Pomegranate is one of the many awesome ingredients in eXfuze Seven+! The news just keeps pouring in about all the individual ingredients in our amazing concoction!
Miriam
Pomegranate juice components block cancer cell migration
Wednesday, December 29, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) One of the most dreaded consequences of cancer is when the disease metastasizes -- meaning it spreads from the primary site where it started to other parts of the body. But University of California, Riverside (UCR) scientists have announced what could be a major breakthrough in halting metastasis. They've discovered components in pomegranate juice that inhibit the movement of cancer cells and weaken the attraction of malignant cells to a chemical signal that has been shown to promote metastasis.
The UCR findings were just presented at the American Society for Cell Biology's 50th Annual Meeting, which is being held in Philadelphia. Specifically, the research team from the UCR laboratory of Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D., found that pomegranate juice seems to block the spread of prostate cancer cells to the bone. The group is planning additional tests to determine the effects of various doses of the natural pomegranate compounds and whether there are any side effects.
In earlier studies, Dr. Martins-Green and her colleagues used a standardized concentration of pomegranate juice on two types of laboratory-cultured prostate cancer cells that were resistant to the male hormone testosterone. Scientists have long known that when cancerous cells are resistant to testosterone, that's an indicator those cells have a strong potential to metastasize. Not only did the research team find pomegranate juice killed many cancer tumor cells -- the pomegranate juice treatment also increased cell adhesion and decreased cell migration in those cancer cells that had not died.
Next the scientists analyzed the pomegranate juice to figure out which specific ingredients produced the molecular impact on cell adhesion and migration in metastatic prostate cancer cells. Dr. Martins-Green, graduate student Lei Wang and undergraduate student Jeffrey Ho discovered the answer: phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated fatty acids found in the fruit.
"This is particularly exciting because we can now modify these naturally occurring components of the juice to improve their functions and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis," Dr. Martins-Green said in a media statement."Because the genes and proteins involved in movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in movement of other types of cancer cells, the same modified components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment."
The idea that pomegranate phytochemicals have an anti-cancer effect isn't new. In fact, evidence has been steadily accumulating over the past few years that along with other health benefits (such as soothing inflammation in the body and potentially reducing the risk of heart disease) pomegranates can prevent and/or treat cancer. For example, earlier in 2010, NaturalNews reported on a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research showing that phytochemicals known as ellagitannins found in pomegranate fruit could prevent the development of hormone-dependent breast cancer and halt the growth of estrogen-driven tumors (http://www.naturalnews.com/027947_p...).
In addition, in a 2006 study of prostate cancer patients who drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice every day, UCLA researchers found a decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels that suggested a potential slowing of cancer progression. More recently, the results of a long-term study published in the Journal of Urology concluded pomegranate juice may effectively slow the progression of prostate cancer, even when regular treatment has failed (http://www.naturalnews.com/026190_c...).
However, despite all the science showing pomegranate juice could have anti-cancer effects, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come down hard on claims about those potential benefits. In Sept. 2010, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Pom Wonderful, the natural foods company that provided the pomegranate juice for the UCLA research and has supported other research on pomegranate juice, charging the company's claims about the juice's health benefits were misleading.
For more information:
http://www.naturalnews.com/pomegran...
Articles Related to This Article:
• The mineral selenium proves itself as powerful anti-cancer medicine
• Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism (Book Excerpt)
• Healing Illness - A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol
• New research shows vitamin D slashes risk of cancers by 77 percent; cancer industry refuses to support cancer prevention
• Mammograms cause breast cancer (and other cancer facts you probably never knew)
• Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know (opinion)
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030862_pomegranates_cancer_cells.html#ixzz19XyHZAIQ
http://www.naturalnews.com/030862_pomegranates_cancer_cells.html
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.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
HPV Vaccine: The Lethal Medical Failure That's Still Recommended by Your Doctor
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 29 2010 |
In April, the government of India called a halt to trials of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. This came about because of a civil society-led investigation which highlighted serious ethical violations in at least one trial.
In India, civil society groups have long been voicing their concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the two HPV vaccines, along with the aggressive promotion of the vaccines and the need to investigate reported deaths and adverse events post vaccination.
According to Economic and Political Weekly, the investigation that led to the ban highlights how:
"... the promotional practices of drug companies, pressure from powerful international organizations, and the co-option of, and uncritical endorsement by India's medical associations are influencing the country's public health priorities."
In the US, only about one third of eligible young U.S. women complete a full course of the vaccine against the human papillomavirus. The older the woman, the less likely she is to have gotten even one of the three doses.
A study looked at almost 10,000 women between the ages of 9 and 26 eligible for HPV vaccination. Of these, only 39.1 percent received a single dose, 30.1 percent received two doses, and 30.8 percent completed the three dose regimen.
According to Yahoo News:
"Women between the ages of 18 to 26 were least likely to get even a single dose, which ... was probably due to the influence of parents on younger women, since parental consent is required for getting the vaccine under age 18."
Sources:
Economic and Political Weekly November 29, 2010
E! Science News November 9, 2010
Yahoo News November 9, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
This is all good news, considering the fact that the HPV vaccine may be one of the most dangerous and unnecessary vaccines on the market.
Millions of women in the U.S. were scared by Merck's powerful ad campaign into becoming "one less" victim to cervical cancer by getting vaccinated with Gardasil. But instead of saving women from cancer, the vaccine has turned an increasing number of formerly healthy girls into "one more" victim of vaccine abuse.
The reported death toll for the HPV vaccine now stands at 89, and the first male death has also been reported. A young boy died just eight days after being vaccinated with Gardasil.
As of November 3, 2010, there were also 20,575 adverse reactions, the Age of Autism reports, and 352 reports of abnormal pap smears post vaccination. Keep in mind however, that it has been estimated that only 1 to 10 percent of all vaccine adverse events are ever reported, which means there could actually be millions of vaccine injuries related to Gardasil, and perhaps thousands of deaths.
Shockingly, the vaccine is now also related to infant deaths.
Breastfed Infants Die after Mothers get HPV Vaccine
Yes, according to a November 1, 2010 PRLog press release:
"Information has been received from a physician for the pregnancy registry for GARDASIL, concerning a female who on September 1, 2010 was vaccinated with the first dose of GARDASIL intramuscularly while breastfeeding. Her baby was 40 days old. It was reported that the mother's and baby's health were good (well controlled).
On September 2, 2010, in the morning, the baby's condition was still good, but in the afternoon the condition suddenly dropped. The family immediately took the baby to hospital but it did not help since the baby died shortly after that. The cause of death was not reported…"
Two additional VAERS reports of infants dying in a similar fashion have been filed in the last 16 months.
"Where is government accountability and responsibility in allowing this uncontrolled medical experiment on adolescents and women of child-bearing age?" the press release states.
"How many lives will be destroyed before they realize the travesty that is unfolding as they stand by and say and do nothing – other than "monitor" the situation?"
Those are the same questions I ask myself each time I write on this topic…
Unethical Clinical Research Performed in India, Civil Society Group Claims
In March of this year, a team of women's rights activists visited one of the vaccination sites in the Khammam district of India. According to Economic & Political Weekly:
"A look at the findings of this visit… suggests that these projects – which were in fact research – violated existing ethical guidelines on clinical research, as well as child rights.
These violations include – but are not limited to – testing on vulnerable and marginalized groups (particularly pediatric populations), who are not likely to benefit from the results of the research, and without taking their proper informed consent or assent."
This seems to be more the rule than the exception when it comes to many pharmaceutical companies' drug studies overseas. India in particular has seen an upsurge of clinical pharmaceutical studies, and the questionable practices employed are becoming increasingly apparent.
According to an article published last June, "proposed new laws to prevent pharmaceutical companies from conducting clinical studies of medicines involving humans without obtaining permission from accredited ethical committees may soon come into force in India."
The article goes on to say that:
"Deaths during clinical trials are increasing in India in the recent years even as the country emerges to be one of the most sought-after destinations of human studies of experimental medicines.
According to the figures collated with available information collected, as many as 308 persons died in the year 2009 till the month of August, reports said."
The Indian government suspended Merck's Gardasil study in April, when they discovered that four of the young participants had died, and more than 120 girls suffered severe adverse reactions, including:
stomach disorders
epilepsy
headaches
early menarche
HPV Vaccine Doesn't Even Work as Advertised
The marketers of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil would like you to believe that getting your daughter vaccinated can save her from HPV related illnesses like cervical cancer and genital warts, but where is the good evidence to show that is true?
There are more than 100 viral strains of HPV. Of these, about 30-40 are sexually transmitted and 15 strains are associated with cervical cancer. Several HPV strains are also associated with skin infections that cause genital warts or common warts on your hands and feet.
But Gardasil contains only four of these HPV strains, so if you contract one of the 96+ types that aren't included, you're out of luck. And, if you've already been exposed to one of the four types of virus in the vaccine, it doesn't work against those either.
Therefore, even if you accept the risks and get vaccinated, your chances of getting some form of HPV are still very high.
But even then there's actually very little cause for alarm because, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "In 90 percent of cases, your body's immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years."
This is true whether the infection is the type that can cause warts or cancer.
Personally, I don't see how the mediocre-at-best benefits of Gardasil could possibly outweigh its risks.
How Does HPV Vaccine Cause Injury and Death?
All vaccines, like all pharmaceutical products, have risks and can cause reactions that can lead to permanent health problems or even death. HPV vaccine is no different. Ever since the vaccine was fast tracked by the FDA and licensed in 2006, there have been many reports of Gardasil-related injuries and deaths.
The symptoms and causes of death after Gardasil vaccination include:
blood clots
acute respiratory failure
cardiac arrest
"sudden death" due to "unknown causes" shortly after receiving the vaccine
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 4,210 women will die from cervical cancer in the U.S. this year. Many of these mostly older women will have had high risk factors for developing a chronic HPV infection that leads to cervical cancer, such as lack of regular pap screening tests that could have promptly identified pre-cancer signs and led to life saving treatment. In fact, other high risk factors for chronic HPV infection that is associated with development of cervical cancer also include smoking; co-infection with HIV and chlamydia; and long term oral contraceptive use.
Cervical cancer CAN be prevented without vaccination and yet it looks like we may have already lost 89 healthy children and young women to HPV vaccination in the effort to spare them from the possibility of developing cervical cancer later in life.
Surely I'm not the only one who sees that as morally reprehensible!
Can Gardasil Increase Your Chances of Cervical Cancer ?
Yes, according to information Merck presented to the FDA prior to approval, if you have already been exposed to HPV 16 or 18 before getting a Gadasil shot, then Gardasil may increase your risk of developing precancerous lesions and cancer by nearly 45 percent!
None of this is advertised by Merck or public health officials, and the FDA has not recommended screening for HPV prior to vaccination. The FDA did not even demand that a warning be included in the package insert.
This is yet another potential hazard that no one is talking about, let alone making parents fully aware of before vaccinating their daughters (and sons).
Cervical Cancer Virtually 100 Percent Avoidable
Cervical cancer is well documented to be caused by an infection acquired through sexual contact. So it is virtually 100% behaviorally avoidable. According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent, offering FAR better protection than Gardasil.
According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. The majority of people, who are sexually active, have had contact with HPV viruses. More than 6 million women contract HPV infection annually, yet, as I already mentioned, more than 90 percent of these women will naturally clear the virus from their body without any residual health effects. And if girls and women get regular pap screening tests, which identify pre-cancerous lesions early, they can greatly reduce their chances of eventually being one of the estimated 4,200 American women to die from cervical cancer.
Why?
Because if you are healthy, your immune system is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases.
Rather than subjecting your daughter or son to this unnecessary and potentially dangerous vaccine, you may want to nip the problem in the bud before it starts.
Here's how:
Recognize that cervical cancer (or any cancer) is not caused by a "vaccine deficiency."
Talk to your kids about HPV. This infection is sexually transmitted, so it is 100 percent preventable through lifestyle choices.
Keep your immune system strong. A healthy immune system is better able to handle a heavier emotional and physical stress load. I've written many times on how to supercharge your immune system as an alternative to vaccinations, but I can't stress it enough: Proper diet, exercise, good hygiene, staying well rested, and hand-washing are excellent ways to begin the road to a long, healthy life, no matter what your age.
I also advocate getting plenty of the most natural health-booster of all, something that's free from Mother Nature – sunshine. Or, when you can't be out in the sun, supplements of Vitamin D, and particularly Vitamin D3, can keep your immune levels up.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/29/why-india-has-stopped-giving-hpv-vaccines.aspx
Related Links:
Time for the Truth about Gardasil
Absurd Vaccine Marketing -- Cervical Cancer Vaccinations for Boys
How the U.S. Government is Covering Up HPV Vaccine Side Effects
In April, the government of India called a halt to trials of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. This came about because of a civil society-led investigation which highlighted serious ethical violations in at least one trial.
In India, civil society groups have long been voicing their concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the two HPV vaccines, along with the aggressive promotion of the vaccines and the need to investigate reported deaths and adverse events post vaccination.
According to Economic and Political Weekly, the investigation that led to the ban highlights how:
"... the promotional practices of drug companies, pressure from powerful international organizations, and the co-option of, and uncritical endorsement by India's medical associations are influencing the country's public health priorities."
In the US, only about one third of eligible young U.S. women complete a full course of the vaccine against the human papillomavirus. The older the woman, the less likely she is to have gotten even one of the three doses.
A study looked at almost 10,000 women between the ages of 9 and 26 eligible for HPV vaccination. Of these, only 39.1 percent received a single dose, 30.1 percent received two doses, and 30.8 percent completed the three dose regimen.
According to Yahoo News:
"Women between the ages of 18 to 26 were least likely to get even a single dose, which ... was probably due to the influence of parents on younger women, since parental consent is required for getting the vaccine under age 18."
Sources:
Economic and Political Weekly November 29, 2010
E! Science News November 9, 2010
Yahoo News November 9, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
This is all good news, considering the fact that the HPV vaccine may be one of the most dangerous and unnecessary vaccines on the market.
Millions of women in the U.S. were scared by Merck's powerful ad campaign into becoming "one less" victim to cervical cancer by getting vaccinated with Gardasil. But instead of saving women from cancer, the vaccine has turned an increasing number of formerly healthy girls into "one more" victim of vaccine abuse.
The reported death toll for the HPV vaccine now stands at 89, and the first male death has also been reported. A young boy died just eight days after being vaccinated with Gardasil.
