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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Laxative Colonoscopy Prep Products and Kidney Damage
Laxatives are one of the most commonly overused products sold to consumers, over-the-counter (OTC). These same products, and others available by prescription only, have caused serious side effects associated with kidney damage (nephropathy) and dehydration.
The products are particularly risky for the elderly and people with existing heart, kidney and some gastrointestinal problems.
Since colon cancer prevention and screening are important health concerns, consumers are encouraged to be educated about using these products.
The products are particularly risky for the elderly and people with existing heart, kidney and some gastrointestinal problems.
Since colon cancer prevention and screening are important health concerns, consumers are encouraged to be educated about using these products.
Osmolar Phosphate Laxatives: Keeping Water in its Place
Osmolarity is a fancy word that refers to a basic rule of physics and biology and it is about how fluids - in this case it’s water – move in and out of cells based on the presence of electrolytes, most often sodium and potassium. Phosphorus and calcium are two other electrolytes that are important health and often work together.
Your body depends on a delicate balance of trace elements and enzyme reactions to keep humming like a top. When this balance is altered you run the risk of dehydration and problems with the way your kidneys work.
Simply put, when you ingest a large amount of sodium containing foods or liquids, the kidneys work to flush the excess sodium out of the body. It does this by removing fluid from inside the cells, from your tissues and organs and moves it through the kidneys or the gastrointestinal tract. This may lead to excessive urination and diarrhea. In the process you lose not only the water but your electrolyte balance is altered.
Phosphorus and calcium reactions with dehydration may lead to the formation of crystals or “stones” and reduction of kidney function.
Laxatives often become the culprit in these cases, especially for the elderly, those with heart failure, people with kidney problems, and people using prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication affecting kidney function (diuretics for example).
Oral Sulfur Phosphates as Preps for Screening for Colorectal Cancer
Currently colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and it is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths, therefore screening and early detection have become an important public health issue.
Thorough bowel cleansing is an important part of preparation for this screening and it is crucial to find a product that is safe and easy use. The difficulty in getting more people to seek the screening may be increased because of concerns with the products.
One very popular laxative has been Fleet’s Phospho-Soda. The C.B. Fleet Co. of Lynchburg, VA recently, in a voluntary action, withdrew its oral, over-the-counter Fleet Phospho-Soda bowel cleansing solutions after FDA regulators warned of potential harm to the kidneys when the Phospho-Soda is used as a bowel cleanser.
While the FDA has not required a recall, Fleet also removed the EZ-Prep Bowel Cleansing System used to clear the bowels before a colonoscopy.
Information found urges anyone using Phospho-soda to review current FDA product information pages. They also state that it is important to follow your doctor’s guidelines and drink at least nine 8-ounce glasses of water daily to prevent dehydration.
The FDA is now moving to have these laxative products relabeled to include warnings and make them available only by prescription.
Other prescription products, Visicol and OsmoPrep, will add the new FDA required warning regarding potential kidney damage to their oral sodium phosphate products.
The concern at the FDA is that oral sodium phosphate products have been connected with kidney function problems such as acute phosphate nephropathy that can cause permanent damage and lifelong dialysis or death. In acute phosphate nephropathy, calcium-phosphate crystals deposit in the renal tubules inside each kidney.
When used as directed or at lower levels, the FDA stated there is no evidence that the OTC laxatives lead to kidney problems. The agency, however, started issuing alerts in 2006. Other data show that product lawsuits for oral sodium phosphate laxatives, including lawsuits where OSP product users developed acute phosphate nephropathy began appearing in 2003.
While Phospho-soda has been the bowel prep product used and recommended by physicians for decades, Fleet is not asking doctors to not recommend the Phospho-soda products.
Gastroenterologists and proctologists have recommended Fleet’s Phospho-soda products for years, especially in patient preparation for screening colonoscopy (a colon cancer screening examination). In a clinical trial the product achieved the highest patient acceptance scores, and cleansing was generally rated as excellent.
However, Fleet Phospho-soda should not be used in patients with congenital megacolon, bowel obstructions, ascites, congestive heart failure or kidney disease.
When problems do not exist, physicians believe the product is good because it is effective, easily tolerated by patients and affordable.
Generally most patients do not like bowel prep products. Some doctors, like Mark Wax MD, suggest the need for “virtual bowel prep”. He adds that “until that becomes an option, patients will have to undergo conventional preparation and that requires making informed decisions about available options.” Wax is associated with a company that offers virtual colonoscopy.
The company states that virtual colon screening is a minimally invasive, safe and more comfortable procedure. Recent studies have shown it to be comparable to conventional colonoscopy for finding polyps larger than one centimeter. The risk of cancer in smaller polyps is almost negligible. With virtual colonoscopy, 100% of the colon surface can be seen. It is estimated that physicians only see 70%-80% of the colon surface with conventional colonoscopy.
Should you have medical questions about using these products, contact your health care provider.
This article is part of a consumer health education series written by Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, NP, ND, of Creating Health Institute, in collaboration with Bernstein Liebhard, LLP, who sponsors the consumer advocate website, www.ConsumerInjuryLawyers.com
Friday, December 26, 2008
Patient Consent Update Needed Now
The following two paragraphs come from the January 2008 issue of my newsletter, herbalYODA Says!
I am a staunch supporter of and educator about informed consent. This doctrine is required for any and all medications, treatments, surgeries or tests ordered for you by your health care provider.
The pure reason I am such a stickler is that year after year I find that very little of this process is going on, at least at a level a patient would understand.
The blank stares I get when I ask people about drugs that have been prescribed are telling enough.
The problem, as I see it, is that this is an all too common practice, and a practice that ultimately gets everyone in trouble.
For the very reason that is stated in the title, this article addresses the critical issue, education. I have to agree that is is well past time that not only consent forms, but the consent process come back into vogue.
"herbalYODA Says! Volume 5, Number 1 – January 2008
The Importance of Informed Consent
Informed consent, according to the University of Washington's School of Medicine, "is the process by which a fully informed patient can participate in choices about his/her health care. It originates from the legal and ethical right the patient has to direct what happens to (their) body and from the ethical duty of the physician to involve the patient in (their) health care."
Informed consent is the cornerstone of ethical conduct in health care. Written consent does not take the place of a patient fully understanding a proposed drug or treatment. Rarely does a person who may have language or illiteracy concerns receive the clarification necessary to understand what it being prescribed or proposed as treatment. (more...)"
I am a staunch supporter of and educator about informed consent. This doctrine is required for any and all medications, treatments, surgeries or tests ordered for you by your health care provider.
The pure reason I am such a stickler is that year after year I find that very little of this process is going on, at least at a level a patient would understand.
The blank stares I get when I ask people about drugs that have been prescribed are telling enough.
The problem, as I see it, is that this is an all too common practice, and a practice that ultimately gets everyone in trouble.
For the very reason that is stated in the title, this article addresses the critical issue, education. I have to agree that is is well past time that not only consent forms, but the consent process come back into vogue.
Patient Consent Forms Should Educate Not Intimidate, Experts Urge
ScienceDaily (Dec. 24, 2008) — It’s time patient consent forms came back full circle to a tool for patient education, rather than the waiver of liability they have become, experts urge.
The original purpose of the consent forms was for a surgeon or doctor to inform the patient of common or serious risks associated with the procedure to be performed. However, the way current consent forms are written – as formal, legal documents – plants a litigious relationship in both the patient’s and the surgeon’s mind even before treatment has begun.
Lawrence Brenner is an attorney on the faculty of the Department of Orthopedics at Yale University. He and his colleagues propose a set of five recommendations to return consent forms to their intended purpose – that of allowing patients to meaningfully take part in the decision-making process. Their suggestions have been published online in Springer’s journal, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
As surgeons have become increasingly concerned about potential litigation, the informed consent process has lost its educational value. The focus is now on obtaining ‘preoperative release’, rather than an exchange of information to help patients make important decisions about their healthcare choices. In reality, the majority of patients find it a challenge to understand the complicated legal jargon used on the forms.
Research also suggests that proper informed consent has a direct impact on the quality of patients’ recovery after surgery. Indeed, patients have more realistic expectations and are better prepared psychologically to cope with the outcome of the operation when they have had an open discussion with their physician about what to expect during and after surgery.
In order to return informed consent forms to a tool for patient education rather than a form written by lawyers to absolve surgeons from liability, the authors make five recommendations. First, the informed consent form should never be viewed as a substitute for educating the patient; it is merely evidence that an appropriate discussion has taken place. Second, the forms should be designed to be understandable. Third, surgeons should not be afraid to communicate uncertainty in order to have a truly open discussion with their patients. Fourth, patients need to be active participants in the dialogue about the potential risks of the procedure. Finally, a note by the surgeon in the patients’ medical notes, that states that a discussion has taken place, is likely to be much more effective than a lengthy signed, but incomprehensible, form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Journal reference:
Brenner et al. Beyond Informed Consent: Educating the Patient. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2008; DOI: 10.1007/s11999-008-0642-4
Springer (2008, December 24). Patient Consent Forms Should Educate Not Intimidate, Experts Urge.
ScienceDaily: http://www.sciencedaily.com? /releases/2008/12/081217124158.htm
Sniff Your Way to Brain Power
This list of essential oils and their benefit for your brain was something I developed over a decade ago for a class I was teaching for Elders and for use in care centers for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
I also taught this in the Corporate Wellness Programs that we sponsor; this program was presented first at Boeing. It has been presented to numerous companies since then.
I searched it out from my old files because of the number of reports recently about peppermint. As I always have suggested, using a diffuser of some type is the best method of dispersal, but you can use something as simple as a cotton ball in a small glass votive holder and place it on your desk at work. Periodically add a few drops of your choice of essential oil, changing the cotton ball when you change your oil selection.
I particularly like to use peppermint as it has such a clean smell. I often add it to the natural cleaning products I make because of the antibacterial benefit.
To help sleep, use lavender and set the holder on your bedside table.
Rosemary is particularly helpful for facilities providing dementia care.
Related Articles:
A Pinch of Spice Helps Keep Drivers Alert
Found on Natural Health News
'Old treatments' better
More to consider surrounding flu
More about happy feet
Better than Rx for GERD
Peppermint takes on a Medical Mask
Keep Your Feet Happy
I also taught this in the Corporate Wellness Programs that we sponsor; this program was presented first at Boeing. It has been presented to numerous companies since then.
I searched it out from my old files because of the number of reports recently about peppermint. As I always have suggested, using a diffuser of some type is the best method of dispersal, but you can use something as simple as a cotton ball in a small glass votive holder and place it on your desk at work. Periodically add a few drops of your choice of essential oil, changing the cotton ball when you change your oil selection.
I particularly like to use peppermint as it has such a clean smell. I often add it to the natural cleaning products I make because of the antibacterial benefit.
To help sleep, use lavender and set the holder on your bedside table.
Rosemary is particularly helpful for facilities providing dementia care.
Sniff Your Way to Brain Power -
by the leaflady
Rosemary - helps a weak memory and quickens senses
Lemon - wakes you up
Peppermint - improves work efficiency and dispels drowsiness
Lavender - calming and steadying, helps in decision making
Related Articles:
A Pinch of Spice Helps Keep Drivers Alert
Found on Natural Health News
'Old treatments' better
More to consider surrounding flu
More about happy feet
Better than Rx for GERD
Peppermint takes on a Medical Mask
Keep Your Feet Happy
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Our Greeting to You
"Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes - goodwill among men and peace on earth.” - Albert Einstein
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Low Cholesterol Does A Body Bad - Once More, with feeling
UPDATE: Women in Government have a new ad campaign to push you to get cholesterol testing. This same organization has been behind the Gardasil propaganda campaign. For women especially, it is very important to get proper thyroid testing, as an imbalance raises cholesterol. It is much more important to test for triglycerides as too high a level (>150) can greatly increase your risk of death more than any other indicator.
