just over a year later, he also has no further signs of leukemia...
The Allan Smith New Zealand Vitamin C Organization is now dedicated to supporting patients' rights to receive high dose vitamin C in hospitals, if they request it. The website, vitaminCcancure.org, also includes the original TV3 60-Minute program about Allan's story.
Dosage Guidelines
According to Dr. Levy's case report, the vitamin C doses administered to achieve this astonishing turn-around were:
25 grams were given intravenously on the first day
Followed by two 25 gram infusions the next day. At this point, the chest x-ray suddenly showed air pockets in Allan's lungs -- a dramatic improvement!
On the third day, Allan received 75 grams intravenously
Followed by 100 grams IV daily for another 4 to 6 days
To the Smith family's shock, a new hospital consultant decided to discontinue the vitamin C treatment at this point, which led to further battles with the hospital administration.
One week later, the intravenous vitamin C (IVC) was restarted, but only at one measly gram, twice daily. Still, despite this tiny dose, his recovery slowly continued. Once Allan regained consciousness, he started taking 6 grams of oral Lypospheric vitamin C a day, at which point he began to rapidly improve.
The family firmly believes that had the hospital continued administering IVC at the recommended high dosage, Allan's recovery may have been far more swift.
Vitamin C and Infectious Disease
Dr. Levy is a great resource and has written about the mechanics of vitamin C and how it works to treat infectious diseases such as the flu. You can find one such article here.
According to Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, "health" occurs when there is an ample flow and interchange of electrons in your cells. Impaired or poor electron flow and interchange equals "disease," and when the flow and interchange ceases entirely, your cells die.
Oxidation, caused by free radicals in your body, involves the loss of electrons.
Antioxidants counter the disease process caused by oxidation (loss of electrons) by supplying electrons.
Vitamin C is a major antioxidant, and according to Dr. Levy, perhaps the most important "electron donor" to maintain optimal electron flow in your cells.
Using vitamin C to combat infectious diseases is not new.
In 2005, the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource), published findings that vitamin C beats bird flu and other viruses, stating that:
"High dose vitamin C is a remarkably safe and effective treatment for viral infections. In high doses, vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, helps kill viruses, and strengthens your body's immune system.
Taking supplemental vitamin C routinely helps prevent viral infections."
For severe types of influenza, such as bird flu, they recommend the following dosages:
"Severe cases may require 200,000 to 300,000 milligrams of vitamin C or more, given intravenously (IV) by a physician.
This very high dosing may be needed since the Avian Flu appears to consume vitamin C very rapidly, similar to an acute viral hemorrhagic fever, somewhat like an Ebola infection."
They even state that vitamin C, at saturation, can replace antiviral drugs.
Here are three other sources discussing the remarkable benefits of vitamin C for infectious diseases such as the flu:
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1999 found that vitamin C in megadoses administered before or after the appearance of cold and flu symptoms relieved and prevented the symptoms in the test population compared with the control group.
The Clinical Experiences of Frederick R. Klenner, MD states that cases of influenza, encephalitis, and measles were easily cured with vitamin C injections and oral doses.
Orthomed.com – Dr. Robert Cathcart, MD, also offers personal case studies where intravenous administration of vitamin C turned out to be lifesaving in cases of acute flu complications.
"It is not really a matter of medicine; it is a matter of chemistry. Doses of ascorbate which are massive enough to force a reducing redox potential into tissues affected by the disease will always neutralize the free radicals," he says.
A Word of Caution about Vitamin C Supplements
It's important to remember that every nutrient you ingest raises or lowers up to nine other nutrients in your body.
Every nutrient needs certain synergistic nutrients, and if you are already low in those synergistic nutrients, taking more of one thing will only further deplete the existing deficient levels, worsening any problems relating to that nutrient's metabolism.
For example, taking large doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) on a regular basis lowers your level of copper, so if you are already deficient in copper and take high doses of vitamin C, you can compromise your immune system.
So, whereas temporarily taking megadoses of vitamin C supplements to combat a case of the cold or flu is likely not going to cause a problem, for long-term, daily use, your best bet is to eat a diet high in organic vegetables and fruits that are minimally processed.
Not only will you get vitamin C, but you will get all the other accessory nutrients and micronutrients that are needed to optimize it.
Yet Another Potent Alternative to Dangerous and Poorly Tested Flu Vaccines
Fortunately, Allan's case of swine flu was unusual. As you probably know by now, the swine flu epidemic actually turned out to be far milder than previous flu seasons...
Meanwhile, the pandemic influenza vaccine has turned out to be highly reactive – more reactive than previous influenza vaccines. In addition, we also know that the most commonly used flu drug Tamiflu comes with a laundry list of potential dangers, from blackouts to brain infections, to neuropsychiatric events, and death. (Allan also received Tamiflu, which had no effect whatsoever against the raging infection...)
I mention all of this because since Allan's swine flu infection was extremely severe, it has the potential to frighten some people into wanting to take any measure available to avoid a similar fate.
But it's important to realize that your chances of avoiding such an infection by taking the flu vaccine was, and still is, slim to none.
That said, isn't it comforting then to know there are at least two viable alternatives to conventional flu treatments?!
The other alternative, in addition to vitamin C discussed above, is vitamin D, which I have already mentioned in previous articles.
Although the studies proving vitamin D's protective powers against the flu do not include the swine flu virus specifically (it's too new to have been included), there are compelling reasons to believe it can offer protection against swine flu (H1N1) as well.
Canada has since vowed to investigate vitamin D's protective potential against the H1N1 virus specifically, but as you probably know, flu viruses mutate each year, yet people with sufficient vitamin D levels appear more or less immune to the seasonal flu regardless of which strain is currently in circulation.
There is so much compelling evidence, I believe maintaining optimal vitamin D levels year-round is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, including severe influenza strains.
One of these compelling pieces of evidence is the research indicating that vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonal flu -- not the flu virus itself.
That's a radically new line of thinking, and it makes all the sense in the world.
Got Flu-Like Symptoms? Try This Crash Treatment...
If you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not been taking vitamin D on a regular basis, you can take 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection.
Some researchers like Dr. Cannell believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.
That said, there's still the possibility that vitamin D won't work, even in these mega-doses, if you've never been exposed to the antigens before.
Ultimately, your best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D between 50-70 ng/ml year-round. For more in-depth information about test values, recommended labs, and the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, please review this previous article.
To find out even more important information about vitamin D, I strongly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D's role in flu prevention.
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 29 2010 |
When a King Country dairy farmer came down with a serious case of swine flu, intensive care specialists said there was no hope. They were set to pull him off of life support, but his family refused to give up.
The family demanded that the doctors try high doses of Vitamin C. The hospital told them it wouldn't work, but the family insisted. They had to hire a lawyer to get their way -- but their actions saved the man's life.
Click the link below to see a news report of this amazing story:
News3 August 18, 2010
Sources:
News3 August 18, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The 18-minute long New Zealand News3 video report shows the compelling story of Allan Smith, a man conventional doctors claimed "could not survive," after contracting a severe case of swine flu in June of last year.
But they were wrong.
Allan's family refused to accept the hospital's hopeless prognosis and the subsequent decision to turn off his life support. Instead, his family insisted the hospital try high dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C.
You'd think the hospital would have willingly agreed. After all, none of their conventional treatment methods had worked. The entire intensive care unit staff declared he was beyond hope.
Yet one medical expert after another, throughout this nine week ordeal, refused to administer intravenous vitamin C!
Why?
They simply "didn't think it would work," and dismissed it.
The family ended up enlisting a top legal expert to fight for their right to have vitamin C administered. This case illustrates just how difficult it may be to get a conventional hospital to concede to measures that fall outside the scope of conventional medical practice – even when the suggested treatment is FAR safer than any drug alternative.
And in this case, they had absolutely NOTHING to lose by taking a wild chance... They had already given up and claimed he was as good as dead! And yet they resisted every step of the way.
Fortunately, this man's family was both resourceful and insistent.
Another recent example illustrating the necessity to think for yourself and not allow yourself to be railroaded by narrow-minded doctors is this one, where CNN Health writer Elizabeth Cohen discusses the positive outcome her mother experienced once she decided to buck the system by being a "bad" patient.
How a Humble Vitamin Brought Allan Back from the Brink of Certain Death
The story of Allan's recovery has become known as "one of the most remarkable and controversial turnarounds in New Zealand medical history." And for good reason.
It's not every day someone walks away from the brink of certain death.
What makes this story even more remarkable, is the fact that once admitted to the hospital with swine flu, Allan was also diagnosed with leukemia, which dramatically worsened his chances of recovery.
Vitamin C expert Dr. Thomas Levy initially sent me Allan Smith's case report over a year ago, and I'm thankful for his contributions to this follow-up article as well.
Dr. Levy is the author of several books, including Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins, and Stop America's #1 Killer, a book about vitamin deficiency and heart disease. He's also written extensively on topics such as dental toxicity issues from mercury amalgams and root canals, vaccine safety, and the clinical uses of vitamin C for infectious diseases.
Dr. Levy went to New Zealand in the middle of the furor following the 60-Minutes program about Allan's case and gave a PowerPoint presentation, "Vitamin C: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Law." This presentation is available on the home page of his website www.peakenergy.com, along with more information about vitamin C use.
The Smith family had contacted him for advice, and he'd referred them to John Appleton in New Zealand. Appleton provided a lot of information on vitamin C and referred the family to CAM (Centre for Advanced Medicine), www.camltd.co.nz in Auckland.