As of November 3, 2010, there were also 20,575 adverse reactions, the Age of Autism reports, and 352 reports of abnormal pap smears post vaccination. Keep in mind however, that it has been estimated that only 1 to 10 percent of all vaccine adverse events are ever reported, which means there could actually be millions of vaccine injuries related to Gardasil, and perhaps thousands of deaths.
Shockingly, the vaccine is now also related to infant deaths.
Breastfed Infants Die after Mothers get HPV Vaccine
Yes, according to a November 1, 2010 PRLog press release:
"Information has been received from a physician for the pregnancy registry for GARDASIL, concerning a female who on September 1, 2010 was vaccinated with the first dose of GARDASIL intramuscularly while breastfeeding. Her baby was 40 days old. It was reported that the mother's and baby's health were good (well controlled).
On September 2, 2010, in the morning, the baby's condition was still good, but in the afternoon the condition suddenly dropped. The family immediately took the baby to hospital but it did not help since the baby died shortly after that. The cause of death was not reported…"
Two additional VAERS reports of infants dying in a similar fashion have been filed in the last 16 months.
"Where is government accountability and responsibility in allowing this uncontrolled medical experiment on adolescents and women of child-bearing age?" the press release states.
"How many lives will be destroyed before they realize the travesty that is unfolding as they stand by and say and do nothing – other than "monitor" the situation?"
Those are the same questions I ask myself each time I write on this topic…
Unethical Clinical Research Performed in India, Civil Society Group Claims
In March of this year, a team of women's rights activists visited one of the vaccination sites in the Khammam district of India. According to Economic & Political Weekly:
"A look at the findings of this visit… suggests that these projects – which were in fact research – violated existing ethical guidelines on clinical research, as well as child rights.
These violations include – but are not limited to – testing on vulnerable and marginalized groups (particularly pediatric populations), who are not likely to benefit from the results of the research, and without taking their proper informed consent or assent."
This seems to be more the rule than the exception when it comes to many pharmaceutical companies' drug studies overseas. India in particular has seen an upsurge of clinical pharmaceutical studies, and the questionable practices employed are becoming increasingly apparent.
According to an article published last June, "proposed new laws to prevent pharmaceutical companies from conducting clinical studies of medicines involving humans without obtaining permission from accredited ethical committees may soon come into force in India."
The article goes on to say that:
"Deaths during clinical trials are increasing in India in the recent years even as the country emerges to be one of the most sought-after destinations of human studies of experimental medicines.
According to the figures collated with available information collected, as many as 308 persons died in the year 2009 till the month of August, reports said."
The Indian government suspended Merck's Gardasil study in April, when they discovered that four of the young participants had died, and more than 120 girls suffered severe adverse reactions, including:
stomach disorders
epilepsy
headaches
early menarche
HPV Vaccine Doesn't Even Work as Advertised
The marketers of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil would like you to believe that getting your daughter vaccinated can save her from HPV related illnesses like cervical cancer and genital warts, but where is the good evidence to show that is true?
There are more than 100 viral strains of HPV. Of these, about 30-40 are sexually transmitted and 15 strains are associated with cervical cancer. Several HPV strains are also associated with skin infections that cause genital warts or common warts on your hands and feet.
But Gardasil contains only four of these HPV strains, so if you contract one of the 96+ types that aren't included, you're out of luck. And, if you've already been exposed to one of the four types of virus in the vaccine, it doesn't work against those either.
Therefore, even if you accept the risks and get vaccinated, your chances of getting some form of HPV are still very high.
But even then there's actually very little cause for alarm because, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "In 90 percent of cases, your body's immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years."
This is true whether the infection is the type that can cause warts or cancer.
Personally, I don't see how the mediocre-at-best benefits of Gardasil could possibly outweigh its risks.
How Does HPV Vaccine Cause Injury and Death?
All vaccines, like all pharmaceutical products, have risks and can cause reactions that can lead to permanent health problems or even death. HPV vaccine is no different. Ever since the vaccine was fast tracked by the FDA and licensed in 2006, there have been many reports of Gardasil-related injuries and deaths.
The symptoms and causes of death after Gardasil vaccination include:
blood clots
acute respiratory failure
cardiac arrest
"sudden death" due to "unknown causes" shortly after receiving the vaccine
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 4,210 women will die from cervical cancer in the U.S. this year. Many of these mostly older women will have had high risk factors for developing a chronic HPV infection that leads to cervical cancer, such as lack of regular pap screening tests that could have promptly identified pre-cancer signs and led to life saving treatment. In fact, other high risk factors for chronic HPV infection that is associated with development of cervical cancer also include smoking; co-infection with HIV and chlamydia; and long term oral contraceptive use.
Cervical cancer CAN be prevented without vaccination and yet it looks like we may have already lost 89 healthy children and young women to HPV vaccination in the effort to spare them from the possibility of developing cervical cancer later in life.
Surely I'm not the only one who sees that as morally reprehensible!
Can Gardasil Increase Your Chances of Cervical Cancer ?
Yes, according to information Merck presented to the FDA prior to approval, if you have already been exposed to HPV 16 or 18 before getting a Gadasil shot, then Gardasil may increase your risk of developing precancerous lesions and cancer by nearly 45 percent!
None of this is advertised by Merck or public health officials, and the FDA has not recommended screening for HPV prior to vaccination. The FDA did not even demand that a warning be included in the package insert.
This is yet another potential hazard that no one is talking about, let alone making parents fully aware of before vaccinating their daughters (and sons).
Cervical Cancer Virtually 100 Percent Avoidable
Cervical cancer is well documented to be caused by an infection acquired through sexual contact. So it is virtually 100% behaviorally avoidable. According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent, offering FAR better protection than Gardasil.
According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. The majority of people, who are sexually active, have had contact with HPV viruses. More than 6 million women contract HPV infection annually, yet, as I already mentioned, more than 90 percent of these women will naturally clear the virus from their body without any residual health effects. And if girls and women get regular pap screening tests, which identify pre-cancerous lesions early, they can greatly reduce their chances of eventually being one of the estimated 4,200 American women to die from cervical cancer.
Why?
Because if you are healthy, your immune system is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases.
Rather than subjecting your daughter or son to this unnecessary and potentially dangerous vaccine, you may want to nip the problem in the bud before it starts.
Here's how:
Recognize that cervical cancer (or any cancer) is not caused by a "vaccine deficiency."
Talk to your kids about HPV. This infection is sexually transmitted, so it is 100 percent preventable through lifestyle choices.
Keep your immune system strong. A healthy immune system is better able to handle a heavier emotional and physical stress load. I've written many times on how to supercharge your immune system as an alternative to vaccinations, but I can't stress it enough: Proper diet, exercise, good hygiene, staying well rested, and hand-washing are excellent ways to begin the road to a long, healthy life, no matter what your age.
I also advocate getting plenty of the most natural health-booster of all, something that's free from Mother Nature – sunshine. Or, when you can't be out in the sun, supplements of Vitamin D, and particularly Vitamin D3, can keep your immune levels up.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/29/why-india-has-stopped-giving-hpv-vaccines.aspx
Related Links:
Time for the Truth about Gardasil
Absurd Vaccine Marketing -- Cervical Cancer Vaccinations for Boys
How the U.S. Government is Covering Up HPV Vaccine Side Effects
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Essential Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants
Personal note from Miriam:
I have some good news for you before you go out and spend bunches of money on all the supplements that Dr. Mark is recommending below. I was able to raise my own glutathione level so high that it's practically off the charts (in spite of having been diagnosed with a zillion diseases), and it only costs between $35-45 per month with one delicious and easy product consumed once per day that enabled me to toss out over a dozen other supplements. I have the nutrition blood test to prove it! Click here to see my personal testimonial and medical documentation, including my anti-oxidant test:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=107860572581462
Essential Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants
by Dr. Mark Hyman
December 23, 2010
T’S THE MOST IMPORTANT MOLECULE you need to stay healthy and prevent disease — yet you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it — but your doctor doesn’t know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule …
What is it? I’m talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced “gloota-thigh-own”).
The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.
This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.
In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.
At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness — and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!
So in today’s blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it’s important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids — cysteine, glycine and glutamine.
The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.
Normally glutathione is recycled in the body — except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble …
In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.
Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me.
These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.
That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn’t need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?
Because most of us didn’t require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function — one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.
Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn’t produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill …
This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens …
The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness
Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can “reduce” or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.
However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can’t get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.
But that’s not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That’s why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)
Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool — and out of your body.
And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.
If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency.
In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)
Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I’ll say it again … Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.
It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body’s main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.
And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione-boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione-boosting supplements. Let’s review more specifics about each.
9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels
These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.
Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production
1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).
2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception — with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins (“denaturing” refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference.
Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione
3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body’s own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.
Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements
One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein — so you wouldn’t get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.
4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.
5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.
6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin).
7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.
8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.
9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.
So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimize your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?
Have you tried any of the advice in this article?
What effects have you noticed on your health?
Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.
References
(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29
(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646
http://drhyman.com/glutathione-the-mother-of-all-antioxidants-504/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman.com%20newsletter%20issue%20#7&utm_term=Read+more
I have some good news for you before you go out and spend bunches of money on all the supplements that Dr. Mark is recommending below. I was able to raise my own glutathione level so high that it's practically off the charts (in spite of having been diagnosed with a zillion diseases), and it only costs between $35-45 per month with one delicious and easy product consumed once per day that enabled me to toss out over a dozen other supplements. I have the nutrition blood test to prove it! Click here to see my personal testimonial and medical documentation, including my anti-oxidant test:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=107860572581462
Essential Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants
by Dr. Mark Hyman
December 23, 2010
T’S THE MOST IMPORTANT MOLECULE you need to stay healthy and prevent disease — yet you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it — but your doctor doesn’t know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule …
What is it? I’m talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced “gloota-thigh-own”).
The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.
This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.
In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.
At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness — and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!
So in today’s blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it’s important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids — cysteine, glycine and glutamine.
The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.
Normally glutathione is recycled in the body — except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble …
In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.
Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me.
These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.
That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn’t need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?
Because most of us didn’t require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function — one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.
Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn’t produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill …
This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens …
The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness
Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can “reduce” or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.
However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can’t get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.
But that’s not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That’s why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)
Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool — and out of your body.
And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.
If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency.
In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)
Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I’ll say it again … Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.
It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body’s main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.
And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione-boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione-boosting supplements. Let’s review more specifics about each.
9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels
These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.
Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production
1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).
2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception — with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins (“denaturing” refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference.
Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione
3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body’s own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.
Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements
One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein — so you wouldn’t get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.
4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.
5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.
6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin).
7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.
8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.
9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.
So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimize your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?
Have you tried any of the advice in this article?
What effects have you noticed on your health?
Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.
References
(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29
(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646
http://drhyman.com/glutathione-the-mother-of-all-antioxidants-504/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman.com%20newsletter%20issue%20#7&utm_term=Read+more
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Terrorist may poison the food supply (but the food companies already have)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) Always on the terror streak, the mainstream media is now warning Americans that terrorists may strike the food supply by dumping poison into restaurant salad bars and buffets, for example. CBS News broke the story, quoting anonymous "intelligence" sources who insist that terrorists might use ricin or cyanide to poison foods in salad bars.
I have news for CBS, the federal government, and the terrorists: If you really want to poison the U.S. food supply, just use aspartame. It causes neurological disorders and yet remains perfectly legal to dump into foods such as diet sodas and children's medicines. You don't even have to dump it into the food supply in secret, either: You can do it right out in full view of the public. Heck, you can even list this chemical right on the ingredients label!
Or get into the MSG business. MSG, which is often hidden on "natural" foods under an ingredient called yeast extract, is a potent neurotoxin that promotes obesity and even cancer, according to some experts. Feed people enough MSG and they'll probably die of cancer sooner or later, and that counts toward the goal of terrorism too, doesn't it?
If you really want to get nasty and up the body count, start a hot dog company and dump sodium nitrite into your processed meat like all the other hot dog companies do. Sodium nitrite promotes aggressive cancers -- even in children -- and yet the USDA and FDA allow its use in the food supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/007133.html).
Better yet, feed the population genetically modified corn and then wait for the mutations to kick in. GMOs might actually be called a biological weapon because they cause so much harm to humans and the environment. (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html)
Why be a terrorist when you can do so much more damage as a processed food company?
If you're a terrorist looking to poison the U.S. food supply, get in line, buddy! The food companies have beat you to it!
In the U.S. food supply right now, you can find toxic mercury, BPA, acrylamides, petrochemicals, dangerous preservatives, synthetic chemicals like aspartame, pesticide residues and artificial colors that alter brain function. The FDA doesn't seem to care about any of this, of course: All these poisons in the food supply are legal!
So here's a message to Al-Qaeda and all the other terrorists trying to kill Americans: Don't bother with bombs and missiles... just get into the processed food business!
Or, heck, if you really want to kill Americans with poison, get into the cancer industry! The "Al-Qaeda Cancer Clinic" could really rack up some body bags by doing what all the other cancer clinics do: Inject patients with chemotherapy and watch them die (http://www.naturalnews.com/029996_c...).
Seriously, if you want to kill Americans, all you really need to do is keep supporting conventional medicine and the FDA with its do-nothing position on dangerous chemicals that threaten the health of Americans right now. FDA-approved drugs kill well over 100,000 Americans each year -- a statistic that dwarfs the body count of any terrorist group.
Come to think of it, how do we know the FDA isn't already being run by terrorists? Their actions, which blatantly endanger American lives, are entirely consistent with the aims of a terrorist organization. (http://www.naturalnews.com/001894.html)
By the way, this is all depicted in a CounterThink cartoon I created in 2006 called The Food Terrorists: http://www.counterthink.com/The_Foo...
This cartoon anticipated today's terror news alerts by four years. That's because when it comes to the U.S. government's rhetoric on terrorism, it's not that difficult to see where they're taking it.
Want to know what the next four years will bring us? I'll soon be publishing a list of predictions for 2011 and beyond. Watch NaturalNews.com for that announcement.
In the mean time, you might want to steer clear of FDA-approved foods and drugs, because you just never know what's really in them.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010...