COQ10 (Ubiquinol) and CHF: CoQ10-H2™ Found to Be Better Absorbed in Heart Patients Idebenone is a less expensive supplement that may act like COQ10 and be effective for some people.
This new study, with a reasonable sample size, unlike most studies I review, raises concern over low cholesterol levels. As someone who has been a skeptic on the cholesterol drug mania for so very many years I am pleased to see this report in hopes that most people will stand up to the pressure of their health care provider when they get the statin drug "shuck and jive".
COQ10 (Ubiquinol) and CHF: CoQ10-H2™ Found to Be Better Absorbed in Heart Patients Idebenone is a less expensive supplement that may act like COQ10 and be effective for some people.
This new study, with a reasonable sample size, unlike most studies I review, raises concern over low cholesterol levels. As someone who has been a skeptic on the cholesterol drug mania for so very many years I am pleased to see this report in hopes that most people will stand up to the pressure of their health care provider when they get the statin drug "shuck and jive".
Lower Total Cholesterol Level Tied to Higher In-Hospital CHF Mortality
Dec 22 - In patients hospitalized with acute decompensated congestive heart failure, low total cholesterol levels independently predict a higher risk of in-hospital death, a report in the December issue of the American Heart Journal shows.
Using data from the Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure registry, Dr. Tamara B. Horwich of the University of California at Los Angeles and colleagues studied 17,791 patients hospitalized with acute decompensated congestive heart failure at 236 participating hospitals.
Patients were divided into quartiles according to total cholesterol levels: Q1, 118 mg/dl or lower; Q2, 119-145 mg/dl; Q3, 146-179 mg/dl; and Q4, 180 mg/dl and higher.
Mean total cholesterol was 150 mg/dl. In-hospital mortality was 3.3% for patients in Q1, 2.5% for patients in Q2, 2.0% for patients in Q3 and 1.3% of patients in Q4.
After adjusting for multiple variables, Dr. Horwich and colleagues report that "each 10 mg/dl increase in total cholesterol was associated with a 4% decrease in risk of in-hospital mortality," with an odds ratio of 0.96.
The investigators found that 46% of patients were on lipid-lowering medications: 58% of patients in Q1, 50% of patients in Q2, 43% of patients in Q3, and 34% of patients in Q4.
Patients with lower total cholesterol levels were older and had a higher prevalence of ischemic heart disease. The findings were independent of left ventricular function, heart failure etiology, lipid-lowering therapy and other potentially confounding variables.
"Further investigation into potential pathophysiologic mechanisms behind the reverse epidemiology of cholesterol in heart failure, such as malnutrition and inflammation, deserves further study," the authors write.
Am Heart J 2008;156:1170-1176.
A Natural Lesson for Hyperhydrosis
A fellow who works for Oprah as a producer asked Dr. Oz about his sweaty palms today. I was holding my breath that Mehmet just might have offered up a natural and effective treatment that is effective and inexpensive. He didn't.
I was pleased that he opted against the sympathectomy, which he gave as the last option of the three he suggested, including Botox.
And of course there are problems with Botox and the surgery.
I was surprised that he failed to suggest acupuncture which would be a good approach for re-balancing the sympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system, or a very effective herbal treatment.
It was good that he mentions thyroid and pancreas concerns because these can be involved.
He didn't mention the nutritional approach that re-balances your biochemistry. He did offer that reducing coffee was important. Coffee's caffeine adds stress to the adrenals glands, so add more vitamin B and C throughout each day (these two vitamins help support the adrenal glands).
Naturally speaking, Siberian Ginseng is an effective approach to this problem. We use only properly prepared liquid herbal extracts for the best clinical results.
Remedies from the leaflady -
I was pleased that he opted against the sympathectomy, which he gave as the last option of the three he suggested, including Botox.
And of course there are problems with Botox and the surgery.
I was surprised that he failed to suggest acupuncture which would be a good approach for re-balancing the sympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system, or a very effective herbal treatment.
It was good that he mentions thyroid and pancreas concerns because these can be involved.
He didn't mention the nutritional approach that re-balances your biochemistry. He did offer that reducing coffee was important. Coffee's caffeine adds stress to the adrenals glands, so add more vitamin B and C throughout each day (these two vitamins help support the adrenal glands).
Naturally speaking, Siberian Ginseng is an effective approach to this problem. We use only properly prepared liquid herbal extracts for the best clinical results.
Remedies from the leaflady -
- Hyperhydrosis homeopathic remedy $15 plus shipping
- Herbal extracts (Ginseng) $15 plus shipping
Not Green: Digital TV Arriving with Environmental Bang
The information in the following quote comes from an article published in the Chicago Sun Times in 1999.
In just a few weeks all US TV viewers will be forced to accept HDTV, and perhaps they have not been provided with this information.
Hard to fathom with all we already know about birds and bees being severely impacted by cell towers.
Not to overlook the health issues already known about cell towers and the phones, what might we not know about the DTV towers?
Is there a coming epidemic of undiagnosable illness around the corner as well?
In just a few weeks all US TV viewers will be forced to accept HDTV, and perhaps they have not been provided with this information.
Hard to fathom with all we already know about birds and bees being severely impacted by cell towers.
Not to overlook the health issues already known about cell towers and the phones, what might we not know about the DTV towers?
Is there a coming epidemic of undiagnosable illness around the corner as well?
Millions of the migratory birds, which yearly travel through Chicago from as far north as Canada to as far south as Peru, are being killed off by rapidly rising cellular telephone towers and new digital television antennas blocking their paths, wildlife experts say.Read full article here>
High-definition television towers can climb to heights of 1,000 feet and are the latest threat to songbirds, which typically fly at 5,000 feet but descend to much lower levels during overcast evenings, said Albert Manville, a wildlife biologist with the office of migratory bird management for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Gary Null Video on FDA and other good videos
Prescription for Disaster is an in-depth investigation into the symbiotic relationships between the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA, lobbyists, lawmakers, medical schools, and researchers, and the impact this has on consumers and their health care. During this thorough investigation, we take a close look at patented drugs, why they are so readily prescribed by doctors, the role insurance companies and HMO's play in promoting compliance, and the problem of rising health care costs. We examine the marketing and public relations efforts on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies, including sales reps, medical journals and conferences. Further, we look at alternatives to traditional pharmacology and drug therapy, such as vitamins and nutritional supplements, and why they are often perceived as a competitive threat to the drug manufacturers. Alternative therapies also include diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Prescription for Disaster takes you on a journey through the tangled web of big business, the way disease is treated today, and the consequences we suffer as a society.«
Friday, December 19, 2008
Scents for Cents
UPDATE: Related articles
Fresh scents may hide toxic secret
Fresh, clean air does not come in a can
Pet Health
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I have a friend whose house used to be full of those scent sprayers plugged into every wall outlet in her house. This made it almost impossible for me to ever visit her.
As she was always complaining of headache I mentioned that she could try using pure essential oils in a spray bottle and it would work better and be healthier, as well as save her a lot of money.
After the switch she told me about all the headaches cleared up and how much better she felt.
It isn't just that these products contain endocrine disrupting chemicals, they are also replete with formaldehyde and petroleum distillates. All of these chemicals do impact your health, just like Lysol.
Their impact on pet health is at issue as well.
and from TIME
Fresh scents may hide toxic secret
Fresh, clean air does not come in a can
Pet Health
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I have a friend whose house used to be full of those scent sprayers plugged into every wall outlet in her house. This made it almost impossible for me to ever visit her.
As she was always complaining of headache I mentioned that she could try using pure essential oils in a spray bottle and it would work better and be healthier, as well as save her a lot of money.
After the switch she told me about all the headaches cleared up and how much better she felt.
It isn't just that these products contain endocrine disrupting chemicals, they are also replete with formaldehyde and petroleum distillates. All of these chemicals do impact your health, just like Lysol.
Their impact on pet health is at issue as well.
Dollars and Scents
By Kiera Butler
A breezy history of the air freshener.
Mother Jone November/December 2008 Issue
1930s - Lysol is America's most popular contraceptive. Really.
1952 - Little Trees first hung on rearview mirrors.
1956 - Glade introduces the air freshener spray can.
1974 - Glade solid scent sticks hit shelves.
1989 - Plug-in air fresheners exude ambience 24-7.
1994 - Man sprays Prince Charles with a can of air freshener.
1997 - US air freshener sales reach $239 million.
2002 - Renuzit unveils the Super Odor Neutralizer.
2004 - Air Wick releases Relaxation and Revitalization scents. Febreeze launches Scentstories "scent-themed" discs. Sample: Exploring a Mountain Trail.
2006 - Glade presents the Scented Oil Light Show—designed for girls 8 to 12.
2007 - Enviro group finds hormone-disrupting chemicals in "all-natural" air fresheners, asks EPA for further testing. SC Johnson sues Dial for stealing its three-scents-in-one idea.
2008 - US air freshener market hits $2.3 billion—not including scented candles
and from TIME
Estrogen in moisturizers may worsen breast cancer
UPDATE: December 19
This report totally overlooks the effect of these chemicals on women's health. It looks as if all women effected by breast cancer need to write their representatives in Congress, and the EPA.
I have referred more than once to the preeminent work of Judi Vance and her 1990s book, "Beauty to Die For". This work began the trail of others that has slowly come forward to report on the very same concerns - there are toxic chemicals in health and beauty products (HABA).
Now the information is coming from the medical establishment.
Even so-called 'natural brands' sold in health stores contain some of these questionable ingredients. And again I encourage you to read labels. Even if the FDA approved a single ingredient they do not test or approve mixtures of ingredients, and this is one place where problems start.
The UV blocking, sun screen type products are also a risk, as most contain endocrine disrupting chemicals.
It is never too late, but perhaps consider all the damage that might have been prevented had people listened to what Judi had to say over 10 years ago.
Another concern is that most of the mass market products act more like a barrier. This continues your purchasing cycle rather than provide you with a product that truly acts to heal dry skin.
The products I have used for a long time now are the result of over twenty years of research and development to achieve real results. If you are looking for organic products I highly recommend Kettle Care.
Suzanne M. Snedeker, PhD at Cornell University has a very informative page on estrogens in cosmetics.
Another resource is the Cosmetics Data Base
This report totally overlooks the effect of these chemicals on women's health. It looks as if all women effected by breast cancer need to write their representatives in Congress, and the EPA.
Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together
Scientists to EPA: Risks of Chemicals That Alter Male Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together Concluding that nearly everybody is exposed to a mix of chemicals that could be damaging male reproductive health, a national panel of scientists on Thursday advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift its focus and group them together when judging how much of a danger they pose.
I have referred more than once to the preeminent work of Judi Vance and her 1990s book, "Beauty to Die For". This work began the trail of others that has slowly come forward to report on the very same concerns - there are toxic chemicals in health and beauty products (HABA).
Now the information is coming from the medical establishment.
Even so-called 'natural brands' sold in health stores contain some of these questionable ingredients. And again I encourage you to read labels. Even if the FDA approved a single ingredient they do not test or approve mixtures of ingredients, and this is one place where problems start.