According to Dr. Levy, adequately dosed vitamin C, to his knowledge, has never failed to cure an acute viral syndrome, and Allan's case couldn't be a better demonstration of the curative power of vitamin C.
Not only did the vitamin C cure Allan's swine flu infection, but after spending nine weeks in an induced coma, he walked out of physical rehab after 13 days as opposed to the predicted three months.
Even more astounding, today, just over a year later, he also has no further signs of leukemia...
The Allan Smith New Zealand Vitamin C Organization is now dedicated to supporting patients' rights to receive high dose vitamin C in hospitals, if they request it. The website, vitaminCcancure.org, also includes the original TV3 60-Minute program about Allan's story.
Dosage Guidelines
According to Dr. Levy's case report, the vitamin C doses administered to achieve this astonishing turn-around were:
25 grams were given intravenously on the first day
Followed by two 25 gram infusions the next day. At this point, the chest x-ray suddenly showed air pockets in Allan's lungs -- a dramatic improvement!
On the third day, Allan received 75 grams intravenously
Followed by 100 grams IV daily for another 4 to 6 days
To the Smith family's shock, a new hospital consultant decided to discontinue the vitamin C treatment at this point, which led to further battles with the hospital administration.
One week later, the intravenous vitamin C (IVC) was restarted, but only at one measly gram, twice daily. Still, despite this tiny dose, his recovery slowly continued. Once Allan regained consciousness, he started taking 6 grams of oral Lypospheric vitamin C a day, at which point he began to rapidly improve.
The family firmly believes that had the hospital continued administering IVC at the recommended high dosage, Allan's recovery may have been far more swift.
Vitamin C and Infectious Disease
Dr. Levy is a great resource and has written about the mechanics of vitamin C and how it works to treat infectious diseases such as the flu. You can find one such article here.
According to Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, "health" occurs when there is an ample flow and interchange of electrons in your cells. Impaired or poor electron flow and interchange equals "disease," and when the flow and interchange ceases entirely, your cells die.
Oxidation, caused by free radicals in your body, involves the loss of electrons.
Antioxidants counter the disease process caused by oxidation (loss of electrons) by supplying electrons.
Vitamin C is a major antioxidant, and according to Dr. Levy, perhaps the most important "electron donor" to maintain optimal electron flow in your cells.
Using vitamin C to combat infectious diseases is not new.
In 2005, the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource), published findings that vitamin C beats bird flu and other viruses, stating that:
"High dose vitamin C is a remarkably safe and effective treatment for viral infections. In high doses, vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, helps kill viruses, and strengthens your body's immune system.
Taking supplemental vitamin C routinely helps prevent viral infections."
For severe types of influenza, such as bird flu, they recommend the following dosages:
"Severe cases may require 200,000 to 300,000 milligrams of vitamin C or more, given intravenously (IV) by a physician.
This very high dosing may be needed since the Avian Flu appears to consume vitamin C very rapidly, similar to an acute viral hemorrhagic fever, somewhat like an Ebola infection."
They even state that vitamin C, at saturation, can replace antiviral drugs.
Here are three other sources discussing the remarkable benefits of vitamin C for infectious diseases such as the flu:
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1999 found that vitamin C in megadoses administered before or after the appearance of cold and flu symptoms relieved and prevented the symptoms in the test population compared with the control group.
The Clinical Experiences of Frederick R. Klenner, MD states that cases of influenza, encephalitis, and measles were easily cured with vitamin C injections and oral doses.
Orthomed.com – Dr. Robert Cathcart, MD, also offers personal case studies where intravenous administration of vitamin C turned out to be lifesaving in cases of acute flu complications.
"It is not really a matter of medicine; it is a matter of chemistry. Doses of ascorbate which are massive enough to force a reducing redox potential into tissues affected by the disease will always neutralize the free radicals," he says.
A Word of Caution about Vitamin C Supplements
It's important to remember that every nutrient you ingest raises or lowers up to nine other nutrients in your body.
Every nutrient needs certain synergistic nutrients, and if you are already low in those synergistic nutrients, taking more of one thing will only further deplete the existing deficient levels, worsening any problems relating to that nutrient's metabolism.
For example, taking large doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) on a regular basis lowers your level of copper, so if you are already deficient in copper and take high doses of vitamin C, you can compromise your immune system.
So, whereas temporarily taking megadoses of vitamin C supplements to combat a case of the cold or flu is likely not going to cause a problem, for long-term, daily use, your best bet is to eat a diet high in organic vegetables and fruits that are minimally processed.
Not only will you get vitamin C, but you will get all the other accessory nutrients and micronutrients that are needed to optimize it.
Yet Another Potent Alternative to Dangerous and Poorly Tested Flu Vaccines
Fortunately, Allan's case of swine flu was unusual. As you probably know by now, the swine flu epidemic actually turned out to be far milder than previous flu seasons...
Meanwhile, the pandemic influenza vaccine has turned out to be highly reactive – more reactive than previous influenza vaccines. In addition, we also know that the most commonly used flu drug Tamiflu comes with a laundry list of potential dangers, from blackouts to brain infections, to neuropsychiatric events, and death. (Allan also received Tamiflu, which had no effect whatsoever against the raging infection...)
I mention all of this because since Allan's swine flu infection was extremely severe, it has the potential to frighten some people into wanting to take any measure available to avoid a similar fate.
But it's important to realize that your chances of avoiding such an infection by taking the flu vaccine was, and still is, slim to none.
That said, isn't it comforting then to know there are at least two viable alternatives to conventional flu treatments?!
The other alternative, in addition to vitamin C discussed above, is vitamin D, which I have already mentioned in previous articles.
Although the studies proving vitamin D's protective powers against the flu do not include the swine flu virus specifically (it's too new to have been included), there are compelling reasons to believe it can offer protection against swine flu (H1N1) as well.
Canada has since vowed to investigate vitamin D's protective potential against the H1N1 virus specifically, but as you probably know, flu viruses mutate each year, yet people with sufficient vitamin D levels appear more or less immune to the seasonal flu regardless of which strain is currently in circulation.
There is so much compelling evidence, I believe maintaining optimal vitamin D levels year-round is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, including severe influenza strains.
One of these compelling pieces of evidence is the research indicating that vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonal flu -- not the flu virus itself.
That's a radically new line of thinking, and it makes all the sense in the world.
Got Flu-Like Symptoms? Try This Crash Treatment...
If you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not been taking vitamin D on a regular basis, you can take 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection.
Some researchers like Dr. Cannell believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.
That said, there's still the possibility that vitamin D won't work, even in these mega-doses, if you've never been exposed to the antigens before.
Ultimately, your best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D between 50-70 ng/ml year-round. For more in-depth information about test values, recommended labs, and the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, please review this previous article.
To find out even more important information about vitamin D, I strongly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D's role in flu prevention.
Beta carotene may treat eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa
Friday, October 29, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a name for a large group of inherited vision disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the light sensitive membrane that coats the inside of the eye -- the retina. For most people with RP, night blindness is the first symptom of the problem. Then side vision goes, resulting in tunnel vision and, eventually, central vision deteriorates. Complete blindness, though uncommon, can occur.
Retinitis pigmentosa has long been declared an "incurable" disease by mainstream medicine, although several studies over the past two decades have shown that vitamin A may slow down RP's progression. However, many doctors balk at prescribing high dose vitamin A because they fear it will result in liver problems.
But a report just presented at the recent Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting held in Chicago has provided new hope for RP sufferers. Researchers have found that the nutrient beta carotene (found abundantly in yellow and orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes), which does not carry the liver risks associated with high doses of vitamin A, can improve vision in some people with supposedly incurable RP.
Last year, Dr.Ygal Rotenstreich of the Sheba Medical Center's Goldschleger Eye Research Institute in Tel Hashomer, Israel, published a study in the British Journal of Opthalmology showing that a specific form of the nutrient beta carotene, dubbed 9-cis, was effective in treating people with the eye disease retinal dystrophy which causes night blindness. Because RP usually usually begins in childhood with the first signs of night blindness, Dr. Rotenstreich and his research team decided to see if 9-cis could be helpful in retinitis pigmentosa, too. And it was.
In their recent study, one third of the 29 participating RP patients showed marked improvement in visual function while taking the prescribed oral dose of the beta carotene for only 90 days. It will take more research to find out if longer treatment would provide even more effective therapy for RP.
"We recommend repeating the study with patients with the genetic forms of RP that would be most likely to respond to oral beta carotene," Dr. Rotenstreich said in a press statement. "We know its positive effect is associated with retinoid cycle defect, which is involved in some but not all forms of RP. Also, future research should look for the optimal beta carotene dosage."
For more information:
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/20...
http://www.naturalnews.com/beta-car...
(NaturalNews) Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a name for a large group of inherited vision disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the light sensitive membrane that coats the inside of the eye -- the retina. For most people with RP, night blindness is the first symptom of the problem. Then side vision goes, resulting in tunnel vision and, eventually, central vision deteriorates. Complete blindness, though uncommon, can occur.
Retinitis pigmentosa has long been declared an "incurable" disease by mainstream medicine, although several studies over the past two decades have shown that vitamin A may slow down RP's progression. However, many doctors balk at prescribing high dose vitamin A because they fear it will result in liver problems.