Articles Related to This Article:
• The Honest Food Guide empowers consumers with independent information about foods and health
• Interview with "Kevala" Karen Parker, master raw foods chef
• Cigarettes, Lies, and Pet Food Advertising
• The true horrors of pet food revealed: Prepare to be shocked by what goes into dog food and cat food
• Interview: Raw food guru David Wolfe explores the healing energy of living foods
• Boku Super Food: An Astonishing New Premium Superfood Product Reviewed by the Health Ranger
http://www.naturalnews.com/030811_terrorists_food_supply.html
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030811_terrorists_food_supply.html#ixzz18v2VCCBn
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) Always on the terror streak, the mainstream media is now warning Americans that terrorists may strike the food supply by dumping poison into restaurant salad bars and buffets, for example. CBS News broke the story, quoting anonymous "intelligence" sources who insist that terrorists might use ricin or cyanide to poison foods in salad bars.
I have news for CBS, the federal government, and the terrorists: If you really want to poison the U.S. food supply, just use aspartame. It causes neurological disorders and yet remains perfectly legal to dump into foods such as diet sodas and children's medicines. You don't even have to dump it into the food supply in secret, either: You can do it right out in full view of the public. Heck, you can even list this chemical right on the ingredients label!
Or get into the MSG business. MSG, which is often hidden on "natural" foods under an ingredient called yeast extract, is a potent neurotoxin that promotes obesity and even cancer, according to some experts. Feed people enough MSG and they'll probably die of cancer sooner or later, and that counts toward the goal of terrorism too, doesn't it?
If you really want to get nasty and up the body count, start a hot dog company and dump sodium nitrite into your processed meat like all the other hot dog companies do. Sodium nitrite promotes aggressive cancers -- even in children -- and yet the USDA and FDA allow its use in the food supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/007133.html).
Better yet, feed the population genetically modified corn and then wait for the mutations to kick in. GMOs might actually be called a biological weapon because they cause so much harm to humans and the environment. (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html)
Why be a terrorist when you can do so much more damage as a processed food company?
If you're a terrorist looking to poison the U.S. food supply, get in line, buddy! The food companies have beat you to it!
In the U.S. food supply right now, you can find toxic mercury, BPA, acrylamides, petrochemicals, dangerous preservatives, synthetic chemicals like aspartame, pesticide residues and artificial colors that alter brain function. The FDA doesn't seem to care about any of this, of course: All these poisons in the food supply are legal!
So here's a message to Al-Qaeda and all the other terrorists trying to kill Americans: Don't bother with bombs and missiles... just get into the processed food business!
Or, heck, if you really want to kill Americans with poison, get into the cancer industry! The "Al-Qaeda Cancer Clinic" could really rack up some body bags by doing what all the other cancer clinics do: Inject patients with chemotherapy and watch them die (http://www.naturalnews.com/029996_c...).
Seriously, if you want to kill Americans, all you really need to do is keep supporting conventional medicine and the FDA with its do-nothing position on dangerous chemicals that threaten the health of Americans right now. FDA-approved drugs kill well over 100,000 Americans each year -- a statistic that dwarfs the body count of any terrorist group.
Come to think of it, how do we know the FDA isn't already being run by terrorists? Their actions, which blatantly endanger American lives, are entirely consistent with the aims of a terrorist organization. (http://www.naturalnews.com/001894.html)
By the way, this is all depicted in a CounterThink cartoon I created in 2006 called The Food Terrorists: http://www.counterthink.com/The_Foo...
This cartoon anticipated today's terror news alerts by four years. That's because when it comes to the U.S. government's rhetoric on terrorism, it's not that difficult to see where they're taking it.
Want to know what the next four years will bring us? I'll soon be publishing a list of predictions for 2011 and beyond. Watch NaturalNews.com for that announcement.
In the mean time, you might want to steer clear of FDA-approved foods and drugs, because you just never know what's really in them.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010...
Articles Related to This Article:
• The Honest Food Guide empowers consumers with independent information about foods and health
• Interview with "Kevala" Karen Parker, master raw foods chef
• Cigarettes, Lies, and Pet Food Advertising
• The true horrors of pet food revealed: Prepare to be shocked by what goes into dog food and cat food
• Interview: Raw food guru David Wolfe explores the healing energy of living foods
• Boku Super Food: An Astonishing New Premium Superfood Product Reviewed by the Health Ranger
http://www.naturalnews.com/030811_terrorists_food_supply.html
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030811_terrorists_food_supply.html#ixzz18v2VCCBn
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Which Vaccines Are Safe For Children?
In the December 2010 issue of “The Blaylock Wellness Report,” Dr. Russell Blaylock was was asked, “Which vaccines are safe for children?”
Following is Dr. Blaylock’s answer:
“Vaccines contain toxic levels of aluminum, contaminant viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma, and the flu vaccine contains a full dose of mercury. There is compelling evidence that the vaccine schedule is quite harmful to brain development, and is responsible for autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood.
“In my opinion, there is no need for the tetanus, diphtheria, MMR, chickenpox, or pertussus vaccines. Flu vaccines have been shown to offer no protection at all and are associated with neurological damage. The best protection for children against these diseases is 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D3 and a multiple vitamin/mineral regimen.”
http://healthtip.hacres.com/index.php/2010/12/20/which-vaccines-are-safe-for-children?utm_source=eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=news&utm_campaign=health-tip
Following is Dr. Blaylock’s answer:
“Vaccines contain toxic levels of aluminum, contaminant viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma, and the flu vaccine contains a full dose of mercury. There is compelling evidence that the vaccine schedule is quite harmful to brain development, and is responsible for autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood.
“In my opinion, there is no need for the tetanus, diphtheria, MMR, chickenpox, or pertussus vaccines. Flu vaccines have been shown to offer no protection at all and are associated with neurological damage. The best protection for children against these diseases is 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D3 and a multiple vitamin/mineral regimen.”
http://healthtip.hacres.com/index.php/2010/12/20/which-vaccines-are-safe-for-children?utm_source=eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=news&utm_campaign=health-tip
Monday, December 20, 2010
Why feeding baby cereal to your infant can be dangerous to his health
Personal note from Miriam:
I never gave baby cereal to my girls but started them on mashed fruit instead at about 6 months while continuing to breastfeed (i.e. banana and then apple). At about 8-9 months I added mashed raw vegetables (spinach, avocado, and barley grass powder). I learned this from the Hallelujah Diet, and it paid off! My girls were mentally advanced at every stage of their development and still are today, so I guess the Hallelujah Diet was right in saying that fruit helps brain development when babies are about 5-6 months old.
Below is an article from Dr. Mercola explaining the health problems caused by baby cereal.
Get the White Out of Baby's First Foods
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 20 2010 |
Almost every childcare book offers the same advice about a baby's first solid meal -- start them first on rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. This has been received wisdom for 60 years.
But this is because in the 1950's, baby food companies launched an advertising blitz trumpeting the benefits of white rice cereal.
But there is no scientific basis for this recommendation. None at all. And now, concerned about increasing childhood obesity, some pediatricians want to change how babies eat.
If babies are getting used to the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, it could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits.
USA Today reports:
"White rice -- after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients -- is a 'nutritional disaster' ... White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body 'almost instantly,' ... raising blood sugar and insulin levels."
Sources:
USA Today December 1, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
If you want to give your baby the best start nutritionally, do not follow the advice in most baby books encouraging you to start feeding rice cereal. Other than breast milk or formula, rice is the number one source of calories for infants in the first year of life, according to Stanford University pediatrician Alan Greene, and this is a nutritional disaster.
Optimal Nutrition for the First Year of Life
Ideally, your baby should be breastfed exclusively -- meaning no other food or water is supplemented -- 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).
Choosing what those solid foods will be is incredibly important, but unfortunately most pediatricians encourage their patients to start rice cereal at about 4 to 6 months of age. White rice is a refined carbohydrate, a group of highly processed, nutritionally devoid foods that have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, eye damage and cancer in adults, and are worthless nutritionally for infants as well.
Feeding infants cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and may prime your baby's appetite for a lifetime of processed carbs in the form of white bread, cookies and cakes.
A diet based on these types of refined carbs is responsible for many bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs and chins, and even worse, high insulin levels that lead to diabetes and suppress two other important hormones -- glucagons and growth hormones -- that are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting muscle development, respectively.
Insulin from excess carbohydrates promotes fat, and then wards off your body's ability to lose that fat. Excess weight and obesity not only lead to heart disease but also a wide variety of other diseases later in life.
I never gave baby cereal to my girls but started them on mashed fruit instead at about 6 months while continuing to breastfeed (i.e. banana and then apple). At about 8-9 months I added mashed raw vegetables (spinach, avocado, and barley grass powder). I learned this from the Hallelujah Diet, and it paid off! My girls were mentally advanced at every stage of their development and still are today, so I guess the Hallelujah Diet was right in saying that fruit helps brain development when babies are about 5-6 months old.
Below is an article from Dr. Mercola explaining the health problems caused by baby cereal.
Get the White Out of Baby's First Foods
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 20 2010 |
Almost every childcare book offers the same advice about a baby's first solid meal -- start them first on rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. This has been received wisdom for 60 years.
But this is because in the 1950's, baby food companies launched an advertising blitz trumpeting the benefits of white rice cereal.
But there is no scientific basis for this recommendation. None at all. And now, concerned about increasing childhood obesity, some pediatricians want to change how babies eat.
If babies are getting used to the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, it could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits.
USA Today reports:
"White rice -- after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients -- is a 'nutritional disaster' ... White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body 'almost instantly,' ... raising blood sugar and insulin levels."
Sources:
USA Today December 1, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
If you want to give your baby the best start nutritionally, do not follow the advice in most baby books encouraging you to start feeding rice cereal. Other than breast milk or formula, rice is the number one source of calories for infants in the first year of life, according to Stanford University pediatrician Alan Greene, and this is a nutritional disaster.
Optimal Nutrition for the First Year of Life
Ideally, your baby should be breastfed exclusively -- meaning no other food or water is supplemented -- 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).
Choosing what those solid foods will be is incredibly important, but unfortunately most pediatricians encourage their patients to start rice cereal at about 4 to 6 months of age. White rice is a refined carbohydrate, a group of highly processed, nutritionally devoid foods that have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, eye damage and cancer in adults, and are worthless nutritionally for infants as well.
Feeding infants cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and may prime your baby's appetite for a lifetime of processed carbs in the form of white bread, cookies and cakes.
A diet based on these types of refined carbs is responsible for many bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs and chins, and even worse, high insulin levels that lead to diabetes and suppress two other important hormones -- glucagons and growth hormones -- that are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting muscle development, respectively.
Insulin from excess carbohydrates promotes fat, and then wards off your body's ability to lose that fat. Excess weight and obesity not only lead to heart disease but also a wide variety of other diseases later in life.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Ignore This Simple Daily Habit and Watch Your Risk of Heart Disease Soar by 70%
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 08 2010 |
KSBW reports:
"Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say -- about your overall health."
Here are some of the signs to look for:
Flat, worn teeth and headache -- Sign of: Stress
Many people are surprised to find out they're tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.
Cracking, crumbling teeth -- Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Tooth erosion isn't a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that's coming up from the stomach and dissolving them
Sores that won't go away -- Sign of: Oral cancer
When an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.
Gums growing over teeth -- Sign of: Medication problems
This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.
Dry mouth -- Sign of: Sjogren's Syndrome and/or Diabetes
Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases -- Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes.
White webbing inside cheeks -- Sign of: Lichen planus
This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.
Crusting dentures -- Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.
Sources:
KSBW November 11, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Oral health is a fundamental part of optimal health, and there's convincing evidence linking the state of your teeth and gums to a variety of health issues.
One important health problem not included in the list above is heart disease.
How Poor Oral Health is Linked to Heart Disease
The link between gum disease and heart disease may not be obvious, but chronic inflammation is a hallmark of both conditions and inflammation in your body plays a major role in the build-up of plaque in your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
A study published earlier this year concluded that the frequency of teeth brushing can actually have a significant impact on your risk of developing heart disease. They found that those with the worst oral hygiene increased their risk of developing heart disease by 70 percent, compared to those who brush their teeth twice a day.
This finding is yet another potent testimony to the fact that heart disease is a condition that can be prevented, most of the time, by leading a healthy lifestyle -- which includes the simple act of brushing your teeth regularly to prevent periodontal disease.
But just how can periodontal disease trigger heart disease?
It's important to realize that periodontal disease involves both bone and the tissue that is in contact with that bone. From this contact, bacteria and toxic, inflammatory compounds can easily enter your blood stream.
Once in your blood stream, these toxic compounds can harm the lining of your blood vessels, which can lead to both strokes and heart attacks.
So, reducing inflammation is of primary importance for your overall health, and brushing your teeth regularly is one way to ensure you don't carry chronic inflammation in your body. I'll discuss this a bit more in a moment.
How Root Canals Can Seriously Compromise Your Health
Another oft-ignored connection between the state of your mouth and the rest of your body is the issue of how root canals can wreck your health.
The brilliant, but largely ignored work of Dr. Weston Price DDS on this subject -- published in 1923 after 25 years of research -- shows undisputable links between root canals and chronic degenerative diseases, such as:
Heart and circulatory disease
Cancer
Arthritis and rheumatism
Diseases of your brain and nervous system
You might think that once your tooth has been treated with a root canal, it's basically "fixed," or made whole again. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Teeth are similar to other organ systems in your body. They too require blood supply and lymphatic drainage. Once a tooth has been treated with a root canal however, the tooth is dead and can become a source of chronic inflammation caused by bacterial toxicity.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, root canal-treated teeth are almost always infected, even when not presenting visible clues. This is because anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive) continue to thrive by digesting necrotic tissue inside the now dead roots.
The toxins secreted from these bacteria are often incredibly potent. It's equivalent to leaving a grossly infected or dead organ in your body, albeit on a much smaller scale.
The longer root canal-treated teeth stay in your mouth, the more compromised your immune system becomes, and antibiotics will be of no help in these cases because the bacteria is kept safe and secure inside the tooth.
Surrounding your now dead tooth is blood supply and lymphatics, which drain these toxins from the area and spread it throughout your body where it can invade any other organ system and lead to diseases such as:
Autoimmune diseases
Cancers
Musculoskeletal diseases
Irritable bowel diseases
Depression
Beyond Oral Health – Your Diet is Key to Reducing Chronic Inflammation
As you can see, the running thread linking a wide variety of common health problems is chronic inflammation in your body – regardless of whether it originates in your mouth or not.
Clearly, addressing your oral health is an important step, but as you'll see in the next section, it all starts with your diet.
Your diet can make or break your teeth, as it were, and has a profound effect on your overall level of inflammation. Therefore, to optimize your health and prevent many of the diseases listed above, you'll want to evaluate your lifestyle to ensure you're doing everything you can to prevent chronic inflammation from occurring.