The UV blocking, sun screen type products are also a risk, as most contain endocrine disrupting chemicals.
It is never too late, but perhaps consider all the damage that might have been prevented had people listened to what Judi had to say over 10 years ago.
Another concern is that most of the mass market products act more like a barrier. This continues your purchasing cycle rather than provide you with a product that truly acts to heal dry skin.
The products I have used for a long time now are the result of over twenty years of research and development to achieve real results. If you are looking for organic products I highly recommend Kettle Care.
Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen...
By Jill Stein, Reuters - December 15, 2008
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters Health) - Breast cancer patients who apply moisturizers may be dosing themselves with estrogen without even knowing it, investigators reported at a breast cancer symposium in San Antonio.
Dr. Adrienne Olson, with Breastlink in Hawthorne, California, and colleagues analyzed 16 widely available moisturizers for estrogen-like compounds.
None of the creams analyzed noted any estrogen content in their list of ingredients. Even so, six samples contained estriol or estrone.
Olson, who is a seven-year breast cancer survivor, explained that estrogens applied to the skin are more efficiently absorbed into the body than estrogens taken orally.
She urged women with breast cancer that is driven by estrogen (that is, estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer) to avoid externally applied estrogen to minimize the risk of a recurrence.
Women without breast cancer are also at risk, she added. If they use estrogen-containing topical moisturizers, they may be dosing themselves daily with estrogen for extended periods, thereby boosting their risk of breast cancer.
Suzanne M. Snedeker, PhD at Cornell University has a very informative page on estrogens in cosmetics.
Another resource is the Cosmetics Data Base
From My Print Media Series for 12.08, Health Matters©: Natural Notes on Health
Select Recipes Courtesy: StarWest Botanicals
Natural Notes on Health:Winter Skin Care
About 15 years ago I met a woman from Canada that spent over a decade researching the cosmetic industry. She published her book in the early 1990s and subsequently moved because of the number of threats she got because she was exposing this $10 billion industry.
Just in the last few years there are several groups that have raised the issue that Judi Vance first addressed in the 1980s that led to her book, “Beauty to Die For”.
Another friend and colleague of mine has made natural cosmetics now for 25 years. I always sold or recommended her products to my clients and many other people. Her business is now certified organic and she grows many of the herbs and plants that she uses in her products.
Another thing to consider is that even prescription creams, lotions and shampoos for contain a number of ingredients that are untested in combination or may be skin irritants or carcinogenic.
Once it gets colder, drier and windier during the winter months skin takes quite a beating. Probably the most common complaint during these months is dry skin, but it can be prevented with natural products and supplements.
The best way to protect against dry skin is to make sure you have an adequate intake of vitamin A along with vitamins D and E. These are three of the four fat soluble vitamins and this means that you need to ingest healthy fats like butter, olive oil or coconut oil to help the vitamins absorb so they can do their job.
An option you have as well is to make some products on your own.
The good part about making your own natural skin care products is that you control what goes into them and they are free of artificial chemicals. What you make is luxurious and can even be fragrance free.
You reduce waste too because you don’t have to deal with excess packaging.
An easy lip balm can be made as follows:
Please note that most vitamin E capsules are made from synthetic ingredients like GMO soy oil. It is best to use natural vitamin E and this oil is readily available, even in high potency.
If you flavor your lip balm make sure you choose natural flavors as well. Fragrance oils are most often synthetic and made from petroleum and use chemical flavoring.
Use raw or uncooked and unprocessed honey, and olive oil sold in glass bottles. Shea Butter can be used with the bees wax.
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. beeswax - grated
1/2 tsp. pure cocoa butter
Flavored oil of your choice
1 vitamin E capsule
In a small saucepan, heat oil, honey, wax and cocoa butter over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat and cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flavoring and contents of vitamin E capsule. Pour into container.
Anti-aging Dry Skin Moisturizer
4 ounces Shea butter
2 ounces organic olive oil
2 teaspoons organic vitamin E oil, 5000 IU
1 teaspoon active royal jelly
6 drops organic lavender essential oil
Blend ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It is necessary to make this in small amounts and keep refrigerated because of the active royal jelly. This is an awesome ingredient for its healing properties and well worth the effort.
Super Simple Moisturizer
For your hair: Mix one ripe avocado with 2 TBSP raw honey and blend well. Apply to hair for 20-30 minutes, and then wash as usual (you might want to think about using natural hair care products to avoid the chemicals in most shampoos and conditioners).
For your skin: Blend 1/4 cup Aloe vera gel and 2 TBSP vegetable glycerin, of each. You can also add 3 drops of pure essential oil or add 1/2 teaspoon of active royal jelly for anti aging effects.
For your nails: Blend 2 ounces of pure Palma Cristi castor oil with 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil. Massage into nails and cuticles. This also helps reduce or eliminate nail fungus.
I have made my own skin care oil blend for many years using vitamin E oil, rose hips oil and jojoba oil. Rose hips are very high in vitamin C while jojoba oil is good to protect from the effects of aging as is vitamin E. This blend is high in anti-oxidants and lubricates the skin while not being greasy. I find that the fragrance of the oils is very pleasant and I don’t add anything extra.
Jeanne Rose has a wonderful book that I relied on in my hippie days and while raising my children. I suggest it might be available from your library or favorite used book store.
You can order all supplies from the botanical link found on our blog, at www.naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com.
And while a commercial product, I recommend Aura Glow for bath oil or after showering. This is an Edgar Cayce remedy and is available under the Heritage Store brand.
Copyright © 2008 TOC. All rights reserved.
Are Hidden Hormones Destroying Your Health?Health News By VRP Staff
The FDA calls them safe—but you’d be right to think twice.
Synthetic hormones saturate your daily environment—many of them lurking in the meat and milk products you’ve been consuming now for years. And they can come at a very steep price. In fact, if you’re having trouble losing weight, struggling with metabolic syndrome, or battling prostate or breast cancer despite having no family history of the disease, then you may already be paying the price.
The truth is, a lot of today’s modern health crises can be traced back to estrogen. It’s a potent hormone—and its effects can go both ways.
That’s because your body metabolizes estrogen into several different byproducts, including 2-hydroxy, 4-hydroxy, and 16 hydroxy estrogens. Two out of the three—4-hydroxy and 16-hydroxy estrogens—can pose some very serious threats to your health. Research has linked heightened levels of these inflammation-promoting estrogens to breast, cervix and prostate cancers—and to stubborn obesity that can eventually lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.1-2
On the contrary, high levels of 2-hydroxy estrogens—or “good estrogens” as they’re sometimes called—have quite the opposite effect, serving to lower telltale PSA levels and protect vulnerable tissue in the prostate, cervix, and breast from cancerous developments.3
Whether the estrogen in your body hurts or helps you is entirely dependent upon how your body uses it—and fortunately, a natural phytonutrient called diindolylmethane (DIM) can ensure that it’s used properly. It’s a potent antioxidant found in cruciferous vegetables, and research shows that it can suppress the macrophage activity that sparks the inflammatory cascade of hormones and cytokines.4-5 It also helps your body to metabolize and remove toxic inflammatory pollutants—thereby reducing these chemicals’ role in disease-promoting inflammation.
Most importantly, DIM has a direct effect on estrogen metabolism, yielding a much higher level of protective 2-hydroxy estrogens.6-7 Not only does this stave off deadly cancerous developments, but it also contributes to weight loss in humans and animals—preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.8-9 As an added benefit, it also helps to preserve levels of tryptophan, the “feel good” hormone responsible for serotonin production—which is in turn responsible for better moods and appetite control.10-11
DIM is an insoluble indole, meaning that it’s difficult for your body to absorb—but a pure, microencapsulated form of the product insures maximum bioavailablity.12 And that means vital protection against the emerging—and potentially deadly—threat of environmental estrogens.
(High quality DIM products may be ordered from Natural Health News professional partners, with profits going to support this blog and our other avtivities. Please contact us for ordering information or other product information.)
References:
1. Coffey DS. Similarities of prostate and breast cancer: Evolution, diet, and estrogens. Urology. 2001 Apr;57(4 Suppl 1):31-8.
2. Schneider J, Bradlow HL, Strain G, Levin J, Anderson K, Fishman J. Effects of obesity on estradiol metabolism: decreased formation of nonuterotropic metabolites. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1983 May;56(5):973-8.
3. Le HT, Schaldach CM, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF. Plant-derived 3,3’-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jun 6;278(23):21136-45.
4. Cho HJ, Seon MR, Lee YM, Kim J, Kim JK, Kim SG, Park JH. 3,3’-Diindolylmethane suppresses the inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide in murine macrophages. J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):17-23.
5. Harman-Boehm I, Blüher M, Redel H, Sion-Vardy N, Ovadia S, Avinoach E, Shai I, Klöting N, Stumvoll M, Bashan N, Rudich A. Macrophage infiltration into omental versus subcutaneous fat across different populations: effect of regional adiposity and the comorbidities of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;92(6):2240-7.
6. Zeligs MA. Diet and estrogen status: the cruciferous connection. J Medicinal Foods. 1998;1:67 82.
7. Dalessandri, KM, Firestone GL, Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, Bjeldanes LF. Pilot study: effect of 3,3’-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2004;50(2):161-7.
8. Ackerman GE, et al., Potentiation of epinephrine-induced lipolysis by catechol estrogens and their methoxy derivatives, Endocrinology. 1981;109:2084-8.
9. Zeligs MA. Phytochemicals for promoting weight loss. US Patent #6,534,085, 2003, March.
10. Brandacher G, Hoeller E, Fuchs D, Weiss HG. Chronic immune activation underlies morbid obesity: is IDO a key player? Curr Drug Metab. 2007 Apr;8(3):289-95.
11. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, Del Ben M, Laviano A, Muscaritoli M, Antonucci F, Rossi-Fanelli F. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Nov;56(5):863-7.
12. Zeligs MA and Jacobs IC. Compositions and methods of adjusting steroid hormone metabolism through phytochemicals. US Patent #6,086,915. 2000, July.
Testing Hormone Bending Ingredients Should Not Be Sexually Biased
The fact that the EPA would exclude women from their proposed testing of the risks and hazards of pthalates is unconscionable.
Chemicals are equal opportunity toxins....
Chemicals are equal opportunity toxins....
Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together
Scientists to EPA: Risks of Chemicals That Alter Male Hormones Should Be Analyzed Together Concluding that nearly everybody is exposed to a mix of chemicals that could be damaging male reproductive health, a national panel of scientists on Thursday advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift its focus and group them together when judging how much of a danger they pose.
Jet Lag: Natural Cure Safer Than New Drug
UPDATE: 28 December - It appears that quite a few people are looking for a garlic remedy to help with jet lag. I find it a rather curious use of garlic, but after some research I found that it is a ginger-garlic mix that may help. The writer advises that it is very important to stay hydrated and avoid coffee, carbonated beverages and alcohol when flying. This same suggestion is what we have advised for decades when flying. The air circulation system in aircraft is dehydrating as are the aforementioned beverages. Water, tomato or apple juices are better choices.
It seems to that the same pre-flight and post flight dosing schedule we suggest for the B complex and other vitamins in our jet lag remedy are followed: Take on two days before flight, the day of flight, and the day after flight.
It also helps to set your watch to the time zone where you will be landing prior to flight.
The nice part about ginger is that is helps with sea and air sickness and digestion as well as helping you stay warm (garlic is warming too).