But a report just presented at the recent Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting held in Chicago has provided new hope for RP sufferers. Researchers have found that the nutrient beta carotene (found abundantly in yellow and orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes), which does not carry the liver risks associated with high doses of vitamin A, can improve vision in some people with supposedly incurable RP.
Last year, Dr.Ygal Rotenstreich of the Sheba Medical Center's Goldschleger Eye Research Institute in Tel Hashomer, Israel, published a study in the British Journal of Opthalmology showing that a specific form of the nutrient beta carotene, dubbed 9-cis, was effective in treating people with the eye disease retinal dystrophy which causes night blindness. Because RP usually usually begins in childhood with the first signs of night blindness, Dr. Rotenstreich and his research team decided to see if 9-cis could be helpful in retinitis pigmentosa, too. And it was.
In their recent study, one third of the 29 participating RP patients showed marked improvement in visual function while taking the prescribed oral dose of the beta carotene for only 90 days. It will take more research to find out if longer treatment would provide even more effective therapy for RP.
"We recommend repeating the study with patients with the genetic forms of RP that would be most likely to respond to oral beta carotene," Dr. Rotenstreich said in a press statement. "We know its positive effect is associated with retinoid cycle defect, which is involved in some but not all forms of RP. Also, future research should look for the optimal beta carotene dosage."
For more information:
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/20...
http://www.naturalnews.com/beta-car...
MOTHER'S DIET raises risk of BIRTH DEFECTS
Friday, October 29, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Women who eat a high fat diet may increase their unborn children's risk of birth defects, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics at Oxford University.
"We know that poor diet and defective genes can both affect development, but here we have seen the two combine to cause a much greater risk of developing health problems and more severe problems," lead researcher Jamie Bentham said. "We are excited by this as it suggests that congenital heart defects may be preventable by measures such as altering maternal diet."
Researchers have known for some time that the absence of a gene known as Cited2 can lead to heart defects in humans and mice, including a severe condition in which the heart's normal asymmetry is malformed (atrial isomerism). Other studies have linked congenital heart defects to an overweight mother or a mother suffering from diabetes.
In the current study, researchers sought to determine whether there might be some connection between these disparate risk factors.
The scientists fed either a normal or high-fat diet before and during pregnancy to both normal mice and mice who were deficient in Cited2. The fetal mice were then monitored via magnetic resonance imaging throughout gestation.
The risk of atrial isomerism increased more than 100 percent in the deficient mice in the high-fat group, compared with deficient mice in the normal diet group. The risk of cleft palate increased more than 600 percent. In contrast, a high-fat diet had no effect on the risk of these conditions in genetically normal mice.
"These are very important findings as we have been able to show for the first time that gene-environment interactions can affect development of the embryo in the womb," Bentham said.
According to Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation, which partially funded the study, the findings provide yet another reason for pregnant women to eat a healthy diet.
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS....
(NaturalNews) Women who eat a high fat diet may increase their unborn children's risk of birth defects, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics at Oxford University.
"We know that poor diet and defective genes can both affect development, but here we have seen the two combine to cause a much greater risk of developing health problems and more severe problems," lead researcher Jamie Bentham said. "We are excited by this as it suggests that congenital heart defects may be preventable by measures such as altering maternal diet."
Researchers have known for some time that the absence of a gene known as Cited2 can lead to heart defects in humans and mice, including a severe condition in which the heart's normal asymmetry is malformed (atrial isomerism). Other studies have linked congenital heart defects to an overweight mother or a mother suffering from diabetes.
In the current study, researchers sought to determine whether there might be some connection between these disparate risk factors.
The scientists fed either a normal or high-fat diet before and during pregnancy to both normal mice and mice who were deficient in Cited2. The fetal mice were then monitored via magnetic resonance imaging throughout gestation.
The risk of atrial isomerism increased more than 100 percent in the deficient mice in the high-fat group, compared with deficient mice in the normal diet group. The risk of cleft palate increased more than 600 percent. In contrast, a high-fat diet had no effect on the risk of these conditions in genetically normal mice.
"These are very important findings as we have been able to show for the first time that gene-environment interactions can affect development of the embryo in the womb," Bentham said.
According to Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation, which partially funded the study, the findings provide yet another reason for pregnant women to eat a healthy diet.
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS....
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Amazing Benefits of Coconut Oil
This Cooking Oil is a Powerful Virus-Destroyer and Antibiotic…
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 22 2010 |
You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.
Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?[1]
Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.
But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.
The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.
Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.
The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.
These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.
And guess what?
These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!
But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.
Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.
If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.
Right?
Nothing could be further from the truth!
The Truth about Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.
Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.
Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.
In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!
That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.
It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:
Promoting your heart health[3]
Promoting weight loss, when needed[4]
Supporting your immune system health[5]
Supporting a healthy metabolism[6]
Providing you with an immediate energy source[7]
Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland[8]
But how is this possible?
Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?
The answer is a resounding "yes".
Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient
50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.
Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.[9]
Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:
HIV, herpes
Measles
Influenza virus
Various pathogenic bacteria
Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!
Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.
This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.
The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.
Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.
By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil[10] :
LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.
In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.
But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.
Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!
Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.[11]
Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters
If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.
And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.
One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.
Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.
It didn't work!
Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.
However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.
In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.[12]
Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.
Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.
Coconut Oil on Your Skin
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.
However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.
Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.
In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.
Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.
Coconut Oil and Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.
And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]
Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.
Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen
I only use two oils in my food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.
However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.
And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.
I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.
Why?
Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils thantrans-fat.
Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.
Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.
Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.
They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.
There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.
So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.
Coconut Oil Safety
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.[15]
Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.
References:
[1] Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171.
Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[2] Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[3] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century, part 2.
[4] Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity, Lipids, 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13.
[5] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
[6] Baba, N 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379.
[7] Bruce Fife, ND. Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides.
[8] Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com.
An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease,
[9] Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.
Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenaka and Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.
Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
Hristov AN, Vander Pol M, Agle M, Zaman S, Schneider C, Ndegwa P, Vaddella VK, Johnson K, Shingfield KJ, Karnati SK. Effect of lauric acid and coconut oil on ruminal fermentation, digestion, ammonia losses from manure, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows, J Dairy Sci., 2009 Nov;92(11):5561-82.
[10] St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.
[11] Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595.
[12] Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531.
[13] Raymond Peat Newsletter - Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic, 1996 edition, p.2-4. Daneil R. Doerge, Hebron C Chang "Inactivation of thyroid peroxidase by soy isoflavones in vitro and in vivo", Journal of Chromotography B, September 2002; 777(1,2);25:269-79. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/26/coconut-oil-part-eight.aspx
Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats, Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3.
Marina AM, Man YB, Nazimah SA, Amin I. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil, Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2009;60 Suppl 2:114-23. Epub 2008 Dec 27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19115123
[14] Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2.
Robert H Knopp and Barbara M Retzlaff, Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 5, 1102-1103, November 2004.
Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM. Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr, 2004;80:1175-84.
[15] K. G. Nevin and T. Rajamohan, "Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation", Clinical Biochemistry, September 2004; 37(9): 830-835.
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 22 2010 |
You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.
Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?[1]
Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.
But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.
The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.
Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.
The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.
These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.
And guess what?
These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!
But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.
Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.
If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.
Right?
Nothing could be further from the truth!
The Truth about Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.
Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.
Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.
In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!
That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.
It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:
Promoting your heart health[3]
Promoting weight loss, when needed[4]
Supporting your immune system health[5]
Supporting a healthy metabolism[6]
Providing you with an immediate energy source[7]
Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland[8]
But how is this possible?
Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?
The answer is a resounding "yes".
Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient
50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.
Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.[9]
Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:
HIV, herpes
Measles
Influenza virus
Various pathogenic bacteria
Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!
Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.
This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.
The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.
Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.
By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.
Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil[10] :
LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.
In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.
But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.
Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!
Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.[11]
Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters
If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.
And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.
One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.
Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.
It didn't work!
Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.
However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.
In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.[12]
Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.
Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.
Coconut Oil on Your Skin
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.
However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.
Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.
In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.
Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.
Coconut Oil and Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.
And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]
Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.
Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen
I only use two oils in my food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.
However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.
And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.
I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.
Why?
Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils thantrans-fat.
Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.
Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.
Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.
They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.
There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.
So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.
Coconut Oil Safety
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.[15]
Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.
References:
[1] Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171.
Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[2] Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[3] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century, part 2.
[4] Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity, Lipids, 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13.
[5] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
[6] Baba, N 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379.
[7] Bruce Fife, ND. Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides.
[8] Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com.
An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease,
[9] Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.
Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenaka and Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.
Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
Hristov AN, Vander Pol M, Agle M, Zaman S, Schneider C, Ndegwa P, Vaddella VK, Johnson K, Shingfield KJ, Karnati SK. Effect of lauric acid and coconut oil on ruminal fermentation, digestion, ammonia losses from manure, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows, J Dairy Sci., 2009 Nov;92(11):5561-82.
[10] St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.
[11] Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595.
[12] Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531.
[13] Raymond Peat Newsletter - Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic, 1996 edition, p.2-4. Daneil R. Doerge, Hebron C Chang "Inactivation of thyroid peroxidase by soy isoflavones in vitro and in vivo", Journal of Chromotography B, September 2002; 777(1,2);25:269-79. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/26/coconut-oil-part-eight.aspx
Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats, Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3.
Marina AM, Man YB, Nazimah SA, Amin I. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil, Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2009;60 Suppl 2:114-23. Epub 2008 Dec 27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19115123
[14] Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2.
Robert H Knopp and Barbara M Retzlaff, Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 5, 1102-1103, November 2004.
Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM. Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr, 2004;80:1175-84.