First and foremost, it's important to realize that the food you and your family chose to eat is your primary ally for the prevention of inflammation.
Much focus is placed on cholesterol levels and the ratio of "good" HDL and "bad" LDL cholesterol, but unfortunately, many conventional recommendations for how to improve your cholesterol levels are seriously flawed…
For example, it's vitally important to realize that there are different sizes of LDL cholesterol particles, and it's the LDL particle size that is relevant (as opposed to just the overall level of LDL's), as small particles get stuck easily and cause more inflammation.
The only way to modulate LDL particle size is, again, through your diet – statin drugs do NOT address particle size!
To reduce or prevent inflammation in your body, you'll want to avoid the following dietary culprits:
Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
Sugar/fructose and grains
Foods cooked at high temperatures
Trans fats
Preventing Tooth Decay Naturally
When it comes to oral hygiene and preventing cavities, there's a virtual war going on. If you listen to conventional health agencies' and your dentist's advice, you may still believe that fluoride is the answer.
Think again!
The only way you can believe this misguided advice is if you completely ignore the science.
Good oral health and strong, healthy teeth is NOT the result of drinking fluoridated water and brushing your teeth with fluoridated toothpaste. Rather it's all about your diet.
By avoiding sugars and processed foods, you prevent the proliferation of the bacteria that cause decay in the first place.
Most people whose diet includes very little sugar and few processed foods have very low rates of tooth decay. So the simple act of limiting, or eliminating sugar, and avoiding processed foods -- along with regular cleanings with your natural dentist -- will ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy naturally.
How to Brush Your Teeth Properly for Optimal Results
Most will be pleased to know that next month we will be launching a completely fluoride free tooth paste and dental cleaning system that should be out in mid January.
Also keep in mind that brushing your teeth too hard and longer than necessary can cause more harm than good. Persistent scrubbing can damage enamel and gums, while still not making your teeth any cleaner...
According to previous research, the ideal brushing time is two minutes and the ideal pressure 150 grams, which is about the weight of an orange.
The researchers found that brushing longer than two minutes, and/or using pressure greater than 150 grams does not remove any additional plaque, so there's a "Goldilocks' zone" when brushing, and there's no reason to keep going past that point.
Related Links:
The Gum Disease Conspiracy
Why You Should Avoid Root Canals Like the Plague
After Mercury Removal -- What is the Best Material to Replace Your Filling With?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/08/7-things-your-teeth-say-about-your-health.aspx
KSBW reports:
"Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say -- about your overall health."
Here are some of the signs to look for:
Flat, worn teeth and headache -- Sign of: Stress
Many people are surprised to find out they're tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.
Cracking, crumbling teeth -- Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Tooth erosion isn't a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that's coming up from the stomach and dissolving them
Sores that won't go away -- Sign of: Oral cancer
When an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.
Gums growing over teeth -- Sign of: Medication problems
This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.
Dry mouth -- Sign of: Sjogren's Syndrome and/or Diabetes
Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases -- Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes.
White webbing inside cheeks -- Sign of: Lichen planus
This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.
Crusting dentures -- Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.
Sources:
KSBW November 11, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Oral health is a fundamental part of optimal health, and there's convincing evidence linking the state of your teeth and gums to a variety of health issues.
One important health problem not included in the list above is heart disease.
How Poor Oral Health is Linked to Heart Disease
The link between gum disease and heart disease may not be obvious, but chronic inflammation is a hallmark of both conditions and inflammation in your body plays a major role in the build-up of plaque in your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
A study published earlier this year concluded that the frequency of teeth brushing can actually have a significant impact on your risk of developing heart disease. They found that those with the worst oral hygiene increased their risk of developing heart disease by 70 percent, compared to those who brush their teeth twice a day.
This finding is yet another potent testimony to the fact that heart disease is a condition that can be prevented, most of the time, by leading a healthy lifestyle -- which includes the simple act of brushing your teeth regularly to prevent periodontal disease.
But just how can periodontal disease trigger heart disease?
It's important to realize that periodontal disease involves both bone and the tissue that is in contact with that bone. From this contact, bacteria and toxic, inflammatory compounds can easily enter your blood stream.
Once in your blood stream, these toxic compounds can harm the lining of your blood vessels, which can lead to both strokes and heart attacks.
So, reducing inflammation is of primary importance for your overall health, and brushing your teeth regularly is one way to ensure you don't carry chronic inflammation in your body. I'll discuss this a bit more in a moment.
How Root Canals Can Seriously Compromise Your Health
Another oft-ignored connection between the state of your mouth and the rest of your body is the issue of how root canals can wreck your health.
The brilliant, but largely ignored work of Dr. Weston Price DDS on this subject -- published in 1923 after 25 years of research -- shows undisputable links between root canals and chronic degenerative diseases, such as:
Heart and circulatory disease
Cancer
Arthritis and rheumatism
Diseases of your brain and nervous system
You might think that once your tooth has been treated with a root canal, it's basically "fixed," or made whole again. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Teeth are similar to other organ systems in your body. They too require blood supply and lymphatic drainage. Once a tooth has been treated with a root canal however, the tooth is dead and can become a source of chronic inflammation caused by bacterial toxicity.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, root canal-treated teeth are almost always infected, even when not presenting visible clues. This is because anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive) continue to thrive by digesting necrotic tissue inside the now dead roots.
The toxins secreted from these bacteria are often incredibly potent. It's equivalent to leaving a grossly infected or dead organ in your body, albeit on a much smaller scale.
The longer root canal-treated teeth stay in your mouth, the more compromised your immune system becomes, and antibiotics will be of no help in these cases because the bacteria is kept safe and secure inside the tooth.
Surrounding your now dead tooth is blood supply and lymphatics, which drain these toxins from the area and spread it throughout your body where it can invade any other organ system and lead to diseases such as:
Autoimmune diseases
Cancers
Musculoskeletal diseases
Irritable bowel diseases
Depression
Beyond Oral Health – Your Diet is Key to Reducing Chronic Inflammation
As you can see, the running thread linking a wide variety of common health problems is chronic inflammation in your body – regardless of whether it originates in your mouth or not.
Clearly, addressing your oral health is an important step, but as you'll see in the next section, it all starts with your diet.
Your diet can make or break your teeth, as it were, and has a profound effect on your overall level of inflammation. Therefore, to optimize your health and prevent many of the diseases listed above, you'll want to evaluate your lifestyle to ensure you're doing everything you can to prevent chronic inflammation from occurring.
First and foremost, it's important to realize that the food you and your family chose to eat is your primary ally for the prevention of inflammation.
Much focus is placed on cholesterol levels and the ratio of "good" HDL and "bad" LDL cholesterol, but unfortunately, many conventional recommendations for how to improve your cholesterol levels are seriously flawed…
For example, it's vitally important to realize that there are different sizes of LDL cholesterol particles, and it's the LDL particle size that is relevant (as opposed to just the overall level of LDL's), as small particles get stuck easily and cause more inflammation.
The only way to modulate LDL particle size is, again, through your diet – statin drugs do NOT address particle size!
To reduce or prevent inflammation in your body, you'll want to avoid the following dietary culprits:
Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
Sugar/fructose and grains
Foods cooked at high temperatures
Trans fats
Preventing Tooth Decay Naturally
When it comes to oral hygiene and preventing cavities, there's a virtual war going on. If you listen to conventional health agencies' and your dentist's advice, you may still believe that fluoride is the answer.
Think again!
The only way you can believe this misguided advice is if you completely ignore the science.
Good oral health and strong, healthy teeth is NOT the result of drinking fluoridated water and brushing your teeth with fluoridated toothpaste. Rather it's all about your diet.
By avoiding sugars and processed foods, you prevent the proliferation of the bacteria that cause decay in the first place.
Most people whose diet includes very little sugar and few processed foods have very low rates of tooth decay. So the simple act of limiting, or eliminating sugar, and avoiding processed foods -- along with regular cleanings with your natural dentist -- will ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy naturally.
How to Brush Your Teeth Properly for Optimal Results
Most will be pleased to know that next month we will be launching a completely fluoride free tooth paste and dental cleaning system that should be out in mid January.
Also keep in mind that brushing your teeth too hard and longer than necessary can cause more harm than good. Persistent scrubbing can damage enamel and gums, while still not making your teeth any cleaner...
According to previous research, the ideal brushing time is two minutes and the ideal pressure 150 grams, which is about the weight of an orange.
The researchers found that brushing longer than two minutes, and/or using pressure greater than 150 grams does not remove any additional plaque, so there's a "Goldilocks' zone" when brushing, and there's no reason to keep going past that point.
Related Links:
The Gum Disease Conspiracy
Why You Should Avoid Root Canals Like the Plague
After Mercury Removal -- What is the Best Material to Replace Your Filling With?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/08/7-things-your-teeth-say-about-your-health.aspx
Study finds money contaminated with BPA
Thursday, December 09, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A new test conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families has revealed that the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is most likely lurking in your wallet. According to the findings, nearly every dollar bill tested in the multi-state analysis revealed BPA contamination, likely from BPA-laden receipts that rub off onto the cash.
The team sampled 22 one-dollar bills from the wallets of people from 18 states and Washington, D.C., and found that 21 of them tested positive for BPA. While some samples contained only about .12 parts per million (ppm) of BPA, others contained up to 11 ppm, indicating that exposure among the population can vary significantly.
Previous studies have already identified that the vast majority of money bills are covered in harmful pathogens and even drug residues, but the new study is one of the first of its kind to identify BPA on money. And the culprit seems to be receipt paper -- which more often than not contains BPA on its surface -- touching the bills.
An interview conducted by NPR back in August explained that much of the thermal receipt paper used by retailers today is loaded with BPA. And in the current study, researchers wanted to see for themselves what turned up on samples of receipt paper. They found that among 22 receipts collected from ten states and Washington, D.C., more than half contained BPA. One receipt from a Safeway grocery store actually contained so much BPA that the chemical comprised 2.2 percent of the receipt's total weight.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to insist that levels of exposure from these sources and others -- including from plastic bottles, food cans, and other consumer products -- is safe. But other recent studies have shown that even low-level exposure to BPA can cause serious health problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/029615_b...).
To learn more about the dangers of BPA, visit:
http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html
Sources for this story include:
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/...
Articles Related to This Article:
• Six Baby Bottle Manufacturers Quietly Agree to Remove Bisphenol-A (BPA) from Baby Bottles
• Study Verifies that BPA Causes Sexual Dysfunction in Men
• BPA Has Not Gone Away
• Research Links Plastics Containing Bisphenol A to Heart Disease and Diabetes
• Prenatal exposure to BPA in plastics makes young girls aggressive
• Only Two Companies in US Confirm Using BPA-Free Cans
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030670_money_BPA.html#ixzz18QON6pEG
http://www.naturalnews.com/030670_money_BPA.html
(NaturalNews) A new test conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families has revealed that the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is most likely lurking in your wallet. According to the findings, nearly every dollar bill tested in the multi-state analysis revealed BPA contamination, likely from BPA-laden receipts that rub off onto the cash.
The team sampled 22 one-dollar bills from the wallets of people from 18 states and Washington, D.C., and found that 21 of them tested positive for BPA. While some samples contained only about .12 parts per million (ppm) of BPA, others contained up to 11 ppm, indicating that exposure among the population can vary significantly.
Previous studies have already identified that the vast majority of money bills are covered in harmful pathogens and even drug residues, but the new study is one of the first of its kind to identify BPA on money. And the culprit seems to be receipt paper -- which more often than not contains BPA on its surface -- touching the bills.
An interview conducted by NPR back in August explained that much of the thermal receipt paper used by retailers today is loaded with BPA. And in the current study, researchers wanted to see for themselves what turned up on samples of receipt paper. They found that among 22 receipts collected from ten states and Washington, D.C., more than half contained BPA. One receipt from a Safeway grocery store actually contained so much BPA that the chemical comprised 2.2 percent of the receipt's total weight.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to insist that levels of exposure from these sources and others -- including from plastic bottles, food cans, and other consumer products -- is safe. But other recent studies have shown that even low-level exposure to BPA can cause serious health problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/029615_b...).
To learn more about the dangers of BPA, visit:
http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html
Sources for this story include:
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/...
Articles Related to This Article:
• Six Baby Bottle Manufacturers Quietly Agree to Remove Bisphenol-A (BPA) from Baby Bottles
• Study Verifies that BPA Causes Sexual Dysfunction in Men
• BPA Has Not Gone Away
• Research Links Plastics Containing Bisphenol A to Heart Disease and Diabetes
• Prenatal exposure to BPA in plastics makes young girls aggressive
• Only Two Companies in US Confirm Using BPA-Free Cans
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030670_money_BPA.html#ixzz18QON6pEG
http://www.naturalnews.com/030670_money_BPA.html
This Kills Twice as Many People as AIDS – Why are Doctors Ignoring it?
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 17 2010
About $282 million was paid to doctors by drug companies last year. Is this compromising the best interests of their patients?
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Many people are still completely unaware of the many ways in which they are being manipulated into taking dangerous and unnecessary drugs.
There's the $5 billion direct-to-consumer marketing, of course, which is rather obvious. But physicians also play a major role, and the manipulation that takes place on this level is more obscure.
Drug reps often give 'gifts' to convince doctors to prescribe the medications that they represent. These drug reps usually have no medical or science education. Instead, they're armed with some of the most potent brainwashing techniques used throughout the world, which I'll discuss in a moment.
Perhaps the manipulation technique most difficult to detect is the 'education' given by doctors, to doctors.
Here, it's very easy to forget that the doctor presenting the material is working entirely on the drug company's behalf, and not as an independent, well-educated, appropriate source of objective information.
And then there's the insidious Drug Industry sponsored "education" that takes place in medical schools across the US.
For example, out of Harvard's 8,900 professors and lecturers, 1,600 admit that they or a family member have ties to drug companies that could bias their teaching or research. In 2008 alone the pharmaceutical industry contributed more than $11.5 million to Harvard for "research and continuing education classes."
All of these tactics (and others) are employed on a massive scale in the name of "education," but nothing could be further from the truth.
Is Your Doctor Paid to Promote a Drug?
Chances are your doctor has fallen prey to pharmaceutical marketing tactics. Most doctors simply do not have the time to research each drug, and rely heavily on information from their pharmaceutical reps and from other 'experts,' i.e. doctors who are receiving significant fees to talk about drug treatments.
Pharmaceutical sales reached a staggering $300 BILLION last year, up five percent from 2008. It's no secret that the industry spends big bucks on direct-to-consumer advertising, but just how much do they spend on marketing to doctors?