When you arrive, this source suggests a warm bath and massage or foot massage specifically. Placing a few ginger tea bags in your bath will help too. An added factor from ginger is that it does help in a small way to support the adrenal glands and this may act as a stress reducer.
If you choose to use raw garlic I'd suggest soaking it in raw honey for at least 10 minutes before chewing. The honey adds nutrients and enzymes that are helpful for stress and this indicates one reason why a spoonful of the luscious liquid is an insomnia help.
This sounds very similar to the data I contributed to one of Rodale's books on healing. Material from Rebecca Wood is referenced in this update.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I don't know why this pill popping culture we have is always bowing at the feet of Big Pharma.
Just the thought of another drug smacks more of profiteering to me. What about a better use for all the money in drug development: how it could benefit people through education on already existing safe, natural approaches to relieving jet lag and sleep/health problems associated with shift work.
I've had a great Jet Lag remedy on file at my office for 40 years. Many people have used it and tell me it worked great. I think readily available and inexpensive melatonin can be effective but I prefer not to suggest using it.
I am impressed with the results I am getting from blue light contact us for more details) therapy however.
Even certain foods, select vitamins, adjusting your watch and a good attempt at maintaining hydration go a long way to help you with this concern.
So, why an expensive drug?
Recover development costs while the patent is in effect and mega bucks to keep share prices up.
And how might this apply to your health?
It seems to that the same pre-flight and post flight dosing schedule we suggest for the B complex and other vitamins in our jet lag remedy are followed: Take on two days before flight, the day of flight, and the day after flight.
It also helps to set your watch to the time zone where you will be landing prior to flight.
The nice part about ginger is that is helps with sea and air sickness and digestion as well as helping you stay warm (garlic is warming too).
When you arrive, this source suggests a warm bath and massage or foot massage specifically. Placing a few ginger tea bags in your bath will help too. An added factor from ginger is that it does help in a small way to support the adrenal glands and this may act as a stress reducer.
If you choose to use raw garlic I'd suggest soaking it in raw honey for at least 10 minutes before chewing. The honey adds nutrients and enzymes that are helpful for stress and this indicates one reason why a spoonful of the luscious liquid is an insomnia help.
This sounds very similar to the data I contributed to one of Rodale's books on healing. Material from Rebecca Wood is referenced in this update.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I don't know why this pill popping culture we have is always bowing at the feet of Big Pharma.
Just the thought of another drug smacks more of profiteering to me. What about a better use for all the money in drug development: how it could benefit people through education on already existing safe, natural approaches to relieving jet lag and sleep/health problems associated with shift work.
I've had a great Jet Lag remedy on file at my office for 40 years. Many people have used it and tell me it worked great. I think readily available and inexpensive melatonin can be effective but I prefer not to suggest using it.
I am impressed with the results I am getting from blue light contact us for more details) therapy however.
Even certain foods, select vitamins, adjusting your watch and a good attempt at maintaining hydration go a long way to help you with this concern.
So, why an expensive drug?
Recover development costs while the patent is in effect and mega bucks to keep share prices up.
And how might this apply to your health?
New Medication Brings Hope Of Jet Lag Cure
ScienceDaily (2008-12-17) -- Researchers have found a new drug with the potential to alleviate jet lag and sleep disorders caused by shift work. ... > read full article
Holiday Cheer or Holiday Hangover
In 2004 I put together an herbal product to address the issue of binge drinking in response to the college binge drinking problem. At the time I lived in an area with two universities, each having a well known "party" history.
The herbal combination worked very well for those who tried it, and the best part was that it made you not want to drink so much.
Even one college tavern offered it to their late night party crowd along with a vegetable juice drink blend I created to help with avoiding that after-drinking, next morning hangover.
This process was short circuited after a business that was selling the product decided to attack me by using baseless and fabricated mis-information. Their point was to avoid paying a rather large debt legally owed to the non-profit organization that publishes Natural Health News.
Other than the interference by the Pullman Pranksters, Bad Brian and Bad Paul, the product continues to help many people, even OTR drivers.
Now with the holiday party season in full swing I though ti might be a good idea to pull the articles from the archives and make it available to readers to help them with the usually too heavy imbibing that happens when toasting the season around this time of year.
And you have plenty of time to stock up before New Year's Eve.
This product is named after a man named Chalmer. He and I became friend's some years ago when he needed help to re-build his health. He was a member of the same AA group as another friend I helped recover from Hep C. Chalmer made an entire lifestyle change at an advanced age. One of his son's told me at his memorial service that I had given him an extra five years of life. While I am grateful for the comment,I often have to remind people that I am just a coach; they have to do the work.
The herbal combination worked very well for those who tried it, and the best part was that it made you not want to drink so much.
Even one college tavern offered it to their late night party crowd along with a vegetable juice drink blend I created to help with avoiding that after-drinking, next morning hangover.
This process was short circuited after a business that was selling the product decided to attack me by using baseless and fabricated mis-information. Their point was to avoid paying a rather large debt legally owed to the non-profit organization that publishes Natural Health News.
Other than the interference by the Pullman Pranksters, Bad Brian and Bad Paul, the product continues to help many people, even OTR drivers.
Now with the holiday party season in full swing I though ti might be a good idea to pull the articles from the archives and make it available to readers to help them with the usually too heavy imbibing that happens when toasting the season around this time of year.
And you have plenty of time to stock up before New Year's Eve.
New Herbal Remedy Developed for College Binge Drinking Can Help Reduce Campus Drinking and Associated Fatalities.
Chalmer's Choice for hangover and alcohol abuse prevention
Hangover is a mild version of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Sometimes it gives you a headache, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, thirst and dehydration, fatigue, and a general lousy-all-over feeling.
From time to time we do fail to take caution and over-indulge in alcohol. When this occurs, Chalmer's Choice is here to help.
This proprietary nutritional pack has been developed to help you have a smoother and less stressful reaction on party nights, and for the morning-after.
Chalmer's Choice, Formula A, helps before drinking to keep you from imbibing to excess. Chalmer's Choice, Formula B, taken along with Formula A, helps you on the morning after, providing relief and helping to clear ill-effects of too much booze.
Make a donation with your purchase and receive our recipe for the "After Zapper"
This product is named after a man named Chalmer. He and I became friend's some years ago when he needed help to re-build his health. He was a member of the same AA group as another friend I helped recover from Hep C. Chalmer made an entire lifestyle change at an advanced age. One of his son's told me at his memorial service that I had given him an extra five years of life. While I am grateful for the comment,I often have to remind people that I am just a coach; they have to do the work.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Hero to Dogs
I am a true dog lover.
I have two rescued dogs that claim me as their human companion, and one rescued cat who claims me as well.
The sad thing for me is that I found out earlier this year that I am allergic to cat and dog dander. Of course I am just hoping that once I recover from the stress of the last year and my current worries over the health of my Golden Retriever, Belle, that I clear the allergy.
But for right now I have to claim that my Hero for the Month is the following human being.
I have two rescued dogs that claim me as their human companion, and one rescued cat who claims me as well.
The sad thing for me is that I found out earlier this year that I am allergic to cat and dog dander. Of course I am just hoping that once I recover from the stress of the last year and my current worries over the health of my Golden Retriever, Belle, that I clear the allergy.
But for right now I have to claim that my Hero for the Month is the following human being.
Woman finds homes for 20 once-doomed dogsDELANO, Nev., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A Nevada woman who returned from a California trip with 27 dogs scheduled to die said she found new homes for 20 of them in just one day.
Colleen Spalioni said she traveled to Delano, Calif., to adopt only one dog from police but instead ended up taking home 27 that were scheduled for euthanasia, the Reno (Nev.) Gazette Journal reported Wednesday. She said one of the dogs died in transit and two later died at her home.
"I didn't realize so many animals were dying every day until I saw it with my own eyes," Spalioni said. She said her compassion for dogs was spiked by the death of her beloved 2-year-old pointer in November.
Spalioni said she soon realized she'd need to thin the pack after neighbors complained and she was informed of a county ordinance limiting households to three dogs.
Twenty of the dogs were adopted Monday with help from the Reno Gazette Journal's Mostly Dogs blog, leaving her with only four dogs left from her California trip, Spalioni said.
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopods: They're Using Supplements
Score one for the good guys like me who have been educating doctors (and the public) in the safe and effective use of supplements for many decades!
This is great ammunition for our argument that supplements are effective and they do not cause deaths.
And the statistics are very good.
Council for Responsible Nutrition (www.CRNusa.org).
This is great ammunition for our argument that supplements are effective and they do not cause deaths.
And the statistics are very good.
Health Practitioners Increasingly Turning to Supplements12/11/2008
WASHINGTON—Cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopedic specialists are taking dietary supplements for their own well-being, and recommending them to their patients for overall wellness and for reasons related to their specialties, according to new data from the “Life...supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study. In addition, the practitioners surveyed generally believe usage of dietary supplements by consumers is more popular than it was just five years ago.
“We learned from the 2007 HCP Impact Study that physicians and nurses are taking supplements as part of a proactive wellness regimen that also includes healthy diet and regular exercise,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president of communications at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which manages the campaign. “With the second year of this study, we were able to dive into specific specialties and find similar trends, further demonstrating the important role for doctors in incorporating dietary supplements as an integral part of wellness.”
Some of the specific highlights from the 2008 study:
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of orthopedic specialists use dietary supplements for reasons including general wellness (43 percent), joint health (29 percent), heart health (26 percent), bone health (25 percent) and flu/colds (22 percent).
94 percent of orthopedic specialists who take dietary supplements recommend them to their patients, as do 82 percent of those who don’t take supplements. The primary reasons: bone health (75 percent), joint health (73 percent) and musculoskeletal pain (53 percent).
Among cardiologists, 57 percent use dietary supplements, 86 percent of whom recommend supplements for their patients. Cardiologists are using dietary supplements for general wellness (32 percent), heart health (29 percent) and lower cholesterol (20 percent); for their patients, supplements are recommended for lower cholesterol (58 percent), heart health (55 percent) and maintaining healthy cholesterol (36 percent).
A full three-quarters of dermatologists are using dietary supplements for reasons such as overall wellness (42 percent), bone health (24 percent), skin/hair/nails (16 percent) and heart health (15 percent).
While 79 percent of dermatologists who take supplements recommend them to their patients, only 28 percent of those who don’t take supplements do so. Top reasons for recommending supplements: hair/skin/nails (81 percent) and overall health (30 percent).
Council for Responsible Nutrition (www.CRNusa.org).
Monday, December 15, 2008
Adding Your Comments
I have on occasion requested that people who post comments to my blog, Natural Health News, be courteous enough to use a name of an ID rather than post anonymously. Sometimes this happens and something this doesn't.
Generally I reserve the right not to post your comment if it is sent ANON. I also don't like comments that appear to be strictly an ADVERT. I do however read them all and I do think sometimes the information is valuable enough to post. And this is a quandary.
I've gone through some recent comments and am adding them here in an edited form, because they do help with the purpose of Natural Health News to INFORM.
Sierra Night Tide is concerned about the FDA taking action to limit asthma drugs when they added a comment "FDA defies DSHEA in latest threat to dietary supplements":
I would like to comment that there are other options for people with asthma that are much less damaging that the standard medical treatment offered to people with asthma.