[15] K. G. Nevin and T. Rajamohan, "Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation", Clinical Biochemistry, September 2004; 37(9): 830-835.
How I cured diabetes in five steps, and why one-third of U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050
How I cured diabetes in five steps, and why one-third of U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050
Saturday, October 23, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) First it was Fast Food Nation. Now it's Diabetic Nation. That's because fast food leads to diabetes, and America is now drowning in both. A new report by the CDC says that by 2050, one-third of American adults will be diabetic.
It's a windfall of profits for the drug companies, diabetic supply companies and the sick care industry in general. Perhaps that's why no one is taking any real action to halt the anticipated explosion in diabetes. The more people who get sick, after all, the more money will be spent on medical treatment. (It's good for the economy, they say!)
But solutions to diabetes exist right now. I've personally interviewed patients who were cured of type-2 diabetes in as little as four days at Dr Gabriel Cousens' Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center near Tucson, Arizona (www.TreeOfLife.nu). My own book entitled How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days has helped thousands of people prevent and even reverse diabetes in under a month. (http://www.truthpublishing.com/halt...)
As NaturalNews readers know, I used to be borderline diabetic myself, and I suffered from hypoglycemia and borderline obesity at the same time. But I was able to cure my own pre-diabetes condition by doing essentially two things: 1) Ignoring all doctors and conventional medicinal information, and 2) Teaching myself the principles of nutrition (through lots of reading).
Today, about a decade later, I remain fit, healthy and athletic. At age 41, I lift weights, swim, bicycle and exercise on a regular basis while carefully choosing foods that will prevent diabetes for a lifetime.
Here are my top five secrets for preventing (and even reversing) diabetes...
My top secrets for preventing and reversing diabetes
Secret #1) Stop eating all refined sugars. This means giving up all foods made with HFCS (especially soda) or other refined sugars. If you find this step difficult, wean yourself off these foods day by day. It took me six months to finally end my sugar addiction for good.
Secret #2) Ingest large quantities of daily superfoods. I consume at least two daily superfood smoothies made with spirulina, stabilized rice bran and high-density superfood powders such as Boku Superfood (www.BokuSuperfood.com) and Living Fuel (www.LivingFuel.com). I blend them with frozen organic fruit, coconut oil and almond milk. On top of that, I take daily chlorella, astaxanthin and various Chinese medicine herbs from www.DragonHerbs.com and other high quality nutritional suppliers.
Secret #3) Exercise a little bit every day. I exercise over 12 hours a week, but that's more than you really need to prevent diabetes. Even just walking 30 minutes a day can have a huge impact on preventing diabetes. The key is to make it a daily activity.
Secret #4) Get sunshine or vitamin D. More than 70% of white Americans are vitamin D deficient. That number rises to 97% among African Americans (http://www.naturalnews.com/026657_V...). Latinos and Asians are at around 80% deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency promotes diabetes (and cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, immune suppression, and so on).
So if you really want to prevent diabetes, boost your vitamin D levels with either daily sunshine or quality vitamin D3 supplements. Vitamin D deficiency explains why diabetes is so rampant among African Americans, by the way. Did you notice that doctors don't explain any of this to African American patients? It's the dirty little racist secret of both the diabetes and cancer industries...
Secret #5) Avoid all processed foods. Avoid eating refined anything. That includes white breads, processed meat (which strongly promotes diabetes) and dairy products. Switch from cow's milk to almond milk (Blue Diamond brand is good, but I suggest you avoid the Silk brand). Reduce or eliminate cheese from your diet. If you eat meat, eat only fresh unprocessed meat, never eat processed packaged meat because it contains sodium nitrite, a chemical that destroys pancreas function. This means no pepperoni pizza, no ham and potato soup, no deli meat sandwiches and so on.
To the extent that you can do these five things, you can reverse diabetes yourself! Diabetes is not a difficult disease to prevent or reverse because it's not really an affliction that "strikes" you randomly. It is merely the biological effect of following certain lifestyle (bad foods, no exercise) that can be reversed in virtually anyone, sometimes in just a few days.
I've even interviewed a type-1 diabetic who got completely off insulin by following a raw foods diet with daily vegetable juicing. Yes, type one! Read about my interview with Dr Cousens here: http://www.naturalnews.com/028341_d...
(This interview will rock your world if you don't yet know that diabetes is easily curable!)
Scientific research shows, by the way, that the insulin-producing "islet cells" in the pancreas can be jump-started back to life with hot peppers (http://www.naturalnews.com/021345.html).
Diabetes is nearly 100% preventable. You won't hear this from mainstream medicine -- which ridiculously claims there is no cure for diabetes -- because treating diabetics is just too darned profitable. Big Pharma is drooling over the profit potential of seeing one-third of Americans becoming diabetic by 2050. It will mean hundred of billions of dollars in annual profits.
But people are curing diabetes every day. It's simple and straightforward, and when you cure diabetes, you greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and cancer at the same time. The thing is, no one will cure your diabetes for you. Sure, the drug companies want to "treat" you with diabetes drugs, but you have to keep taking those for a lifetime. They don't cure anything. The only real cure can come from YOU -- by changing what you eat and increasing your exercise.
Drew Carey did it. I did it. Countless others have done it. You can do it, too. Read more about diabetes here on NaturalNews at: http://www.naturalnews.com/diabetes...
And I urge you to get started today! Just 30 days from now, you could be off insulin, off diabetes drugs and back on track with a healthy life.
Editor's note: Please work with a qualified naturopathic physician before engaging in any medication, dietary or exercise changes. They can help guide you toward the best results in a safe, effective way.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) First it was Fast Food Nation. Now it's Diabetic Nation. That's because fast food leads to diabetes, and America is now drowning in both. A new report by the CDC says that by 2050, one-third of American adults will be diabetic.
It's a windfall of profits for the drug companies, diabetic supply companies and the sick care industry in general. Perhaps that's why no one is taking any real action to halt the anticipated explosion in diabetes. The more people who get sick, after all, the more money will be spent on medical treatment. (It's good for the economy, they say!)
But solutions to diabetes exist right now. I've personally interviewed patients who were cured of type-2 diabetes in as little as four days at Dr Gabriel Cousens' Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center near Tucson, Arizona (www.TreeOfLife.nu). My own book entitled How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days has helped thousands of people prevent and even reverse diabetes in under a month. (http://www.truthpublishing.com/halt...)
As NaturalNews readers know, I used to be borderline diabetic myself, and I suffered from hypoglycemia and borderline obesity at the same time. But I was able to cure my own pre-diabetes condition by doing essentially two things: 1) Ignoring all doctors and conventional medicinal information, and 2) Teaching myself the principles of nutrition (through lots of reading).
Today, about a decade later, I remain fit, healthy and athletic. At age 41, I lift weights, swim, bicycle and exercise on a regular basis while carefully choosing foods that will prevent diabetes for a lifetime.
Here are my top five secrets for preventing (and even reversing) diabetes...
My top secrets for preventing and reversing diabetes
Secret #1) Stop eating all refined sugars. This means giving up all foods made with HFCS (especially soda) or other refined sugars. If you find this step difficult, wean yourself off these foods day by day. It took me six months to finally end my sugar addiction for good.
Secret #2) Ingest large quantities of daily superfoods. I consume at least two daily superfood smoothies made with spirulina, stabilized rice bran and high-density superfood powders such as Boku Superfood (www.BokuSuperfood.com) and Living Fuel (www.LivingFuel.com). I blend them with frozen organic fruit, coconut oil and almond milk. On top of that, I take daily chlorella, astaxanthin and various Chinese medicine herbs from www.DragonHerbs.com and other high quality nutritional suppliers.
Secret #3) Exercise a little bit every day. I exercise over 12 hours a week, but that's more than you really need to prevent diabetes. Even just walking 30 minutes a day can have a huge impact on preventing diabetes. The key is to make it a daily activity.
Secret #4) Get sunshine or vitamin D. More than 70% of white Americans are vitamin D deficient. That number rises to 97% among African Americans (http://www.naturalnews.com/026657_V...). Latinos and Asians are at around 80% deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency promotes diabetes (and cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, immune suppression, and so on).
So if you really want to prevent diabetes, boost your vitamin D levels with either daily sunshine or quality vitamin D3 supplements. Vitamin D deficiency explains why diabetes is so rampant among African Americans, by the way. Did you notice that doctors don't explain any of this to African American patients? It's the dirty little racist secret of both the diabetes and cancer industries...
Secret #5) Avoid all processed foods. Avoid eating refined anything. That includes white breads, processed meat (which strongly promotes diabetes) and dairy products. Switch from cow's milk to almond milk (Blue Diamond brand is good, but I suggest you avoid the Silk brand). Reduce or eliminate cheese from your diet. If you eat meat, eat only fresh unprocessed meat, never eat processed packaged meat because it contains sodium nitrite, a chemical that destroys pancreas function. This means no pepperoni pizza, no ham and potato soup, no deli meat sandwiches and so on.
To the extent that you can do these five things, you can reverse diabetes yourself! Diabetes is not a difficult disease to prevent or reverse because it's not really an affliction that "strikes" you randomly. It is merely the biological effect of following certain lifestyle (bad foods, no exercise) that can be reversed in virtually anyone, sometimes in just a few days.
I've even interviewed a type-1 diabetic who got completely off insulin by following a raw foods diet with daily vegetable juicing. Yes, type one! Read about my interview with Dr Cousens here: http://www.naturalnews.com/028341_d...
