Natural Healing Health Source

Hives and Urticaria - 10 Short Term Relief Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 19:22:02 PDT

Here's a list of some helpful tips to relieve Urticaria in the short term.

1.Apply milk of magnesia to the lesions, this provides some relief, as milk of magnesia is an alkaline solution it helps in removing the irritation.

2.Stop the itching get 1/2 a tub filled with warm water, add 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda. Soaking yourself at least once a day can make a lot of difference.

3.Applying aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil to the affected area at least twice a day can benefit you a lot.

4.Have nettle tea which is made by 2 tsp. powdered stinging nettles. You can add honey or lemon to add flavour to your tea.

5.Consume cayenne pepper capsules to help the healing procedure. You can also have vitamin C, vitamin E or zinc for quick relief.

6.Herbal tea is very good for health. To soothe your nerves, go in for peppermint or passionflower tea. Other good options include chamomile, valerian and green tea.

7.To relieve pain, apply cool compression on the affected area.

8.Make a paste with 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add a little water to make it into a paste. Apply to affected area for 15-30 minutes. It dries the hives up within a couple of hours.

9.Take cayenne pepper in capsule form to aid the healing process.

10.Take an Ice cold shower or bath

Kate Andrews is the author of 'Natural Urticaria Relief' which is designed to help chronic sufferers of urticaria relive their condition naturally, & permanently.

Visit Natural Urticaria Relief for details.

Frequent Yeast Infections Remedy That Will Cast Off Candida Albicans Overgrowth Symptoms Every Hour!

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:34:36 PDT

It seems that innumerable females all over the globe admit to suffering from a frequent yeast infection. Though the symptoms of yeast infection aren't particularly fateful, they are nonetheless a bit much and disheartening. Not all females experience all the yeast infections symptoms at comfortable severity, but the women who seem to always have the fullgrownness of the symptoms of yeast infection are a victim of recurrent yeast infections.

You may be wondering what the difference is bend a recurrent yeast infection and a simple yeast vaginal infection. A normal vagina yeast infection is when the condition is treated satisfyingly once you notice the yeast infections symptoms. With a reoccuring yeast infection, the disorder usually after treatment. It should be noted that the symptoms of yeast infection can change over time, this can really make a genital yeast infection challenging to care for.

The Causes of Yeast Infections:

You may have heard this over and over again, prevention is the cure. So let's get into the causes of yeast infections. First of all, your body normally has yeast that's kept in check by your friendly intestinal flora. A genital yeast infection develops when this critical balance is thrown off. This causes the yeast grow and multiply rapidly, eventually spreading throughout the body via the bloodstream. Antibiotics have been the main criminal in upsetting this condition. This is because antibiotics terminate ALL bacteria in your body, even the friendly bacteria.

This allows the candida yeast to run the show in the body. Something else that can cause a yeast vaginal infection to allow for is a abundantly acidic body. An acidic environment will promote the yeast and cause it to overgrow. Blood Sugar that is elevated can also promote the yeast. Diabetics and people who consume high amounts of foods filled with sugar should really take note of this. High blood sugar will easily make one more predisposed to having a reoccuring yeast infection because yeast feeds off of sugar.

Symptoms of Yeast Infections:

Now that we briefly went over what causes yeast infections, let's now get into the symptoms of yeast infection. Some of the common yeast infections symptoms are, stinging sensation in or around the genital area, vaginal discharge(white and possibly thick in texture), insubstantial burning sensation when urinating, redness or swelling on the skin, and soreness during sexual intercourse. It's important to realize the first steps behind a recurring yeast infection.

How to Cure a Yeast Infection:

Once you resolve that you have the condition, you should use the most adapted and safe lasting treatment. It has been shown that a natural vaginal yeast infection treatment is best when it comes to treating a recurrent yeast infection. If you start using a natural remedy for yeast infection as soon as possible, you can prevent it from becoming a severe yeast infection and even harder to get rid of.

Do you want enduring easing from constant yeast infections? If so, right now is the time to see how safe and effective a natural home remedy for yeast infection will be for you today.

Natural Ways To Clear Acne Finally and Everlastingly!

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:13:49 PST

Skin disorders show up in many forms, the most common among them is Acne. However, before we discuss Natural Ways To Clear Up Acne, we should quickly discuss what Acne is. Most people aren't aware that there are 3 distinguished forms of Acne, Acne Vulgaris, Acne Conglobata, and Acne Rosacea. Acne vulgaris is a less aggressive acne form, while acne conglobata is the type you'll find in the most severe cases. Acne vulgaris gets into the hair follicles and oil-secreting pores. These show up as whiteheads, blackheads, red spots, and inflammation. Acne conglobata is the type that forms blisters that leads to marking on the skin. Acne rosacea typically emerge in middle age and elderly adults, this usually looks like as flushed appearance of the face. This persisting skin diorder causes the cheeks and nose to be incredibly red and may also be covered in pimples.

What Causes Acne

Are you curious about what causes acne? Acne derive from the skin pores, where your sebaceous glands and hair follicles are joined to the skin. The sebaceous glands function is to make sebum, this is a combo of waxes and oils that keep the skin from drying out and deters the excessive loss of water. These glands are combined in a large amount on the face, and not so much on the chest, back, and shoulders. Men are more at risk to be found with acne flare ups. Acne tends to start flaring up are puberty because of to male hormones(testosterone)male hormones such as testosterone stimulating the cells around the hair follicle canal. Females also have an good influence of testosterone hormones when puberty is reached, this is what makes females also favorable to acne.

This increase in hormones can cause the protein Keratin to be over produced. Along with other facts such as the sebaceous glands increasing in size and increased bacteria, this ends up blocking skin pores. Crummy subsistence and a high load of in the body also contribute greatly in the effects of acne. There are also environmental elements, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, machine oils, and coal and tar derivatives that may cause plugging up of the pores. Different chemicals and compounds can cause acne like lesions. Drugs such as steroids, lithium carbonate, diphenylhydantoin can cause an acne break out. Some cosmetics, hair creams, picking at or rubbing of the face, hair grease, and overwashing may also cause acne type bumps to form. You should note that your skin functions as a 3rd kidney, filtering toxins out of the body through the skin. Chemicals and compounds like the those listed above are toxic to the body and has to be flushed out as fast as possible.

How To Clear Up Acne Fast

There are many variables to consider when it comes to holistic acne cures. However, to get yourself started on the right foot there are some things you can start doing right now to prevent future outbreaks. Proper hydration and a healthy diet are good places to start. When it comes to a cleaner healthier diet, refined(white) simple sugars and refined starchy carbs should be rejected. Decrease your intake of high fat, greasy, and/or fried foods. Eliminate highly processed animal milk and milk based products, and refrain from margarine and other hydrogenated oils jointly! It will also be in your best interest to leave alone soft drinks, other carbonated beverages, caffeine, and black tea.

There a few topical creams and ointments that are natural and effective at clearing acne. These natural creams act in the same manner as your OTC and more bold acne ointments. In which, they bring down inflammation and downgrade the bacteria to a more balanced level. One such cream is Tea Tree Oil, it possesses real antiseptic abilities and is the perfect skin disinfectant. Though a lower potency of Tea Tree Oil might not be perfect for moderate or really bad, you can use stronger solutions in those cases.

There are several more dietary and topical skin basics you have to take up and be faithful to if you ever want to clear your acne for the long term. If you take these needed measures to fight against ALL acne contributing factors holistically. You will not only clear acne continuously, it will also highly harmonize your overall health and mental well-being for the better.

If you are set to discover How To Clear Up Acne so you can feel and look great? Then start taking responsibility for your body and start adhering to these basics today!

Gout Diet Food That's Mouth Watering

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 09:06:00 PST

Can gout diet food be mouth-watering foods as well? Most diet programs can be very difficult to stick to, often they do not prescribe the most pleasing foods. However, if you have health problems like gout, a may want to begin living a healthier lifestyle. In that case, your diet is crucial. While diet food usually isn't very pleasurable, I'll give you some food suggestions that you're sure to indulge in.

The main course on the menu of "must have" foods for gout is Jerk salmon. Fish in the form of fillets of Alaskan sockeye salmon is marinated in lime juice and jerk. Rub it in over while you make up the stew. The stew is made up of sliced okra, corn, tomato, oregano, pepper, and other seasonings. You only need to fry up the fish for only a little while before you add and cook it in the stew. It's best when served with garlic bread or crackers.

Since desserts also are part of your diet plan and hard to ignore. I suggest you try the French bread filled with mango. Basically, you soak the bread in a mixture of French toast, then put in a baking dish. Top the slices of bread with slices of mango or puree, then sprinkle with raw sugar. Top with another slice of bread with a sprinkle of bread-nut topping. Lastly, bake in the oven after you dabble melted butter on the bread. How likable of a dessert does this sound? You can include this in your gout diet food menu with no worry. You may be wondering if this is actually a diet plan. Yes, it is indeed!

How would you like a yogurt and cucumber shake? This addition is a unique menu item. Basically, you mix low-fat yogurt, cucumber, fresh mint, garlic and salt together. You might think it would be strange blend of ingredients, but wait until you give it a taste! You will find yourself wanting more!

I only gave a few examples of yummy gout diet foods to eat to help you discourage and treat gout effectively. However, this is just the beginning, there is much more recipes that will surprise you. You only need to look at all these recipes, try them out for yourself and you will see that it's possible for gout diet food to be nutritious and lovable!

So if you're looking for a definite Gout Diet Plan, and are burnt out and loosing hope about your Gouty Arthritis. You need to drop everything and read every word on this food for gout page. The next few minutes could change your life completely. You'll be able to gain a better understanding about the most prevalent gout symptoms and treatment.

Is There An Alternative Treatment for Hives or Urticaria?

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:06:06 PST

Many people ask if it's safe and effective to use an alternative treatment for hives or urticaria. Well, before I get to that, I want to address some other issues first. Now, whether you have been dealing with the malady of hives for several years, or have only recently begun to experience chronic urticaria. You might fancy in learning about some of the holistic remedies for chronic urticaria. Hives can be surprisingly formidable to deal with(at least in the chronic sense), but there are numerous ways to solve them. Let's take a look at 3 ways.

Chiefly, countless people rely on antihistamines in the treating of hives and urticaria. As the name suggests, anti-histamines block or delay the body's production of histamines, which can cast down inflammation and itching of urticaria or hives. In turn, this can cause them go away faster, which is ideal for those suffering from acute urticaria or hives.

Most common natural treatments for urticaria are here.

No. 1: It's the usual "first step" in the curing of urticaria. It is based on the understanding that hives are a serious allergic reaction of the body. Although it works wondrous for many people who develop hives or urticaria on occasion, it does not normally provide real relief for those suffering from chronic hives.

No. 2: Some folks prefer a more natural approach to address their urticaria, and may choose to use natural herbs as a way to cope with their symptoms. Although this may be the first time you used such herbs as a form of treating hives, it is actually analogous to using prescription drug antihistamines.

Those who use these kind of herbs know that these herbs have natural antihistamine properties. They are full of compounds that discourage the production of histamine. As such, the effectiveness of chronic hives herbal treatments is very pronounced. Once again, it may be useful for folks with mild issues or just need a little extra decrement of some symptoms, but it certainly will not cure the abnormality.

No. 3: A consistent number of people use a urticaria or hives treatment method that works from a different principle than just interpreting the hives as a mere byproduct of an allergy. This remedy holds that the urticaria and hives are the result of immune system reaction to an accumulation of micro-parasites and toxins in the body.

It should be noted that there's a credible distinction between the symptoms and treatment attitudes of urticaria or hives and dealing with it's causes. It's crystal-clear that this difference is key to understanding a different method of treatment for chronic hives and urticaria. Instead of centralizing your focus on the hives and urticaria, this tactic helps the body get to the root cause of the condition. This approach may not be necessary for those with mild hives, but does improve the results in more intense urticaria and hives outbreaks and other serious constant afflictions.

Urticaria and hives often flare up for many reasons. Many people(including doctors) see urticaria and hives as nothing more than an allergic reaction. Those who have dealt with it for a long time know otherwise. Chronic idiopathic hives or urticaria is not because of a sovereign allergy and should be treated in a completely different way. Permanent urticaria and hives relief can be gained by addressing and making right the underlying causes, and there can be many. However, as stated earlier...continuing relief can often be accomplished using simple and natural treatments.

You can discover how you can live a normal life and get rid of this skin condition using a holistic treatments at this hives or urticaria resource. The better understanding you'll gain about the most typical urticaria causes will allow you to have a brighter and healthier future.

Recurring Yeast Infection Causes And Remedies To Contemplate

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:33:43 PDT

Millions of women go through their lives suffering from frequent yeast infections. Though yeast infections symptoms are not particularly lethal, they are however unsurpassable and hindering. Not all women experience all symptoms of yeast infection at equal severity, but the women who seem to always have the majority of the yeast infections symptoms are a victim of recurrent yeast infections.

Many may be wondering what the difference is between chronic yeast infections and a normal genital yeast infection. A regular vagina yeast infection is when the infection is treated satisfyingly once you notice the yeast infections symptoms. When it comes to a recurring yeast infection, the infection consistently comes back after treatment. It should be noted that the yeast infections symptoms can change over time, this can really make a vagina yeast infection difficult to heal.

So let's get into the causes of yeast infections. First of all, your body naturally has yeast that's kept in balance by your beneficial bacteria. Recurrent yeast infections results when this delicate balance is thrown off. This causes the yeast grow and multiply rapidly, eventually spreading throughout the body. Antibiotics have been the main culprit in upsetting this balance. This is because antibiotics destroy ALL bacteria in the body, even the friendly bacteria. This allows the yeast to have supremacy in the body. Another one of the recurring yeast infection causes to consider is a highly acidic body pH, this can promote the yeast and cause it to overgrow. High blood sugar levels can also promote the yeast. This is something diabetics and people who consume high amounts of sugary foods should really be aware of. This is because diabetes, and high blood sugar for that matter makes you more suggestible to having a vagina yeast infection because sugar is yeast's main source of food.

