Irradiated food

The FDA is likely to push us in the direction of irradiating food with the recent problems with contaminated peanuts and other foods. Sounds good doesn't it? But what else does it 'rearrange' at a molecular level? Well . . . . . they aren't really sure. So once again we will become the guinea pigs. Here is an interesting study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison that reveals there may be some danger with irradiated foods.

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."

Dirty Soap

I could hardly believe it! Dirty soap! Look on the contents of those cheap soap bars; if it has animal fat (sodium tallowate) and comes from Mexico you may not want to buy it! See NEWS
This is just another example of how our government keeps us safe - Ha, ha!

4th leading cause of death in U.S.

From the Journal of American Medical Association the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. is adverse reactions to properly prescribed drugs. Add to that those wrongly prescribed, or adverse interactions to multiple drugs (does you doctor ask you what else YOU are on?!) of about 80,000/year and you are right up there in the #3 slot. Go BigPharma!
See Doctor Death for more info.

Here is another that just came up: An article in JAMA of March 18 , the drug Pactimibe that had looked promising in preventing atherosclerosis (the process in which plaque builds up in the inner lining of the arteries leading to cardiovascular events) in animal tests just didn`t work in humans. Well, it worked but instead of helping, it seems it increased the incidence of not only heart attack but also strokes.

Whenever a doc prescribes a 'pill fix', I go looking for a more natural and safer alternative!

Doctor of what?

Ever wanted to know what some of that alphabet soup means behind a medical degree?
Try THIS.

Need additional references. .

HPV Vaccine - you better think twice

One of the latest money makers from Merck, Gardasil (see Catherine Morgan) has some minor side effects - if you consider death as a minor side effect! To help insure Merck's own immunity from the depression hitting the rest of us, they have put on a major media blitz and are reportedly buying influence in high places to make it law that requires all young women get this vaccine.

To see what's happening in your state, check NCSL. (Check tables about 1/3rd down)

You might want to investigate Merck'$ benevolent desire to help all mankind before getting sucked into this vaccine craze! See Judicial Watch, Women's Health (another blog), rumors from US News, JAMA, or Vaccine Awakening (another blog - why should I duplicate the excellent work shown here); of course if you want it from the horses mouth see Merck'$ spiel.

UPDATE: I just found out that Merck has applied to have Gardasil approved (and you can bet they will try to get it MANDATED) for boys and men also!

What happened to the BEST medicine - abstinance before marriage and fidelity after marriage. Last time I checked, it was fully effective and only good side effects.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Good background article, though may lack crdible authority.

Since U.S. doctors seem largely ignorant or skeptical of leaky gut syndrome, some foreign sites appear helpful. England

L-Glutamine may help with leaky gut. It is needed in the body along with pyridoxal-5-phosphate ( the active form of vitamin B6) for proper assimilation.

Of general interest may be Doctors Data, a testing lab specializing in many valuble tests with lots of interesting things to read up on.

FDA - Get email alerts

The FDA issues allerts and information on a multitude of things. I've signed up for the Class-1 recalls, etc. Take a look FDA
BUT, you may want to wait until the latest peanut/salmonela epedimic is over - otherwise you may get up to 30 emails a day!

Cancer

Note - ! under construction with frequent updates ! (Latest Update 17 Jan 09)

Cancer - It's a real killer; either literally or financially - and I want to put the odds in my favor as much as possible. If you are interested, here are things I've found:

1. What is cancer? Normal cells gone bad through changes in their DNA.
2. How do you prevent cancer?
a) Minimize exposure to those things that cause DNA damage.
b) Strengthen your cells against DNA damage.
c) Strengthen those processes that correct DNA damage.
d) Build up your system to more effectively fight cancer as it appears.
3. Some things to know if you have cancer.


Here are some natural things to help prevent cancer:

Grape Seed Extract: No side effects and it has been documented not only to strengthen blood vessels and tissues against the onslaught of proteinases excreted by cancer cells, but it also causes apoptosis (cell self destruction) in the cancer cells. U of K.

Vitamins B6, B12, folate, choline, and methionine are vital to DNA synthesis. Deficiencies in these nutrients greatly increases the risk of cancer. Some of these are addressed separately later, but you need all of them for the full synergistic effect.