A LOT!
According to a new database created by ProPublica, seven drug companies paid $282 million to more than 17,000 doctors during 2009-2010.
The drug companies included in the database are:
Cephalon
Johnson&Johnson
Merck
Pfizer
GlaxoSmithKline
AstraZeneca
Eli Lilly
Bear in mind that these seven represent just a small portion of the drug industry as a whole!
In 2006, the pharmaceutical industry spent an estimated $16 BILLION on physician advertising. At the time, that amounted to $10,000 for every doctor in the US.
How Does Drug Industry "Education" Help Protect and Improve Your Health?
The drug industry insists these payments are for "education," and improve patient care by keeping doctors up-to-date. However, I agree with those who call it bribery as it most definitely influences doctors' prescribing habits, which can have a seriously detrimental impact on their patients' health.
After all, prescription drugs are responsible for an estimated 700,000 ER visits a year due to adverse drug reactions. And adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered cause about 106,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S.
The truth is prescription drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide. Fewer die from accidents or diabetes than adverse drug reactions.
In light of those statistics, if all this money is spent to educate and improve patient care, how well is that working, you think?
These payments are entirely legal, and drug companies are not even required to disclose who they pay or how much. According to ProPublica, all but two of the seven companies included in their database were forced to divulge this information as part of settlements and lawsuits.
This will all change in 2013 under the new health care law, however.
Just How Much are Doctors Paid to Promote Drugs?
As discussed in the CNN video above, payments received by individual doctors ranged from $100 to $300,000 since 2009.
384 doctors received payments greater than $100,000, of which
43 doctors received more than $200,000 each
As mentioned earlier, these numbers represent payments from just seven drug companies!
The industry claims it's worth every penny, which only proves that these tactics most definitely increase drug sales, by influencing physicians to change their prescription habits.
But exactly how do they do it?
What makes otherwise well educated, intelligent doctors turn their backs on their Hippocratic Oath (to do no harm) and do the complete opposite by prescribing unnecessary and potentially dangerous drugs?
Potent Brainwashing Techniques Applied
Unbeknown to many doctors, drug companies use some of the most potent brainwashing techniques in the world, including extensive detailing of their personality in order for each encounter to be specifically tailored for maximum effect.
Even those who suspect they may be subject to some manipulation are mostly unaware of just how extensive and detailed the drug companies' profiling of them is.
Not only are reps trained to assess their personality, practice style, and medical preferences, they're also instructed to sniff out personal information, like the names of family members, birthdays, and family interests -- as well as the physician's professional interests and recreational pursuits.
All of this information goes into a database for future reference. When the time comes to devise an "incentive" -- say a dinner, sporting event, or membership -- it is custom tailored to suit the prey. It's all about establishing personal rapport. Oftentimes doctors mistake the reps' cleverly disguised interest in them as personal friendship.
This is exactly how it's designed to work!
The database also reveals how many of a doctor's patients receive specific drugs, how many competing drugs are prescribed compared with the target drug, and how the physician's prescribing habits change over time.
It tells them if a drug is "in favor" with a particular doctor or not, and gives them the tools to cook up a winning strategy for future manipulations.
Truly, the idea that pharmaceutical reps provide some kind of valuable, informative service to physicians is total fiction, created and perpetuated by the drug industry, to keep this deadly, but profitable, scheme going.
Unwieldy Doctors Get the Big Hammer...
Any doctor who has the good sense and integrity to question the information they receive and do their own homework can easily end up on the drug industry's Blacklist.
For example, last year it was discovered that drug giant Merck had a hit list of doctors to be "neutralized" or discredited because they were speaking out against the painkiller Vioxx.
It just goes to show that when persuasion tactics don't work, the drug cartel will not hesitate to ramp up the ante against dissenting doctors.
Time to Lift the Veil...
It's quite clear that both doctors and the public at large are being manipulated for the sake of corporate profits. The pharmaceutical industry is not really about promoting health, but making money off disease. And when one market begins to dwindle, they simply create a new one, by inventing yet another disease. Usually by "upgrading" a common symptom into disease status...
But you don't have to fall victim to these tactics. All that is needed is to see them for what they are: manipulative marketing strategies.
Folks, you CAN Take Control of Your Health. You don't have to put up with this kind of insanity any longer. By educating yourself on the tactics employed, you can learn to see right through the propaganda, and stop being deceived by drug company lies and deceptions.
Then, tell your family, friends and neighbors, and be a source of true education.
Collectively we can stop this unwise and foolish expenditure of resources on treatments that do not work, or worse, are completely unnecessary and cause further harm. It is a massive David vs. Goliath battle, but there is no doubt in my mind that the victory will eventually be ours.
How to Survive in a Disease-Promoting Paradigm
Remember, there are a number of basic strategies you can use to avoid getting sucked into the current disease-care paradigm. Here's a summary of my top 10 Healthful Lifestyle Strategies:
Eat a healthy diet that’s right for your nutritional type (paying very careful attention to keeping your insulin levels down)
Drink plenty of clean water
Manage your stress
Exercise regularly
Experience healthy doses of sunlight
Limit toxin exposure
Consume healthy fat
Eat plenty of raw food
Optimize insulin and leptin levels
Get plenty of sleep
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/17/how-much-is-your-doctor-being-paid-and-manipulated-by-the-drug-companies.aspx
About $282 million was paid to doctors by drug companies last year. Is this compromising the best interests of their patients?
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Many people are still completely unaware of the many ways in which they are being manipulated into taking dangerous and unnecessary drugs.
There's the $5 billion direct-to-consumer marketing, of course, which is rather obvious. But physicians also play a major role, and the manipulation that takes place on this level is more obscure.
Drug reps often give 'gifts' to convince doctors to prescribe the medications that they represent. These drug reps usually have no medical or science education. Instead, they're armed with some of the most potent brainwashing techniques used throughout the world, which I'll discuss in a moment.
Perhaps the manipulation technique most difficult to detect is the 'education' given by doctors, to doctors.
Here, it's very easy to forget that the doctor presenting the material is working entirely on the drug company's behalf, and not as an independent, well-educated, appropriate source of objective information.
And then there's the insidious Drug Industry sponsored "education" that takes place in medical schools across the US.
For example, out of Harvard's 8,900 professors and lecturers, 1,600 admit that they or a family member have ties to drug companies that could bias their teaching or research. In 2008 alone the pharmaceutical industry contributed more than $11.5 million to Harvard for "research and continuing education classes."
All of these tactics (and others) are employed on a massive scale in the name of "education," but nothing could be further from the truth.
Is Your Doctor Paid to Promote a Drug?
Chances are your doctor has fallen prey to pharmaceutical marketing tactics. Most doctors simply do not have the time to research each drug, and rely heavily on information from their pharmaceutical reps and from other 'experts,' i.e. doctors who are receiving significant fees to talk about drug treatments.
Pharmaceutical sales reached a staggering $300 BILLION last year, up five percent from 2008. It's no secret that the industry spends big bucks on direct-to-consumer advertising, but just how much do they spend on marketing to doctors?
A LOT!
According to a new database created by ProPublica, seven drug companies paid $282 million to more than 17,000 doctors during 2009-2010.
The drug companies included in the database are:
Cephalon
Johnson&Johnson
Merck
Pfizer
GlaxoSmithKline
AstraZeneca
Eli Lilly
Bear in mind that these seven represent just a small portion of the drug industry as a whole!
In 2006, the pharmaceutical industry spent an estimated $16 BILLION on physician advertising. At the time, that amounted to $10,000 for every doctor in the US.
How Does Drug Industry "Education" Help Protect and Improve Your Health?
The drug industry insists these payments are for "education," and improve patient care by keeping doctors up-to-date. However, I agree with those who call it bribery as it most definitely influences doctors' prescribing habits, which can have a seriously detrimental impact on their patients' health.
After all, prescription drugs are responsible for an estimated 700,000 ER visits a year due to adverse drug reactions. And adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered cause about 106,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S.
The truth is prescription drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide. Fewer die from accidents or diabetes than adverse drug reactions.
In light of those statistics, if all this money is spent to educate and improve patient care, how well is that working, you think?
These payments are entirely legal, and drug companies are not even required to disclose who they pay or how much. According to ProPublica, all but two of the seven companies included in their database were forced to divulge this information as part of settlements and lawsuits.
This will all change in 2013 under the new health care law, however.
Just How Much are Doctors Paid to Promote Drugs?
As discussed in the CNN video above, payments received by individual doctors ranged from $100 to $300,000 since 2009.
384 doctors received payments greater than $100,000, of which
43 doctors received more than $200,000 each
As mentioned earlier, these numbers represent payments from just seven drug companies!
The industry claims it's worth every penny, which only proves that these tactics most definitely increase drug sales, by influencing physicians to change their prescription habits.
But exactly how do they do it?
What makes otherwise well educated, intelligent doctors turn their backs on their Hippocratic Oath (to do no harm) and do the complete opposite by prescribing unnecessary and potentially dangerous drugs?
Potent Brainwashing Techniques Applied
Unbeknown to many doctors, drug companies use some of the most potent brainwashing techniques in the world, including extensive detailing of their personality in order for each encounter to be specifically tailored for maximum effect.
Even those who suspect they may be subject to some manipulation are mostly unaware of just how extensive and detailed the drug companies' profiling of them is.
Not only are reps trained to assess their personality, practice style, and medical preferences, they're also instructed to sniff out personal information, like the names of family members, birthdays, and family interests -- as well as the physician's professional interests and recreational pursuits.
All of this information goes into a database for future reference. When the time comes to devise an "incentive" -- say a dinner, sporting event, or membership -- it is custom tailored to suit the prey. It's all about establishing personal rapport. Oftentimes doctors mistake the reps' cleverly disguised interest in them as personal friendship.
This is exactly how it's designed to work!
The database also reveals how many of a doctor's patients receive specific drugs, how many competing drugs are prescribed compared with the target drug, and how the physician's prescribing habits change over time.
It tells them if a drug is "in favor" with a particular doctor or not, and gives them the tools to cook up a winning strategy for future manipulations.
Truly, the idea that pharmaceutical reps provide some kind of valuable, informative service to physicians is total fiction, created and perpetuated by the drug industry, to keep this deadly, but profitable, scheme going.
Unwieldy Doctors Get the Big Hammer...
Any doctor who has the good sense and integrity to question the information they receive and do their own homework can easily end up on the drug industry's Blacklist.
For example, last year it was discovered that drug giant Merck had a hit list of doctors to be "neutralized" or discredited because they were speaking out against the painkiller Vioxx.
It just goes to show that when persuasion tactics don't work, the drug cartel will not hesitate to ramp up the ante against dissenting doctors.
Time to Lift the Veil...
It's quite clear that both doctors and the public at large are being manipulated for the sake of corporate profits. The pharmaceutical industry is not really about promoting health, but making money off disease. And when one market begins to dwindle, they simply create a new one, by inventing yet another disease. Usually by "upgrading" a common symptom into disease status...
But you don't have to fall victim to these tactics. All that is needed is to see them for what they are: manipulative marketing strategies.
Folks, you CAN Take Control of Your Health. You don't have to put up with this kind of insanity any longer. By educating yourself on the tactics employed, you can learn to see right through the propaganda, and stop being deceived by drug company lies and deceptions.
Then, tell your family, friends and neighbors, and be a source of true education.
Collectively we can stop this unwise and foolish expenditure of resources on treatments that do not work, or worse, are completely unnecessary and cause further harm. It is a massive David vs. Goliath battle, but there is no doubt in my mind that the victory will eventually be ours.
How to Survive in a Disease-Promoting Paradigm
Remember, there are a number of basic strategies you can use to avoid getting sucked into the current disease-care paradigm. Here's a summary of my top 10 Healthful Lifestyle Strategies:
Eat a healthy diet that’s right for your nutritional type (paying very careful attention to keeping your insulin levels down)
Drink plenty of clean water
Manage your stress
Exercise regularly
Experience healthy doses of sunlight
Limit toxin exposure
Consume healthy fat
Eat plenty of raw food
Optimize insulin and leptin levels
Get plenty of sleep
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/17/how-much-is-your-doctor-being-paid-and-manipulated-by-the-drug-companies.aspx
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Fight prostate cancer with pomegranates
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, have identified yet another medicinal use for the pomegranate. According to Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology and author of the recent study, certain pomegranate compounds work to fight prostate cancer cells and prevent them from growing and spreading throughout the body. The findings support earlier work that has also identified the anti-cancer properties of pomegranates.
In order for prostate cancer cells to take hold and spread, they need a steady supply of testosterone. But in the presence of phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated fatty acids -- four specific types of compounds found in pomegranates -- prostate cancer cells are unable to interact with the hormone and spread. These same compounds prevent prostate and other cancers from spreading to the bones, and they even cause existing cancer cells to die.
In a previous prostate cancer study, researchers also noted that the ellagitannins in pomegranates work not only to slow the growth of cancer cells in general, but also to induce cancer cell death (http://www.naturalnews.com/022495.html).
"Because the genes and proteins involved in the movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in the movement of other types of cancer cells, the same ... components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment," explained Martins-Green.
The findings were presented at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in Philadelphia. They add to the growing body of evidence about the powerful medicinal qualities of pomegranates that include their ability to prevent and treat infections, inflammation, high cholesterol, tissue damage, heart disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/pomegran...).
Sources for this story include:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/pome...
Articles Related to This Article:
• The mineral selenium proves itself as powerful anti-cancer medicine
• Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism (Book Excerpt)
• Healing Illness - A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol
• New research shows vitamin D slashes risk of cancers by 77 percent; cancer industry refuses to support cancer prevention
• Mammograms cause breast cancer (and other cancer facts you probably never knew)
• Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know (opinion)
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030728_pomegranates_prostate_cancer.html#ixzz18FoHYCp0
http://www.naturalnews.com/030728_pomegranates_prostate_cancer.html
(NaturalNews) Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, have identified yet another medicinal use for the pomegranate. According to Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology and author of the recent study, certain pomegranate compounds work to fight prostate cancer cells and prevent them from growing and spreading throughout the body. The findings support earlier work that has also identified the anti-cancer properties of pomegranates.
In order for prostate cancer cells to take hold and spread, they need a steady supply of testosterone. But in the presence of phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated fatty acids -- four specific types of compounds found in pomegranates -- prostate cancer cells are unable to interact with the hormone and spread. These same compounds prevent prostate and other cancers from spreading to the bones, and they even cause existing cancer cells to die.