Now that we got a few of the causes of yeast infections out of the way, let's now get into the symptoms of yeast infection. Some of the common symptoms of yeast infection are, irritation in or around the genital area, vaginal discharge(white and possibly thick in texture), minor burning sensation when urinating, redness or swelling on the skin, and ache during sexual intercourse. It's important to understand the principles behind a vagina yeast infection. Once you've determined you have the defect, you should now use the most effective, most safe, most long-term treatment. It has been shown that a natural yeast infection home treatment is best when looking for frequent yeast infections regimens. It's best to use a natural treatment for yeast infections as soon as possible before it becomes a severe yeast infection and hard to get rid of.

Risk Free Male Yeast Infections Mini Course Provides The Wisdom You Seek

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:20:22 PST

Like with any illness or infection, prevention is the cure. When it comes to male yeast infections, this is even more true. You hardly ever hear about a male yeast infection, but it's more common than you think. Most men don't even realize they have it, or that there are natural yeast infection home treatments. If you've never tried natural and simple yeast infection home treatment, then you should know that usually all the factors that are needed can be easily attainable at home. Before we get to how to cure a yeast infection, it's important to know the male yeast infection symptoms.

Male yeast infection symptoms may sometimes appear in the form of rashes on the skin, soreness and itchiness which is caused by a fungus called tinea. A male yeast infection due to this fungus is also accompanied by constipation or loose bowel movements. The ideal way to acquire this type of fungus is by wearing tight-fitting clothes that causes sweating and impedes proper air circulation. When it comes to penile yeast infection symptoms, there's no pain involved, small distinct red spots under the foreskin or on the head of the penis may develop. This can be accompanied by itching, irritation and mild discomfort. Foul smelling discharge may develop, if left unchecked, the condition may lead to the development of small fissures in the surface of the skin. It will cause lot of discomfort if soaps, detergents come in contact with these small ruptures. In certain cases, it might be difficult to pull back the foreskin and urgent medical help is required. Warm moist climates are more favorable to the fungus growth, thus making them put down roots and multiply. A surpressed immune system and a lack of helpful bacteria can also allow fungus to grow out of control.

What makes a yeast infection in men hard to detect is that some males do not show symptoms of yeast infection until your health really starts to deteriorate. This is due to the fact that most of the food you consume promotes the overgrowth of fungus by reducing the support that your helpful bacteria gives you, thus weakening your natural defenses. A male yeast infection can be cured naturally, which is best because it addresses the root cause of the infection. Most over-the-counter and prescription drugs just treat the symptoms, which sets you up to experience reoccuring yeast infections. A key part of a natural remedy for yeast infection is a quality supply of worthy bacteria to repopulate the key areas of your body.

There's a risk free treatment for yeast infections course available for you to gain more knowledge. It's important to remember that some people react to various natural treatments better than others. It's important to go through the home remedy for yeast infection course to get an idea of which one may work best for you. Since you'll be using a home remedy for yeast infection, you don't have to worry about harsh side effects or dealing with harsh chemicals. Finding the best male yeast infections treatment for your body will make permanently getting rid of this condition fast, easy, and safe.

Candida Overgrowth Symptoms Are Beaten By Natural Vaginitis Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:39:50 PST

Reoccuring yeast infections are a common problem among most women, for reasons they can't explain. Candida overgrowth symptoms in vaginal area are very alarming to many women, and it's also a very misunderstood issue. Candida intestinal yeast resides in safe amounts inside the body. It's kept in check by the beneficial bacteria that's found inside the colon and vagina. When this balance is upset is when intestinal yeast can multiply and spread throughout the body. Many things can cause intestinal yeast to overgrow, one of the problems it can cause is vaginal yeast infections.

Yeast Infection Causes

Multiple common things can trigger vaginal fungus overgrowth in a major way. Lack of air circulation, tight fitting clothing, taking antibiotics, pregnancy, birth control pills, diabetes, high sugar diet, hormone changes, high alcohol consumption, and a weak immune system to name a few. It's wise to take the proper precautions that will be effective for preventing yeast infection. Stress can also contribute to a viginal yeast infection. This is because stress can have a negative effect on the immune system. Not to mention that some women deal with stress by eating more, especially sweets.

With the unhealthy diet most people have today, this can be a major factor in the cause of a genital yeast infection. Sexual intercourse, pregnancy and some of the oral contraceptives can make the conditions that much more favorable for vaginal fungus overgrowth. Synthetic chemicals and materials promote candida vaginal issues, these things can also cause a recurrent vaginal yeast infection.

So What Are The vaginal yeast infection symptoms?

A few of the vaginal candida overgrowth symptoms are, white vaginal discharge with a slight yeast odor, itching, irritation, painful sensation during urination, painful intercourse, and bleeding in-between periods. Finally, vaginal fungus overgrowth makes it difficult to maintain proper hygiene, causing unpleasant odors from the constant discharge.

Can I Use A Natural Home Yeast Infection Remedy?

A Natural Home Yeast Infection Remedy is effective not only for the immediate relief of the symptoms, but also is effective at treating the root cause of the infection. There are various home yeast infection remedy available that are safe and painless. Although different prescriptions and over the counter medications are available for purchase, they're typically limited to symptom treatment. To prevent chronic yeast infections, the comprehensive approach is the most favorable.

Mineral Vitamin Supplements Are Essential

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:53:08 PST

UltraMulti-Mineral Complex
Highly absorbable citrate forms
4 essential minerals

UltraAlbion Chelated Multi-Mineral
Ultimate health-promoting minerals
Enhanced absorption Maximized benefit

Ionic Trace Mineral Drops
Over 72 naturally occurring minerals
26 times more concentrated

The majority of mineral vitamin supplements are made from chemicals rather than natural substances. However, there is a steady growth in the demand for natural mineral vitamin supplements. This is due to the amount of debate that there is as to whether chemical mineral vitamins can be more harmful than beneficial in the long term.

The fact is that chemical mineral vitamin supplements are not as easily absorbed as normal food particles are. The mineral vitamin industry is constantly striving to create products that are more easily processed by the body and therefore more beneficial.

Every now and then the industry comes up with a new 'more bio-available' form of a vitamin or mineral. To overcome this, a large number of mineral vitamins have been developed that combine other elements with the vitamins and minerals to enable them to be more easily absorbed by the body. Iron is commonly combined to form iron gluconate which enable the mineral vitamin supplement to be more absorbable.

The amount of a nutrient in a mineral vitamin supplement needs to be far greater than it would be in a more natural form for the body to be able to absorb the amount that is required. This can obviously lead to problem where a toxic level of the particular nutrient is being consumed by the large doses of the mineral vitamin supplement that are needed. It is therefore extremely important that a person does not simply take vast quantities of all of the mineral vitamin supplements that are advertised on television and should seek advice from a health professional. It is also worth being aware of the developments in the mineral vitamin supplement industry as there are constantly new and better combinations being developed.

One method that mineral vitamin manufacturers have developed to help aid absorption is through culturing the raw materials with yeast cells. This form of mineral vitamins are known as ‘food state’ and are up to four times easier for the body to absorb the required nutrients as the yeast is completely digested.

Of course, the need for mineral vitamin supplements depends on the diet that a person has. There is no doubt that it is far more preferable for a person to obtain the nutrients that they require from their food rather than by taking mineral vitamin supplements wherever possible. During certain periods it may be necessary for a person to take mineral vitamin supplements on a temporary basis but their long term use is not recommended for a number of the supplements that are available.

9 Reasons Why You Do NOT Want Your Child To Get Flu Vaccine

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:54:50 PST

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

This year it is more important that you protect your children and loved ones from the flu vaccines than influenza itself. This article on Lew Rockwell discusses how:

1. The swine flu is simply another flu. It is not unusually deadly.

2. This is the first time both seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines will be administered. Both seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines will require two inoculations. This is because single inoculations have failed to produce sufficient antibodies. This is an admission that prior flu vaccines were virtually useless. Can you trust them this time?

3. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to boost production of antibodies but may trigger autoimmune reactions. Some adjuvants are mercury (thimerosal), aluminum and squalene. Why would you sign a consent form for your children to be injected with mercury, which is even more brain-toxic than lead?

4. This is the first year mock vaccines have been used to gain FDA approval. The vaccines that have been tested are not the same vaccines your children will be given.

5. Over-vaccination is a common practice now in America. American children are subjected to 29 vaccines by the age of two. Meanwhile, veterinarians have backed off of repeat vaccination in dogs because of observed side effects.

6. Modern medicine has no explanation for autism, despite its continued rise in prevalence. Yet autism is not reported among Amish children who go unvaccinated.

7. Researchers are warning that over-use of the flu vaccine and anti-flu drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza can apply genetic pressure on flu viruses and then they are more likely to mutate into a more deadly strain.

8. Most seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus strains tested from the United States and other countries are now resistant to Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Tamiflu has become a nearly worthless drug against seasonal flu.

9. Public health officials are irresponsible in their omission of any ways to strengthen immunity against the flu. No options outside of problematic vaccines and anti-flu drugs are offered, despite the fact there is strong evidence that vitamins C and D activate the immune system and the trace mineral selenium prevents the worst form of the disease.

For even more reasons, please review the full article on LewRockwell.com.

Why So Many People Drink Vitamin Water

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:00:35 PST

Glaceau Vitamin Water
Balance Cranberry-Grapefruit
20 Oz./24PK.

Triple Greens Powder
Get your key fruits,
key vegetables and fiber

Vitamin Water Energy
Tropical Citrus
20 Oz./24PK Bottles

An increasing number of people are becoming more conscious of the amount of vitamin intake that their diet does or does not provide and the need for new products, including vitamin water, that provide a convenient method of obtaining more of the essential vitamins is constantly being sought. One extremely popular brand of vitamin water is Glaceau Vitamin Water. This vitamin water is a low calorie nutrient enhanced water. The vitamin water is available in a number of different flavours and provides an extremely healthy alternative to other high calorie drinks.

The Glaceau vitamin water was developed by J. Darius Bikoff who wanted a vitamin enhanced drink that had a pleasant flavour. Unlike a lot of other so-called health drinks, the vitamin water is not overpowering but has a higher vitamin content than traditional drinks. The vitamin water is essentially biologically better water that ensures that a person has a sufficient intake of certain vitamins and minerals.

Glacaeau vitamin water is an industry leader in enhanced water beverages and it is available in a wide variety of flavours including perform lemon-lime vitamin water, formula 50 vitamin water, defense vitamin water, vital-t vitamin water, endurance peach mango vitamin water, rescue green tea vitamin water, multi-v lemonade vitamin water, stress b lemon-lime vitamin water, revive fruit punch vitamin water, focus kiwi-strawberry vitamin water, essential orange-orange vitamin water, balance cran-grapefruit vitamin water, power-c dragonfruit vitamin water and energy tropical citrus vitamin water.

The actual vitamin and mineral content of Glaceau vitamin water varies depending on the type. Here are some of the specific nutrition facts for a number of the flavours of Glaceau vitamin water available:

Defense

Calories 50; Total Fat 0g; Sodium 0mg; Total Carbohydrate 13g; Total Sugar 13g; Protein 0g; Vitamin C 60%; vitamin B3 10%; vitamin B6 10%; vitamin B12 10%; vitamin B5 10%, Zinc 10%

Vital-t

Calories 50; Total Fat 0g; Sodium 0mg; Total Carbohydrate 13g; Total Sugar 13g; Protein 0g; Vitamin C 60%; vitamin E 20%; vitamin B3 10%; vitamin B6 10%; vitamin B12 10%; vitamin B5 10%

Stress b lemon-lime

calories 40, total fat 0g, sodium 0mg, total carbohydrate 9g, sugar 8g, protein 0g, vitamin B2 25%, vitamin B3 25%, vitamin B5 25%, vitamin B6 25%, vitamin B12 25%, vitamin C 60%, st johns wort 25mg, kava kava 25mg

Revive fruit punch

calories 50, total fat 0g, sodium 0mg, potassium 30mg, total carbohydrate 13g, sugar 12g, protein 0g, vitamin A 10%, vitamin B3 10%, vitamin B5 10%, vitamin B6 10%, vitamin B12 10%, vitamin C 60%, vitamin E 10%, gotu kola 25mg, American ginseng 25mg

Every type of Glaceau vitamin water is made using distilled water and all natural flavourings to ensure that the beneficial effects of the vitamin enhanced drink are maximised.

Swine Flu Vaccine More Deadly Than The Disease Itself

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:01:36 PST

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Joe Cummins

Global Research

August 21, 2009

The vaccines are far more deadly than the swine flu. Mass vaccinations is a recipe for disaster Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Joe Cummins

This report has been submitted to Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer of the UK, and to the US Food and Drugs Administration

Why are children the first to get experimental swine flu vaccines?

A swine flu outbreak occurred in Mexico and the United States in April 2009 and spread rapidly around the world by human-to human transmission. The new type A H1N1 influenza virus is unlike any that had been previously isolated [1, 2], judging from the first data released in May.

It is a messy combination of sequences from bird, human and swine flu virus lineages from North America and Eurasia. A senior virologist based in Canberra, Australia, told the press he thought that the virus could have been created in a laboratory and released by accident [3]. Some analysts even suggest, without corroborating evidence, that it was made intentionally as a bioweapon [4], while others blame the intensive livestock industry and extensive trafficking of love animals over long distances, which provide plenty of opportunity for generating exotic recombinants [5].

But what worries the public most is the mass vaccination programmes governments are putting in place to combat the emerging pandemic, which could well be worse than the pandemic itself.

Dr. Russell Blaylock on the harmful Side Effects of Vaccines

Watchdog opposes fast-track vaccine for school children

The US government is intending to vaccinate all children in September when school re-opens, and the country’s vaccine watchdog National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has called on the Obama Administration and all state Governors to provide evidence that the move is [6] “necessary and safe”, demanding “strong mechanisms for vaccine safety screening, recording, monitoring, reporting and vaccine injury compensation.”

The US Departments of Health and Homeland Security had declared a national public health emergency in April soon after the swine flu outbreak. As a result, some schools were closed, people quarantined, and drug companies were given contracts worth $7billon to make vaccines that are being fast tracked by the Food and Drugs Administration [7]. That means they will only be tested for a few weeks on several hundred children and adult volunteers before being given to all school children this fall.

Furthermore, under federal legislation passed by Congress since 2001, an Emergency Use Authorization allows drug companies, health officials and anyone administering experimental vaccines to Americans during a declared public health emergency to be protected from liability if people get injured. US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has granted vaccine makers total legal immunity from any lawsuits that may result from any new swine flu vaccine. And some states may make the vaccination mandatory by law.