Vit B12: The best form of B12 supplement is sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges available from Country Life or BioInnovations. It is best absorbed and most bioavailable. B-12 plays a major role in DNA repair as well as promoting normal nerve and brain function.

Beta-carotene: Vitamin A can be derived from beta-carotene and avoids vit-A toxicity. Vit-A inhibits cancer induction and growth. Beta-carotene has anticancer activities including inhibition of cancer growth chemicals and inflammatory signals. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid - one of fifty or so contained in a good diet. It is best to take a mixture of these carotenoids, not just beta-carotene alone. (Vit-A & Vit-D problem to keep a watch on)


Miscellaneous related subjects:
Angiogenesis - growth of new blood vessels.

Some of the information here came from an excellent, though somewhat technical, book written by Doctor Russell L. Blaylock - a board certified neurosurgeon with over twenty years dealing with cancers. Natural Strategies For Cancer Patients.

Other Resources: Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Dr. Schreiber, MD
Wiki
YouTube

Salmonella

Update: Salmonella seems to be an increasing problem. Normally it is only associated with meat products. Now it is showing up in all kinds of stuff! See latest FDA Warning.

Now it's Perry's Ice Cream! Map

See cartoon and comment

Fingernail Analysis

I have never heard of this but ran across it; so I made this post just to keep track of some links in case I ever want to look into it. I was looking for folate deficiency as a cause of split nails.
Stop Biting Nails
Dr. Denice Moffat
BellaOnline

Gee, I didn't realize nails were such a complex item?!

Allergies

As scientific knowledge expands our understanding of the human body and how it not only functions but how it dysfunctions leads us to the realization that we are intricately interconnected to our environment. That environment is increasingly synthetic and plays havoc on our immune system as evidenced by a disproportionate increase in allergies.

Ten steps to reducing your allergies. Notice all the things to eliminate from your diet in step 4.

Exacerbating or mimicking allergies are the effects of toxic molds and fungi. An ideal incubation site for these are your sinuses. Antibiotics are not very effective against them and antihistamines frequently perpetuate the condition via the histamine rebound effect.

A very effective means of ridding yourself of these sinus invaders is the use of a neti pot to flush the sinuses with a saline base of distilled water (no chlorine or fluoride) combined with natural antibiotic/antiviral agents. I've found the following mixture gives me good results:

8 to 10 oz. of RO or distilled water.
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of non-iodized natural sea salt without any additives (I've heard pickling salt also works - but haven't tried it).
1 to 2 drops of natural organic oil of oregano.
2 drops of grapefruit seed extract.
1 drop of pure tea tree oil (or Melaleuca T36-C5).

This solution lasts me several days. I warm it before use and put part of it in a neti pot (or other container of your choice). I flush once or twice three time a day until clear for a week, then use it every two or three days. Note: if you have a clay neti pot - warming it in a microwave may crack it (hmm - wonder how I figured that out!).

Another item that works well is Sinus Cleanser that does the same thing. But be aware that if you use it when you have a cold, it may become contaminated then becomes pretty useless, or worse, it may give you an infection of the same virus you are trying to clear out.

Natural nutrients are some of the most effective agents against molds, and fungus. For example, honey helps fight the effects of fungal mycotoxins in the intestinal tract: Substituting sugars with honey in processed food can inhibit the harmful and genotoxic (gene changing) effects of mycotoxins, and improve the gut microflora. Trip

Whereas high fructose corn syrup (found in abundance in most processed foods) and the corn from which it is processed is frequently contaminated with these and similar mycotoxins that cause liver damage and other human ailments. NCSU Also see Sweet.

So what do you do about those antihistamine drugs? You might want to try replacing them with a powerful natural one that is also a very powerful and a versatile anticancer flavonoid - Quercetin. It can be used to treat allergic reactions and sinusitis. At higher doses, it will lower elevated blood sugar, is a natural anti-inflammatory that inhibits the LOX enzyme. Take 1000mg three times a day. Lot's of articles.

More coming . . .

BigPharma - Did You Know?

More little tidbits about those folks that promise you health in a bottle . . .

12/29/08 - Nobel Prize tainted by BigPharma (Follow the $$ again).

Did you know if you are killed by a drug or medical device (even though faulty and/or they lied to the FDA during approval) you (well, your family) can't sue anyone? Thanks George (Bush)! NY Times & NY Times-2 & Natural News. So.... with that in mind, here is the latest from the FDA on drugs.