In a previous prostate cancer study, researchers also noted that the ellagitannins in pomegranates work not only to slow the growth of cancer cells in general, but also to induce cancer cell death (http://www.naturalnews.com/022495.html).
"Because the genes and proteins involved in the movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in the movement of other types of cancer cells, the same ... components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment," explained Martins-Green.
The findings were presented at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in Philadelphia. They add to the growing body of evidence about the powerful medicinal qualities of pomegranates that include their ability to prevent and treat infections, inflammation, high cholesterol, tissue damage, heart disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/pomegran...).
Sources for this story include:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/pome...
Articles Related to This Article:
• The mineral selenium proves itself as powerful anti-cancer medicine
• Cancer is not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism (Book Excerpt)
• Healing Illness - A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol
• New research shows vitamin D slashes risk of cancers by 77 percent; cancer industry refuses to support cancer prevention
• Mammograms cause breast cancer (and other cancer facts you probably never knew)
• Exposed: 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know (opinion)
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030728_pomegranates_prostate_cancer.html#ixzz18FoHYCp0
http://www.naturalnews.com/030728_pomegranates_prostate_cancer.html
J&J recalls 13 million boxes of Rolaids
Got indigestion? Got acid reflux? How about some Seven+ instead? The yummy and easy way out.
Thursday, December 16, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced its 14th major drug recall this year so far, this time for contaminated Rolaids products. According to an announcement from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the J&J division that produces Rolaids, the company is voluntarily recalling 13 million packages of Rolaids Extra Strength Plus Gas Softchews and Rolaids Multi-Symptom Plus Anti-Gas Softchews because they contain "metal and wood particles" and other "foreign materials."
The company had been receiving adverse event reports pertaining to the products that include vomiting, gum and tooth injury, and abnormal taste, which prompted it to initiate the recall. Despite this, though, the company still made the seemingly contradictory declaration that the "risk of serious adverse health consequences is remote."
According to an ABC News report on the recall, the two Rolaids products being recalled were produced by a third-party manufacturer, but a McNeil spokeswoman refused to indicate the identity and location of the facility. Since the company operates facilities in developing nations like India, however, it is likely that production of the tainted products took place at such a facility.
The company has ceased production of the two specific recalled products as well as Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews in order to conduct an investigation into the cause of contamination. McNeil has also instructed consumers to stop using the recalled products immediately.
A quick browse of the McNeil Product Recall page (http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/...) indicates that literally hundreds of J&J products have been recalled this year for various problems. Everything from allergy and pain medicines to children's cold and cough formulas have been recalled for improper labeling, foreign materials and alcohol content, among other things.
Sources for this story include:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellne...
http://www.rolaids.com/page.jhtml?i...
Articles Related to This Article:
• USDA Waited 18 Days to Recall Contaminated Beef that Sickened 28 People
• Oh Mylanta! Yet another Johnson & Johnson recall
• The Recent Limited Recall of Pedigree Dog Food
• Children's Tylenol recalled over tiny particles and out-of-control manufacturing processes
• USDA Refuses to Recall "Comingled" Meat That Contains Beef from Westland Plant Downer Cows
• Alert: Diabetic Insulin Syringes Recalled
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030749_Johnson_&_Rolaids.html#ixzz18FcDrxYW
http://www.naturalnews.com/030749_Johnson_&_Rolaids.html
Thursday, December 16, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced its 14th major drug recall this year so far, this time for contaminated Rolaids products. According to an announcement from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the J&J division that produces Rolaids, the company is voluntarily recalling 13 million packages of Rolaids Extra Strength Plus Gas Softchews and Rolaids Multi-Symptom Plus Anti-Gas Softchews because they contain "metal and wood particles" and other "foreign materials."
The company had been receiving adverse event reports pertaining to the products that include vomiting, gum and tooth injury, and abnormal taste, which prompted it to initiate the recall. Despite this, though, the company still made the seemingly contradictory declaration that the "risk of serious adverse health consequences is remote."
According to an ABC News report on the recall, the two Rolaids products being recalled were produced by a third-party manufacturer, but a McNeil spokeswoman refused to indicate the identity and location of the facility. Since the company operates facilities in developing nations like India, however, it is likely that production of the tainted products took place at such a facility.
The company has ceased production of the two specific recalled products as well as Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews in order to conduct an investigation into the cause of contamination. McNeil has also instructed consumers to stop using the recalled products immediately.
A quick browse of the McNeil Product Recall page (http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/...) indicates that literally hundreds of J&J products have been recalled this year for various problems. Everything from allergy and pain medicines to children's cold and cough formulas have been recalled for improper labeling, foreign materials and alcohol content, among other things.
Sources for this story include:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellne...
http://www.rolaids.com/page.jhtml?i...
Articles Related to This Article:
• USDA Waited 18 Days to Recall Contaminated Beef that Sickened 28 People
• Oh Mylanta! Yet another Johnson & Johnson recall
• The Recent Limited Recall of Pedigree Dog Food
• Children's Tylenol recalled over tiny particles and out-of-control manufacturing processes
• USDA Refuses to Recall "Comingled" Meat That Contains Beef from Westland Plant Downer Cows
• Alert: Diabetic Insulin Syringes Recalled
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030749_Johnson_&_Rolaids.html#ixzz18FcDrxYW
http://www.naturalnews.com/030749_Johnson_&_Rolaids.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Babies Drinking Sunscreen Chemicals in Breast Milk
Sunscreen chemicals absorbed into body, found in 85 percent of human milk samples
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) Before you apply creams, lotions, cosmetics and sunscreens to your skin, it might be a good idea to find out what's really in them. What's more, you need to know those ingredients aren't necessarily just coating the outside layers of your skin. For example, as NaturalNews previously reported, UCLA scientists have recently discovered nanoparticles in cosmetics and sunscreens can enter and wander throughout the body, potentially disrupting body functions on a sub-cellular level (http://www.naturalnews.com/027603_n...). And now, for the first time, a study just published in the international science journal Chemospherehas shown that a group of chemicals known as UV (for ultraviolet radiation) filters are turning up in humans internally -- and the phenomenon is widespread.
In fact, the investigation, conducted by a Swiss National Research Program called Endocrine Disrupters: Relevance to Humans, Animals and Ecosystems, found UV filters, which are common in cosmetics and sunscreens, were present in 85 percent of human milk samples tested. What does this mean for adults, much less babies taking in this contaminated milk? The alarming truth is, no one knows.
For the study, during the fall and summer of 2004, 2005 and 2006, human milk was sampled from mothers who had given birth at the University Women's Hospital in Basel, Switzerland. The research participants also answered detailed questionnaires in order to document their use of different types of cosmetic products and sunscreens.
When the women's breast milk was analyzed, tests revealed the milk samples contained a huge list of chemicals including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), synthetic musk fragrances, pesticides, phthalates, parabens, flame retardants (polybrominated diphenylethers), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) -- and cosmetic UV filters. What's more, the UV filter chemicals were surprisingly widespread; they were comparable in concentrations to PCBs, which have long been known to contaminate the environment.
"Research on the effects of endocrine disrupters (chemicals interfering with hormone actions) has shown that it is of utmost importance to obtain information on simultaneous exposure of humans to different types of chemicals because endocrine active chemicals can act in concert. Information on exposure is particularly important for the developing organism at its most sensitive early life stages. Human milk was chosen because it provides direct information on exposure of the suckling infant and indirect information on exposure of the mother during pregnancy," research team leaders Margret Schlumpf and Walter Lichtensteiger said in a media statement.
The analyzed data of the milk samples obtained from individual mothers were then compared with the information collected through the questionnaire about cosmetic and sunscreen use. While exposure patterns differed between individuals, Dr. Schlumpf, who is a scientist at the University of Zurich, pointed out that the total reported use of products containing UV filters was significantly correlated with the presence of those chemicals in breast milk.
In all, a total daily intake of each individual chemical found in the breast milk tests was calculated for each baby who was fed with breast milk. The results showed some infants were taking in daily amounts of PCBs and several pesticides that were far above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reference for supposed "acceptable" levels. Little is known about the health significance of babies drinking in UV filters through their mothers' milk.
In a statement to the media, the scientists noted that information on the relationship between the exposure of human populations to ingredients in cosmetics and sunscreens and the presence of these constituents in the human body has been sorely limited. And before the new Swiss research findings, the data on UV filters being present inside the human body was virtually non-existent.
"This study once again emphasizes the importance of global research on the impact of contaminants in the human environment and the need for continuous critical assessment of our priorities in environmental health and consumer habits. I am sure that this investigation will also spark debate at the upcoming first Environmental Health conference in Brazil, February 2011", Gert-Jan Geraeds, Executive Publisher of Chemosphere said in a press statement.
For more information:
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/au...
http://www.naturalnews.com/sunscree...
Articles Related to This Article:
• Interview with Randall Fitzgerald, author of The Hundred-Year Lie, on the prevalence of toxic chemicals
• Plan To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco Announced
• Cut the Chemicals and Enjoy More Energy
• Consumer alert: Popular air fresheners found to contain toxic chemical
• $74.5 Million Set for the Spraying of Toxic Chemicals Over San Francisco
• Highly toxic chemicals are found in laundry detergents, dryer sheets, deodorants, perfumes, soaps and other household products
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030725_sunscreen_chemicals.html#ixzz189mZ3tmD
http://www.naturalnews.com/030725_sunscreen_chemicals.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) Before you apply creams, lotions, cosmetics and sunscreens to your skin, it might be a good idea to find out what's really in them. What's more, you need to know those ingredients aren't necessarily just coating the outside layers of your skin. For example, as NaturalNews previously reported, UCLA scientists have recently discovered nanoparticles in cosmetics and sunscreens can enter and wander throughout the body, potentially disrupting body functions on a sub-cellular level (http://www.naturalnews.com/027603_n...). And now, for the first time, a study just published in the international science journal Chemospherehas shown that a group of chemicals known as UV (for ultraviolet radiation) filters are turning up in humans internally -- and the phenomenon is widespread.
In fact, the investigation, conducted by a Swiss National Research Program called Endocrine Disrupters: Relevance to Humans, Animals and Ecosystems, found UV filters, which are common in cosmetics and sunscreens, were present in 85 percent of human milk samples tested. What does this mean for adults, much less babies taking in this contaminated milk? The alarming truth is, no one knows.
For the study, during the fall and summer of 2004, 2005 and 2006, human milk was sampled from mothers who had given birth at the University Women's Hospital in Basel, Switzerland. The research participants also answered detailed questionnaires in order to document their use of different types of cosmetic products and sunscreens.
When the women's breast milk was analyzed, tests revealed the milk samples contained a huge list of chemicals including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), synthetic musk fragrances, pesticides, phthalates, parabens, flame retardants (polybrominated diphenylethers), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) -- and cosmetic UV filters. What's more, the UV filter chemicals were surprisingly widespread; they were comparable in concentrations to PCBs, which have long been known to contaminate the environment.
"Research on the effects of endocrine disrupters (chemicals interfering with hormone actions) has shown that it is of utmost importance to obtain information on simultaneous exposure of humans to different types of chemicals because endocrine active chemicals can act in concert. Information on exposure is particularly important for the developing organism at its most sensitive early life stages. Human milk was chosen because it provides direct information on exposure of the suckling infant and indirect information on exposure of the mother during pregnancy," research team leaders Margret Schlumpf and Walter Lichtensteiger said in a media statement.
The analyzed data of the milk samples obtained from individual mothers were then compared with the information collected through the questionnaire about cosmetic and sunscreen use. While exposure patterns differed between individuals, Dr. Schlumpf, who is a scientist at the University of Zurich, pointed out that the total reported use of products containing UV filters was significantly correlated with the presence of those chemicals in breast milk.
In all, a total daily intake of each individual chemical found in the breast milk tests was calculated for each baby who was fed with breast milk. The results showed some infants were taking in daily amounts of PCBs and several pesticides that were far above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reference for supposed "acceptable" levels. Little is known about the health significance of babies drinking in UV filters through their mothers' milk.
In a statement to the media, the scientists noted that information on the relationship between the exposure of human populations to ingredients in cosmetics and sunscreens and the presence of these constituents in the human body has been sorely limited. And before the new Swiss research findings, the data on UV filters being present inside the human body was virtually non-existent.
"This study once again emphasizes the importance of global research on the impact of contaminants in the human environment and the need for continuous critical assessment of our priorities in environmental health and consumer habits. I am sure that this investigation will also spark debate at the upcoming first Environmental Health conference in Brazil, February 2011", Gert-Jan Geraeds, Executive Publisher of Chemosphere said in a press statement.
For more information:
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/au...
http://www.naturalnews.com/sunscree...
Articles Related to This Article:
• Interview with Randall Fitzgerald, author of The Hundred-Year Lie, on the prevalence of toxic chemicals
• Plan To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco Announced
• Cut the Chemicals and Enjoy More Energy
• Consumer alert: Popular air fresheners found to contain toxic chemical
• $74.5 Million Set for the Spraying of Toxic Chemicals Over San Francisco
• Highly toxic chemicals are found in laundry detergents, dryer sheets, deodorants, perfumes, soaps and other household products
Related video from NaturalNews.TV
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030725_sunscreen_chemicals.html#ixzz189mZ3tmD
http://www.naturalnews.com/030725_sunscreen_chemicals.html
Friday, December 10, 2010
Purple foods ward off degenerative diseases
Wednesday, December 08, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Archives of Toxicology explains how many degenerative diseases are caused by poorly-bound iron in the body that reacts with various bodily components to generate toxins. This iron is consumed through various foods but is not stable enough to stay put and provide health benefits. But iron chelators, which are especially present in purple foods and green tea, provide iron with the binding nutrients it needs to function properly as well as prevent various degenerative diseases.
According to the study, brightly-colored fruits and vegetables are rich in iron chelators, and by consuming lots of them, the body is able to bind iron and help it to perform the vital role of transporting oxygen to bodily tissues, as well as absorb other nutrients. But without these necessary chelators, not only can iron become a type of harmful toxin, but other important nutrients like vitamin C will not be able to be readily absorbed and used by the body.
In fact, Professor Douglas Kell, author of the study and professor of Bioanalytical Science at the University of Manchester, says that nutrients like vitamin C that are normally beneficial can also become harmful if properly-bound iron is not present. And the result of this badly-bound iron, also known as hydroxyl radicals, is the onset of debilitating and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
"Much of modern biology has been concerned with the role of different genes in human disease," explained Kell. "The importance of iron may have been missed because there is no gene for iron as such. What I have highlighted in this work is therefore a crucial area for further investigation, as many simple predictions follow from my analysis."