The NVIC is asking whether the states are prepared to obey vaccine safety provisions in the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which include: 1. Giving parents written information about vaccine benefits and risks before children are vaccinated; 2. Keeping a record of which vaccines the children get, including the manufacturer’s name and lot number; 3. Recording which vaccines were given in the child’s medical record; and 4. Recording serious health problems that develop after vaccination in the child’s medical record and immediately making a report to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

NVIC also wants to know if the states are prepared to provide financial compensation to children injured by the swine flu vaccines, whether parents will be given “complete, truthful information about swine flu vaccine risks”, and have the right to say “no” to vaccination.

Co-founder and president of NVIC Barbara Loe Fisher said [6]: “Parents and legislators should be asking themselves right now: Why are children the first to get experimental swine flu vaccines? Are schools equipped to get signed informed consent from parents before vaccination, keep accurate vaccination records and screen out children biologically at high risk for suffering vaccine reactions? Will people giving these vaccines know how to monitor children afterwards and immediately record, report and treat serious health problems that develop? And will states have the financial resources to compensate children who are injured?”

WHO and mass vaccination fever

The mass vaccination order has come from the World Health Organization (WHO) [8]. In early July 2009, a group of vaccination experts concluded that the pandemic is unstoppable, and Marie-Paul Kieny, WHO director on vaccine research said all nations will need access to vaccines, and that a vaccine should be available as early as September.

Critics point out that the ‘vaccination experts’ are dominated by the vaccine makers standing to gain from the enormously lucrative vaccine and antiviral contracts awarded by governments. But the decisive argument against mass vaccinations is that flu shots simply don’t work and are dangerous [9].

Flu shots ineffective and increase risks of asthma

There are widely acknowledged reasons why flu vaccines won’t work, as already pointed out with regard to the much touted vaccines against the ‘pandemic bird flu’ that has yet to materialize [10] (How to Stop Bird Flu Instead, SiS 35). The flu virus changes quickly – even without the help of genetic engineering in the laboratory, and especially with the help of the intensive livestock industry – whereas the vaccines target specific strains. Furthermore, flu vaccination does not give permanent protection, and must be repeated annually; the vaccines are difficult to mass-produce, and some strains won’t grow at all under laboratory conditions.

Numerous studies have documented that flu shots give little or no protection against infection and illness, and there is no reason to believe that swine flu vaccines will be different.

A review of 51 separate studies involving more than 294 000 children found that in children aged from two years, nasal spray vaccines made from weakened influenza viruses and injected vaccines made from the killed virus prevented 82 and 59 percent of illnesses. The prevention of ‘flu-like illness’ caused by other types of viruses was only 33 and 36 percent respectively. In children under the age of two, the efficacy of inactivated vaccine was similar to placebo. It was not possible to analyse the safety of vaccines from the studies due to the lack of information, and lack of standardization on the little information available [11]. A report published in 2008 found flu vaccines in young children made no difference in the number of flu-related doctor and hospital visits [12].

On the other hand, a study of 800 children with asthma found that those receiving a flu vaccine had a significantly increased risk of asthma-related doctor and emergency room visits [13]; the odds ratios were 3.4 and 1.9 respectively. This was confirmed in a report published in 2009, which showed children with asthma who received FluMist had a 3-fold increased risk of hospitalization [14]

Flu vaccines are equally useless for adults, including the elderly, giving little or no protection against infection or illnesses including pneumonia (see [9]).

Toxic adjuvants in flu vaccines

Vaccines themselves can be dangerous, especially live, attenuated viral vaccines or the new recombinant nucleic acid vaccines [10], they have the potential to generate virulent viruses by recombination and the recombinant nucleic acids could cause autoimmune diseases.

A further major source of toxicity in the case of the flu vaccines are the adjuvants, substances added in order to boost the immunogenicity of the vaccines. There is a large literature on the toxicities of adjuvants. Most flu vaccines contain dangerous levels of mercury in the form of thimerosal, a deadly preservative 50 times more toxic than mercury itself [9]. At high enough doses, it can cause long-term immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioural dysfunctions. Also associated with mercury poisoning are autism, attention deficit disorder, multiple sclerosis, and speech and language deficiencies. The Institute of Medicine has warned that infants, children, and pregnant women should not be injected with thimerosal, yet the majority of flu shots contain 25 micrograms of it.

Another common adjuvant is alum or aluminium hydroxide, which can cause vaccine allergy, anaphylaxis, and macrophage myofascitis, a chronic inflammation syndrome, In cats, alum also gives rise to fibrosarcomas at the site of injection [15]. Numerous new adjuvants are no better, and could be worse. According to a recent review in a science and business pharmaceutical publication [15], most newer adjuvants including MF59, ISCOMS, QS21, AS02, and AS04 have “substantially higher local reactogenicity and systemic toxicity than alum.”

Current status of swine flu vaccines

Five different companies have been contracted to produce vaccines worldwide: Baxter International, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis and AstroZeneca [16]. Already stretched beyond capacity, there is every intention to make smaller vaccine doses go further with a range of new adjuvants [17], with the blessing of the WHO (see later).

Flu vaccines are traditionally produced from non-virulent (attenuated or weakened) influenza viruses (see Box for a description of the viruses). To be effective, the genes of the non- virulent virus used must match those of the viral strain spreading in the population. Activation of the immune system by exposure to the non pathogenic form of the circulating pathogenic strain leads to the production of antibodies that will confer protection against the pathogenic strain. Producing the non-virulent virus involves first identifying and then recreating the subtypes of two of the virus’s surface proteins, haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), which determine the strain’s virulence and ability to spread, and are also the target proteins for vaccine production.

Influenza viruses

There are 3 types of influenza viruses, A, B and C. The influenza A type virus is the main one that cause diseases in birds and mammals. Its genome consists of 8 segments of RNA coding for 11 proteins, and the viruses are further classified by subtype on the basis of the two main surface glycoproteins (proteins with complex carbohydrate side chains): haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) [18]. The segmented genome enables the virus to’ reassort’ (shuffle) segments as well as recombine within segments, thereby greatly increasing the rate of evolution and generation of new strains. Reassortment is also widely exploited in the laboratory in the process of creating vaccine strains. To-date, 16 H and 9 N subtypes have been detected in numerous combinations circulating in wild birds [19].

Seed viruses are first made to provide the starting material for large scale production of live non-virulent flu viruses. The seed viruses are approved by the WHO or the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The usual method of seed virus production is reassortment (see Box). Fertilized chicken eggs are injected with both a standard non-pathogenic influenza strain known to grow well in eggs and the strain that carries the genes expressing the desired vaccine H and N protein subtypes. The two viruses multiply, and their eight genome segments reassort with 256 possible combinations. The resulting recombinant viruses are then screened for the desired virus with the six genome segments that allow the standard strain to grow so well in eggs and the H and N genes from the circulating strain. The seed virus is then injected into millions of eggs for mass production of vaccine. This conventional method of seed stock production takes about one to two months to complete [20].

Cell culture systems may eventually replace chicken eggs. Baxter International applied for a patent on a process using cell culture to produce quantities of infecting virus, which are harvested, inactivated with formaldehyde and ultraviolet light, and then detergent [21]. Baxter has produced H5N1 whole virus vaccines in a Vero cell line derived from the kidney of an African green monkey, and conducted phase 1 and 2 clinical trials with and without aluminium hydroxide as adjuvant [22, 23]. The main finding was that the toxic adjuvant did not increase neutralising antibodies against the vaccine strain. Baxter has agreed to ship H1N1 vaccine by the end of July or early August 2009 but details of the production of that vaccine have not yet been released to the public [16].

In December, a Baxter facility in Austria sent a human flu vaccine contaminated with the deadly H5N1 live avian flu virus to 18 countries, including the Czech Republic, where testing showed it killed the ferrets inoculated [24]. Czech newspapers questioned whether Baxter was involved in a deliberate attempt to start a pandemic.

Norvatis, another big pharma, announced on 13 June that it, too, has produced a swine flu vaccine using cell-based technology and the proprietary adjuvant MF59®. The MF59® adjuvant is oil based and contains Tween80, Span85, and squalene [25]. In studies of oil-based adjuvants in rats, the animals were rendered crippled and paralyzed. Squalene brought on severe arthritis symptoms in rats, and studies in humans given from 10 to 20 ppb (parts per billion) of squalene showed severe immune system impact and development of autoimmune disorders [26].

Novartis was in the news in 2008 for a clinical trial of a H5N1 vaccine in Poland. The trial was administered by local nurses and doctors who gave the vaccine to 350 homeless people, leaving 21 died; and were prosecuted by the Polish police [27, 28]. Novartis claimed the deaths were unrelated to the H5N1 vaccine [29], which had been “tested on 3500 other people without any deaths.”

GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccine will be made up of antigens of the recently isolated influenza strain, and also contains its own proprietary adjuvant system AS03 that has been approved in the EU along with its H5N1 bird flu vaccine in 2008. According to the European Public Assessment Report [30], AS03 adjuvant is composed of squalene (10.68 milligrams), DL-α-tocopherol (11.86 milligrams) and polysorbate 80 (4.85 milligrams). The H5N1 vaccine also contains 5 micrograms thiomersal, as well as Polysorbate 80, Octoxynol 10, and various inorganic salts. The company is aggressively promoting various adjuvant systems as its ‘adjuvant advantage’ that reduces the dose of vaccines [31].

A recent WHO survey of primary vaccine producers concluded that the potential output of 4.9 Billion doses of H1N1 vaccine per year is a best-case scenario, assuming among other factors that the most dose-sparing formulation (that will include toxic adjuvants) be selected by each manufacturer and that production will take place at full capacity. WHO Director-General, Dr .Margaret Chan, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, met with senior officials of vaccine manufacturers on 19 May and asked them to reserve part of their production capacity for poor countries that would otherwise have no or little access to vaccine in the case of a pandemic [32].

The last mass-vaccination in the US was a disaster. In 1976, cases of swine flu were found in soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and one of them died, most likely of physical overexertion rather than from the infection [7]. This led to the launch of a mass vaccination of 40 million against a pandemic that never materialized. Thousands filed claims for injury. At least 25 died and 500 developed paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome [33, 34].

Swine flu syndromes mostly mild

As of 22 July 2009, the CDC listed a total of 40 617 cases in the US, with 319 fatalities, giving a fatalites/case ratio of 0.8 percent [35]; though the real death rate – among all cases of infection including the mild ones that go unreported – is probably much lower. Experts estimate that only 1 out of 20 cases are reported [36].

The UK is the worst affected European country, and the pandemic is in the headlines everyday in July. A new telephone helpline was set up on 23 July to let people get advice and tamiflu without seeing a doctor. In that week, there has been a record rise in cases to 100 000 and a total of 30 deaths so far [37], giving a fatalities/case ratio of 0.03 percent, a more accurate reflection of the actual death rate.

UK’s chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has ordered the NHS to plan for as many as 65 000 deaths, with 350 a day at the peak [38]. There has been no plan as yet for mass vaccination; but the UK government has advance orders for 195 million doses of vaccine with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

The vaccine that GSK is developing will be tested on a limited number of people as the UK drug company reportedly [39] “weighs the pandemic danger against the risks of an unsafe shot.” This was criticized as “risky” by Prof. Hugh Pennington, a retired microbiologist at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. “By limiting clinical trials, Glaxo raises the danger that the vaccine dose isn’t properly calibrated, and could lead to shots that don’t protect people from the virus or at worse are unsafe,” Pennington said.

Pennington added that the shot’s ability to trigger the body’s defences is crucial and requires tests to determine the best dose and whether an adjuvant is needed to bolster the immunity. (As we know, GSK is definitely promoting its new range of toxic adjuvants.) He also referred to the Fort Dix incident in 1976 (see earlier).

France has ordered vaccines from Sanofi, GSK and Novartis, but sees no reason to ask vaccine makers to shorten or skip clinical trials [16]. Sanofi-Aventis, the French drug maker developing its own swine flu vaccine will begin testing the product in early August, and estimates it will need as much as two and a half months of tests before having a shot that’s “both safe and protective”, according to Albert Garcia, speaking for the company’s vaccine unit, “the vaccine will be ready in November or December, he said.

Baxter, however, will produce a vaccine by early August for clinical tests.

Glaxo also said it is developing a face mask coated with antivirals to prevent infection and boosting production of its Relenza drug for patients already suffering from swine flu.

There are obviously safer and more effective ways to combat the pandemic than mass vaccinations: washing hands often, sneezing into a tissue that can be safely disposed of, avoiding unnecessary gatherings, and delay opening schools – all advised by governments – and we would add, eating healthily, exercise, and getting enough vitamin D to boost your natural immunity [10].

References

1. New details on virus’s promiscuous past”, Jon Cohen, Science 2009, 324, 1127.

2. Garten RJ, Davis CT,Tussell CA et al. Antigenic and genetic charaatcteristics of swine-origin 2009 A (H1N1) influenza viruses circulating in humans. Science 2009, 325, 197-201.