One thing is to consider adding magnesium to your supplement regime. Another is to increase your vitamin C and B complex. In traditional naturopathy bee pollen was often used because it supports the adrenals and helps with providing B, C and other helpful nutrients. Using bee pollen is something you need to test for and slowly introduce it into your program, especially if you are allergic to bee sting. Of course you do need to consider reviewing all your concerns with the prescriber of your medication. Vitamin A also can be very helpful because it is the main nutrient for the mucous membrane lining of the respiratory system. Vitamin E helps O2 cross the alveolar membrane. Exceptionally high quality eucalyptus essential oil is helpful to spray in the air around your home as it heals the mucous membrane. Removing all toxic home cleaning chemicals is another way to help improve your environment. And of course you need to look at the possibilities of food and chemical reactions. Herbs like mullein help reduce mucus, peppermint is also helpful to some. Breathing exercises are also beneficial. Cells salt - Ferr Phos and Mag Phos are good as is DMG to give more O2 and other benefits. And don't forget to consider drug interaction issues and nutrient depletion caused by your Rx, along with getting tested for adrenal fatigue or impaired thyroid function or various anemias.
Aspartame expert comments on aspartame and refers us to a You Tube video that shows the same. If you doubt the comment look up the Merck Index which is a chemist's manual or search for the aspartame MSDS sheet.
Whoever posted this next comment is correct in some ways but I question some of what they say as it appears they think of it as dogma. As one example, while EDTA can be helpful it has some things you need to consider before you think it is the cure. Olive oil is not toxic if you use first press and it is sold in glass bottles. The other thing I didn't like about this commenter is that thay sent in a second comment shortly after this one and attacked me because they thought I censored their comment. They seemed very angry.
Don't forget that anger causes damage to your cardiovascular system!
I applaud this commentor for her openness and willingness to share. It is one of the reasons I posted her quote about healing on Natural Health News. She has an informational site about Interstitial Cystitis (IC). I sent her some information about correcting this situation with natural approaches and they are related to my post on Marshmallow herb.
I hope this person does do what they state -
And one last ANON comment came from someone who was selling an algae type product for Parkinson's which was too much of a sales pitch for me.
I hope you benefit from what these readers of Natural Health News have to say.
Generally I reserve the right not to post your comment if it is sent ANON. I also don't like comments that appear to be strictly an ADVERT. I do however read them all and I do think sometimes the information is valuable enough to post. And this is a quandary.
I've gone through some recent comments and am adding them here in an edited form, because they do help with the purpose of Natural Health News to INFORM.
Sierra Night Tide is concerned about the FDA taking action to limit asthma drugs when they added a comment "FDA defies DSHEA in latest threat to dietary supplements":
I have severe asthma and two of the medicine the FDA wants to ban is on the list. I am asking that anyone that has or has known someone with a lung disorder please contact the FDA and let them know that all Americans with any disorder or disease be allowed to continue living life best they can with the current medicines available and not to ban them. Banning even one of the medicines I take can reduce my daily life by as much as 50%
http://www.fda.gov/comments.html
I would like to comment that there are other options for people with asthma that are much less damaging that the standard medical treatment offered to people with asthma.
One thing is to consider adding magnesium to your supplement regime. Another is to increase your vitamin C and B complex. In traditional naturopathy bee pollen was often used because it supports the adrenals and helps with providing B, C and other helpful nutrients. Using bee pollen is something you need to test for and slowly introduce it into your program, especially if you are allergic to bee sting. Of course you do need to consider reviewing all your concerns with the prescriber of your medication. Vitamin A also can be very helpful because it is the main nutrient for the mucous membrane lining of the respiratory system. Vitamin E helps O2 cross the alveolar membrane. Exceptionally high quality eucalyptus essential oil is helpful to spray in the air around your home as it heals the mucous membrane. Removing all toxic home cleaning chemicals is another way to help improve your environment. And of course you need to look at the possibilities of food and chemical reactions. Herbs like mullein help reduce mucus, peppermint is also helpful to some. Breathing exercises are also beneficial. Cells salt - Ferr Phos and Mag Phos are good as is DMG to give more O2 and other benefits. And don't forget to consider drug interaction issues and nutrient depletion caused by your Rx, along with getting tested for adrenal fatigue or impaired thyroid function or various anemias.
Keep up your great work! I understand that the only approved application for aspartame, is as an insecticide.
Love, Dr Jim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fpEgurO-ec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIFDoOwSFM&feature=related
Aspartame expert comments on aspartame and refers us to a You Tube video that shows the same. If you doubt the comment look up the Merck Index which is a chemist's manual or search for the aspartame MSDS sheet.
Whoever posted this next comment is correct in some ways but I question some of what they say as it appears they think of it as dogma. As one example, while EDTA can be helpful it has some things you need to consider before you think it is the cure. Olive oil is not toxic if you use first press and it is sold in glass bottles. The other thing I didn't like about this commenter is that thay sent in a second comment shortly after this one and attacked me because they thought I censored their comment. They seemed very angry.
Don't forget that anger causes damage to your cardiovascular system!
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A downside to using "plant sterols"":
The main problem with all this is that you DO NOT have to lower blood cholesterol, so whether it is by taking synthetic statins that block CQ10 production, cause kidney faulure and weaken muscles, or by reducing dietary sat. fats that raise cancer risk and reduce intake of many valuable nutrients or by taking plant sterols, as explained in thearticle, there is have NO scientific basis for all this.
Letet me explain. Dietary cholesterol does not cause heart disease, and high blood cholesterol is not an indicator of heart disease. This nonsense started with a faulty study In Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1953, that showed that the population had slightly elevated blood cholesterol, and also slightly elevated heart disease. The study mistakenly concluded that dietary cholesterol had caused the higher rates of heart disease, and the higher blood cholesterol had caused the higher heart disease. To this day it is accepted dogma by the mainstream, having had a non-questionnable mega-billion dollar food and drug industry built around it.
What raised the cholesterol levels of the subjects in the study? One or more, or any combination of... insufficient omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, lack of vigorous exercise, overweight, lack of sufficient Viatmin B3, (niacin), post menopausal period in woman, aging in men.
What caused the heart disease to be slightly above average in Framingham?
One or more, or any combination of high blood triglycerides, (blood fats elevated by sugar, alcohol and carbs); high lipo-protein alpha, (lowered with vitamin C); high homocysteine, (lowered with vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid); to a lesser extent, smoking, dog heart worm, transfats, inflammation from obesity.
Lets examine some high cholesterol foods. Butter contains the omegas in perfect proportion, arichidonic and conjugated linoleic acids, magnesium, selenium. Butter synthesises Vitamin B6 through friendly intestinal bacteria, reducing heart-disease causing homocysteine Study in Lancet, showed that those on the very high ghee, (butter), diet had one tenth the heart disease of pure vegetarians. Eggs contain l-cysteine and selenium, powerful heart-protecting anti-oxidants. (Study by Drs Cayley and Hammond, American Cancer Socoiety, showed that those that ate more than 5 eggs a week had less heart disease.) Beef fat contains conjugated linoleic acid, and beef is a rich souce of protein, minerals and vitamins.
Many groups of people have a very high sat. fat diet but no heart disease history. The Masai in East Africa, the Eskimo, the Benedicitine Monks, the Irish in America, and various Pacific Islanders.
Further, the so called Mediterranean diet, does not in reality exist. Italians traditionally cook with butter, goose fat and lard, depending on the region, the Greeks eat large amounts of high sat. fat feta goat cheese daily, the Spanisha and Portuguese loads of fatty pork and eggs, and the French cook with butter and cream, and consume much cheese. Less heart disease yes, but not from the toxic olive oil.(H R Clark, 2007) nor from eating nore fish!
The food pyramids are also not science based, but thats another 10,0000 word essay. Ignore them for better health.
Before dropping eggs, butter, fatty red meat, liver etc and taking anything to reduce you cholesterol levels, you need to go outside the big pharma mind-control box and do someserious study that will affect your life.
Already have have narrowed arteries? Do your utmost to get hold of EDTA. It works, and with 20 beneficial side effects.
I applaud this commentor for her openness and willingness to share. It is one of the reasons I posted her quote about healing on Natural Health News. She has an informational site about Interstitial Cystitis (IC). I sent her some information about correcting this situation with natural approaches and they are related to my post on Marshmallow herb.
Cathy has left a new comment on your post "just a quote for today":
...recovering from IC. I was diagnosed 2 and a half years ago. I have been dealing with the symptoms for a lot longer though. I've been on tons of medications and had 10 surgeries since I was diagnosed. I was just wondering what worked for you. I currently have a urostomy bag and would someday like to get rid of it and maybe something that worked for you could also work for me! Thanks for your time.
Cathy
(Catwoman100780@yahoo.com)
I hope this person does do what they state -
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Vitamins for Alzheimer's":
my dad died from alzeheimers complications. thanks for the article ! perhaps i'll start some kind of preventative therapy.
And one last ANON comment came from someone who was selling an algae type product for Parkinson's which was too much of a sales pitch for me.
I hope you benefit from what these readers of Natural Health News have to say.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Another Gardasil Gaffe
When does the madeness stop?
An UPDATE from a colleague in France
Mystery illness paralyses girl given cervical cancer jab by Daniel Foggo and Philip Cardyhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5337885.ece
A 12-year-old schoolgirl has been left paralysed from the waist down by a mystery illness that came on 30 minutes after she was given the new anticervical cancer jab.
Ashleigh Cave suffered dizziness and headaches soon after the vaccination at her school and then deteriorated rapidly, collapsing several times over the following days.
A week later she was admitted to hospital after losing all strength in her legs and, two months on, there has been no improvement.
Her mother Cheryl, 37, from Aintree, Merseyside, is blaming her daughter’s condition on the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab, which was introduced in Britain in September as part of a government-funded vaccination programme.
All girls aged 12 and 13 are being offered vaccinations with Cervarix, a drug that stimulates the body to defend itself against HPV, to protect against the later onset of cervical cancer which is linked to the virus.
In America, where an immunisation programme using a similar product, Gardasil, began more than a year earlier, there have been dozens of serious “adverse events” reported in which a link to the vaccinations is suspected.
They included 30 deaths in addition to cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an auto-immune disease that can cause paralysis. The American authorities have said, however, that there is no evidence the HPV jabs caused these reactions.
Ashleigh’s case has been logged with Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as an instance of possible Guillain-Barré syndrome, although her doctors have now apparently ruled it out as the cause.
The agency has also indicated that the illness was probably not caused by the jab. Ashleigh’s doctor at Alder Hey children’s hospital, Liverpool, where she is undergoing tests, has said she did not have a “pathological reaction” to the vaccine.
Cheryl Cave said that she found the timing of her daughter’s symptoms impossible to ignore.
She said that within 30 minutes of Ashleigh having the jab at Maricourt Catholic high school on the morning of October 15, she was complaining of severe headaches and dizziness. Over the next 48 hours her condition worsened and she collapsed five times. Two days later they set off to visit friends in Hampshire but the schoolgirl collapsed again on the train.
She was admitted to Frimley Park hospital in Camberley, Surrey, where doctors gave the initial diagnosis of “vertigo and generalised myalgia, probably due to recent vaccinations”.
On October 22, a week after she was given the HPV jab, she was admitted to Alder Hey hospital, where she has remained ever since.
Her mother said: “At first they tried to tell us she was imagining it because she was being bullied . . . they will not mention her illness and the vaccine in the same sentence.”
A spokesman for the medicines agency said: “Guillain-Barré syndrome naturally occurs in the population. There is no good evidence to suggest that the Cervarix vaccine can cause [it].”
GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Cervarix, said that the agency had suggested the case “was not linked to the vaccine”.
An UPDATE from a colleague in France
RE:Daily Mail 14.12.2008
CERVICAL CANCER JAB LEFT MY 12 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PARALYSED,SAYS MOTHER
12 year old Ashleigh Cave of Liverpool developed a mystery illness half and hour after receiving cervical cancer vaccine and is now paralysed from the waist down.
There have been 30 deaths reported with the vaccine and cases of Guillian-Barre syndrome, an immune disorder which can lead to paralysis.-- --------- -----
Edward's comments: The BNF drug book doctors prescribe from in the UK lists possible side effects due to vaccines - anaphylactic shock etc. A book which I have by specialist immunologists points out that instead of the desired resistance to disease a vaccine can cause hypersensitivity and tissue damage. These documented undesirable effects are swept under the carpet in the efforts to sell more products.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Oldsters and the B's
I think I need to reiterate that it is quite important to avoid fluoride in ALL forms and aspartame as well as sucralose if you want to stave off dementia.
A late 1990s study showed that 67 percent of all people in care facilities for Alzheimer's have improperly functioning thyroid gland. If you understand how this can be connected to fluoride it might give you something to think about.
There is also a body of my work that came from some consulting I did in the late 90s at Alzheimer's care centres implementing the use of pure essential oils that are known to enhance memory as well as create a calming environment. This made a major impact but was not continued, as it was probably too much outside the mainstream for third party payers that control health care and for most doctors to grasp.
I've added some older material from my web site and my Health Matters© series (established 1991).
A late 1990s study showed that 67 percent of all people in care facilities for Alzheimer's have improperly functioning thyroid gland. If you understand how this can be connected to fluoride it might give you something to think about.
There is also a body of my work that came from some consulting I did in the late 90s at Alzheimer's care centres implementing the use of pure essential oils that are known to enhance memory as well as create a calming environment. This made a major impact but was not continued, as it was probably too much outside the mainstream for third party payers that control health care and for most doctors to grasp.
I've added some older material from my web site and my Health Matters© series (established 1991).
(from leaflady.org)
Older people who are short on vitamin B12 have more trouble recalling certain words, and low levels of B9 (folate) may add to the brain drain. Try adding salmon and beans to your diet to get B12 and folate.
Contrary to what most doctors today think, healthy individuals require about 2400 mcg B12 daily. Shots are the best, high quality troches are next. It's the intracellular B12 that counts, not what is in the blood.
B 12 at Work
Taking Care of Your Brain is Possible
Folic Acid Protects The Brain
A certain amount of mental decline is considered a normal component of aging; however, severe cognitive dysfunction related to aging is regarded as pathologic. Many researchers are studying methods to improve memory and other cognitive functions as we age. In a study of healthy people, ages 50-75, folic acid supplementation (800 micrograms daily for three years) resulted in better memory and cognitive speed scores compared to those who took a placebo. Individuals taking folic acid had memory scores comparable to people 5.5 years younger, and cognitive speed scores of people 1.9 years younger. The as-yet unpublished study, presented in June at the Alzheimer’s Association meeting, did not look at possible prevention of Alzheimer’s disease with folate, but did show that moderate folic acid supplement can slow age-related cognitive decline.
Miller AL. The methionine-homocysteine cycle and its effects on cognitive function. Altern Med Rev 2003;8(1):7-19.
Speaking of the Brain
This comes from Imaginative Worlds which has been kind enough to add the B vitamin and Alzheimer's information to their site.
I of course am drawn to the post because many years ago it was proven in real scientific research that eccentric people tend to avoid dementia because they are able to use so many different parts of their brains and they tend not to fall prey to societal influences to compartmentalize every thing and every one.
The few who know me well would definitely say I am eccentric.
I can tell you that most bureaucrats and agencies are not fond of my eccentricity and they are grossly unwilling and unable to grasp the concepts. The bureaucratic types, are mostly in lock step with the mantra: "You mustn't complain about the system".
I guess its a reason why they don't read Koestler or my favorite book about change based on chaos theory, "Grow or Die" by G.T.L. Land.
The Science of Eccentricity
From: unknowncountry.com
A quirky or socially awkward approach to life might be the key to becoming a great artist, composer or inventor. New research shows that people who behave oddly, but are not psychotic or schizophrenic, are more creative because they use more of the right side of their brains.
Psychologists believe that famous creative people, including Vincent Van Gogh, Albert Einstein, Emily Dickinson and Isaac Newton, had what they call schizotypal personalities.
Psychologists Brad Folley and Sohee Park conducted two experiments to compare the creative thinking processes of schizotypes, schizophrenics and normal control subjects. In the first experiment, the researchers showed research subjects a variety of household objects and asked them to make up new functions for them. The results showed that the schizotypes were better able to creatively suggest new uses for the objects, while the schizophrenics and average subjects performed similarly to one another.
"Thought processes for individuals with schizophrenia are often very disorganized, almost to the point where they...
Hybrid Concerns
Thank you to WEEP for sending this article. It is worth your consideration, and you might wish to read this also.
Fear, but Few Facts, on Hybrid Risk
By JIM MOTAVALLI, April 27, 2008
ALMOST without exception, scientists and policy makers agree that hybrid vehicles are good for the planet. To a small but insistent group of skeptics, however, there is another, more immediate question: Are hybrids healthy for drivers?
There is a legitimate scientific reason for raising the issue. The flow of electrical current to the motor that moves a hybrid vehicle at low speeds (and assists the gasoline engine on the highway) produces magnetic fields, which some studies have associated with serious health matters, including a possible risk of leukemia among children.
With the batteries and power cables in hybrids often placed close to the driver and passengers, some exposure to electromagnetic fields is unavoidable. Moreover, the exposure will be prolonged — unlike, say, using a hair dryer or electric shaver — for drivers who spend hours each day at the wheel.
Some hybrid owners have actually tested their cars for electromagnetic fields using hand-held meters, and a few say they are alarmed by the results.
Their concern is not without merit; agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute acknowledge the potential hazards of long-term exposure to a strong electromagnetic field, or E.M.F., and have done studies on the association of cancer risks with living near high-voltage utility lines.
While Americans live with E.M.F.’s all around — produced by everything from cellphones to electric blankets — there is no broad agreement over what level of exposure constitutes a health hazard, and there is no federal standard that sets allowable exposure levels. Government safety tests do not measure the strength of the fields in vehicles — though Honda and Toyota, the dominant hybrid makers, say their internal checks assure that their cars pose no added risk to occupants.
Researchers with expertise in hybrid-car issues say that while there may not be cause for alarm, neither should the potential health effects be ignored.
“It would be a mistake to jump to conclusions about hybrid E.M.F. dangers, as well as a mistake to outright dismiss the concern,” said Jim Kliesch, a senior engineer for the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Additional research would improve our understanding of the issue.”
Charges that automobiles expose occupants to strong electromagnetic fields were made even before hybrids became popular. In 2002, a Swedish magazine claimed its tests found that three gasoline-powered Volvo models produced high E.M.F. levels. Volvo countered that the magazine had compared the measurements with stringent standards advanced by a Swedish labor organization, not the more widely accepted criteria established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, a group of independent scientific experts based near Munich.
Much of the discussion over high E.M.F. levels has sprung from hybrid drivers making their own readings. Field-strength detectors are widely available; a common model, the TriField meter, costs about $145 online. But experts and automakers contend that it is not simple for a hybrid owner to make reliable, meaningful E.M.F. measurements.
The concern over high E.M.F. levels in hybrids has come not just from worrisome instrument readings, but also from drivers who say that their hybrids make them ill.
Neysa Linzer, 58, of Bulls Head in Staten Island, bought a new Honda Civic Hybrid in 2007 for the 200 miles a week she drove to visit grocery stores in her merchandising job for a supermarket chain. She said that the car reduced her gasoline use, but there were problems — her blood pressure rose and she fell asleep at the wheel three times, narrowly averting accidents.
“I never had a sleepiness problem before,” Ms. Linzer said, adding that it was her own conclusion, not a doctor’s, that the car was causing the symptoms.
Ms. Linzer asked Honda to provide her with shielding material for protection from the low-frequency fields, but the company declined her request last August, saying that its hybrid cars are “thoroughly evaluated” for E.M.F.’s before going into production. Ms. Linzer’s response was to have the car tested by a person she called her wellness consultant, using a TriField meter.
The TriField meter is made by AlphaLab in Salt Lake City. The company’s president, Bill Lee, defends its use for automotive testing even though the meter is set up to test alternating current fields, whereas the power moving to and from a hybrid vehicle’s battery is direct current. “Generally, an A.C. meter is accurate in detecting large electromagnetic fields or microwaves,” he said.
Testing with a TriField meter led Brian Collins of Encinitas, Calif., to sell his 2001 Honda Insight just six months after he bought it — at a loss of $7,000. He said the driver was receiving “dangerously high” E.M.F. levels of up to 135 milligauss at the hip and up to 100 milligauss at the upper torso. These figures contrasted sharply with results from his Volkswagen van, which measured one to two milligauss.
Mr. Collins said he tried to interest Honda in the problem in 2001, but was assured that his car was safe. He purchased shielding made of a nickel-iron alloy, but because of high installation costs decided to sell the car instead.
A spokesman for Honda, Chris Martin, points to the lack of a federally mandated standard for E.M.F.’s in cars. Despite this, he said, Honda takes the matter seriously. “All our tests had results that were well below the commission’s standard,” Mr. Martin said, referring to the European guidelines. And he cautions about the use of hand-held test equipment. “People have a valid concern, but they’re measuring radiation using the wrong devices,” he said.
Kent Shadwick, controller of purchasing services for the York Catholic District School Board in York, Ontario, evaluated the Toyota Prius for fleet use. Mr. Shadwick said it was tested at various speeds, and under hard braking and rapid acceleration, using a professional-quality gauss meter.
“The results that we saw were quite concerning,” he said. “We saw high levels in the vehicle for both the driver and left rear passenger, which has prompted us to explore shielding options and to consider advocating testing of different makes and models of hybrid vehicles.”
In a statement, Toyota said: “The measured electromagnetic fields inside and outside of Toyota hybrid vehicles in the 50 to 60 hertz range are at the same low levels as conventional gasoline vehicles. Therefore there are no additional health risks to drivers, passengers or bystanders.”
The statement adds that the measured E.M.F. in a Prius is 1/300th of the European guideline.
The tests conducted by hybrid owners rarely approach the level of thoroughness of those run by automakers.
Donald B. Karner, president of Electric Transportation Applications in Phoenix, who tested E.M.F. levels in battery-electric cars for the Energy Department in the 1990s, said it was hard to evaluate readings without knowing how the testing was done. He also said it was a problem to determine a danger level for low-frequency radiation, in part because dosage is determined not only by proximity to the source, but by duration of exposure. “We’re exposed to radio waves from the time we’re born, but there’s a general belief that there’s so little energy in them that they’re not dangerous,” he said.
Mr. Karner has developed a procedure for testing hybrids, but he said that the cost — about $5,000 a vehicle — had prevented its use.
Lawrence Gust of Ventura, Calif., a consultant with a specialty in E.M.F.’s and electrical sensitivity, was one of the electrical engineers who tested Mr. Collins’s Insight in 2001. He agreed that the readings were high but did not want to speculate on whether they were harmful. “There are big blocks of high-amp power being moved around in a hybrid, the equivalent of horsepower,” he said. “I get a lot of clients who ask if they should buy hybrid electric cars, and I say the jury is still out.”