We can't get cheaper drugs from Canada - but where do those you pick up from your pharmacy come from??? Off Shore Drugs 'Freebies' in your Drugs'

Adverse side effects of drugs kill over 106,000/year in U.S. Full Article - Condensed .
So why do they tell us how many are killed in Iraq or Afghanistan on the daily news, but this goes virtually unreported? (Total of U.S. troops killed in Iraq since 2003 is ~4,000 that's only 3.8% of those killed by pharmaceuticals - in just ONE year!)

Iatrogenic - a big word (related to the above) to impress your friends.

Bored with your TV? Here - go watch the latest in Drug & Etc. recalls from the FDA

Poison Plastic

I've updated this post with the latest news (9/16/09) on Bisphenol A, or BPA. Since the health conscious have avoided it because of the greed connection to Big Bu$$ine$ and the all-to-easy approval of the FDA, I thought I'd include the latest news update showing the link between BPA and cardiovascular disease (heart), and diabetes. Check It Out.

Oh, and don't forget about Melamine - It is in candy and a lot of other stuff from China. Here is a tidbit from the FDA on a recent recall. Here is one from Mike Adams on Halloween Candy.

Melamine Updates: Who's next? Take a LOOK. And I bet this is the tip of the iceburg! Yep - More and. . . more, and more!

Heard of Bisphenol A? Its been in the news for awhile. It's supposed to be bad stuff that leaches out of those shiny plastic bottles you have around. Read After receiving assurances from the manufacturers, the FDA says it's OK. So in all fairness, you can go here and be reassured by the American Chemistry Council.

"The plastics that have the most BPA are those made of polycarbonate plastic -- they are usually rigid and transparent and used for toddler cups, baby bottles, food storage containers and water bottles. They are frequently marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" and the recycling number 7. Plastics with the recycling numbers 1, 2 and 4 on the bottom are better choices."

Another interesting development is the use of melamine in pet foods and infant formulas to falsely boost the apparent protein content. In pet food - more protein, more $$. Supposedly safe, it has been found that malamine in combination with other chemicals can be deadly. Who is pulling this trick? You guessed it - the Chinese! But it didn't take long for the U.S. pet food industry to catch on! So who is next?

If you can't go to sleep at night, there's lots of technospeak here at NIH. Basically it says "We aren't sure - and you all are the Guinea pigs!" Hmmmm - kinda sounds like the FDA. . .

You might also want to check out this site that tells what those little triangles on the bottom of all your plastics mean. Code Guide

Medical System - Shady beginnings of in U.S.

When did you see your doctor last or watch one of those drug commercials on TV (along with the 30 seconds of quietly delineating the dangerous side effects)? More than likely if you had any symptoms you were then given a list of drugs to go get. This is medicine by prescription: Column A = Symptom; Column B = Drug, etc. or medicine by commercial. Here is some interesting history on how our present day pill pushing medical system came to be. Follow the Money $$. Go HERE and scroll down to "How Now, Sacred Cow?". One need dabble only a short while until you run into the secret order of the Skull & Bones. Interesting videos, and the Bush family has a long association with this secret order - hmmm, that's interesting! It isn't suprising that U.S. presidents have selected 'Bonesmen' to head key positions in their cabinet.

Back to the mystery of who's behind the scene pulling the strings of our medical/pharmaceutical industry - if you want to spend an extensive afternoon or more you could try this rather extensive read: Griffin.

In summation, our modern medical $ystem is "Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich". You think we will ever get a better system that won't bankrupt you if you have a major illness? I don't think so - you will have to move to another country for that! See my post on Medicine in Other Countries

Disruption of the species?

Recent studies show males of many species, not only humans, are not doing well in the polutant battle: "The environmental impacts of phthalates in plastic inhibit testosterone production and possibly may cause irregular genital development. Brominated flame-retardants may block the thyroid hormone critical to proper development of both the testes and the brain. University of Missouri professor, Dr. vom Saal, said, ‘This mishmash of synthetic hormones - leading to too much estrogen and too little testosterone and thyroid hormone - is making a mess of sexual development in males.’ He conducted studies relative to sperm health comparing various geographic locations. A markedly lower sperm count in males from farming areas verses urban areas suggests pesticides are to blame." Reference.