(This interview will rock your world if you don't yet know that diabetes is easily curable!)
Scientific research shows, by the way, that the insulin-producing "islet cells" in the pancreas can be jump-started back to life with hot peppers (http://www.naturalnews.com/021345.html).
Diabetes is nearly 100% preventable. You won't hear this from mainstream medicine -- which ridiculously claims there is no cure for diabetes -- because treating diabetics is just too darned profitable. Big Pharma is drooling over the profit potential of seeing one-third of Americans becoming diabetic by 2050. It will mean hundred of billions of dollars in annual profits.
But people are curing diabetes every day. It's simple and straightforward, and when you cure diabetes, you greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and cancer at the same time. The thing is, no one will cure your diabetes for you. Sure, the drug companies want to "treat" you with diabetes drugs, but you have to keep taking those for a lifetime. They don't cure anything. The only real cure can come from YOU -- by changing what you eat and increasing your exercise.
Drew Carey did it. I did it. Countless others have done it. You can do it, too. Read more about diabetes here on NaturalNews at: http://www.naturalnews.com/diabetes...
And I urge you to get started today! Just 30 days from now, you could be off insulin, off diabetes drugs and back on track with a healthy life.
Editor's note: Please work with a qualified naturopathic physician before engaging in any medication, dietary or exercise changes. They can help guide you toward the best results in a safe, effective way.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Shopping List - Household Cleaning / Laundry
Shopping List
Household Cleaning / Laundry
All Items are from Wal-Mart unless otherwise noted (cheapest prices):
House Cleaning:
· Baking Soda Plastic Sprinkler Can - $2? or Borax (for stronger scrubbing power) - $3.79
· Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Wand with scrubby pad - $6-7 for start-up kit
· Clorox Pen (the only chemical I use when absolutely necessary - for small mold stains only) - $3-4
· Method All-Purpose Wipes (for quick last-minute clean-up jobs) - $3 (Target)
· Aubrey Organics Earth Aware Household Cleanser – $5.08 (LuckyVitamin.com)
· NOW Foods Tea Tree Oil – 4 oz at 11.89 (or 1 oz. at $4.17) (LuckyVitamin.com)
· NOW Foods Lemon Oil – 4 oz at 6.59 (or 1 oz. at $2.99) (LuckyVitamin.com)
· Distilled White Vinegar Gallon - $1.75
· Swiffer Duster with Extendable Handle - $7-8
· Swiffer Vac - $25 (or similar item like Quick Shine)
· Vileda long-handled, flat-head swivel mop: comes w/ attachable micro-fiber cloths - $11
Laundry:
· Aubrey Organics Earth Aware Household Cleanser: washes 32 loads at $0.16 each - $5 (LuckyVitamin.com)
· OxiClean Free Versatile Stain Remover – Dye, perfume, chlorine free (for soaking tough or old stains) - $9
· OxiClean * Baby Stain Soaker - Dye, perfume, chlorine free (for soaking tough or old stains) - $9.99
· OxiClean * Stain Remover Spray (for pre-spotting) or Greenworks Stain Remover - $3
· Ecover Fabric Softener (to use in wrinkle-remover recipe) - $4.99 (Publix)
Dishwashing:
· Seventh Generation Powder Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Free and Clear powder - $4.99 (Publix)
· Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid - $2.49 (Target)
Note:
Please do not run out and buy all of these at once! Buy a little at a time as you start running out of your current items, unless you need them now for the home-made recipes. However, please get Bleach products out of your house immediately, and put them in the garage due to out-gassing poisons. Never use bleach inside the house again except for the one-time drastic cleaning I mention in the Home-Made Recipes document (re-caulk your shower if necessary for stubborn returning mold).
What you need to know about additives and preservatives
Great article and great photos! Click here:
http://www.asnatureintended.info/3/category/nutrition/1.html
http://www.asnatureintended.info/3/category/nutrition/1.html
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Another reason to avoid TABLETS and CAPSULES: TOXIC INGREDIENTS found even in natural supplements
from Dr. Theresa Dale of the Wellness Center, 8/4/10:
Coating on Tablets and Capsules
This is my second newsletter on the toxic ingredients that are present in the coating of tablets and capsules. I am only going to mention two coatings here but there are others that are also toxic. Actually, in my ongoing investigation, all coatings on tablets are toxic except for one. Lets take a look at two of them now that are used on supplements sold to health providers and health food stores.
Polyvinyl alcohol; a synthetic polymer prepared by the polymerization of vinyl acetate, followed by a controlled hydrolysis of acetate moieties.
Aquateric Aqueous Enteric Coating is a water-based, reconstituted dispersion of cellulose acetate phthalate latex which functions as an enteric film coating for pharmaceuticals and solid dietary supplements.
Need I say more? Do you want your patients eating vinyl or phthalates, which contains BisPhenol A? If you want to do more research just review my enews letters and our website about BisPhenol A and phthalates.
Coating on Tablets and Capsules
This is my second newsletter on the toxic ingredients that are present in the coating of tablets and capsules. I am only going to mention two coatings here but there are others that are also toxic. Actually, in my ongoing investigation, all coatings on tablets are toxic except for one. Lets take a look at two of them now that are used on supplements sold to health providers and health food stores.
Polyvinyl alcohol; a synthetic polymer prepared by the polymerization of vinyl acetate, followed by a controlled hydrolysis of acetate moieties.
Aquateric Aqueous Enteric Coating is a water-based, reconstituted dispersion of cellulose acetate phthalate latex which functions as an enteric film coating for pharmaceuticals and solid dietary supplements.
Need I say more? Do you want your patients eating vinyl or phthalates, which contains BisPhenol A? If you want to do more research just review my enews letters and our website about BisPhenol A and phthalates.
Avoid Toxic Household Cleaners by Making Your Own for Pennies
Avoid Toxic Household Cleaners by Making Your Own for Pennies
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 by: Heidi Fagley, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
(NaturalNews) One of the greatest exposures to toxic substances can be found in our homes. Many cleaners and solvents used on surfaces such as countertops, tubs and floors are filled with ingredients whose labels read CAUTION, POISON, WARNING, or DANGER. Thank goodness there are alternative cleaning possibilities - safe, simple products that can be used in most cleaning situations that will lessen our exposure to toxins and chemicals in our living spaces. For instance, castile soap, baking soda, and lemon juice can work wonders with even the toughest grime that may be lurking in bathrooms and kitchens. Plus, there is the added benefit of money to be saved by making your own quick and simple recipes, as well as knowing your creative efforts are toxic free for you, your family, and the environment.
Behind the shine of the bleaches, foams and sprays are often artificial fragrances and toxic chemicals that can contribute to indoor air pollution, can be harmful if inhaled or touched, or are poisonous if ingested.
About 90 percent of all accidental poisonings occur in the home. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products we can buy. Sitting in a majority of our homes are cleaners that pollute the ground water or contain flammable ingredients and corrosives that can irritate eyes just by opening the containers. Many of them could send us to the hospital or even cause death if swallowed.
The potential dangers of toxic home cleaning products have many people on a "go-green" path. In 2009, sales of natural cleaning products in the United States totaled $150 Million. Some of these cleaners are labeled with big promises and a hefty price tag. However, just because the ingredients in green cleaners are plant-based or "natural" does not necessarily mean they are safe.
It may be surprising to learn that everyday products found in your home can be used to make non-toxic cleaners for many of your cleaning needs. Some of the ingredients we cook with can also be the ingredients we clean with. It is simple to mix them up: they are safe to keep around the house and children, and they are easier on your bank account.
Below you will find a few sample recipes to mix up in seconds when your home needs a little sparkle. Be creative: mix up different recipes adding essential oils and scents that fit your lifestyle.
- Basic Household Cleaner: Mix together one teaspoon liquid castile soap, a squeeze of lemon juice, and one quart of warm water. If a surface needs extra power, try saturating area with moist salt or baking soda, allow to sit for ten minutes, and scour.
- To Cut Grease: Dissolve one teaspoon castile soap in one quart of hot water and add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Let item/surface soak for ten minutes before scrubbing.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle 1/4 cup baking soda into bowl and add 1 cup lemon juice. Let sit for 1/2 hour, scrub, and flush.
- Basin, Tub and Tile Cleaner: Mix together 1/2 cup baking soda with three tablespoons liquid castile soap. Scrub as usual.
- Drain Cleaner/Deodorizer: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain followed by one cup hot lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes and then run water for 30 seconds.
- Glass/Window Cleaner: Mix four tablespoons of lemon juice with 1/2 gallon warm water.
- For Dishes and Tough Stains: Mix lemon juice and baking soda to make a scrubbing paste.
- Use baking soda as you would any abrasive cleanser.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/art...
http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/re...
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/h...
http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-e...
http://www.chop.edu/service/poison-...
http://www.authenticparenting.info/...
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1484
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p...
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 by: Heidi Fagley, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
(NaturalNews) One of the greatest exposures to toxic substances can be found in our homes. Many cleaners and solvents used on surfaces such as countertops, tubs and floors are filled with ingredients whose labels read CAUTION, POISON, WARNING, or DANGER. Thank goodness there are alternative cleaning possibilities - safe, simple products that can be used in most cleaning situations that will lessen our exposure to toxins and chemicals in our living spaces. For instance, castile soap, baking soda, and lemon juice can work wonders with even the toughest grime that may be lurking in bathrooms and kitchens. Plus, there is the added benefit of money to be saved by making your own quick and simple recipes, as well as knowing your creative efforts are toxic free for you, your family, and the environment.
