Magnesium Stearate controversy

This one just came up from Dr. Mercola. He says Magnesium Stearate is not so good for you: it can coat your intestines and cut down on absorbtion of food and nutrients - but go look in your vitamin cupboard and look at the list of ingredients of the bottles there. Don't be too suprised if you find magnesium stearate in the list. Unfortunately I didn't notice any reference in Dr. Mercola's article, so I went hunting. Here is just one of the articles that was more explanatory but again - lacked decent references. Or this One.

Here is another article that addresses 'inactive ingredients' in generic drugs and the possible effects of these ingredients. Hmmm, the FDA and strange bedfellow again!

Please - if anyone has some well documented source for the detrimental effects of magnesium stearate, please let me know!

Despite Controversy, Lexapro Approved for Kids’ Depression

Watch out, here we go again, I wonder how many injuries, deaths, etc., (and profit$$), it will take before Lexapro gets removed from the list of kiddy-meds! If your child is depressed, you may want to check what they are eating first.

Colds, Flu and Vit-D

In the largest study yet of the association between vitamin D and respiratory infections, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders such as asthma.

Vitamin C has been used for the prevention of colds for decades, but little scientific evidence supports its effectiveness. In contrast, evidence has accumulated that vitamin D plays a key role in the immune system.

The wintertime deficiency of vitamin D, which the body produces in response to sunlight, has been implicated in the seasonal increase in colds and flu, and previous small studies have suggested an association between low blood levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of respiratory infections.

The newest study analyzed blood levels of vitamin D from almost 19,000 adult and adolescents, selected to be representative of the overall U.S. population.

Sources:
Archives of Internal Medicine 2009; 169 (4): 384-390
Life Extension Magazine February 25, 2009
Scientific American February 23, 2009
Dr. Mercola

BigPharma, Junk Science, and Cherry Picking

Here are multiple stories about the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and how they fund multiple studies on their anti psychotic drug, Seroquel, then suppress those studies that are unfavorable and show a link between the drug and diabetes, and only send to the FDA those studies that show a favorable outcome - this practice is called 'cherry picking' and is apparently quite common in the industry. [I just read an abstract (Medical Care [Med Care] 2008 May; Vol. 46 (5), pp. 467-75. ) indicating specialty hospitals may engage in the same practice of cherry picking: "Patients with more generous insurance are significantly more likely to gain admission to specialty hospitals."]
Why do these pharmaceutical companies purposefully promote a product that is harmful?! Why is this country drowning in drugs only to be falling behind most other industrialized nations in every standard of wellness and measure of effectiveness of our $ick care $ystem? Follow the money and the greed! How many people have sold their soul (and the health of others) for that which corrupts?

Don't wait for President Obama or your elected officials to turn it around! YOU can do it by learning how to eat healthy, live healthy, and STAY healthy! Stay away from the soda, refined foods, corn syrup, sugar, 'low fat' products, MSG, fake sweeteners and Omega-6 fats. Educate yourself about yourself - instead of wasting that hour watching TV or some other nonproductive activity, pray for guidance and get smart.

Another example of (strongly) suspected Junk Science: HIV=AIDS

Sick Care - a broken system

I just found this interesting paper from Cornell University on how broke our Sick Care System is - your politicians apparently know something about this - yet the system just keeps getting worse and more expensive!
As for me, I'd rather put my bucks in healthy living and good nutrition and supplements. . . . Did you know that the US spends 45% of the world's money on drugs even though we are only 5% of the worlds population? But are we better off? Nope, just broke - and the quality of our Sick Care system ranks 37th in industrialized countries and we are 72nd in overall health!

Here is a publication from the National Coalition on Health Care (HCHC) about the ever increasing cost of Sick Care in the U.S. "Health Insurance Costs"

And surely you would want to go to Who'$ Running Wa$hington

More . . . .

Part of the problem is that sick care is a 'for profit' business in this country. Profit for the insurance companies (Medicare Advantage programs), profit for hospitals (Fla), and for sure - profit for the pharmaceutical industry!

Please feel free to view a very revealing documentary. You may also want to look up my post on Medecine in Other Countries and Shady Beginnings.

Is there hope? This quote by President John Adams may be an indication: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."