"If true, they might change greatly the means by which we seek to prevent and even cure such diseases."
Some excellent purple fruits and vegetables to consume for iron-binding purposes -- and for overall health benefits -- include purple grapes, blueberries, eggplant, pomegranates, plums, blackberries, cherries, and black currants.
http://www.naturalnews.com/030662_purple_foods_disease_prevention.html
Sources for this story include:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...
Articles Related to This Article:
• How to Get Plenty of Iron as a Vegan
• Dr. Jameth Sheridan Shares Three Tips for Overall Health: Part III
• Hair Loss May Be linked to Iron Deficiency, Cleveland Clinic Experts Report (press release)
• Obese Children Often Suffer From Iron Deficiency, Causing Behavioral Problems
• EPA uses nanotech regulation ploy to target colloidal silver while ignoring all other nanotech particles
• Iron Supplements End Persistent Coughing in Women
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030662_purple_foods_disease_prevention.html#ixzz17jJBRpWe
(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Archives of Toxicology explains how many degenerative diseases are caused by poorly-bound iron in the body that reacts with various bodily components to generate toxins. This iron is consumed through various foods but is not stable enough to stay put and provide health benefits. But iron chelators, which are especially present in purple foods and green tea, provide iron with the binding nutrients it needs to function properly as well as prevent various degenerative diseases.
According to the study, brightly-colored fruits and vegetables are rich in iron chelators, and by consuming lots of them, the body is able to bind iron and help it to perform the vital role of transporting oxygen to bodily tissues, as well as absorb other nutrients. But without these necessary chelators, not only can iron become a type of harmful toxin, but other important nutrients like vitamin C will not be able to be readily absorbed and used by the body.
In fact, Professor Douglas Kell, author of the study and professor of Bioanalytical Science at the University of Manchester, says that nutrients like vitamin C that are normally beneficial can also become harmful if properly-bound iron is not present. And the result of this badly-bound iron, also known as hydroxyl radicals, is the onset of debilitating and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
"Much of modern biology has been concerned with the role of different genes in human disease," explained Kell. "The importance of iron may have been missed because there is no gene for iron as such. What I have highlighted in this work is therefore a crucial area for further investigation, as many simple predictions follow from my analysis."
"If true, they might change greatly the means by which we seek to prevent and even cure such diseases."
Some excellent purple fruits and vegetables to consume for iron-binding purposes -- and for overall health benefits -- include purple grapes, blueberries, eggplant, pomegranates, plums, blackberries, cherries, and black currants.
http://www.naturalnews.com/030662_purple_foods_disease_prevention.html
Sources for this story include:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...
Articles Related to This Article:
• How to Get Plenty of Iron as a Vegan
• Dr. Jameth Sheridan Shares Three Tips for Overall Health: Part III
• Hair Loss May Be linked to Iron Deficiency, Cleveland Clinic Experts Report (press release)
• Obese Children Often Suffer From Iron Deficiency, Causing Behavioral Problems
• EPA uses nanotech regulation ploy to target colloidal silver while ignoring all other nanotech particles
• Iron Supplements End Persistent Coughing in Women
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030662_purple_foods_disease_prevention.html#ixzz17jJBRpWe
Monday, December 6, 2010
New Concerns Arise for Children’s Dental X-Rays
Posted by: Dr. Mercola | December 06 2010 |
Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to radiation, which has led doctors to start a national campaign to protect them by reducing their exposure to diagnostic radiation. But there is at least one place where the message has not taken hold -- the dental office.
Most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film that requires higher amounts of radiation. In addition, orthodontists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than other methods. The device, known as a cone-beam CT scanner, provides 3-D images of teeth.
The New York Times reports:
"... [T]he cone beam's popularity has been fueled in part by misinformation about its safety and efficacy, some of it coming from dentists paid ... by manufacturers ... Cone-beam CT scans can help dentists deal with complex cases ...
But many experts in dental radiation have raised alarms about what they see as their indiscriminate use ... putting patients at risk, particularly younger ones."
Sources:
November 22, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Dental x-rays can provide your dentist with potentially invaluable information, such as revealing areas of decay, abscesses, cysts, developmental abnormalities, infection or tumors that cannot otherwise be detected.
But these X-rays are not without risk themselves, and in many cases are being vastly overused or used in formats that expose you and your children to unnecessary radiation risks.
Many dentists and orthodontists are also embracing new cone-beam CT scanner technology to provide 3-D images of teeth -- but also exposing you to hundreds of times more radiation exposure.
This risk is especially serious for children, as they have many developing cells and organs that are particularly vulnerable to radiation. Children also have many years of life ahead of them over which they will experience multiple X-rays -- and the risk is cumulative, meaning it grows with every X-ray they receive.
Be Aware of New Cone-Beam CT Scans
These new devices are being heavily promoted by their manufacturers, including Imaging Sciences International, which underwrote the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association … an issue entirely devoted to the new technology.
A cone-beam CT scanner provides clear 3-D images of teeth, which dentists and, especially, orthodontists, are using to lure patients, including children and teenagers who need braces. It's not uncommon for teens to receive one to four cone-beam CT scans during the course of their orthodontic treatment.
The problem with these scans is that they subject you to hundreds of times more radiation exposure than conventional X-rays, and there is absolutely no proof that this risk is worthwhile. Further, orthodontists can use a simple digital camera image -- which requires no radiation -- to get many of the same images; it just takes a little bit longer.
Dr. Stuart C. White, former chairman of oral radiology at the UCLA School of Dentistry, put it well in the New York Times when he said:
"So let me ask a question to the mother of a prospective orthodontic patient. Would you like me to use a tool that is entirely safe — a camera — to record the position of your child's teeth, or another method that may rarely cause cancer so that we can save time?"
What are the Risks of CT Scans?
Cone-beam CT scans are lower in radiation than typical CT scans used in the medical field, but that doesn't mean they are without risk.
There are four primary reasons that X-rays and other diagnostic tests that rely on ionizing radiation, such as mammograms and CTs, should be minimized:
They cause chromosomal mutations that are often irreparable, and the effects are cumulative.
They cause DNA changes that are proven to lead to cancer.
They cause DNA damage in your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
They often result in misdiagnosis and false positives, increasing the likelihood of follow up tests—further increasing your radiation exposure.
X-rays and other types of ionizing radiation have been, for decades, a proven cause of virtually all types of mutations—especially structural chromosomal mutations. X-rays are an established cause of genomic instability, which is frequently seen in the most aggressive cancers.
X-rays act like tiny little "grenades" that are far more damaging to your DNA than the metabolic free radicals, which are routinely produced by your cell's natural metabolism.
Ionizing radiation can damage the genetic material of every internal organ or cell lying within the path of an X-ray beam. Within an organ, even a single high-speed high-energy electron, set into motion by an X-ray photon, has a chance of inducing the types of damage that defy repair.
That is why there is no safe dose of X-rays or ionizing radiation.
Even when such mutations are not lethal to the cell, they persist and accumulate with each additional exposure to X-rays or other ionizing radiation.
In the case of cone-beam CT scans, there is an alternative … a tiny digital camera can be used to take 3-D images of your child's teeth, with absolutely no radiation risks whatsoever.
So why risk it?
Heavy Industry Pressure Misleading Dentists about Cone-Beam CT Scan Safety
Cone-beam CT scanners were initially intended to provide an alternative to full medical CT scanners, especially when diagnosing mouth and face problems. However, aggressive marketing on the part of the scanners' manufacturers has succeeded in getting them into dentists and orthodontists' offices, where they are now being used in some areas as a routine part of getting braces.
As Dr. Nicholas Dello Russo, a Boston periodontist who also teaches at Harvard Dental School, told the New York Times:
"The parents of these children have no idea about the amount of radiation used in these CT scans, and even more frightening, neither do the dentists."
Why are dentists so blissfully unaware of the radiation risks? Because manufacturers have been infiltrating trade shows, medical journals and industry conferences heavily touting this new "miracle machine" while downplaying its risks.
As the Times reported, six manufacturers spent close to $300,000 in October alone promoting the technology to the American Dental Association. Still, despite the heavy marketing campaign, the American Association of Endodontists has issued a statement stating cone-beam CT scans "must not" be used "for screening purposes in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms."
Some have even likened the scans to the "shoe-fitting fluoroscope" -- essentially, an X-ray machine used to look at the bones of your foot in order to judge your shoe size -- that was popular prior to the 1950s.
So if your child goes in for a routine checkup or to get braces, please avoid using this new technology without first learning the risks and alternatives. It is a serious health hazard to children, and I would encourage you to share this with your Facebook friends and family so they can be warned of this danger.
Go Digital if You Use X-Rays as Radiation is 80-90% Lower
Digital X-rays are one of the newest X-ray techniques around and can reduce patient radiation exposure by 80-90%.
Because it is so new and because the machines can be so expensive, your dentist may not have it yet; but watch for this process to become standard in the future. With digital X-rays film is replaced with a flat electronic pad or sensor.
The X-rays hit the pad the same way they hit the film. But instead of developing the film in a dark room, the image is electronically sent directly to a computer where the image appears on the screen. The image can then be stored on the computer or printed out.
Many Dentists Use Outdated X-Ray Film, Leading to Greater Radiation Exposure
Cone-beam CT scans are not the only form of radiation you should be on the lookout for in your dentist's office. Many are also using older D-speed X-ray film, which requires up to 60 percent more radiation than faster film.
It's a mystery why dentists are not at least upgrading their technology to faster, lower radiation X-ray film (again, digital X-rays would be even better as they use even less radiation), but there also has been no push by state dental boards to encourage them to do so.
Unfortunately, if your dentist is sticking with the status quo you or your child could be receiving radiation exposure that is way beyond what is necessary.
Remember, children are especially vulnerable to the effects of radiation, and they also tend to receive more dental X-rays than adults because their teeth and jaw are still developing, and their teeth are more subject to decay.
However, do not simply consent to X-rays that seem unnecessary or excessive … and make sure your dentist is not only using the lowest radiation digital X-rays available, but also is on board with your philosophy to use them only when absolutely necessary.
The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter offers some good suggestions for questions you should ask before undergoing any diagnostic scan, and this includes dental X-rays or cone-beam CT scan:
Is the test really necessary?
What difference will it make in my care?
Is there a non-radiation alternative, such as ultrasound or MRI (or digital photographs)?
Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology?
Will the test use the lowest level of radiation for adequate imaging? (Will it be adjusted for my size, or my child's size?)
Will the scan be limited to the indicated area, and will nearby areas be shielded?
Ultimately it is your child and your body that will be receiving the radiation dose from the X-ray or CT scan, so you need to be fully informed and certain that the benefit will truly outweigh the risk before you consent.
Also please remember to have your dentist use digital X-rays to radically reduce the radiation you or your child is exposed to and avoid the new CT X-rays at all costs.
http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/12/06/new-concerns-arise-for-childrens-dental-xrays.aspx
Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to radiation, which has led doctors to start a national campaign to protect them by reducing their exposure to diagnostic radiation. But there is at least one place where the message has not taken hold -- the dental office.
Most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film that requires higher amounts of radiation. In addition, orthodontists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than other methods. The device, known as a cone-beam CT scanner, provides 3-D images of teeth.
The New York Times reports:
"... [T]he cone beam's popularity has been fueled in part by misinformation about its safety and efficacy, some of it coming from dentists paid ... by manufacturers ... Cone-beam CT scans can help dentists deal with complex cases ...
But many experts in dental radiation have raised alarms about what they see as their indiscriminate use ... putting patients at risk, particularly younger ones."
Sources:
November 22, 2010
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Dental x-rays can provide your dentist with potentially invaluable information, such as revealing areas of decay, abscesses, cysts, developmental abnormalities, infection or tumors that cannot otherwise be detected.
But these X-rays are not without risk themselves, and in many cases are being vastly overused or used in formats that expose you and your children to unnecessary radiation risks.
Many dentists and orthodontists are also embracing new cone-beam CT scanner technology to provide 3-D images of teeth -- but also exposing you to hundreds of times more radiation exposure.
This risk is especially serious for children, as they have many developing cells and organs that are particularly vulnerable to radiation. Children also have many years of life ahead of them over which they will experience multiple X-rays -- and the risk is cumulative, meaning it grows with every X-ray they receive.
Be Aware of New Cone-Beam CT Scans
These new devices are being heavily promoted by their manufacturers, including Imaging Sciences International, which underwrote the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association … an issue entirely devoted to the new technology.
A cone-beam CT scanner provides clear 3-D images of teeth, which dentists and, especially, orthodontists, are using to lure patients, including children and teenagers who need braces. It's not uncommon for teens to receive one to four cone-beam CT scans during the course of their orthodontic treatment.
The problem with these scans is that they subject you to hundreds of times more radiation exposure than conventional X-rays, and there is absolutely no proof that this risk is worthwhile. Further, orthodontists can use a simple digital camera image -- which requires no radiation -- to get many of the same images; it just takes a little bit longer.
Dr. Stuart C. White, former chairman of oral radiology at the UCLA School of Dentistry, put it well in the New York Times when he said:
"So let me ask a question to the mother of a prospective orthodontic patient. Would you like me to use a tool that is entirely safe — a camera — to record the position of your child's teeth, or another method that may rarely cause cancer so that we can save time?"
What are the Risks of CT Scans?
Cone-beam CT scans are lower in radiation than typical CT scans used in the medical field, but that doesn't mean they are without risk.
There are four primary reasons that X-rays and other diagnostic tests that rely on ionizing radiation, such as mammograms and CTs, should be minimized:
They cause chromosomal mutations that are often irreparable, and the effects are cumulative.
They cause DNA changes that are proven to lead to cancer.
They cause DNA damage in your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
They often result in misdiagnosis and false positives, increasing the likelihood of follow up tests—further increasing your radiation exposure.
X-rays and other types of ionizing radiation have been, for decades, a proven cause of virtually all types of mutations—especially structural chromosomal mutations. X-rays are an established cause of genomic instability, which is frequently seen in the most aggressive cancers.
X-rays act like tiny little "grenades" that are far more damaging to your DNA than the metabolic free radicals, which are routinely produced by your cell's natural metabolism.
Ionizing radiation can damage the genetic material of every internal organ or cell lying within the path of an X-ray beam. Within an organ, even a single high-speed high-energy electron, set into motion by an X-ray photon, has a chance of inducing the types of damage that defy repair.