3. Virologist to make his case for lab origin of swine flu”, Peter Duveen, Opednews.com, 4 July 2009, http://www.opednews.com/articles/Virologist-to-make-his-cas-by-Peter-Duveen-090630-103.html

4. Is swine flu a biological weapon?”, Paul Joseph Watson, PrisonPlanet.com 27 April 2009, http://www.prisonplanet.com/is-swine-flu-a-biological-weapon.htm

5. CDC confirms ties to virus first discovered in U.S. pig factories” Michael Greger, 3 May 2009, http://www.hsus.org/farm/news/ournews/swine_flu_virus_origin_1998_042909.html

6. “Swine flu vaccine should not be given to children in schools”, Barbara Loe Fisher, National Vaccine Information Center, 22 July 2009, http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/July-2009/Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Should-Not-Be-Given-to-Children.aspx

7. “Now legal immunity for swine flu vaccine makers” F, William Engdahl, Global Research 20 July 2009, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14453

8. Swine flu pandemic now ‘unstoppable’: WHO official”, Agence France-Presse 13 July 2009, Calgary Herald, http://www.calgaryherald.com/Swine+pandemic+unstoppable+official/1788693/story.html

9. What are the dangers of mandatory swine flu vaccination? Dr. Mercola, June 2009, http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2009/07/15/What-are-the-Dangers-of-Mandatory Mandatory-Swine-Flu-Vaccination.aspx

10. Ho MW. How to stop bir flu instead of the vaccine-antiviral model. Science in Society 35. 40-42, 2007.

11. Jefferson T, Rivett A, Harnden A, DiPietrantoni C, and Demicheli V. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children (Review). Cochrane Database Systematic Review 23 April 2009, http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD004879/pdf_fs.html

12. Szilagyi PG, Fairbrother G, Griffin MR et al. Influenza vaccine effectiveness among children 6 to 59 months of age during 2 influenza seasons: a case-cohort study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008, 162, 943-51. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18838647

13. Christy C, Aligne C, Auinger P, Pulcino T and Weitzman M. Effectiveness of influenza vaccine for the prevention of asthma exacerbations. Arch. Dis Child 2004, 89, 734-5, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15269071

14. Flu vaccination may triple risk for flu-related hospitalization in children with asthma, 25 May 2009, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703235

15. Petrovsky N, Heinzel S, Honda Y, Lyons AB. New-age vaccine adjuvants, friend or foe? BioPharm International 2 August 2007, http://biopharminternational.findpharma.com/biopharm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=444996&sk=&date=&pageID=5

16. “Update: 1-Baxter can take no more H1N1 flu vaccine orders”, Bill Berkerto, 16 July 2009, Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsnews/idINN1644290820090716?rpc=33

17. H1N1 ‘swine flu’ vaccine, postnote, May 2009, number 331, http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn331.pdf

18. Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) CDC, 18 November 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/flu-viruses.htm

19. Olsen B, Munster VJ, Wallensten A, Waldenstrom J, Osterhaus ADME and Fouchier RAM. Global patterns of influenza A virus in wild birds. Science 2006, 312, 384-8.

20. Hood E. Environews Innovations 2006 Environmental Health Perpectives 114,A108-111.

21. Kistner,O,Tauer,C, Barrett,N. Mundt,W. Method for Producing Viral Vaccines 2009 Patent application US2009/0060950A1

22. Ehrlich HJ, Müller M, Oh HM, Tambyah PA, Joukhadar C, Montomoli E, Fisher D, Berezuk G, Fritsch S, Löw-Baselli A, Vartian N, Bobrovsky R, Pavlova BG, Pöllabauer EM, Kistner O, Barrett PN; Baxter H5N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Clinical Study Team. A clinical trial of a whole-virus H5N1 vaccine derived from cell culture. N Engl J Med. 2008 Jun 12;358(24):2573-84.

23. Ketel.W,Dekker,C,Mink,C,Campbell,J,Edwards,K,Patel,S,Ho,D,Talbot,H,Guo,K,Noah,D,Hill,H.Safety and immunogenicity of inactivated, Vero cell culture-derived whole virus influenza A/H5N1 vaccine given alone or with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant in healthy adults Vaccine 2009 in press doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.03.015

24. “Bird flu mix-up could have spelled disaster”, NewScientist 6 March 2009, http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126983.400

25. Kenney RT and Edelman R. Survey of human-use adjuvants. Expert Review of Vaccines April 2003; 2(2):167-88, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12899569?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

26. “Vaccines may be linked to Gulf War Syndrome”, Chiroweb.com, June 12, 2000, http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=31730

27. “Homeless people die after bird flu vaccine trial in Poland”, Mathew Day, Telegraph, 2 July 2008, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/2235676/Homeless-people-die-after-bird-flu-vaccine-trial-in-Poland.html

28. “Homeless people die after trials of bird-flu vaccine”, 10 July 2008, Pharmaceutical Portal for Poland, http://www.pharmapoland.com/next.php?id=62409

29. “Polish industry not dented by deaths”, Emma Dorey, Entrepreneur, 21 July 2008, http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/181991358.html

30. Pandermrix = European Public Assessment Report [EMEA] 27 September 2009, http://www.emea.europa.eu/humandocs/Humans/EPAR/pandemrix/pandemrix.htm

31. Vaccine adjuvant system technology background information. GlaxoSmithKline, accessed 25 July 2009, http://www.gsk.com/media/flu/flu-adjuvant.pdf

32. Collin N, de Radiguès X, Kieny MP; the World Health Organization H1N1 Vaccine Task Force.New influenza A(H1N1) vaccine: How ready are we for large-scale production? Vaccine. 2009 Jun 26 in press doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.06.034

33. 1976 swine flu outbreak, Wikipedia, 22 July 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_swine_flu_outbreak

34. Haber P, Sejvar J, Mikaeloff Y and DeStefano F. Vaccine and Guilaain-Barre syndrome. Drug Saf 2009, 32, 309-23.

35. 2009 flu pandemic in the United States”, Wikipdeia, 22 July 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_in_the_United_States

36. 2009 flu pandemic, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic

37. “Swine flu website overwhelmed by demand as new cases double in a week”, Owen Bowcott and Severin Carrell, The Guardian, 23 July 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/23/swine-flu-website-overwhelmed

38. “Swine flu: medical chief orders NHS to prepare for 65 000 deaths – with a toll of as many as 350 a day”, Daniel Martin, The Daily Mail, 17 July 2009, T, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200012/Swine-flu-Every-child-16-vaccinated–when.html

39. “Glaxo to limit tests of flu vaccine, citing urgency”, Jason Gale and Trista Kelley, Bloomberg Press, 22 July 2009, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=apkg_4J.PCEw

Your Sleepless Nights May Be Due To EMF Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:07:04 PST

Dr. Mercola

Your body has the ability to repair itself while it sleeps. This is accomplished with your own internal electrical system that functions with very weak electrical impulses.

Electrical impulses are generated by your brain and are used for intercellular communication. This is possible because your body is composed mainly of water with a high mineral content making it highly electrically conductive.

Cells know when to divide by vibrating. Brain cells, nerve cells, bone cells, all vibrate at different rates in order to communicate with one another. In many ways your body acts like a tuning fork. When you vibrate a tuning fork (external electrical influence), any turning fork (like our body) in its vicinity will start vibrating at the same frequency or rate, and therefore will be confused as to how fast to grow. This phenomena actually has a scientific name and is called resonance.

In the typical sleeping area, electrical exposure from external sources (live electrical wiring in ceilings, walls and floors) is thousands of times stronger than your body’s own electrical system. Long-term exposure to these high-level electric fields can impair your body’s ability to communicate within itself, and impact your health.

In fact, the average person spends approximately one-third of their life sleeping, which is why it’s so important to make sure your bedroom is protected from EMF (electromagnetic field) disturbances.

How EMFs Can Damage Your Health

An electromagnetic field (EMF) is an invisible zone of energy that surrounds electric devices and wiring.

EMFs are actually comprised of two fields:

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An electric field
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A magnetic field

The electric field is created by voltage, which determines the force with which the electricity is pushed through wires. Most electric fields can be shielded by the design of the appliance, or physically, by walls or other barriers.

The magnetic field is created by the current, which is the amount of electricity being pushed. Magnetic fields, which are the main cause of health concerns, can travel through most barriers and for long distances, and are difficult to block.

The BioInitiative Report, published August 31, 2007 by an international working group of scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals, documents serious scientific concerns about the radiation emitted from power lines, cell phones, and many other sources of exposure to radiofrequencies and electromagnetic fields in daily life.

It concludes that the existing standards for public safety are completely inadequate to protect your health. The report includes studies showing evidence that electromagnetic fields can:

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Affect gene and protein expression (Transcriptomic and Proteomic Research)
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Have genotoxic effects – DNA damage
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Induce stress response (Stress Proteins)
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Affect immune function
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Affect Neurology and behavior
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Cause childhood cancers (Leukemia)
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Impact melatonin production; Alzheimer’s Disease; Breast Cancer
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Promote breast cancer (Melatonin links in laboratory and cell studies)

Why a Metal Mattress or Bed May be Particularly Dangerous

The vast majority of beds (90-95 percent) contain metal springs and/or frames. Unfortunately, these metal frames and metal box springs can amplify and distort the earth’s natural magnetic field, which can lead to a non-restful sleep along with a range of other symptoms including:

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Headaches
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Hyperactivity
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Nightmares
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Depression and fatigue
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Eyestrain
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Muscle cramps

Further biological problems associated with electromagnetic stressors fall into two major categories:

1. Brain (behavioral abnormalities, learning disabilities, altered bio-cycles and stress responses)

2. Growing tissue (embryos, genetics and cancer)

Research has shown that for your body to properly detoxify during sleep it must be alkaline, and high electromagnetic fields lead to acidity. This is especially true for heavy metal detoxification.

To find out if your bed contains residual magnetism and may become magnetized, I encourage you to use the compass trick that Vicki Warren describes in the video above.

Avoiding EMF Exposure is Very Important for Pregnant Women and Babies

If you have a baby, it is especially important for you to use a non-metallic bed for your baby, as their immature bodies are even more susceptible to EMF damage. A safer alternative is a wooden basinet or wooden crib, as opposed to metal varieties.

Further, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD performed a small study showing that autism can actually be predicted based on the EMF levels of your sleeping quarters while pregnant!

He found that if you sleep in strong electromagnetic fields during pregnancy, your child will likely begin to exhibit neurological abnormalities within the first two years of life, such as:

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Neurological dysfunction
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Hyperactivity
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Learning disorders

Geopathic Stress: Why You Want to Avoid the Spot Your Cat Sleeps In

Cats, ants and termites have an unusual characteristic in common; they’re all attracted to geopathic stress zones.

Geopathic stress is natural radiation that rises up through the earth and becomes distorted by weak electro-magnetic fields, created by subterranean running water, certain mineral concentrations, fault lines, and underground cavities.

Electropathological energy created by modern technology such as high and low frequency energy from telecommunication towers, electricity pylons, transformers, radar and radio towers can also contribute to geopathic stress.

Potential health problems arising from geopathic stress in your environment include:

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Cardiovascular problems
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Neurological disabilities and learning difficulties
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Immune deficiency disorders
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Chronic fatigue and irritability
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Body pains and headaches
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Sudden signs of physical aging
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Infertility and miscarriages
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Restless sleep

Sleeping in a geopathic stress fault is particularly harmful to your body, as during sleep your brain is supposed to rest half the time and is busy healing your body the other half. However, if you are exposed to geopathic stress during sleep, your brain never receives the full rest it requires to repair and regenerate.

This is why it’s so important to avoid sleeping where your cat sleeps, as for if your home is located near a geopathic stress fault, your cat will likely find it and sleep near it. If you don’t have a cat, look for areas where plants do not thrive, ant hills are built or termites congregate. These are all signs of a geopathic stress zone.

You can also use a geomagnetometer to measure magnetic fields in your home, and this may be well worth looking into, especially if you are suffering from any of the geopathic stress symptoms listed above.

At the very least, try moving your bed several feet to one side or the other, or to the opposite side of the room to see if it makes a difference in how you feel.

Tips for Creating a Healthy EMF-Shielded Home

There are several steps you can take to lower your EMF burden right now. Rather than considering these tips to be final solutions, consider them what to do while you are learning and preparing yourself to do even more:

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Turn off all the fuses at night.
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Shield your bed with a special metalized fabric to protect yourself from harmful frequencies that can disrupt cellular communication.
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If you are constructing a new home or renovating one and the walls are being rebuilt you can install radiant barrier, which is a tough type of aluminum foil that will also very effectively screen out the EMF. This is what I did for my own bedroom.
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Beware that cell phones and wireless internet features are not the only sources you need to be cautious of. Essentially, most all electronics will generate EMF’s, including the wiring in your home, electric alarm clocks, electric blankets, computers and lamps, just to mention a few.
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At minimum, move your bed so that your head is at least 3-6 feet from all electrical outlets. If you are constructing the walls you can put the wires inside pipes, which will virtually eliminate the fields that are generated in the room when the current runs through the wire.
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Turn off everything electrical in your sleeping area, including your WI-FI, cell and portable phones.
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Never hold a non-corded phone to your head, and avoid using your cell phone when in a car with a child or pregnant woman. If you absolutely need to use your cell phone, crack your window so the radiation can dissipate quicker.
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Sleep on a non-metal bed and mattress.

Natural Vitamin Food Source

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:08:43 PST

The majority of people do not have enough natural vitamin sources in their diet, they therefore suffer from a deficiency of one or more vitamins. Obviously, it is possible to buy vitamin supplements to help overcome any deficiencies but for the majority of people it should be possible for them to obtain the majority of their (RDA)recommended daily allowance of vitamins from Natural Vitamin Food Sources. The key to gaining the correct amount of vitamins from a Natural Vitamin Food Source is to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Diets, such as vegetarian, only provide a limited number of natural vitamins so therefore a supplement may be necessary. Also, the intake required of these Natural Vitamin Food Sources at certain periods may need to be increased and a supplement may be the best option. It is important to be aware of each of the different types of vitamins and their best Natural Vitamin Food Sources so that a person can incorporate as many of these as possible into their regular diet. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and need to be replenished on a daily basis so the Natural Vitamin Food Source for these specific vitamins are the most essential to know.

• Natural vitamin B1 sources- brewer’s yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, organ meats, egg yolk

• Natural vitamin B2 sources- brewer’s yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ meats, blackstrap molasses

• Natural vitamin B3 sources- lean meats, poultry & fish, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, milk, rice bran, potatoes

• Natural vitamin B4 sources- egg yolks, organ meats, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, fish, legumes

• Natural vitamin B5 sources- organ meats, egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat germ, salmon, brewer’s yeast

• Natural vitamin B6 sources- meats, whole grains, organ meats brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ

• Natural vitamin B7 sources- egg yolks, liver, unpolished rice, brewer’s yeast, sardines, legumes, whole grains

• Natural vitamin B8 sources- who1e grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat, milk, nuts, vegetables, brewer’s yeast

• Natural vitamin B9 sources- dark-green leafy vegetables, organ meats, root vegetables, oysters, salmon, milk

• Natural vitamin B12 sources- organ meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, lamb, bananas, kelp, peanuts

• Natural vitamin B13 sources- root vegetables, liquid whey

• Natural vitamin B15 sources- brewer’s yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds

• Natural vitamin B17 sources- whole kernels of apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, plums

• Natural vitamin C sources- citrus, cabbage family, chilli peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, rose hips

Proper nutrition is an art. It is an art form. Every bite is a brush stroke. Every swallow is a new color. Each meal is a cloud or a tree or a flower a piece of the beautiful painting that you are becoming. You are becoming an ever more attractive work of art each day. You truly are a work of art in progress.