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
A Fun Food
I'm going to our Grange's Annual Christmas Party later today and I was thinking about the dish I'm going to take for the Pot Luck Dinner, while mixing up a morning smoothie in my blender, and listening to a Ritchie Havens interview and songs.
The reason I got thinking about it is because I received a new recipe this morning from World's Healthiest Foods and it was enticing enough to me to try it. The enticement was Tahini.
And while I am slowly sipping this smooth and yummy drink right now I'm thinking of the woman from Estonia who is a regular reader of my blog. She has a wonderful blog that you'll find in my interesting link's section in the right hand column, just look for Riina.
As an aside, Riina is from the lovely country of Estonia and it is wise at this time in US history to learn from the ways Estonia recovered from financial collapse when the Soviet Union fell.
I also have to say that I am always adding to recipes with my old fashioned approach to building up the nutrient quotient based on my 1970s college days and living on Adelle Davis Pep-Up. So what I have in the end is different than the basic recipe.
I left out the raw honey, added hemp protein powder, lecithin, adrenal support vitamin powder and Goji Juice Crystals (order from the Rich Nature link in the right hand column of Natural Health News). And I am just lucky enough to have some fresh squeezed organic Valencia orange juice that makes it much more delightful, as are the strawberries, lecithin and hemp, et al.
I hope you enjoy yours!
And now if you'd like to try this Strawberry Smoothie
Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
* 4 large strawberries
* ¼ cup low fat plain yogurt
* 1 cup fresh orange juice
* 1 TBS tahini
* 1 medium size banana
* ½ tsp vanilla
* 1 TBS honey
Directions:
1. Remove stems from strawberries and wash.
2. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
Serve 2 8oz glasses
Nutritonal Data
Additional Resources: Health, Vitamins and Alzheimer's
While I am sure that the mainstream medical industry looks askance at vitamins, it seems sad to me that they fail to look at the cost of human suffering caused by their ignorance, and closed-mindedness about the health benefits of supplements.
I would like everyone to consider the view of my esteemed colleague, Steve Shackel of Australia.
He is a person living with ALS and has an amazingly in depth web site with a great amount of science backed data.
And to further this position I am adding some additional data for your benefit -
REF: Vitamin B12: Vital Nutrient for Good Health
REF: High-dose vitamin B12 for at-home prevention and reversal of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases
REF: Vitamin C, E, Selenium
I would like everyone to consider the view of my esteemed colleague, Steve Shackel of Australia.
He is a person living with ALS and has an amazingly in depth web site with a great amount of science backed data.
My early research was into B3. I met my first bona fide mad professor, who was convinced B3 deficiency was responsible for all neurodegenerative illnesses. He made many good points but as my research progressed I concluded that it was not a B3 deficiency so much as the ability to metabolise B3 in therapeutic quantities that was the problem. I could go on...
I'll update my info and provide a link to this (more recent) research. Thanks for forwarding it to me. All these things help to fill out the big picture!
And to further this position I am adding some additional data for your benefit -
REF: Vitamin B12: Vital Nutrient for Good Health
REF: High-dose vitamin B12 for at-home prevention and reversal of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases
REF: Vitamin C, E, Selenium
Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., writes about the JAMA study denouncing the benefit from Vitamins C and E. Fabricant comments concerning flaws in the study which have altered the results and reliability of the study in question:
“On the second page of the study, it references nine pooled studies that when using 700 milligrams per day of vitamin C showed a 25-percent reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD); yet this study only used 500 milligrams per day. Why wasn't the 700 milligrams per day amount used when that has been correlated with a reduction in occurrence in prior studies?
“Additionally, while the study did control for multivitamin intake to prevent overlap, intake of vitamin C and E from food was not controlled. With a population of health care professionals at an increased risk for CVD, these subjects most likely know the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and thus rich in vitamins C and E, and may adjust their intake accordingly. This would most certainly confound the study.
“It is essentially a drug study but one without a positive control, which is necessary to ensure the experimental design can produce a positive result even if the intervention was unable to.”
Thursday, December 11, 2008
FDA defies DSHEA in latest threat to dietary supplements
The Alliance for Natural Health reports today on the latest FDA attempts to block access to supplements.
http://www.anhcampaign.org/node/2558?utm_source=The+Alliance+for+Natural+Health&utm_campaign=93ef8f47fc-081126_ANH_eBlast_No_1011_26_2008&utm_medium=email
http://www.anhcampaign.org/node/2558?utm_source=The+Alliance+for+Natural+Health&utm_campaign=93ef8f47fc-081126_ANH_eBlast_No_1011_26_2008&utm_medium=email
I Must Be In B Vitamin Heaven
I recall vividly the many times I accompanied my father to AMA Conventions while growing up. I am sure now it was a part of his plan to make sure I was brainwashed enough to go to med school and follow along his path.
At one convention, in Atlantic City, when I was about eleven years old, I brought home a treasured back scratcher (an advertising tool from Dome Chemicals, Inc. - ala Merck, Sharp and Dome in the old days) and a shot glass from Phospho-Soda (a shot glass was pretty important in this circle because of all the cocktail parties, especially good for a child with a proctologist father).
I still have these treasures and the memories.
Medicine in those days was less frenzied and treatments were more straight forward and simpler.
And certainly vitamins were not looked upon as voodoo.
Even B12 shots were a regular occurrence and no one needed a blood test to decide if you could get them. Of course now the blood test used - really to get a billable charge and avoid acting outside standards of care - is not the correct test. Remember you can't get hurt by B12 shots but if your provider demands a test it is the INTRACELLULAR B12 that is required.
And - for women only - the correct form and correct dose of injectable B12 can lower your blood pressure.
Pretty much, natural thyroid and B12 were very good at keeping aging folks from dementia, and no one flapped an eyelash over it.
I use B Complex daily and in a food form. I give the same to my animals and we all use organic nutritional yeast which is a fermented product. I think the aroma is to die for, it is such a heavenly aroma that wafts from the container when I open it in the morning at at dinner time.
I certainly am sure I get doses well beyond the fallacy of the RDA, but them I'm more of a follower of nutrition and orthomolecular health models so I'm not frightened that water soluble vitamins will harm me in any way.
I sort of look at the Big Pharma approach to make you think they are on top of things when B3 is added to a dangerous cholesterol drug as odd. Why don't they just admit that the whole cholesterol lowering thing is a scam. B3 does just fine to lower cholesterol on its own, and much less expensively.
I made the mistake of turning on to orthomolecular medicine when I began working in psychiatry as an RN in the early 1970s. With people like Carl C. Pfeiffer, Abrahm Hoffer and Melvin Werbach (all MDs) educating me along the way, added to to great integrated nutrition I had while studying nursing in college, I was way ahead of the pack.
Now after all these years we see maybe the first wave of a turning tide. The AMA reports that B vitamins are good to help older women prevent breast cancer.
Will wonders never cease.....
At one convention, in Atlantic City, when I was about eleven years old, I brought home a treasured back scratcher (an advertising tool from Dome Chemicals, Inc. - ala Merck, Sharp and Dome in the old days) and a shot glass from Phospho-Soda (a shot glass was pretty important in this circle because of all the cocktail parties, especially good for a child with a proctologist father).
I still have these treasures and the memories.
Medicine in those days was less frenzied and treatments were more straight forward and simpler.
And certainly vitamins were not looked upon as voodoo.
Even B12 shots were a regular occurrence and no one needed a blood test to decide if you could get them. Of course now the blood test used - really to get a billable charge and avoid acting outside standards of care - is not the correct test. Remember you can't get hurt by B12 shots but if your provider demands a test it is the INTRACELLULAR B12 that is required.
And - for women only - the correct form and correct dose of injectable B12 can lower your blood pressure.
Pretty much, natural thyroid and B12 were very good at keeping aging folks from dementia, and no one flapped an eyelash over it.
I use B Complex daily and in a food form. I give the same to my animals and we all use organic nutritional yeast which is a fermented product. I think the aroma is to die for, it is such a heavenly aroma that wafts from the container when I open it in the morning at at dinner time.
I certainly am sure I get doses well beyond the fallacy of the RDA, but them I'm more of a follower of nutrition and orthomolecular health models so I'm not frightened that water soluble vitamins will harm me in any way.
I sort of look at the Big Pharma approach to make you think they are on top of things when B3 is added to a dangerous cholesterol drug as odd. Why don't they just admit that the whole cholesterol lowering thing is a scam. B3 does just fine to lower cholesterol on its own, and much less expensively.
I made the mistake of turning on to orthomolecular medicine when I began working in psychiatry as an RN in the early 1970s. With people like Carl C. Pfeiffer, Abrahm Hoffer and Melvin Werbach (all MDs) educating me along the way, added to to great integrated nutrition I had while studying nursing in college, I was way ahead of the pack.
Now after all these years we see maybe the first wave of a turning tide. The AMA reports that B vitamins are good to help older women prevent breast cancer.
Will wonders never cease.....
B vitamins may protect elderly women from cancerDecember 2008
Daily supplementation with B vitamins may reduce the risk of breast cancer and other invasive cancers in women over the age of 65. That’s what a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has to say.
Over 5,000 women at a high risk of cardiovascular disease took part in the study, which investigated the effects of a daily supplement of folic acid, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12 on cancer risk.
“If the finding [that cancer risk in women over 65 is decreased] is real and substantiated, the results may have public health significance because the incidence rates of cancer are high in elderly persons. The finding is biologically plausible because elderly individuals have increased requirements for these B vitamins,” wrote lead author Shumin Zhang from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Folate, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12 are thought to play an important role in cancer prevention. This is because the vitamins play an important role in maintaining the integrity of DNA and regulating gene expression, both critical processes in healthy cell function.
Another positive to take from the results is that they appear to support the safety of B vitamins, and particularly folic acid. Since 1998 the U.S. has required mandatory fortification of all grain products with folic acid—the synthetic, bioavailable form of folate—in order to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects—most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly.
Zhang and co-workers looked at the risk of cancer and B-vitamin consumption among the 5,442 participants (average age 62.8) of the Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study. The women either had cardiovascular disease or three or more coronary risk factors.
Over the course of 7.3 years, half of the women received a daily supplement of folic acid (2.5 mg), vitamin B-6 (50 mg) and vitamin B-12 (1 mg), while the other half of the women received a placebo. The study began in 1998—the same year as mandatory folic acid fortification was introduced in the U.S.
During the study, 379 cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed—187 in the B-vitamin group and 192 in the placebo group. No differences were seen in the risk of developing total invasive cancer or breast cancer, when the participants were viewed in their entirety. However, in women over the age of 65 the supplementation was associated with significant 25% and 38% reductions in the risk of invasive and breast cancer, respectively.
Journal of the American Medical Association 300(17):2012-2021, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Avandia Increases Bone Risk for Women
I was in the supermarket the other day and ended up talking with a woman about arthritis.
She continued to tell me all the drugs she was taking and I happened to ask if she knew what Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is. She answered "No", and I referred her back to the provider to ask that question because it was a serious side effect of one of several of her prescribed drugs.
This isn't uncommon for people to be taking drugs because their provider told them they needed them for life of some other specious reason.
It isn't unlike the query in the Alzheimer's and Vitamin B3 article, "Why isn't your doctor telling you to take them?"
There are some serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by the diabetes drugs. Perhaps this study is reporting on a side effect of those losses.