That is why there is no safe dose of X-rays or ionizing radiation.
Even when such mutations are not lethal to the cell, they persist and accumulate with each additional exposure to X-rays or other ionizing radiation.
In the case of cone-beam CT scans, there is an alternative … a tiny digital camera can be used to take 3-D images of your child's teeth, with absolutely no radiation risks whatsoever.
So why risk it?
Heavy Industry Pressure Misleading Dentists about Cone-Beam CT Scan Safety
Cone-beam CT scanners were initially intended to provide an alternative to full medical CT scanners, especially when diagnosing mouth and face problems. However, aggressive marketing on the part of the scanners' manufacturers has succeeded in getting them into dentists and orthodontists' offices, where they are now being used in some areas as a routine part of getting braces.
As Dr. Nicholas Dello Russo, a Boston periodontist who also teaches at Harvard Dental School, told the New York Times:
"The parents of these children have no idea about the amount of radiation used in these CT scans, and even more frightening, neither do the dentists."
Why are dentists so blissfully unaware of the radiation risks? Because manufacturers have been infiltrating trade shows, medical journals and industry conferences heavily touting this new "miracle machine" while downplaying its risks.
As the Times reported, six manufacturers spent close to $300,000 in October alone promoting the technology to the American Dental Association. Still, despite the heavy marketing campaign, the American Association of Endodontists has issued a statement stating cone-beam CT scans "must not" be used "for screening purposes in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms."
Some have even likened the scans to the "shoe-fitting fluoroscope" -- essentially, an X-ray machine used to look at the bones of your foot in order to judge your shoe size -- that was popular prior to the 1950s.
So if your child goes in for a routine checkup or to get braces, please avoid using this new technology without first learning the risks and alternatives. It is a serious health hazard to children, and I would encourage you to share this with your Facebook friends and family so they can be warned of this danger.
Go Digital if You Use X-Rays as Radiation is 80-90% Lower
Digital X-rays are one of the newest X-ray techniques around and can reduce patient radiation exposure by 80-90%.
Because it is so new and because the machines can be so expensive, your dentist may not have it yet; but watch for this process to become standard in the future. With digital X-rays film is replaced with a flat electronic pad or sensor.
The X-rays hit the pad the same way they hit the film. But instead of developing the film in a dark room, the image is electronically sent directly to a computer where the image appears on the screen. The image can then be stored on the computer or printed out.
Many Dentists Use Outdated X-Ray Film, Leading to Greater Radiation Exposure
Cone-beam CT scans are not the only form of radiation you should be on the lookout for in your dentist's office. Many are also using older D-speed X-ray film, which requires up to 60 percent more radiation than faster film.
It's a mystery why dentists are not at least upgrading their technology to faster, lower radiation X-ray film (again, digital X-rays would be even better as they use even less radiation), but there also has been no push by state dental boards to encourage them to do so.
Unfortunately, if your dentist is sticking with the status quo you or your child could be receiving radiation exposure that is way beyond what is necessary.
Remember, children are especially vulnerable to the effects of radiation, and they also tend to receive more dental X-rays than adults because their teeth and jaw are still developing, and their teeth are more subject to decay.
However, do not simply consent to X-rays that seem unnecessary or excessive … and make sure your dentist is not only using the lowest radiation digital X-rays available, but also is on board with your philosophy to use them only when absolutely necessary.
The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter offers some good suggestions for questions you should ask before undergoing any diagnostic scan, and this includes dental X-rays or cone-beam CT scan:
Is the test really necessary?
What difference will it make in my care?
Is there a non-radiation alternative, such as ultrasound or MRI (or digital photographs)?
Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology?
Will the test use the lowest level of radiation for adequate imaging? (Will it be adjusted for my size, or my child's size?)
Will the scan be limited to the indicated area, and will nearby areas be shielded?
Ultimately it is your child and your body that will be receiving the radiation dose from the X-ray or CT scan, so you need to be fully informed and certain that the benefit will truly outweigh the risk before you consent.
Also please remember to have your dentist use digital X-rays to radically reduce the radiation you or your child is exposed to and avoid the new CT X-rays at all costs.
http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/12/06/new-concerns-arise-for-childrens-dental-xrays.aspx
Swimming in chlorinated pools increases your risk of cancer
Sunday, December 05, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Going for a swim may increase your risk of cancer if you use a chlorinated pool, according to a series of studies conducted by researchers from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, Spain, and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
"Parents send their children to pools because they want to do something good for them," said toxicologist Alfred Bernard of the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium, who was not involved in the study. "But we actually don't know the long-term effects."
Prior studies have raised concerns that chlorine in pools can react chemically with sweat, skin cells and other organic material to produce chemicals linked with asthma and bladder cancer. In one of the new studies, researchers analyzed water from a public swimming pool and identified more than 100 such byproducts, including many toxins.
The researchers then tested the blood, urine and breath of 50 healthy adults both before and after they swam laps for 40 minutes. They found an increase in a marker for respiratory distress, suggesting a decreased resistance of the lung lining to foreign substances. They also found a sevenfold increase in several markers of DNA damage that have been associated with cancer risk.
Chlorine is a known toxic chemical, and health advocates have been raising concerns about its use in pools for a long time.
"Chlorine causes scarring of the arteries," write Kevin Gianni and Annmarie Colameo in their book The Busy Person's Fitness Solution.
"When the arteries scar, cholesterol now has something to attach itself to," they write. "This is what clogs arteries. So basically tap water, pools, and hot tubs help you clog your arteries."
"We have good evidence that you have to be careful with these chemicals," Bernard said. "Maybe chlorine is not the best choice for disinfecting swimming pools."
Sources for this story include: http://www.breitbart.com/article.ph... ; http://news.discovery.com/human/chl....
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030622_chlorine_cancer.html#ixzz17OsKo62b
http://www.naturalnews.com/030622_chlorine_cancer.html
(NaturalNews) Going for a swim may increase your risk of cancer if you use a chlorinated pool, according to a series of studies conducted by researchers from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, Spain, and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
"Parents send their children to pools because they want to do something good for them," said toxicologist Alfred Bernard of the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium, who was not involved in the study. "But we actually don't know the long-term effects."
Prior studies have raised concerns that chlorine in pools can react chemically with sweat, skin cells and other organic material to produce chemicals linked with asthma and bladder cancer. In one of the new studies, researchers analyzed water from a public swimming pool and identified more than 100 such byproducts, including many toxins.
The researchers then tested the blood, urine and breath of 50 healthy adults both before and after they swam laps for 40 minutes. They found an increase in a marker for respiratory distress, suggesting a decreased resistance of the lung lining to foreign substances. They also found a sevenfold increase in several markers of DNA damage that have been associated with cancer risk.
Chlorine is a known toxic chemical, and health advocates have been raising concerns about its use in pools for a long time.
"Chlorine causes scarring of the arteries," write Kevin Gianni and Annmarie Colameo in their book The Busy Person's Fitness Solution.
"When the arteries scar, cholesterol now has something to attach itself to," they write. "This is what clogs arteries. So basically tap water, pools, and hot tubs help you clog your arteries."
"We have good evidence that you have to be careful with these chemicals," Bernard said. "Maybe chlorine is not the best choice for disinfecting swimming pools."
Sources for this story include: http://www.breitbart.com/article.ph... ; http://news.discovery.com/human/chl....
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030622_chlorine_cancer.html#ixzz17OsKo62b
http://www.naturalnews.com/030622_chlorine_cancer.html
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Eating This "Healthy" Food? It Could be Slowly and Silently Killing You
Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 04 2010
by The Weston A. Price Foundation -
The Weston A. Price Foundation provides accurate information about nutrition and is dedicated to putting nutrient-dense foods back on American tables.
Members receive a lively and informative quarterly journal and email updates on current issues and website events. Visit their at www.westonaprice.org
Are you confused about soy?
The Weston A. Price Foundation has compiled a list of soy dangers and myths to get the truth out once and for all.
Soy Dangers Summarized
High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking, but only with long fermentation. High-phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals, soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body's requirement for Vitamin D. Toxic synthetic Vitamin D2 is added to soy milk.
Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods to mask soy's unpleasant taste.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Myths and Truths About Soy
Here we dispel the myths of the "Diet Dictocrats" and reveal the scientific validity behind our wise ancestors' nutrient-dense diets.
Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.
Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soybeans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.
Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.
Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.
Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.
Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.
Truth: Like all legumes, soybeans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.
Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.
Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body: in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12
Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.
Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth.
Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc, which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system.
Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.
Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.
Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.
Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.
Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.
Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol with soy protein improves one's risk of having heart disease.
Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.
Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.
Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.
Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.
Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.
Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in later life.
Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.
Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.
Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels.
Myth: Soybeans are good for the environment.
Truth: Most soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.
Myth: Soybeans are good for developing nations.
Truth: In third-world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.
Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies
Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least four birth control pills per day.
Male infants undergo a testosterone surge during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculinity traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior.
In animals, studies indicate that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. Soy infant feeding -- which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that inhibit testosterone -- cannot be ignored as a possible cause of disrupted development patterns in boys, including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder.
Male children exposed to DES, a synthetic estrogen, had testes smaller than normal on maturation and infant marmoset monkeys fed soy isoflavones had a reduction in testosterone levels up to 70 percent compared to milk-fed controls.
Almost 15 percent of white girls and 50 percent of African-Americans girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.
Intake of phytoestrogens even at moderate levels during pregnancy can have adverse affects on the developing fetus and the timing of puberty later in life.
For those seeking scientific references please see my earlier artticle
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I believe you would reach the same conclusion as I have—which is, the health risks associated with unfermented soy products FAR outweigh any possible benefits.
However, there's an important distinction that must be made any time you talk about soy, and that is the difference between traditionally fermented and unfermented soy products.
For centuries, Asian people have been consuming fermented soy products such as natto, tempeh, and soy sauce, and enjoying the health benefits associated with them.
Fermented soy does not wreak havoc on your body like unfermented soy products do.
Additionally, there's the issue of eating genetically modified (GM) soy. In the US, over 90 percent of all soy grown is genetically modified Roundup Ready soy, which has an array of additional health hazards all of its own.
Unfortunately, many Americans who are committed to healthy lifestyles have been mislead and grossly manipulated into believing that unfermented and processed soy products like soymilk, soy cheese, soy burgers and soy ice cream are health foods.
As the Weston A. Price Foundation so clearly shows (above), this is far from true.
Health Dangers of Soy
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.
If you have symptoms of any of the following diseases, I would strongly urge you to take a closer look at your diet and eliminate unfermented soy:
Breast cancer
Brain damage
Infant abnormalities
Thyroid disorders
Kidney stones
Immune system impairment
Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
Impaired fertility
Danger during pregnancy and nursing
What Soy Products are Good For You?
The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming.
After a long fermentation process, the phytate and "anti-nutrient" levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.
The primary fermented soy products I recommend are:
Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.
Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.
Please note that tofu is NOT on this list. Tofu is not fermented, and is therefore not among the soy foods I recommend.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/04/soy-dangers-summarized.aspx
by The Weston A. Price Foundation -
The Weston A. Price Foundation provides accurate information about nutrition and is dedicated to putting nutrient-dense foods back on American tables.
Members receive a lively and informative quarterly journal and email updates on current issues and website events. Visit their at www.westonaprice.org
Are you confused about soy?
The Weston A. Price Foundation has compiled a list of soy dangers and myths to get the truth out once and for all.
Soy Dangers Summarized
High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking, but only with long fermentation. High-phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals, soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body's requirement for Vitamin D. Toxic synthetic Vitamin D2 is added to soy milk.
Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods to mask soy's unpleasant taste.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Myths and Truths About Soy
Here we dispel the myths of the "Diet Dictocrats" and reveal the scientific validity behind our wise ancestors' nutrient-dense diets.
Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.
Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soybeans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.
Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.
Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.
Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.
Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.
Truth: Like all legumes, soybeans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.
Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.
Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body: in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12
Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.
Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth.
Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc, which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system.
Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.
Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.
Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.
Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.
Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.
Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.
Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol with soy protein improves one's risk of having heart disease.
Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.
Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.
Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.
Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.
Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.
Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in later life.
Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.
Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.
Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels.
Myth: Soybeans are good for the environment.
Truth: Most soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.
Myth: Soybeans are good for developing nations.
Truth: In third-world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.
Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies
Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least four birth control pills per day.
Male infants undergo a testosterone surge during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculinity traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior.
In animals, studies indicate that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. Soy infant feeding -- which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that inhibit testosterone -- cannot be ignored as a possible cause of disrupted development patterns in boys, including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder.
Male children exposed to DES, a synthetic estrogen, had testes smaller than normal on maturation and infant marmoset monkeys fed soy isoflavones had a reduction in testosterone levels up to 70 percent compared to milk-fed controls.
Almost 15 percent of white girls and 50 percent of African-Americans girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.
Intake of phytoestrogens even at moderate levels during pregnancy can have adverse affects on the developing fetus and the timing of puberty later in life.
For those seeking scientific references please see my earlier artticle
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I believe you would reach the same conclusion as I have—which is, the health risks associated with unfermented soy products FAR outweigh any possible benefits.
However, there's an important distinction that must be made any time you talk about soy, and that is the difference between traditionally fermented and unfermented soy products.
For centuries, Asian people have been consuming fermented soy products such as natto, tempeh, and soy sauce, and enjoying the health benefits associated with them.
Fermented soy does not wreak havoc on your body like unfermented soy products do.
Additionally, there's the issue of eating genetically modified (GM) soy. In the US, over 90 percent of all soy grown is genetically modified Roundup Ready soy, which has an array of additional health hazards all of its own.
Unfortunately, many Americans who are committed to healthy lifestyles have been mislead and grossly manipulated into believing that unfermented and processed soy products like soymilk, soy cheese, soy burgers and soy ice cream are health foods.
As the Weston A. Price Foundation so clearly shows (above), this is far from true.
Health Dangers of Soy
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.
If you have symptoms of any of the following diseases, I would strongly urge you to take a closer look at your diet and eliminate unfermented soy:
Breast cancer
Brain damage
Infant abnormalities
Thyroid disorders
Kidney stones
Immune system impairment
Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
Impaired fertility
Danger during pregnancy and nursing
What Soy Products are Good For You?
The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming.
After a long fermentation process, the phytate and "anti-nutrient" levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.
The primary fermented soy products I recommend are:
Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.
Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.
Please note that tofu is NOT on this list. Tofu is not fermented, and is therefore not among the soy foods I recommend.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/04/soy-dangers-summarized.aspx
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