The "Swine Flu Pandemic" – Fact or Fiction?

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:10:25 PST

Dr. Mercola
April 29, 2009

American health officials declared a public health emergency as cases of swine flu were confirmed in the U.S. Health officials across the world fear this could be the leading edge of a global pandemic emerging from Mexico, where seven people are confirmed dead as a result of the new virus.

On Monday April 27th, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level to four on its six-level threat scale,¹ which means they've determined that the virus is capable of human-to-human transmission. The initial outbreaks across North America reveal an infection already traveling at higher velocity than did the last official pandemic strain, the 1968 Hong Kong flu.

The number of fatalities, and suspected and confirmed cases across the world change depending on the source, so your best bet -- if you want the latest numbers -- is to use Google Maps' Swine Flu Tracker.

Several nations have imposed travel bans, or made plans to quarantine air travelers² that present symptoms of the swine flu, such as:

Fever of more than 100
Coughing
Runny nose and/or sore throat
Joint aches
Severe headache
Vomiting and/or diarrhea
Lethargy
Lack of appetite

Top global flu experts are trying to predict how dangerous the new swine flu strain will be, as it became clear that they had little information about Mexico's outbreak. It is as yet unclear how many cases occurred in the month or so before the outbreak was detected. It's also unknown whether the virus was mutating to be more lethal, or less.

Much Fear Mongering Being Promoted

I suspect you have likely been alarmed by the media's coverage of the swine flu scare. It has a noticeable subplot - preparing you for draconian measures to combat a future pandemic as well as forcing you to accept the idea of mandatory vaccinations.

On April 27, Time magazine published an article which discusses how dozens died and hundreds were injured from vaccines as a result of the 1976 swine flu fiasco, when the Ford administration attempted to use the infection of soldiers at Fort Dix as a pretext for a mass vaccination of the entire country.

Despite acknowledging that the 1976 farce was an example of “how not to handle a flu outbreak”, the article still introduces the notion that officials “may soon have to consider whether to institute draconian measures to combat the disease”.

WHO and CDC Pandemic Preparedness Seriously Broken

The pandemic warning system has failed as it simply doesn't exist, even in North America and Europe. To improve the system, massive new investments in surveillance, scientific and regulatory infrastructure, basic public health, and global access to common sense interventions like vitamin D optimization are required.

According to the Washington Post, the CDC did not learn about the outbreak until six days after Mexico had begun to impose emergency measures. There should be no excuses. The paradox of this swine flu panic is that, while totally unexpected, it was accurately predicted. Six years ago, Science dedicated a major story to evidence that "after years of stability, the North American swine flu virus has jumped onto an evolutionary fasttrack".

However, maybe this is precisely what public health authorities desire.

This is NOT the First Swine Flu Panic

My guess is that you can expect to see a lot of panic over this issue in the near future. But the key is to remain calm -- this isn't the first time the public has been warned about swine flu. The last time was in 1976, right before I entered medical school and I remember it very clearly. It resulted in the massive swine flu vaccine campaign.

Do you happen to recall the result of this massive campaign?

Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths.

However, several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after they were injected with the swine flu vaccine. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics.

And the swine flu pandemic itself? It never materialized.

More People Died From the Swine Flu Vaccine than Swine Flu!

It is very difficult to forecast a pandemic, and a rash response can be extremely damaging.

As of Monday April 27, the worldwide total number of confirmed cases was 82, according to WHO, which included 40 cases in the U.S., confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. But does that truly warrant the feverish news headlines?

To put things into perspective, malaria kills 3,000 people EVERY DAY, and it's considered "a health problem"... But of course, there are no fancy vaccines for malaria that can rake in billions of dollars in a short amount of time.

One Australian news source,³ for example, states that even a mild swine flu epidemic could lead to the deaths of 1.4 million people and would reduce economic growth by nearly $5 trillion dollars.

Give me a break, if this doesn't sound like the outlandish cries of the pandemic bird-flu I don't know what does. Do you remember when President Bush said two million Americans would die as a result of the bird flu?

In 2005, in 2006, 2007, and again in 2008, those fears were exposed as little more than a cruel hoax, designed to instill fear, and line the pocketbooks of various individuals and industry. I became so convinced by the evidence AGAINST the possibility of a bird flu pandemic that I wrote a New York Times bestselling book, The Bird Flu Hoax, all about the massive fraud involved with the epidemic that never happened..

What is the Swine Flu?

Regular swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease, caused by a type-A influenza virus that affects pigs. The current strain, A(H1N1), is a new variation of an H1N1 virus -- which causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans -- that also contains genetic material of bird and pig versions of the flu.

Interestingly enough, this version has never before been seen in neither human nor animal, which I will discuss a bit later.

This does sound bad. But not so fast. There are a few reasons to not rush to conclusions that this is the deadly pandemic we've been told would occur in the near future (as if anyone could predict it without having some sort of inside knowledge).

Why a True Bird- or Swine Flu Pandemic is HIGHLY Unlikely

While in my opinion it is highly likely factory farming is responsible for producing this viral strain, I believe there is still no cause for concern.

You may not know this, but all H1N1 flu's are descendants of the 1918 pandemic strain. The reason why the flu shot may or may not work, however, from year to year, is due to mutations. Therefore, there's no vaccine available for this current hybrid flu strain, and naturally, this is feeding the fear that millions of people will die before a vaccine can be made.

However, let me remind you of one very important fact here.

Just a couple of months ago, scientists concluded that the 1918 flu pandemic that killed between 50-100 million people worldwide in a matter of 18 months -- which all these worst case scenarios are built upon -- was NOT due to the flu itself!⁴

Instead, they discovered the real culprit was strep infections.

People with influenza often get what is known as a "superinfection" with a bacterial agent. In 1918 it appears to have been Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Since strep is much easier to treat than the flu using modern medicine, a new pandemic would likely be much less dire than it was in the early 20th century, the researchers concluded.

Others, such as evolutionary biologist Paul Ewald,⁵ claim that a pandemic of this sort simply cannot happen, because in order for it to occur, the world has to change. Not the virus itself, but the world.

In a previous interview for Esquire magazine, in which he discusses the possibility of a bird flu pandemic, he states:

"They think that if a virus mutates, it's an evolutionary event. Well, the virus is mutating because that is what viruses and other pathogens do. But evolution is not just random mutation. It is random mutation coupled with natural selection; it is a battle for competitive advantage among different strains generated by random mutation.

For bird flu to evolve into a human pandemic, the strain that finds a home in humanity has to be a strain that is both highly virulent and highly transmissible. Deadliness has to translate somehow into popularity; H5N1 has to find a way to kill or immobilize its human hosts, and still find other hosts to infect. Usually that doesn't happen."

Ewald goes on to explain that evolution in general is all about trade-offs, and in the evolution of infections the trade-off is between virulence and transmissibility.

What this means is that in order for a "bird flu" or "swine flu" to turn into a human pandemic, it has to find an environment that favors both deadly virulence and ease of transmission.

People living in squalor on the Western Front at the end of World War I generated such an environment, from which the epidemic of 1918 could arise.

Likewise, crowded chicken farms, slaughterhouses, and jam-packed markets of eastern Asia provide another such environment, and that environment gave rise to the bird flu -- a pathogen that both kills and spreads, in birds, but not in humans.

Says Ewald:

"We know that H5N1 is well adapted to birds. We also know that it has a hard time becoming a virus that can move from person to person. It has a hard time without our doing anything. But we can make it harder. We can make sure it has no human population in which to evolve transmissibility. There is no need to rely on the mass extermination of chickens. There is no need to stockpile vaccines for everyone.

By vaccinating just the people most at risk -- the people who work with chickens and the caregivers -- we can prevent it from becoming transmissible among humans. Then it doesn't matter what it does in chickens."

Please remember that, despite the fantastic headlines and projections of MILLIONS of deaths, the H5N1 bird flu virus killed a mere 257 people worldwide since late 2003. As unfortunate as those deaths are, 257 deaths worldwide from any disease, over the course of five years, simply does not constitute an emergency worthy of much attention, let alone fear!

Honestly, your risk of being killed by a lightning strike in the last five years was about 2,300 percent higher than your risk of contracting and dying from the bird flu.⁶ I'm not kidding! In just one year (2004), more than 1,170 people died from lighting strikes, worldwide.⁷

So please, as the numbers of confirmed swine flu cases are released, keep a level head and don't let fear run away with your brains.

So is the Swine Flu Getting More or Less Dangerous?

On Sunday, April 26, The Independent reported that more than 1,000 people had contracted the swine flu virus in Mexico, ⁸ but by the afternoon that same day, Mexican President Calderon declared that more than two-thirds of the 1,300 thought to have contracted the disease had been given a clean bill of health and sent home.⁹

Additionally, the number of actual confirmed cases appears to be far lower than reported in many media outlets, leading me to believe that many reporters are interchanging the terms "suspected cases" and "confirmed cases."

Interestingly Mexico is the ONLY country in the world where someone has actually died from this disease.Mexico has reported 159 fatalities in flu-like cases in recent days, seven of which have been confirmed as swine flu. Another 19 patients have been confirmed as having swine flu but surviving. About 2,000 people have been hospitalized with symptoms.

By contrast, the United States has had 64 confirmed cases, five hospitalizations and no deaths from US Citizens. On April 29th CNN reported the first swine fatality in the US, however this was actually a child from Mexico that died in Texas.

According to the World Health Organization's Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response site; as of April 27, there are:

64 laboratory confirmed cases in U.S. -- 0 deaths (reported by CDC as of April 29)
26 confirmed cases in Mexico -- 7 deaths
6 confirmed cases in Canada -- 0 deaths
1 confirmed case in Spain -- 0 deaths

Additionally, nearly all suspected new cases have been reported as mild.

Personally, I am highly skeptical. It simply doesn't add up to a real pandemic.

But it does raise serious questions about where this brand new, never before seen virus came from, especially since it cannot be contracted from eating pork products, and has never before been seen in pigs, and contains traits from the bird flu -- and which, so far, only seems to respond to Tamiflu. Are we just that lucky, or... what?

Your Fear Will Make Some People VERY Rich in Today's Crumbling Economy

According to the Associated Press at least one financial analyst estimates up to $388 million worth of Tamiflu sales in the near future¹⁰ -- and that's without a pandemic outbreak.

More than half a dozen pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead Sciences Inc., Roche, GlaxoSmithKline and other companies with a stake in flu treatments and detection, have seen a rise in their shares in a matter of days, and will likely see revenue boosts if the swine flu outbreak continues to spread.

As soon as Homeland Security declared a health emergency, 25 percent -- about 12 million doses -- of Tamiflu and Relenza treatment courses were released from the nation's stockpile. However, beware that the declaration also allows unapproved tests and drugs to be administered to children. Many health- and government officials are more than willing to take that chance with your life, and the life of your child. But are you?

Remember, Tamiflu went through some rough times not too long ago, as the dangers of this drug came to light when, in 2007, the FDA finally began investigating some 1,800 adverse event reports related to the drug. Common side effects of Tamiflu include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Headache
Dizziness
Fatigue
Cough

All in all, the very symptoms you're trying to avoid.

More serious symptoms included convulsions, delirium or delusions, and 14 deaths in children and teens as a result of neuropsychiatric problems and brain infections (which led Japan to ban Tamiflu for children in 2007). And that's for a drug that, when used as directed, only reduces the duration of influenza symptoms by 1 to 1 ½ days, according to the official data.

But making matters worse, some patients with influenza are at HIGHER risk for secondary bacterial infections when on Tamiflu. And secondary bacterial infections, as I mentioned earlier, was likely the REAL cause of the mass fatalities during the 1918 pandemic!

Where did This Mysterious New Animal-Human Flu Strain Come From?

Alongside the fear-mongering headlines, I've also seen increasing numbers of reports questioning the true nature of this virus. And rightfully so.

Could a mixed animal-human mutant like this occur naturally? And if not, who made it, and how was it released?

Not one to dabble too deep in conspiracy theories, I don't have to strain very hard to find actual facts to support the notion that this may not be a natural mutation, and that those who stand to gain have the wherewithal to pull off such a stunt.

Just last month I reported on the story that the American pharmaceutical company Baxter was under investigation for distributing the deadly avian flu virus to 18 different countries as part of a seasonal flu vaccine shipment. Czech reporters were probing to see if it may have been part of a deliberate attempt to start a pandemic; as such a "mistake" would be virtually impossible under the security protocols of that virus.

The H5N1 virus on its own is not very airborne. However, when combined with seasonal flu viruses, which are more easily spread, the effect could be a potent, airborne, deadly, biological weapon. If this batch of live bird flu and seasonal flu viruses had reached the public, it could have resulted in dire consequences.

There is a name for this mixing of viruses; it's called "reassortment," and it is one of two ways pandemic viruses are created in the lab. Some scientists say the most recent global outbreak -- the 1977 Russian flu -- was started by a virus created and leaked from a laboratory.

Another example of the less sterling integrity of Big Pharma is the case of Bayer, who sold millions of dollars worth of an injectable blood-clotting medicine to Asian, Latin American, and some European countries in the mid-1980s, even though they knew it was tainted with the AIDS virus.

So while it is morally unthinkable that a drug company would knowingly contaminate flu vaccines with a deadly flu virus such as the bird- or swine flu, it is certainly not impossible. It has already happened more than once.

But there seems to be no repercussions or hard feelings when industry oversteps the boundaries of morality and integrity and enters the arena of obscenity. Because, lo and behold, which company has been chosen to head up efforts, along with WHO, to produce a vaccine against the Mexican swine flu?

Baxter!¹¹ Despite the fact that ink has barely dried on the investigative reports from their should-be-criminal "mistake" against humanity.

According to other sources,¹² a top scientist for the United Nations, who has examined the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS victims, has concluded that the current swine flu virus possesses certain transmission "vectors" that suggest the new strain has been genetically-manufactured as a military biological warfare weapon.

The UN expert believes that Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and the current A-H1N1 swine flu virus are biological warfare agents.