Behind the shine of the bleaches, foams and sprays are often artificial fragrances and toxic chemicals that can contribute to indoor air pollution, can be harmful if inhaled or touched, or are poisonous if ingested.
About 90 percent of all accidental poisonings occur in the home. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products we can buy. Sitting in a majority of our homes are cleaners that pollute the ground water or contain flammable ingredients and corrosives that can irritate eyes just by opening the containers. Many of them could send us to the hospital or even cause death if swallowed.
The potential dangers of toxic home cleaning products have many people on a "go-green" path. In 2009, sales of natural cleaning products in the United States totaled $150 Million. Some of these cleaners are labeled with big promises and a hefty price tag. However, just because the ingredients in green cleaners are plant-based or "natural" does not necessarily mean they are safe.
It may be surprising to learn that everyday products found in your home can be used to make non-toxic cleaners for many of your cleaning needs. Some of the ingredients we cook with can also be the ingredients we clean with. It is simple to mix them up: they are safe to keep around the house and children, and they are easier on your bank account.
Below you will find a few sample recipes to mix up in seconds when your home needs a little sparkle. Be creative: mix up different recipes adding essential oils and scents that fit your lifestyle.
- Basic Household Cleaner: Mix together one teaspoon liquid castile soap, a squeeze of lemon juice, and one quart of warm water. If a surface needs extra power, try saturating area with moist salt or baking soda, allow to sit for ten minutes, and scour.
- To Cut Grease: Dissolve one teaspoon castile soap in one quart of hot water and add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Let item/surface soak for ten minutes before scrubbing.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle 1/4 cup baking soda into bowl and add 1 cup lemon juice. Let sit for 1/2 hour, scrub, and flush.
- Basin, Tub and Tile Cleaner: Mix together 1/2 cup baking soda with three tablespoons liquid castile soap. Scrub as usual.
- Drain Cleaner/Deodorizer: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain followed by one cup hot lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes and then run water for 30 seconds.
- Glass/Window Cleaner: Mix four tablespoons of lemon juice with 1/2 gallon warm water.
- For Dishes and Tough Stains: Mix lemon juice and baking soda to make a scrubbing paste.
- Use baking soda as you would any abrasive cleanser.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/art...
http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/re...
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/h...
http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-e...
http://www.chop.edu/service/poison-...
http://www.authenticparenting.info/...
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1484
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Warning: Please Avoid Feeding This to Your Child - excess Manganese in soy formula and water
Warning: Please Avoid Feeding This to Your Child
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 18 2010 |
According to a report in Science Daily, a new Canadian study shows that children exposed to high concentrations of manganese in drinking water performed worse on tests of intellectual functioning than children with lower exposures.
The results were published in an article in Environmental Health Perspectives.
While manganese is naturally occurring in soil and groundwater around the world, some of Canada's groundwater contains an unusually high amount of it, giving the researchers an opportunity to study whether excessive manganese can adversely affect human health.
"We found significant deficits in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children exposed to higher concentration of manganese in drinking water," said lead author Maryse Bouchard.
Yet, some areas where lower IQs were reported also registered concentrations below current guidelines. In response to the study, some of the affected municipalities have already decided to install special filtration systems.
Sources:
Science Daily September 23, 2010
Environmental Health Perspectives September 7, 2010; [Epub ahead of print]
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
You probably know that manganese is an essential nutrient, but were you aware that when consumed in excess, manganese becomes a potent neurotoxin?
Studies on miners and steelworkers, for example, have shown that excessive exposure to manganese can cause manganese poisoning, Parkinson's disease, and Wilson's disease, for example.
Manganese occurs naturally in soil and can therefore be present in groundwater to a greater or lesser degree. Hence some people who drink well water could be exposed to higher naturally-occurring levels of manganese.
But there is another source of manganese that many people are completely unaware of, which may be even more significant than groundwater, and that is soy infant formula!
Soy formula is frequently used when a baby is allergic to milk, or if the parents are somehow convinced that soy is a healthier alternative. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, because soy formula could easily be considered one of the most DANGEROUS food products on the market…
I always recommend breast feeding, if at all possible, but if you can't, please educate yourself about the dangers of soy formula!
This is such an important issue because so many mothers end up using formula in lieu of breast feeding or after breast feeding for a short time, not realizing just how bad most formulas are for their baby's health, particularly soy formula.
I've been concerned about this for a long time, and my team has now been working on an infant formula for an entire year. We still have about another year to go, but once we're done we should be able to offer the best commercial infant formula available in the US.
Soy Infant Formula is LOADED with Manganese!
Yes, researchers have found that soybean plants absorb manganese from the soil and concentrate it, so that its use in soy-based infant formula can result in as much as 200 times the level found in natural breast milk!
Such high concentrations can wreak havoc on your baby's immature metabolic systems.
I rarely talk about absolutes but this is one instant where I will say: NEVER give your child soy formula. (I guess the only exception would be if there was a catastrophe and soy formula was the only food source temporarily available to keep your baby alive.)
Because just like this latest study confirms, high concentrations of manganese, such as those found in soy formula, can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.
In the study reported by Science Daily, researchers discovered that higher concentrations of manganese in groundwater significantly lowered the IQ of the children who drank it, even though the levels were below current guidelines.
A total of 362 children, aged six to 13, living in homes with individual or public wells were examined to test cognition, motor skills and behavior.
Science Daily reports:
"The average IQ of children whose tap water was in the upper 20% of manganese concentration was 6 points below children whose water contained little or no manganese.
The analyses of the association between manganese in tap water and children's IQ took into account various factors such as family income, maternal intelligence, maternal education, and the presence of other metals in the water.
… For co-author Donna Mergler, "This is a very marked effect; few environmental contaminants have shown such a strong correlation with intellectual ability."
The authors state that the amount of manganese present in food showed no relationship to the children's IQ."
For Maximum Health Hazard, Just Add Fluoridated Water...
As if that wasn't bad enough, there are a number of other factors that make soy formula an even more dangerous option.
One of these factors is the fact that fluoride can increase manganese absorption, so if you mix the powdered- or concentrated soy formula with fluoridated water, you're worsening matters even further!
Fluoride and manganese interact in a number of ways through various pathways.
For example, fluorides can cause zinc deficiency which in turn can cause damage to your brain by altering your manganese levels.
This is because fluorides act as a TSH (thyroid-stimulating-hormone) analogue, and along with iodine, zinc and selenium are also controlled by TSH. And when you're deficient in zinc, the manganese levels in your brain become altered.
Other Health Dangers of Soy Formula
Another significant issue is the estrogen in soy.
A soy-fed baby receives the equivalent of five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day! These babies' isoflavone levels are typically anywhere between 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than in non-soy fed infants.
Unfermented soy is not a healthy option for anyone, but when you're feeding soy to an infant, you're really setting the stage for a number of health problems.
Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
For more information about the many ways soy can damage your health – and certainly your baby's, if you're feeding them soy formula – please review this recent report.
It's also worth noting that at least 91 percent of soy grown in the US is also genetically modified (GM), and this too can have serious health effects.
Not only is the soy loaded with toxic pesticide, the plants also contain genes from bacteria that produce a protein that has never been part of the human food supply. Hence, GM soy has been linked to an increase in allergies.
Disturbingly, the only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted verified that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function. This means that years after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have a potentially allergenic protein continuously being produced in your intestines.
Even more frightening is the potential for GM soy to cause infertility in future generations, which has been evidenced by recent Russian research.
Soy-based formula also typically includes cornstarch, cornstarch hydrolysate (remember, any corn derivatives are also suspect of being GM), tapioca starch, or sucrose instead of lactose.
(Did you know that many infant formulas actually have MORE sugar than a can of soda? Do you really feel comfortable giving your precious newborn a can of soda for EVERY meal? If not, then it would sure seem best to avoid them ALL like the plague.)
All these things considered, it's truly shocking that soy formula is even allowed on the market.
The Benefits of Breast Feeding, and Healthier Alternatives
One of the best gifts you can give your child is to start out their life with a sound nutritional foundation, and the best way to do this is by breastfeeding. In fact, statistics show a clear correlation between feeding infants artificial formula and increased infant mortality within the first year.
It's important to realize that there are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are NOT found in formula. Of course, the healthier that a new mom eats, the healthier her breast milk will be, too.
While any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all, it is clearly to your advantage, and best for your baby's health, to breastfeed exclusively for at least the first 6 months. Then, at the age of 6 or 9 months, you can begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well).
What exactly does your baby stand to gain by being breastfed?
Lower risk of respiratory tract and middle ear infections
Lower risk of eczema
Lower risk of obesity
Added protection against heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and allergies
Improved brain function and immune system function
There are benefits to mom, too. The main ones are a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer, a faster return to your pre-pregnancy weight, and increased bonding between you and your baby.
There are certain medical conditions that can prevent a woman from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to breastfeed successfully. If you need help, contact a lactation consultant in your area for tips and support. You can also visit La Leche League, which is a phenomenal resource for breastfeeding moms.
If for some reason you're not able to breastfeed, or you have adopted a baby, your next best option is to make a healthy infant formula using raw milk. You can find homemade formula recipes here.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, we're also in the process of producing the finest infant formula on the market. I'm hoping to have it available in about a year.
How Can You Protect Your Child from Excessive Manganese Exposure?
First and foremost, do not give your child soy formula or other unfermented soy foods.