Bone loss added to the cardiovascular concerns with Avandia might make you sit up, take notice, and get some answers from your prescriber.
And you might also want to look at the natural things you can do to promote healing from this disease and the drugs that "manage" it.
And as for the finding that this harm does not effect men, perhaps Avandia has a major negative hormonal interference paradigm with female hormones, only aggravating the situation.
She continued to tell me all the drugs she was taking and I happened to ask if she knew what Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is. She answered "No", and I referred her back to the provider to ask that question because it was a serious side effect of one of several of her prescribed drugs.
This isn't uncommon for people to be taking drugs because their provider told them they needed them for life of some other specious reason.
It isn't unlike the query in the Alzheimer's and Vitamin B3 article, "Why isn't your doctor telling you to take them?"
There are some serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by the diabetes drugs. Perhaps this study is reporting on a side effect of those losses.
Bone loss added to the cardiovascular concerns with Avandia might make you sit up, take notice, and get some answers from your prescriber.
And you might also want to look at the natural things you can do to promote healing from this disease and the drugs that "manage" it.
And as for the finding that this harm does not effect men, perhaps Avandia has a major negative hormonal interference paradigm with female hormones, only aggravating the situation.
Diabetes drugs 'double bone risk' Long-term use of a class of drugs for type 2 diabetes doubles a woman's risk of breaking a bone, research suggests.
Thiazolidinediones, including rosiglitazone and pioglitzone, had already been linked to a raised risk of fractures, as well as heart problems.
UK and US researchers have quantified the risk, and showed that using the drugs for more than a year thins the bones significantly.
The study appears in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
It found no increased fracture risk among men.
Two million prescriptions were written for rosigliatzone and pioglitazone in the UK alone last year.
The European Medicines Agency carried out a safety review of rosiglitazone and pioglitzone last year, and concluded their benefits outweighed their risks.
But the researchers argued the drugs had relatively modest therapeutic effects, and the regulators should think again.
Lead researcher Dr Yoon Loke, of the University of East Anglia, said: "Women with type 2 diabetes are already at an increased risk of fractures - with a near doubling in the risk of hip fractures - so any additional risk from thiazolidinedione therapy could have a considerable impact on public health."
Dr Loke said the underlying cause of the effect of thiazolidinediones was unclear, and required further research.
One suggestion is that the drugs may cause fractures by replacing bone marrow with fat cells.
However, he stressed women should not stop taking the drugs without first taking medical advice.
Extra fractures
The latest study, also conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, examined data from 10 previous trials, involving a total of 13,715 patients.
It found that year-long thiazolidinedione use among elderly, postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes resulted in one extra fracture per 21 women.
Among younger women, aged around 56, the figure was one extra fracture per 55 women.
There is no clear evidence that other drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes, such as metformin and sulfonylurea, cause an increased risk of fractures.
Recent research into thiazolidinediones has focused on the drugs' adverse effects on the heart and cardiovascular system.
One study found that they doubled the risk of congestive heart failure, while another found rosiglitazone was associated both with increased heart attacks and a doubling of heart failure.
Dr Victoria King, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: "We really do need further evidence through properly controlled trials before we can conclusively link thiazolidinediones to increased risk of various bone conditions in humans and determine which groups of people may be at greater risk."
In a statement, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) said fears that thiazolidinediones raised the risk of fractures in women had been raised before, and healthcare professionals notified.
The information leaflet providing with the drug to patients already contains a warning about fracture risk.
GlaxoSmithKline, which markets rosiglitazone as Avandia, said the safety and effectiveness of the drug was backed by one of the largest clinical trial programmes ever undertaken for any medicine, with 52,000 patients studied.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7771944.stm
Published: 2008/12/10 © BBC MMVIII
Antibiotics and Liver Failure
DILI is an acronym for "Drug Induced Liver Injury". Most people associate liver injury with acetaminophen or ibuprofen and a few other drugs (such as cholesterol lowering ones for example). Disclosing that antibiotics are known to induce liver injury is welcome. It would be better if Big Pharma and mainstream medicine would disclose the risk of liver injury from any drug but that's not a likely thing.
After all it might mean that the FDA would have to recall all drugs, because if you read the drug data you find most have a negative effect on the liver.
And for those who want to jump on the reference to nutritional supplements and herbals mentioned in the article, remember that their statistics show the connection to body building and weight loss products.
After all it might mean that the FDA would have to recall all drugs, because if you read the drug data you find most have a negative effect on the liver.
And for those who want to jump on the reference to nutritional supplements and herbals mentioned in the article, remember that their statistics show the connection to body building and weight loss products.
Antibiotics: Single Largest Class Of Drugs Causing Liver Injury
ScienceDaily (2008-12-08) -- Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury, reports a new study in Gastroenterology. DILI is the most common cause of death from acute liver failure and accounts for approximately 13 percent of cases of acute liver failure in the US. It is caused by a wide variety of prescription and nonprescription medications, nutritional supplements and herbals. ... > read full article
The Anti-Vitamin Train Keeps Rolling Along
UPDATE: Feb 09 -
AP writer LINDSEY TANNER has the inevitable position of meeting with my disdain over here story "Huge study boosts disappointment on multivitamins".
Her writing in my estimation is about the same low caliber as Carla Johnson another AP health writer who had worked at Spokane's Spokesman-Review.
Of course I don't look at these stories from the job oriented perspective of Johnson and Tanner; I look at them in a critical manner relevant to the factors that are known about the need for and effectiveness of using vitamin supplements.
It is unfortunate that AP fosters mainstream propaganda, rather than actually engaging in discovering whether or not the studies were good examples of junk science.
In this situation the studies were poorly designed, the schedule and dose of vitamins was not close to making a dent in the side of a Studebaker or Packard.
It will be a far sight better when we can get back to media stories with less or no bias, and until then we have ProPublica.org to help us keep on track, along with our own investigative efforts to substantiate fact.
You'll find many other posts here at Natural Health News discussing the benefits of vitamins for health and bogus studies via the search window.
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Personally I would like to see one of the investigators that do studies to show that vitamins are not helpful for health be required to do in-depth research on the vitamins prior to being funded. Maybe when the money train slows down they will approach their "research" from a different state of mind.
Double blind studies are a joke, and most serious researchers know this, but few will really say this is fact. All studies are affected by what is called the Rosenthal factor which has proven that all studies are altered in outcome by the mind-set of the lead investigator. A sharp skewer of data if I ever heard of one.
Vitamin E is an extremely effective anti-inflammatory vitamin and it helps oxygen (cancer doesn't like oxygen)cross the alveolar membrane in the lungs. Vitamin E also helps protect you from hair loss when undergoing standard medical cancer dictates. It also happens to have the effect of protecting you from colon cancer. And there are many more benefits, but it depends on the daily dose and the proper type of vitamin E supplement. (Not the synthetic or cheap stuff, but this seems to be what is relied on in most studies of late.)
Again, vitamin C reigns as one of the most beneficial vitamins for cancer prevention and treatment if you read the science that is found in nutrition journals or other journals that are "less aligned with maintaining the status quo".
Yet, while we see more and more anti-vitamin reports like this one -
We also see some that seem to have a better insight on vitamin efficacy.
Just maybe the improved anti-inflammatory response is from the oxygen. And don't we already know that oxygen being a free radical scavenger, might just scavenge those cancer cells out from where they don't belong?
And as for selenium, this has been an effective anti-prostate cancer supplement, used in the correct form (selenomethionine) and in the correct dose for decades.
Without selenium, especially if you live in an area that is known geologically to have low selenium soil like the states bordering Canada, your thyroid won't function properly and low thyroid is clearly involved in immune issues, and may be a factor in cancer or other immune related dis-eases.
And then there is the need for zinc, but that's not a part of the study.
And, to counter the fallacious argument that all you have to do to get good nutrition is to eat a healthy diet, remember that food grown in low selenium soil is not healthy. Nor is that grown under stressful conditions with herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and fluoridated water.
Now you be the judge and I'd suggest you delve a bit deeper before accepting this story.
My observations are that these white coats are just asking the wrong questions.
AP writer LINDSEY TANNER has the inevitable position of meeting with my disdain over here story "Huge study boosts disappointment on multivitamins".
Her writing in my estimation is about the same low caliber as Carla Johnson another AP health writer who had worked at Spokane's Spokesman-Review.
Of course I don't look at these stories from the job oriented perspective of Johnson and Tanner; I look at them in a critical manner relevant to the factors that are known about the need for and effectiveness of using vitamin supplements.
It is unfortunate that AP fosters mainstream propaganda, rather than actually engaging in discovering whether or not the studies were good examples of junk science.
In this situation the studies were poorly designed, the schedule and dose of vitamins was not close to making a dent in the side of a Studebaker or Packard.
It will be a far sight better when we can get back to media stories with less or no bias, and until then we have ProPublica.org to help us keep on track, along with our own investigative efforts to substantiate fact.
You'll find many other posts here at Natural Health News discussing the benefits of vitamins for health and bogus studies via the search window.
-----------------------------------------------
Personally I would like to see one of the investigators that do studies to show that vitamins are not helpful for health be required to do in-depth research on the vitamins prior to being funded. Maybe when the money train slows down they will approach their "research" from a different state of mind.
Double blind studies are a joke, and most serious researchers know this, but few will really say this is fact. All studies are affected by what is called the Rosenthal factor which has proven that all studies are altered in outcome by the mind-set of the lead investigator. A sharp skewer of data if I ever heard of one.
Vitamin E is an extremely effective anti-inflammatory vitamin and it helps oxygen (cancer doesn't like oxygen)cross the alveolar membrane in the lungs. Vitamin E also helps protect you from hair loss when undergoing standard medical cancer dictates. It also happens to have the effect of protecting you from colon cancer. And there are many more benefits, but it depends on the daily dose and the proper type of vitamin E supplement. (Not the synthetic or cheap stuff, but this seems to be what is relied on in most studies of late.)
Again, vitamin C reigns as one of the most beneficial vitamins for cancer prevention and treatment if you read the science that is found in nutrition journals or other journals that are "less aligned with maintaining the status quo".
Yet, while we see more and more anti-vitamin reports like this one -
Taking vitamin C or E does not reduce the risk of prostate cancers - or other forms of the disease, two large US studies suggest.
We also see some that seem to have a better insight on vitamin efficacy.
Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation
ScienceDaily (2008-12-08) -- With up to half of a person's body mass consisting of skeletal muscle, chronic inflammation of those muscles -- which include those found in the limbs -- can result in significant physical impairment. Researchers have found that vitamin E shows promise in easing inflammation. ... > read full article
Just maybe the improved anti-inflammatory response is from the oxygen. And don't we already know that oxygen being a free radical scavenger, might just scavenge those cancer cells out from where they don't belong?
And as for selenium, this has been an effective anti-prostate cancer supplement, used in the correct form (selenomethionine) and in the correct dose for decades.
Without selenium, especially if you live in an area that is known geologically to have low selenium soil like the states bordering Canada, your thyroid won't function properly and low thyroid is clearly involved in immune issues, and may be a factor in cancer or other immune related dis-eases.
And then there is the need for zinc, but that's not a part of the study.
And, to counter the fallacious argument that all you have to do to get good nutrition is to eat a healthy diet, remember that food grown in low selenium soil is not healthy. Nor is that grown under stressful conditions with herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and fluoridated water.
Now you be the judge and I'd suggest you delve a bit deeper before accepting this story.
My observations are that these white coats are just asking the wrong questions.
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