In addition, Army criminal investigators are looking into the possibility that disease samples are missing from biolabs at Fort Detrick -- the same Army research lab from which the 2001 anthrax strain was released, according to a recent article in the Fredrick News Post.¹³ In February, the top biodefense lab halted all its research into Ebola, anthrax, plague, and other diseases known as "select agents," after they discovered virus samples that weren't listed in its inventory and might have been switched with something else.

Factory Farming Maybe Source of Swine Flu

Another theory as to the cause of Swine Flu might be factory farming. In the United States, pigs travel coast to coast. They can be bred in North Carolina, fattened in the corn belt of Iowa, and slaughtered in California.

While this may reduce short-term costs for the pork industry, the highly contagious nature of diseases like influenza (perhaps made further infectious by the stresses of transport) needs to be considered when calculating the true cost of long-distance live animal transport.

The majority of U.S. pig farms now confine more than 5,000 animals each. With a group of 5,000 animals, if a novel virus shows up it will have more opportunity to replicate and potentially spread than in a group of 100 pigs on a small farm.

With massive concentrations of farm animals within which to mutate, these new swine flu viruses in North America seem to be on an evolutionary fast track, jumping and reassorting between species at an unprecedented rate.

Should You Accept a Flu Vaccine -- Just to be Safe?

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Watch the video above to see ridiculous 1976 commercials promoting Swine Flu shots.

As stated in the New York Times¹⁴ and elsewhere, flu experts have no idea whether the current seasonal flu vaccine would offer any protection whatsoever against this exotic mutant, and it will take months to create a new one.

But let me tell you, getting vaccinated now would not only offer no protection and potentially cause great harm, it would most likely be loaded with toxic mercury which is used as a preservative in most flu vaccines..

I've written extensively about the numerous dangers (and ineffectiveness) of flu vaccines, and why I do not recommend them to anyone. So no matter what you hear -- even if it comes from your doctor -- don't get a regular flu shot. They rarely work against seasonal flu...and certainly can't offer protection against a never-before- seen strain.

Currently, the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are the only drugs that appear effective against the (human flu) H1N1 virus, and I strongly believe taking Tamiflu to protect yourself against this new virus could be a serious mistake -- for all the reasons I already mentioned above.

But in addition to the dangerous side effects of Tamiflu, there is also growing evidence of resistance against the drug. In February, the pre-publication and preliminary findings journal called Nature Precedings published a paper on this concern, stating¹⁵:

The dramatic rise of oseltamivir [Tamiflu] resistance in the H1N1 serotype in the 2007/2008 season and the fixing of H274Y in the 2008/2009 season has raised concerns regarding individuals at risk for seasonal influenza, as well as development of similar resistance in the H5N1 serotype [bird flu].

Previously, oseltamivir resistance produced changes in H1N1 and H3N2 at multiple positions in treated patients. In contrast, the recently reported resistance involved patients who had not recently taken oseltamivir.

It's one more reason not to bother with this potentially dangerous drug.

And, once a specific swine flu drug is created, you can be sure that it has not had the time to be tested in clinical trials to determine safety and effectiveness, which puts us right back where I started this article -- with a potential repeat of the last dangerous swine flu vaccine, which destroyed the lives of hundreds of people.

Topping the whole mess off, of course, is the fact that if the new vaccine turns out to be a killer, the pharmaceutical companies responsible are immune from lawsuits -- something I've also warned about before on numerous occasions.

Unfortunately, those prospects won't stop the governments of the world from mandating the vaccine -- a scenario I hope we can all avoid.

How to Protect Yourself Without Dangerous Drugs and Vaccinations

For now, my point is that there are always going to be threats of flu pandemics, real or created, and there will always be potentially toxic vaccines that are peddled as the solution. But you can break free of that whole drug-solution trap by following some natural health principles.

I have not caught a flu in over two decades, and you can avoid it too, without getting vaccinated, by following these simple guidelines, which will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.

Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I've previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu -- not the flu virus itself.

This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng.ml and done by a reliable vitamin D lab like Lab Corp.

For those of you in the US we hope to launch a vitamin D testing service through Lab Corp that allows you to have your vitamin D levels checked at your local blood drawing facility, and relatively inexpensively. We hope to offer this service by June 2009.

If you are coming down with flu like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell, believe the dose could even be as high as 1000 units per pound of body weight for three days.

However, most of Dr. Cannell's work was with seasonal and not pandemic flu. If your body has never been exposed to the antigens there is chance that the vitamin D might not work. However the best bet is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D around 60 ng/ml.

BUT to keep this in perspective the regular flu, not the swine flu, has killed 13,000 in the US since January. But there is strong support that these types of figures are grossly exaggerated to increase vaccine sales. However, the fact remains that the regular flu at this point in time is FAR more dangerous than the swine flu and were you worried about the regular flu before the media started talking this up?

Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.
Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night's Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
Have Effective Tools to Address Stress . We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.

If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma. You can check out my free, 25-page EFT manual for some guidelines on how to perform EFT.
Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips on how to get started.
Take a good source of animal based omega-3 fats like Krill Oil. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
Eat Garlic Regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don't enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.
Avoid Hospitals and Vaccines In this particular case, I'd also recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to this new bug. Vaccines will not be available for six months at the minimum but when available they will be ineffective and can lead to crippling paralysis like Guillain-Barré Syndrome just as it did in the 70s.

How Metals in Food Affect Your Child's Behavior

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:18:02 PST

By Lorraine Heller

The contamination of food with certain metals needs to be urgently addressed in light of growing evidence linking trace elements to negative human behaviour, according to a lead researcher in the field.

Metals and other elements can be present in food either naturally, as a result of human activities (such as farming, industry or car exhausts), from contamination during manufacture/processing and storage, or by direct addition.

It has long been known that excessive amounts of any metal could be potentially dangerous, but there is now also strong evidence that some trace elements can contribute to aggressive or anti-social behaviour, said Neil Ward, professor of chemistry at the UK’s University of Surrey.

“Many of the mechanisms are as yet unknown and more case studies are required, but it is clear that elimination produces positive improvements,” said Professor Ward at a Food and Behaviour conference held in Brighton, UK, last week.

Some metals and other elements (such as copper, manganese and zinc) can act as nutrients and are essential for health, while others (such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) have no known beneficial health effects.

Nutrient depletion

Those elements that have no nutritional benefits could not only be toxic to the system, but they could impede absorption of essential nutrients in the body, which is particularly problematic in children, explained Ward.

For example, lead has been linked to anti-social behaviour, partly because it contributes to nutrient depletion.

“Lead acts as an anti-nutrient, hindering the utilisation of magnesium, zinc and vitamin B1. High lead levels have been linked to a reduction in IQ, negative classroom behaviour ratings by teachers, juvenile delinquency and increased violent behaviour,” he said, citing studies by Needleman et al., which appeared in the New England journal of Medicine, JAMA and Neurotoxic Teratology in 1990, 1996 and 2002 respectively.

Ward, who has studied the relation of trace elements to human disorders for over 25 years, said aluminium has also been linked to anti-social behaviour as it competes for the binding sites of biochemical receptors of other metal ions, such as iron and zinc. For the same reason, suboptimal dietary intake of zinc or iron could explain the uptake of aluminium, he said. References included studies by Moon and Marlow, Wenk and Stemmer, and Birchell and Chappell, which appeared in Biol Trace Elem Res (1986), Brain Res (1983) and the Lancet (1988) respectively.

Missing zinc

Ward also highlighted findings from one of his own studies, conducted in 1995, which examined the heavy metal status of incarcerated young offenders compared to control individuals.

The double-blind case control study used scalp hair and blood serum tests to determine the levels of zinc, lead, cadmium and aluminium in the two groups. Levels of lead, cadmium and aluminium were found to be significantly higher in the young offenders group, whereas zinc levels were lower.

Zinc deficiency is also thought to occur as a result of ingestion of certain food colours, and has been linked to hyperactive behaviour or ADHD in children, said Ward.

“The mode of action is not known, but azo dyes have been linked to behavioural changes in children. These colours could be acting as chelating agents, which bind available blood zinc and create a deficiency. The elimination of azo dye beverages and sweets can have a dramatic effect on some HA or ADHD children,” he said.

Food and Behaviour

Professor Ward was addressing an audience of medical professionals, teachers, healthcare and social workers, and food industry executives at a conference organised by the charity Food and Behaviour Research (FAB).

Kid's Superior Children Multi

The nutrient levels in Kid's Superior are based on the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for children 3-15 years of age. Potency levels in this formula are designed to maximize a child's daily diet. Kid's Superior is sweetened with honey and natural fruit.

Your Vaginal Yeast Infection Can Be Prevented Naturally With These Helpful Natural Yeast Infection Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:22:14 PST

A genital yeast infection is a big and common problem among women, but did you know that men can also get them? This is especially true for a man whose wife is suffering from one, since having sex will pass the infection back and forth. For a woman, however, the problem is a little trickier, since yeast thrives in a dark, moist environment. Simply put, a vaginal yeast infection is where yeast would consider it's dream home!

Many women and men suffering from genital yeast infections resort to the remedies found in a drug store: creams, suppositories, and other "medical" remedies. The problem with these is that they tend to help for only a short period of time and then the yeast comes back with a vengeance. In my experience, there are other, more effective ways to combat this insidious infection. There are all different kinds of natural yeast infection remedies out there, and I will attempt to highlight some that have worked for most people.

Here are some natural remedies for yeast infection that have worked:

Plain Yogurt

The friendly bacteria in plain yogurt helps control yeast, and yogurt can be used both internally and externally. However, you should be sure you buy PLAIN UNSWEETENED yogurt. Since sugar feeds yeast, it's like throwing gasoline on a fire...so this is a crucial point. You can also make your own, using a yogurt starter. It is pretty simple and the results are quite good. The advantage is that you can use other types of milk, such as soy or almond. Whether purchased or homemade, yogurt is a great thing to eat before meals because it provides "good bacteria" for your intestines to aid in digestion.

For a topical treatment, you can also dip a tampon in plain yogurt and insert it into your vagina or simply rub some on the outside. However, leaving it on for a prolonged period tends to have the opposite effect. It seems that once it has done its job, it is best to wipe it off or your vaginal yeast infection symptom of ithching will be more intense due to the moisture.

Garlic

One of the biggest enemies of yeast is garlic! This is one of the most effective natural remedies for yeast infection for instant relief. Inserting one garlic tab (such as Shaklee's Garlic Tabs) or a garlic clove into the vagina every few hours or as needed provides soothing relief. If you use garlic tabs, be sure the ingredients are natural and pure. Shaklee garlic tabs are highly recommend for this purpose. Of course, garlic can be taken internally, as well. Again, the Shaklee garlic tabs work great.

Kyolic garlic tabs and liquid garlic also have shown good results against a . If you don't mind the smell, you can press a whole garlic clove and drink it down quickly with water. This has been found to be very effective. Do it as often as necessary. Garlic is one of nature's most amazing natural yeast infection treatment that has a number of other health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol. It is a natural antibiotic.

Apple-Cider Vinegar

Apple-cider vinegar is very strong, so it is not recommended that you apply it directly on the skin. However, it has many health benefits(including aiding in weight loss) and can be used both internally and externally. It will kill the yeast, but it will burn like you wouldn't believe! The best external application is to add about a cup of it into your bathwater and take a nice hot bath. This will feel very relaxing and soothing and will help temporarily. It is not as effective long-term as the garlic suppositories however. The type of vinegar that comes recommended is Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, with the Mother. It is important that it have the mother, as this is more natural and less processed. Never use plain, white vinegar! This actually feeds the yeast in a genital yeast infection instead of killing it.

Water

In my opinion, this is one of the world's most powerful secret remedies for ANY illness! I strongly believe that if we all drank the amount of water our bodies need, we would see a great reduction in all types of sicknesses. Most doctors say that we should drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily, but many people...especially those trying to overcome an illness should drink a glass a water for every hour they are awake. I have found that simply drinking enough water greatly reduces my likelihood for getting a viginal yeast infection.

The idea behind drinking more water is that you will be urinating more frequently, so your body is able to flush out the sugars and other toxins. Be sure to drink water that is pure and free of chemicals. It is best to purchase some type of water filtration system, or a distiller. Be sure that regardless of what system you purchase, do your research first to be sure that it will be effective in its performance. If you do only one thing, drink more water. It's easy, accessable, natural, and has no side effects!

Oil of Oregano

This is an amazing herb that's very potent against yeast. Take it internally daily, according to directions. Be sure, also, that the type of oil you choose has a high carvacrol content, as this is the active ingredient...look for Oreganol Super Strength P73.

Beneficial bacteria supplement

A healthy body contains trillions of microoragnisms, most of which reside in the colon. Their main function is to provide balance for less-desirable organisms (such as yeast). Using a quality {spin]probiotic|beneficial|friendly[/spin] bacteria supplement to help maintain these probiotics and prebiotics in the intestines is smart decision when trying to overcome a vaginal yeast infection.

Coconut Oil

Extra Virgin Organic Coconut oil is also one of the best remedies around for a viginal yeast infection. It has a medium-chain fatty acid known as caprylic acid. Caprylic acid has been used for some time as a yeast infection home treatment. It's a good idea to have coconut oil in your diet all the time.

Caprylic acid is not the only active ingredient in coconut oil, there are three active ingredients. They are, caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These are medium-chain saturated fatty acids. You can find studies about these fatty acids and how each one of them is able to kill Candida albicans(yeast) by researching them online. There are some studies that also show how coconut oil is more effective than prescription drugs.

Here are some things to avoid when fighting a vaginal yeast infection:

Birth Control Pills— Birth control pills weaken the immune system, making you more succeptable to a .

Taking antibiotics— Antibiotics kill the good bacteria that keeps yeast under control, and and it lowers the immune system.

Douching— Douching can upset the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina.

Feminine deodorants— These can be very irritating to anyone, especially those with a viginal yeast infection.

Non-cotton underwear— Any underwear made of man-made fibers is not breathable, as cotton is. They trap moisture and heat creating a perfect environment for yeast overgrowth.

Tight fitting cloting— Tight clothing in the crotch area also creates a warm environment for yeast to grow.

A wet bathing suit— Sitting in a wet bathing suit for a prolonged period creates not only a warm environment, but a moist one, as well. Perfect for yeast growth!

Pantyhose— Tight, man-made fiber that also allows yeast to flourish and overgrow.

Foods that feed yeast— sugar, yeast, refined foods (such as white flour), alcohol and other foods listed on this yeast infection natural cures site.