As for manganese in your well water, your best bet is to use a high quality filtering system using activated carbon. A well designed activated carbon filter system is the simplest, most convenient, and most user friendly option to purify your drinking water.
A good system will likely consist of multiple filter cartridges; one to protect the carbon from larger contaminants in the water, and another containing carbon designed to remove trihalomethanes – a dangerous disinfection byproduct. Some systems also contain a backup carbon filter to ensure that all contaminants have been filtered out.
For more information about filtering systems and water quality, please see this previous article.
Related Links:
Finally Infant Soy Formula Under Investigation
Experts Dispute JAMA Soy Infant Formula Study
Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula
Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 18 2010 |
According to a report in Science Daily, a new Canadian study shows that children exposed to high concentrations of manganese in drinking water performed worse on tests of intellectual functioning than children with lower exposures.
The results were published in an article in Environmental Health Perspectives.
While manganese is naturally occurring in soil and groundwater around the world, some of Canada's groundwater contains an unusually high amount of it, giving the researchers an opportunity to study whether excessive manganese can adversely affect human health.
"We found significant deficits in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children exposed to higher concentration of manganese in drinking water," said lead author Maryse Bouchard.
Yet, some areas where lower IQs were reported also registered concentrations below current guidelines. In response to the study, some of the affected municipalities have already decided to install special filtration systems.
Sources:
Science Daily September 23, 2010
Environmental Health Perspectives September 7, 2010; [Epub ahead of print]
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
You probably know that manganese is an essential nutrient, but were you aware that when consumed in excess, manganese becomes a potent neurotoxin?
Studies on miners and steelworkers, for example, have shown that excessive exposure to manganese can cause manganese poisoning, Parkinson's disease, and Wilson's disease, for example.
Manganese occurs naturally in soil and can therefore be present in groundwater to a greater or lesser degree. Hence some people who drink well water could be exposed to higher naturally-occurring levels of manganese.
But there is another source of manganese that many people are completely unaware of, which may be even more significant than groundwater, and that is soy infant formula!
Soy formula is frequently used when a baby is allergic to milk, or if the parents are somehow convinced that soy is a healthier alternative. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, because soy formula could easily be considered one of the most DANGEROUS food products on the market…
I always recommend breast feeding, if at all possible, but if you can't, please educate yourself about the dangers of soy formula!
This is such an important issue because so many mothers end up using formula in lieu of breast feeding or after breast feeding for a short time, not realizing just how bad most formulas are for their baby's health, particularly soy formula.
I've been concerned about this for a long time, and my team has now been working on an infant formula for an entire year. We still have about another year to go, but once we're done we should be able to offer the best commercial infant formula available in the US.
Soy Infant Formula is LOADED with Manganese!
Yes, researchers have found that soybean plants absorb manganese from the soil and concentrate it, so that its use in soy-based infant formula can result in as much as 200 times the level found in natural breast milk!
Such high concentrations can wreak havoc on your baby's immature metabolic systems.
I rarely talk about absolutes but this is one instant where I will say: NEVER give your child soy formula. (I guess the only exception would be if there was a catastrophe and soy formula was the only food source temporarily available to keep your baby alive.)
Because just like this latest study confirms, high concentrations of manganese, such as those found in soy formula, can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.
In the study reported by Science Daily, researchers discovered that higher concentrations of manganese in groundwater significantly lowered the IQ of the children who drank it, even though the levels were below current guidelines.
A total of 362 children, aged six to 13, living in homes with individual or public wells were examined to test cognition, motor skills and behavior.
Science Daily reports:
"The average IQ of children whose tap water was in the upper 20% of manganese concentration was 6 points below children whose water contained little or no manganese.
The analyses of the association between manganese in tap water and children's IQ took into account various factors such as family income, maternal intelligence, maternal education, and the presence of other metals in the water.
… For co-author Donna Mergler, "This is a very marked effect; few environmental contaminants have shown such a strong correlation with intellectual ability."
The authors state that the amount of manganese present in food showed no relationship to the children's IQ."
For Maximum Health Hazard, Just Add Fluoridated Water...
As if that wasn't bad enough, there are a number of other factors that make soy formula an even more dangerous option.
One of these factors is the fact that fluoride can increase manganese absorption, so if you mix the powdered- or concentrated soy formula with fluoridated water, you're worsening matters even further!
Fluoride and manganese interact in a number of ways through various pathways.
For example, fluorides can cause zinc deficiency which in turn can cause damage to your brain by altering your manganese levels.
This is because fluorides act as a TSH (thyroid-stimulating-hormone) analogue, and along with iodine, zinc and selenium are also controlled by TSH. And when you're deficient in zinc, the manganese levels in your brain become altered.
Other Health Dangers of Soy Formula
Another significant issue is the estrogen in soy.
A soy-fed baby receives the equivalent of five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day! These babies' isoflavone levels are typically anywhere between 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than in non-soy fed infants.
Unfermented soy is not a healthy option for anyone, but when you're feeding soy to an infant, you're really setting the stage for a number of health problems.
Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
For more information about the many ways soy can damage your health – and certainly your baby's, if you're feeding them soy formula – please review this recent report.
It's also worth noting that at least 91 percent of soy grown in the US is also genetically modified (GM), and this too can have serious health effects.
Not only is the soy loaded with toxic pesticide, the plants also contain genes from bacteria that produce a protein that has never been part of the human food supply. Hence, GM soy has been linked to an increase in allergies.
Disturbingly, the only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted verified that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function. This means that years after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have a potentially allergenic protein continuously being produced in your intestines.
Even more frightening is the potential for GM soy to cause infertility in future generations, which has been evidenced by recent Russian research.
Soy-based formula also typically includes cornstarch, cornstarch hydrolysate (remember, any corn derivatives are also suspect of being GM), tapioca starch, or sucrose instead of lactose.
(Did you know that many infant formulas actually have MORE sugar than a can of soda? Do you really feel comfortable giving your precious newborn a can of soda for EVERY meal? If not, then it would sure seem best to avoid them ALL like the plague.)
All these things considered, it's truly shocking that soy formula is even allowed on the market.
The Benefits of Breast Feeding, and Healthier Alternatives
One of the best gifts you can give your child is to start out their life with a sound nutritional foundation, and the best way to do this is by breastfeeding. In fact, statistics show a clear correlation between feeding infants artificial formula and increased infant mortality within the first year.
It's important to realize that there are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are NOT found in formula. Of course, the healthier that a new mom eats, the healthier her breast milk will be, too.
While any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all, it is clearly to your advantage, and best for your baby's health, to breastfeed exclusively for at least the first 6 months. Then, at the age of 6 or 9 months, you can begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well).
What exactly does your baby stand to gain by being breastfed?
Lower risk of respiratory tract and middle ear infections
Lower risk of eczema
Lower risk of obesity
Added protection against heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and allergies
Improved brain function and immune system function
There are benefits to mom, too. The main ones are a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer, a faster return to your pre-pregnancy weight, and increased bonding between you and your baby.
There are certain medical conditions that can prevent a woman from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to breastfeed successfully. If you need help, contact a lactation consultant in your area for tips and support. You can also visit La Leche League, which is a phenomenal resource for breastfeeding moms.
If for some reason you're not able to breastfeed, or you have adopted a baby, your next best option is to make a healthy infant formula using raw milk. You can find homemade formula recipes here.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, we're also in the process of producing the finest infant formula on the market. I'm hoping to have it available in about a year.
How Can You Protect Your Child from Excessive Manganese Exposure?
First and foremost, do not give your child soy formula or other unfermented soy foods.
As for manganese in your well water, your best bet is to use a high quality filtering system using activated carbon. A well designed activated carbon filter system is the simplest, most convenient, and most user friendly option to purify your drinking water.
A good system will likely consist of multiple filter cartridges; one to protect the carbon from larger contaminants in the water, and another containing carbon designed to remove trihalomethanes – a dangerous disinfection byproduct. Some systems also contain a backup carbon filter to ensure that all contaminants have been filtered out.
For more information about filtering systems and water quality, please see this previous article.
Related Links:
Finally Infant Soy Formula Under Investigation
Experts Dispute JAMA Soy Infant Formula Study
Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula
Friday, October 15, 2010
Breast cancer awareness campaigns cause more harm than good
Friday, October 15, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
http://www.naturalnews.com/030056_breast_cancer_awareness.html
(NaturalNews) For over 25 years, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization has been conducting campaigns to "promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services." But since such campaigns began, breast cancer mortality rates have remained virtually the same, while more women than ever needlessly undergo dangerous treatments for a disease they do not even have.
Groups like the American Cancer Society (ACS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation all support breast cancer awareness initiatives, which include urging women to get annual mammograms and to undergo conventional treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy at the first signs of a tumor. But many professors, scientists and health professionals now say that such programs and recommendations have not only failed to achieve positive results, but have actually put more women in harm's way.
"I don't think people understand the lack of progress (achieved by breast cancer awareness programs)," Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, is quoted as saying in a recent Los Angeles Times article. Visco referenced statistics showing that deaths from breast cancer have dropped maybe two percent since they started in 1990, which is likely a statistically insignificant figure.
Dr. H. Gilbert Welch from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice explained that breast cancer awareness campaigns have failed to keep up with developments in breast cancer research, including new research showing that most of the cancers identified with mammography are not even malignant. And as a result of continued screening, millions of women end up being treated with expensive, potentially life-threatening treatments for cancers that will never harm them.
A recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that for every one woman helped by a mammogram, up to 15 others are misdiagnosed and mistreated. But because of breast cancer awareness campaigns that continue to scare women and push them towards outmoded, unscientific methods of approaching the disease, many women are willing to participate in conventional screening and treatment programs anyway, even if such programs ultimately cause them needless harm and possible death.
A drug company founded National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
A quick look into the history of NBCAM reveals that its founding sponsor is AstraZeneca, a multi-national drug company that manufactures breast cancer drugs like Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Faslodex and Zoladex. And what was the original stated goal of NBCAM? To promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.
Most NaturalNews readers already know that mammography is largely ineffective and dangerous to health. Mammograms do not differentiate between harmless and malignant tumors, and they pump a regular dose of radiation into women's breasts that can eventually cause tumors to form. But the one thing mammograms are good at is racking up lots of breast cancer diagnoses.
Before the days of mammography, breast lumps were not the major scare they are today. But today, otherwise healthy women are habitually screened and told that detected tumor need immediate intervention, even though the vast majority of them are harmless. Sometimes women actually develop harmful tumors from the mammograms themselves, resulting in the same interventions. Either way, at the end of the day, drug companies like AstraZeneca reap large profits from the mammogram system.
"It's a common problem with disease awareness campaigns and patient advocacy groups," said Welch. "If you look into their funding sources, you'll often find a pharmaceutical company or device maker who stands to benefit from an expansion in the number of people with the condition."
Laurie Casaday, spokeswoman for NBCAM and senior manager of corporate affairs in oncology for AstraZeneca, denies such claims, however. She insists that the program is "not about selling a breast cancer drug", but is instead about "making sure women are educated about their breast health."
If the organization was really concerned about educating women about their breast health, though, it would acknowledge the mounting scientific evidence that denies the viability of mammography and conventional cancer treatments, and would subsequently stop using fear-mongering campaigns to persuade women to take that route. But this scenario will likely never happen because, in doing so, AstraZeneca and other drug companies would experience a tremendous drop in revenue due to significantly less false diagnoses.
You can read more about the breast cancer scam by checking out the NaturalNews special report by Mike Adams called Breast Cancer Deception:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Report_B...
Prevent breast cancer naturally
Real breast cancer awareness involves taking active steps to improve your health naturally, both nutritionally and environmentally. These include maintaining optimal vitamin D levels in your blood (http://www.naturalnews.com/027204_c...), avoiding exposure to toxins that cause cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/020760_b...) and eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables rich in anti-cancer nutrients (http://www.naturalnews.com/024536_c...).
http://www.naturalnews.com/030056_breast_cancer_awareness.html
(NaturalNews) For over 25 years, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization has been conducting campaigns to "promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services." But since such campaigns began, breast cancer mortality rates have remained virtually the same, while more women than ever needlessly undergo dangerous treatments for a disease they do not even have.
Groups like the American Cancer Society (ACS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation all support breast cancer awareness initiatives, which include urging women to get annual mammograms and to undergo conventional treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy at the first signs of a tumor. But many professors, scientists and health professionals now say that such programs and recommendations have not only failed to achieve positive results, but have actually put more women in harm's way.
"I don't think people understand the lack of progress (achieved by breast cancer awareness programs)," Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, is quoted as saying in a recent Los Angeles Times article. Visco referenced statistics showing that deaths from breast cancer have dropped maybe two percent since they started in 1990, which is likely a statistically insignificant figure.
Dr. H. Gilbert Welch from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice explained that breast cancer awareness campaigns have failed to keep up with developments in breast cancer research, including new research showing that most of the cancers identified with mammography are not even malignant. And as a result of continued screening, millions of women end up being treated with expensive, potentially life-threatening treatments for cancers that will never harm them.
A recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that for every one woman helped by a mammogram, up to 15 others are misdiagnosed and mistreated. But because of breast cancer awareness campaigns that continue to scare women and push them towards outmoded, unscientific methods of approaching the disease, many women are willing to participate in conventional screening and treatment programs anyway, even if such programs ultimately cause them needless harm and possible death.
A drug company founded National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
A quick look into the history of NBCAM reveals that its founding sponsor is AstraZeneca, a multi-national drug company that manufactures breast cancer drugs like Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Faslodex and Zoladex. And what was the original stated goal of NBCAM? To promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.
Most NaturalNews readers already know that mammography is largely ineffective and dangerous to health. Mammograms do not differentiate between harmless and malignant tumors, and they pump a regular dose of radiation into women's breasts that can eventually cause tumors to form. But the one thing mammograms are good at is racking up lots of breast cancer diagnoses.
Before the days of mammography, breast lumps were not the major scare they are today. But today, otherwise healthy women are habitually screened and told that detected tumor need immediate intervention, even though the vast majority of them are harmless. Sometimes women actually develop harmful tumors from the mammograms themselves, resulting in the same interventions. Either way, at the end of the day, drug companies like AstraZeneca reap large profits from the mammogram system.
"It's a common problem with disease awareness campaigns and patient advocacy groups," said Welch. "If you look into their funding sources, you'll often find a pharmaceutical company or device maker who stands to benefit from an expansion in the number of people with the condition."
Laurie Casaday, spokeswoman for NBCAM and senior manager of corporate affairs in oncology for AstraZeneca, denies such claims, however. She insists that the program is "not about selling a breast cancer drug", but is instead about "making sure women are educated about their breast health."
If the organization was really concerned about educating women about their breast health, though, it would acknowledge the mounting scientific evidence that denies the viability of mammography and conventional cancer treatments, and would subsequently stop using fear-mongering campaigns to persuade women to take that route. But this scenario will likely never happen because, in doing so, AstraZeneca and other drug companies would experience a tremendous drop in revenue due to significantly less false diagnoses.
You can read more about the breast cancer scam by checking out the NaturalNews special report by Mike Adams called Breast Cancer Deception:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Report_B...
Prevent breast cancer naturally
Real breast cancer awareness involves taking active steps to improve your health naturally, both nutritionally and environmentally. These include maintaining optimal vitamin D levels in your blood (http://www.naturalnews.com/027204_c...), avoiding exposure to toxins that cause cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/020760_b...) and eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables rich in anti-cancer nutrients (http://www.naturalnews.com/024536_c...).
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Playing with Fire: Billboard Warns of Grilled Chicken Carcinogens
Playing with Fire: Billboard Warns of Grilled Chicken Carcinogens
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But grilled chicken causes breast cancer year-round. So last month, a billboard sponsored by PCRM’s Cancer Project warned Louisville residents of this danger, after samples bought at a local KFC tested positive for a dangerous carcinogen. The billboard shows a grill-marked pink ribbon on fire alongside the words: “Playing with Fire. Grilled Chicken Increases Breast Cancer Risk.”
An independent laboratory analysis of grilled chicken samples bought at a KFC outlet in Louisville found they contained significant amounts of PhIP, a chemical that can increase a person’s risk for breast, colon, and prostate cancers—even if consumed in small amounts. PhIP has been identified as a carcinogen by the National Institutes of Health.
“KFC is sending Louisville’s health up in smoke,” said PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women in Kentucky, but KFC has been blatantly marketing its grilled chicken to women as a “healthy” option. Instead, it ought to carry a warning about the carcinogens in the product.”
Each year, about 3,000 women in Kentucky are diagnosed with breast cancer.
PhIP is one of a group of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that are found in grilled meat. PhIP and other HCAs do not exist naturally in chicken; they form when animal muscle is cooked to high temperatures. As known mutagens, HCAs can bind directly to DNA and cause mutations, the first step in the development of cancer.
PhIP is only one of the breast-cancer risks present in grilled chicken. More than 60 percent of the calories in a single KFC grilled chicken thigh are fat calories. Studies show countries with a higher fat intake, particularly fat from animal products, have a higher rate of breast cancer.
To learn more about the dangers of grilled chicken, visit CancerProject.org.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But grilled chicken causes breast cancer year-round. So last month, a billboard sponsored by PCRM’s Cancer Project warned Louisville residents of this danger, after samples bought at a local KFC tested positive for a dangerous carcinogen. The billboard shows a grill-marked pink ribbon on fire alongside the words: “Playing with Fire. Grilled Chicken Increases Breast Cancer Risk.”
An independent laboratory analysis of grilled chicken samples bought at a KFC outlet in Louisville found they contained significant amounts of PhIP, a chemical that can increase a person’s risk for breast, colon, and prostate cancers—even if consumed in small amounts. PhIP has been identified as a carcinogen by the National Institutes of Health.
“KFC is sending Louisville’s health up in smoke,” said PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women in Kentucky, but KFC has been blatantly marketing its grilled chicken to women as a “healthy” option. Instead, it ought to carry a warning about the carcinogens in the product.”
Each year, about 3,000 women in Kentucky are diagnosed with breast cancer.
PhIP is one of a group of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that are found in grilled meat. PhIP and other HCAs do not exist naturally in chicken; they form when animal muscle is cooked to high temperatures. As known mutagens, HCAs can bind directly to DNA and cause mutations, the first step in the development of cancer.
PhIP is only one of the breast-cancer risks present in grilled chicken. More than 60 percent of the calories in a single KFC grilled chicken thigh are fat calories. Studies show countries with a higher fat intake, particularly fat from animal products, have a higher rate of breast cancer.
To learn more about the dangers of grilled chicken, visit CancerProject.org.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)