If you need more help, check out these other tips to help rid yourself of a viginal yeast infection for good.

Aspartame's Sweet Deception

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:29:18 PST

Dr. Mercola

Aspartame's Hidden Dangers

If a product is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and composed of natural ingredients, would you assume it is safe to consume?

If the same product is an artificial sweetener, would you assume it helps control your weight?

Millions of people use aspartame, the artificial sweetener known as NutraSweet™, with these assumptions in mind.

Aspartame can be found in thousands of products such as:

* instant breakfasts
* breath mints
* cereals
* sugar-free chewing gum
* cocoa mixes
* coffee beverages
* frozen desserts
* gelatin desserts
* juice beverages
* laxatives
* multivitamins
* milk drinks
* pharmaceuticals and supplements, including over-the-counter medicines
* shake mixes
* soft drinks
* tabletop sweeteners
* tea beverages
* instant teas and coffees
* topping mixes
* wine coolers
* yogurt

However, aspartame's tainted history of approval and potentially toxic ingredients cast serious doubt on the safety of this sugar substitute. Furthermore, aspartame may actually increase your appetite (Farber 52).

While the FDA approval may signal the green light for safe consumption, 85 percent of all complaints registered with the FDA are for adverse reactions to aspartame, including five reported deaths. A closer look at the unscientific studies, suspicious approval methods, and its harmful ingredients, reveal the hidden dangers of this artificial sweetener. In reality, aspartame poses a public health threat.

Ailments Resulting From Aspartame

The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some of these problems occur gradually while others are immediate, acute reactions.

A few of the many disorders associated with aspartame include the following:

* Birth Defects

A study funded by Monsanto to study possible birth defects caused by consuming aspartame was cut off after preliminary data showed damaging information about aspartame. Additionally, in the book, While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook, it is stated that aspartame is suspected of causing brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus may be at risk for these effects. Some researchers have suggested that high doses of aspartame may be associated with problems ranging from dizziness and subtle brain changes to mental retardation.

* Cancer (Brain Cancer)

In 1981, an FDA statistician stated that the brain tumor data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval of NutraSweet.(14)

In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of aspartame, twelve of 320 rats fed a normal diet and aspartame developed brain tumors while none of the control rats developed tumors, and five of the twelve tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame.(15)

The approval of aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment, which was supposed to prevent cancer-causing substances such as methanol (formaldehye) and DKP from entering our food supply. A late FDA toxicologist testified before the U.S. Congress that aspartame was capable of producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable daily intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies were "to a large extent unreliable" and that "at least one of those studies has established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals ... " He concluded his testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? ... And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?"(16)

In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to cut tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had actually died as surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was likely worse than discussed above. In addition, a former employee of the manufacturer of aspartame told the FDA on July 13, 1977 that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats could discriminate between the DKP and their normal diet.(12)

* Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this chemical poison to persons with diabetes, but according to research conducted by a diabetes specialist, aspartame: 1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes. 2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diabetics on insulin or oral drugs. 3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis. 4) Causes convulsions.

In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartame by persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, the researchers says:

"Unfortunately, many patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed serious metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be specifically attributed to using aspartame products. This was evidenced by the loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia, the occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or simulation of diabetic complications (especially impaired vision and neuropathy) while using these products ... Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and the prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently."

Another researcher stated that excitotoxins such as those found in aspartame can precipitate diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the disease.(5)

* Emotional Disorders

In a double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood disorders, findings showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Researchers concluded that "individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener; its use in this population should be discouraged."(18) One researcher stated about aspartame, "I know it causes seizures. I'm convinced also that it definitely causes behavioral changes. I'm very angry that this substance is on the market. I personally question the reliability and validity of any studies funded by the NutraSweet Company."(19)

Additionally, there are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels, depression and other emotional disorders that have been linked to aspartame and often are relieved by stopping the intake of aspartame.

* Epilepsy/Seizures

With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 80 people who had suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed. Community Nutrition Institute concluded the following about the survey:

"These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to the public health, which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a product from the market."

Both the Air Force's magazine, Flying Safety, and the Navy's magazine, Navy Physiology, published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame including the cumulative delirious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo. Twenty articles sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while flying have also appeared in the National Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane & Pilot (1990) and a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).

A hotline was even set up for pilots suffering from acute reactions to aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported symptoms including some who have reported suffering grand mal seizures in the cockpit due to aspartame.(21)

Why don't we hear about these things?

The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to aspartame is twofold: 1) Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused diseases are not reported in the newspapers like plane crashes. This is because these incidents occur one at a time in thousands of different locations across the United States. 2) Most people do not associate their symptoms with the long-term use of aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage of their brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no way that they would normally associate such an illness with aspartame consumption.

How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical companies can manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe" organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, and flood the scientific community with flawed and fraudulent industry-sponsored studies funded by the makers of aspartame.

Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of Sussex University has compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of which have been obtained using the freedom of information act 23, showing: 1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed. 2. Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were "restored to life" in laboratory records. 3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA. 4. The two US Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges against the aspartame manufacturer took positions with the manufacturer's law firm, letting the statute of limitations run out. 5. The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's own scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that decision, he took a position with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of public relations for G.D. Searle.

A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were three scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to the approval of aspartame. They voted unanimously against aspartame's approval. The FDA Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. then created a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the PBOI findings. After it became clear that the Commission would uphold the PBOI's decision by a vote of 3 to 2, another person was added to the Commission, creating a deadlocked vote. This allowed the FDA Commissioner to break the deadlock and approve aspartame for dry goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the Senior Scientist in an FDA Bureau of Foods review team created in August 1977 to review the Bressler Report (a report that detailed G.D. Searle's abuses during the pre-approval testing) said: "It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau officials were working up to a whitewash." In 1987, Verrett testified before the US Senate stating that the experiments conducted by Searle were a "disaster." She stated that her team was instructed not to comment on or be concerned with the overall validity of the studies. She stated that questions about birth defects have not been answered. She continued her testimony by discussing the fact that DKP has been shown to increase uterine polyps and change blood cholesterol and that increasing the temperature of the product leads to an increase in production of DKP.(13)

Revolving Doors

The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a revolving door of employment for many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and two US Attorneys leaving to take positions with companies connected with G.D. Searle, four other FDA officials connected with the approval of aspartame took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979 and 1982 including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the Special Assistant to the FDA Commissioner, the Associate Director of the Bureau of Foods and Toxicology and the Attorney involved with the Public Board of Inquiry.(24)

It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity has been going on for decades. The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92) reported on a study revealing that 37 of 49 top FDA officials who left the FDA took positions with companies they had regulated. They also reported that over 150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies they were assigned to manage. Many organizations and universities receive large sums of money from companies connected to the NutraSweet Association, a group of companies promoting the use of aspartame. In January 1993, the American Dietetic Association received a US$75,000 grant from the NutraSweet Company. The American Dietetic Association has stated that the NutraSweet Company writes their "Facts" sheets.(25)

What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

Less than nothing.

In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages, breakfast cereals, and refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the FDA approved aspartame for use in hard and soft candies, non-alcoholic favored beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked goods and baking mixes, and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods.

In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of stevia. The powder of this leaf has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative sweetener. It is used widely in Japan with no adverse effects. Scientists involved in reviewing stevia have declared it to be safe for human consumption--something that has been well known in many parts of the world where it is not banned. Some people believe that stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the United States and cutting into sales of aspartame.(26)

What is the U.S. Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

Nothing.

What is the U.S. Administration (President) doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

Nothing.

Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the United States--it is being sold in over 70 countries throughout the world.

The Flu Shot May Not Be Affective In Influenza Prevention

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:30:13 PST

Dr. Mercola

Each year enormous effort goes into producing that year's vaccine and delivering it to appropriate sections of the population.

And yet, year after year there are studies showing that flu vaccines DO NOT provide any benefit.

Flu Prevention Strategy Repeatedly Called Into Question

Two years ago, a study in the British Medical Journal concluded that the effectiveness of annual flu shots has been exaggerated, and that in reality they have little or no effect on influenza campaign objectives, including reducing the number of hospital stays, time off work, and death from influenza and its complications.

Other studies, done prior and subsequently, also confirm these findings.

However, preventing flu-related deaths in the elderly has been, and still is, the primary argument for recommending flu shots each year. And, according to the theory of “herd immunity,” a majority of the population must be vaccinated in order to protect the lives of the elderly and other categories of people susceptible to flu-related complications.

However, the flu prevention strategy set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been called into serious question time and again.

Another study from 2005, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine also could not find support for the use of flu vaccine to prevent deaths in the elderly. The report highlights that although immunization rates in people over 65 have increased dramatically in the past 20 years, there has not been a consequent decline in flu-related deaths.

Do You Know What the Risks are?

Instead, there is emerging evidence that flu shots cause Alzheimer’s disease, most likely as a result of combining mercury with aluminum and formaldehyde. Mercury in vaccines has also been shown to be a contributing factor in autism.

Other serious, and potentially deadly, adverse reactions to the flu vaccine include joint inflammation and arthritis, anaphylactic shock (and other life-threatening allergic reactions), and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralytic autoimmune disease.

And, in the case of Tamiflu, thousands of cases of abnormal behavior, neuropsychiatric problems like convulsions, delirium or delusions, and brain infections, have been reported.

(Tamiflu is approved for treatment of uncomplicated influenza A and B in children 1 year of age or older. It is also approved for prevention of influenza in people 13 years or older.)

More Scientific Research Backing Up Recommendation to Avoid Flu Vaccines Like the Plague

For those of you who are still unconvinced, there’s plenty of scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu vaccines – if not for their potentially serious or deadly side effects, then for the simple reason that they don’t work, and don’t offer any real benefit to offset their potential health risks.

A sampling of these studies include:

* A recent study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting" examined.

* A study published in the Lancet just two months ago found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. Vaccination coverage among the elderly increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now, yet there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza or pneumonia.

* That Lancet study supports a similar study done five years ago, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which concluded that vaccination against pneumonia does not reduce your risk of contracting the disease.

* Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine last month also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.

* Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases: “We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.”

* A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

New Theory May Explain the True Nature of the Flu, and Why Vaccines Don’t Work

One credible hypothesis that explains the seasonal nature of flu is that influenza is a vitamin D deficiency disease.

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,” may very well be one of the most beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention. Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

This hypothesis was presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006, and again, more recently, in the Virology Journal.

This explanation actually makes perfect sense.

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence, being overwhelmed by the “flu bug” could signal that your vitamin D levels are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

For most people, the flu shot does not prevent illness, but actually does the polar opposite--it weakens your immune system and makes you more predisposed to the illness.

The people who actually die after contracting the flu do so because they are already sick and have compromised immune systems, and that certainly doesn't have to include you.

In addition to making sure your vitamin D levels are in the optimal range, the following tips are surefire ways to improve the function of your immune system and greatly reduce your chances of getting the flu this winter:

* Avoid sugar.
* Get plenty of sleep.
* Exercise regularly.
* Eat according to your nutritional type.
* Eat garlic regularly.
* Support yourself during stressful times.

Swanson Premium BrandCalcium Citrate Complex w/Vitamin D

The Sunlight Vitamin

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:31:14 PST

Sunlight is composed of electromagnetic radiation of varying wavelengths, ranging from the long-wavelength infrared light to the short-wavelength ultraviolet. The ultraviolet light is further subdivided into UVA and the even shorter-wavelength UVB radiation. Although UVB causes sunburns, it is also the component that initiates Vitamin-D production in the skin. As such, scientists now believe that past sunscreen use actually promoted skin damage, while, at the same time, blocking beneficial vitamin-D production. (Sunscreen reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D by at least 95%.)

Click To Enlarge
The process by which vitamin D is produced and exerts its biological effects is complicated, involving several vitamin-D-related molecules. Basically, UVB light triggers a modification of a cholesterol-related molecule located in the membrane of skin cells. The vitamin D that is created is then ejected from the membrane into our circulation system, where it travels to the liver. In this organ, it is transformed into 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the derivative that doctors use to assess overall vitamin-D status.

The kidney, as well as some other tissues, further converts this precursor into 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D, the most physiological active vitamin-D metabolite, which is also called calcitrol. Traditionally, calcitrol is understood as a hormone that, together with parathyroid hormone, regulates blood calcium levels and, in turn, bone density. In this role, calcitrol targets the intestine, where it promotes calcium absorption; and bone, where it catalyzes calcium release to help restore depleted blood calcium levels.

However, recent studies indicate that viewing calcitrol just in this role is quite limited. In fact, the hormone exerts a plethora of biological effects on diverse tissues, implying that this sunlight-generated hormone sustains health throughout the body.

Although much remains to be understood, basically, circulating calcitrol enters cells and complexes with the genes in the cell nucleus. This affects DNA expression and, in turn, overall cell functioning and growth. Because calcitrol maintains normal cell proliferation, it inhibits cancerous growth. In addition, calcitrol influences immune-cell activity, helping to explain vitamin D’s seemingly beneficial role in infectious disease and immune-related disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

Given these considerations, the implications of preventing vitamin-D deficiency, either through sunlight or diet, are now more profound than ever.

Digestive Enzyme Deficiency and Antacid Medications

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:37:28 PST

Constipation, indigestion, heartburn, irregularity, bloating, gas, intestinal and gastric discomfort are maladies prevalent in our present society. These are usually the symptoms of a fundamental digestive enzyme deficiency that's easily and often overlooked. Our culture has become far too dependent on antacid medications and other pharmaceuticals to treat these symptoms. Drugs have their place in emergency situations, but there are also natural ways to treat if not cure disease. It would seem that the medical community, at large, is more concerned with the treatment of symptoms than the elimination of disease itself.

At our body's most basic level of function, enzymes play an essential and critical role. Because enzymes must be present before any chemical reaction can take place, our bodies cannot exist without enzymes. We can eat a healthy diet and take all the vitamins, minerals, and hormones we want, but without the proper amount of enzymes, our bodies are incapable of breaking down, absorbing, and using the important nutrients. In many cases the excellent ( and costly) supplements we take simply pass through our systems whole and intact, without being used. Dr. DicQie Fuller, author of The Healing Power of Enzymes
, states the importance of proper digestion is mind boggling. Every function must be perfectly synchronized with every other function. When we lack a particular enzyme, vitamin, or mineral, the resulting imbalance causes disease. If you have digestive problems, you will have trouble rebuilding cells...which leads to an array of health disorders. You may think it is too simplistic to conclude that illness is caused by inadequate digestion, but I am convinced this is true.

What role do digestive enzymes play?

Digestive enzymes function as catalyst agents in our body's digestive process that enable us to experience good health. Proper digestion requires four major and three minor enzymes:

Amylase for the digestion of carbohydrates and starches. Improper digestion creates gas and discomfort.

Protease for the digestion of proteins. Improper digestion causes indigestion and toxicity.

Lipase for the digestion of fats; also assists in balancing fatty acids. Improper digestion creates pungent odors and poor cholesterol balance.

Cellulase for the digestion of cellulose (fiber found in vegetables and other plant materials). Improper digestion leaves wax like residue in the small intestines, contributing to absorption problems.

Lactase for the digestion of milk sugar lactose. Improper digestion prevents the breakdown of lactose resulting in digestive problems and lactose-related allergies.

Sucrase and Maltese lesser known enzymes that break down food sugars.

How does my body obtain enzymes?

Enzymes are energized protein molecules that, in a perfect world, can be obtained in two ways: Our bodies make them (metabolic enzymes) or we get them through the food we eat (food enzymes). When these two natural sources are compromised, we can obtain the enzymes we need through supplementation.

What could cause a digestive enzyme deficiency in my body?

Age and high stress negatively impact our body's ability to produce metabolic or endogenous enzymes. The older we get, the less efficient our bodies become in producing enzymes. An older adult simply does not manufacture as many enzymes as a young person. When were under a lot of stress and run down, our bodies require a substantially larger amount of enzymes.

Food or exogenous enzymes exists in food that's in its raw state. However the cooking, freezing, and food manufacturing and altering processes destroy food enzymes. So while your taste buds are satisfied, the rest of your body, particularly your digestive system, is not getting what it needs. Unless you are a child who eats only raw foods, you are at risk of being enzyme deficient.

What are supplemental digestive enzymes?

Supplemental digestive enzymes can be either plant or animal-derived.

Generally, plant enzymes are most useful because of they aid digestion throughout the entire digestive process. These enzymes cannot be made like synthetic vitamins and minerals, and must be grown in plant form and extracted through a laboratory process.

Dr. Peter Rothchild, M.D. a world-renowned researcher and Nobel Prize nominee in physics writes, Evidence of the effectiveness of enzymes taken orally is beginning to overcome skeptism. Many of these studies show enzymes, when taken orally, demonstrate benefits against circulating immune complexes, rheumatic disorders, and acute immune disease.

Why the lack of publicized information about digestive enzymes?

Dr. DicQie Fuller explains, Although enzyme biochemistry has been the subject of intensive study, the role of enzymes in supplementation and therapy is not widespread knowledge. There are not yet enough knowledgeable people around to supply the necessary information. Yet the healing power of enzymes has been documented for decades.

How do I know if I have a digestive enzyme deficiency?

Symptoms of poor digestion are good indicators: burps and belches, excessive gas, heartburn, nausea, constipation, feeling tired after eating, or an allergic reaction to particular foods. Also, certain food cravings or foods you eat the most such as caffeine, chocolate, refined sugars, and cooked and processed foods could be clues to an enzyme-related problem.

Are there products available that contain essential digestive enzymes?

In addition to digestive enzymes in supplement forms (pills and capsules), a small number of nutritional supplement companies offer products that are formulated to contain and provide essential enzymes.

How can I find out more about enzymes and related topics?

A good starting point is Dr. Fullers book: The Healing Power of Enzymes. Dr. Fuller believes that no matter which way you [come] to read about enzymes, you are entitled to a clear explanation of how they work and why they are important.

Adapted from The Healing Power of Enzymes, copyright 1998 by Dr. DicQie Fuller. Published by Forbes Custom Publishing, New York, NY. Dr. Fuller, the Founder and President of Transformation Enzyme Corporation, holds a Ph.D in Nutrition and Health Sciences. With over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in enzyme therapy and nutrition, she is actively involved in researching the health benefits of enzyme supplementation. Dr. Fuller has published extensively, including articles on the use of enzymes in nutrition, body typing, glandular therapy, and appetite and weight control.

What is Choline Bitartrate?

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:28:10 PDT

Choline bitartrate is an essential nutrients needed by the nervous system to produce
acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that facilitates the transmission of impulses between neurons. Choline is extremely important in maintaining healthy cell membranes because it produces phosphatidyl choline. It helps in the production of lipotropic agents which inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates to fat and assists in the production of HDL (good) cholesterol. Choline is very helpful in hormone production and in enhancing sexual function, as well as bladder, kidney, pancreatic, testicular, and liver function.

WHY DO WE NEED CHOLINE BITARTRATE?

There are two reasons for the body’s need for choline - classified as an essential
nutrient in 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. Number one, choline is required for the synthesis of one of our body’s primary neurotransmitters, acetylcholine. Number two, it is used for the building and maintenance of the body’s
membranes. Acetylcholine is vital for thought, memory and sleep, and is also involved in the control of movement. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are the main driver of the liver, pancreas and adrenal/testicular
functions, and are the major regulators of the cardiovascular functions. Uptake of circulating choline decreases with age and choline is essential for nerve structure and function. FACT: Acetylcholine is a type of compound known as a neurotransmitter. These are chemicals are stored in nerve cells and are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells and muscle cells. Acetylcholine is found in nerve
endings and is constantly being manufactured and broken down by the body.

CAN WE RECEIVE ENOUGH CHOLINE THROUGH DIET ALONE?

Though choline can be manufactured internally from amino acids methionine and serine, it has been designated an essential nutrient, meaning that it is required by the body but not made in adequate amounts, so we need to get it in
our diet. Choline is available in a number of foods, including eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, meats and vegetables- even human breast milk. It is important to supplement our diets with choline since the production of acetylcholine
decreases with age. The importance of choline was demonstrated in a study in 1998 by Steven Zeisel from the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In this study, volunteers on a choline deficient diet were not able to produce enough acetylcholine.

WHAT IF THE BRAIN DOES NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH CHOLINE TO MANUFACTURE ACETYLCHOLINE?

When the neurons do not receive sufficient choline to manufacture acetylcholine they may resort to extracting choline out of the nerve cell membranes, in a process called auto-cannibalism. In the short run, this process provides the
body with enough choline to produce just enough acetylcholine to keep neurotransmission and other nervous system functions going. In the long run, however, the nerve cells become increasingly damaged as neural cell membranes
grow rigid and more and more dysfunctional.

HOW DOES CHOLINE AFFECT SLEEP?

One of the lesser known functions of acetylcholine is helping to maintain sleep. Acetylcholine controls sensory input, and strengthens the “stimulus barrier,” making it possible to sleep through minor noises and other disturbances. As we age, we tend to become light sleepers, and Choline Bitartrate and Melatonin can help regulate sleep patterns. The same stimulus barrier also helps us concentrate and solve problems. Too little acetylcholine can lead to irritability and a lack of focus as too many unimportant stimuli bombard us, preventing us from thinking clearly.

HOW DOES CHOLINE AFFECT THE BLADDER?:

The bladder is a muscle which is under cholinergic control. Acetylcholine stimulates a type of receptor in the body called a muscarinic receptor. Stimulation of the muscarinic receptors in muscles leads to a contraction of the muscle. Acetylcholine stimulates the muscle contractions of the bladder and supports healthy urinary function.

HOW DOES CHOLINE AFFECT CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN THE BODY:

Choline helps emulsify fat, keeping it in liquid form and suspension. As long as cholesterol is emulsified, it isn’t likely to settle in the arterial walls. Choline helps transport cholesterol and fats so they can be used by the body or excreted
to maintain healthy cholesterol levels already in the normal range. Strenuous exercise, such as marathon running, can dramatically lower your body’s levels of choline. The reason may be due to the need for choline in the metabolism of
fats, which increases during exercise.

WHAT IS CHOLINE’S IMPACT ON THE LIVER:

Choline bitartrate helps prevent fats from accumulating in the liver and is essential for its health, and also the health of the kidneys. Choline is involved in fat metabolism and in the transport of fats from the liver.

LIBIDO EFFECTS OF CHOLINE:

Choline is a nutrient that potentially enhances sexuality through its conversion to acetylcholine. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves are the main driver of testicular functions - and can help stimulate the libido.

WHAT IS CHOLINE’S IMPACT ON FETAL DEVELOPMENT AND NEWBORNS:

Pre-natal choline supplementation is thought to result in enhanced nervous system development and cognitive function throughout development and infancy, as newborns require large amounts of choline for development. Choline is supplied in mother’s milk, but the amount of choline in breast milk is directly related to the amount of choline that she consumes in her diet.

A Liver Health Diet Is The Key To Longevity

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:55:49 PST

The liver is the largest internal organ in the body, the liver is located in the upper right portion of the abdomen, beneath the diaphragm and above most of the stomach, intestines and pancreas. The liver has many functions, including secreting bile, neutralizing poisons, synthesizing proteins, and storing glycogen and certain vitamins and minerals. the largest organ in the body, producing many essential chemicals and regulating the levels of most vital substances in the blood. Some important functions of the Liver are: to allow the Qi to flow smoothly throughout the body and to ‘store’ the Blood. Over 5 million Americans have hepatitis B or C, resulting in an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 deaths annually.

Ways to Love Your Liver Health:

1. Avoid taking unnecessary medications (Too many chemicals can harm me).

2. Don't mix medicines without the advice of a doctor. (You could create something poisonous that could damage me badly)

3. Street drugs cause serious damage and scar me permanently.

4. Don't drown me in beer, liquor or wine. (If you drink alcohol, have two or fewer drinks per day) .

5. Never mix alcohol with other drugs & medications.

6. Be careful when using aerosol cleaners. I have to detoxify what you breathe in, so when you go on a cleaning binge, make sure the room is well ventilated, or wear a mask.

7. Bug sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays you use can harm me too. Be careful what you breathe.

8. Watch what gets on your skin! (Those insecticides you put on trees and shrubs to kill bugs can get to me right through your skin and destroy some cells.) Remember, they're serious chemicals.

TROUBLE SIGNS:

Here are some signs of liver trouble. If you experience anyof these symptoms, please contact your doctor.

1. Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes.

2. Abdominal swelling or severe abdominal pain.

3. Prolonged itching of the skin.

4. Very dark urine or pale stools-, or the passage of bloody or tar-like stools.

5. Chronic fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite.

Eat for Health: Since everything we eat must pass through the liver, special attention to nutrition and diet can help keep me healthy. Here are some tips on eating for health healthy liver, healthy you.

1-Eat a well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet: if you enjoy foods from each of the four food groups, you will probably obtain the nutrients you need.

2-Cut down on the amount of deep-fried and fatty foods you and your family consume. Doctors believe that the risk of gallbladder disorders (including gallstones, a liver-related disease) can be reduced by avoiding high-fat and high cholesterol foods.

3-Minimize your consumption of smoked, cured and salted foods. Taste your food before adding salt! Or try alternative

seasonings in your cooking such as lemon juice, onion, vinegar, garlic, pepper, mustard, cloves, sage or thyme.

MEAT, FISH, POULTRY & ALTERNATIVES PROVIDE:

protein, vitamin A, iron, vitamin B12, niacin, fiber, thiamin

WHOLE GRAIN BREADS AND CEREALS PROVIDE:

carbohydrates, niacin, thiamin, iron, riboflavin, fiber

FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROVIDE:

vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, fiber, folacin

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS PROVIDE:

calcium, riboflavin, niacin,folacin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D.

Liver Function Tests:The most commonly used way to check for liver problems these blood tests look for chemicals in the body that are produced when the liver does its various jobs. The tests can be used to diagnose and monitor chronic viral hepatitis as well as other liver diseases. The two most common tests include the following liver enzymes. Blood tests to measure the function of the liver. These are blood tests that are ordered regularly by liver doctors. They give an indication of how well the liver is working and help sort out the type of problem that may be present. They are done daily immediately following transplantation. Abnormalities can indicate rejection, infection, side effects from drugs and many other things. Experience is required to determine what the results mean.

Liver Enzymes:Proteins that catalyze chemical reactions needed for bodily functions. Levels of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST are higher when the liver is injured, as they leak into the bloodstream when the cell is injured or destroyed. proteins that catalyze chemical reactions needed for bodily functions. Levels of certain enzymes, such as ALT and AST are higher when the liver is injured, as they leak into the bloodstream when the cell is injured or destroyed.

Fatty Liver:Fatty liver or steatosis hepatis is a reversible condition seen in chronic alcoholism and many other conditions, where large vacuoles of lipid accumulate in hepatocytes (the cells of the liver). Accumulation of fat in liver cells will cause the liver to enlarge. The lipid within the vacuoles is a particular type of lipid known as triglyceride. Triglyceride molecules consist of a glyerol backbone with three fatty acid molecules joined on.

Liver failure:The final stage of liver disease, in which liver function becomes so impaired that other areas of the body are affected, most commonly the brain. Liver failure is the final stage of liver disease. By definition, liver failure occurs when the liver is so diseased, and functioning so poorly, that encephalopathy is evident. Any progressive liver disease can result in liver failure examples include: acetaminophen toxicity, liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and metastatic cancer of the liver.

Liver Cancer:A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer) of the liver. Most cases are secondary to either hepatitis infection (usually hepatitis B or C) or cirrhosis (alcoholism being the most common cause of hepatic cirrhosis).

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Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:55:39 PST

The Washington Post
Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

In the first study, published in current issue of Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS.

And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances."

However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination.

IATP's Ben Lilliston also told HealthDay that the Environmental Health findings were based on information gathered by the FDA in 2005.

And the group's own study, while not peer-reviewed, was based on products "bought off the shelf in the autumn of 2008," Lilliston added.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said in his prepared statement.

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Preventing Illness More Economical Than Treating the Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Jarse Astra) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:31:59 PST

by: David Gutierrez
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

(NaturalNews) Investing in preventive health care is far more cost-effective than treating people after they get sick, according to a report from the nonprofit advocacy group Trust for America's Health.

"We've got to change the mindset from treating sick people to preventing illnesses in the first place," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin in response to the report.

Researchers calculated how much rates of certain diseases could be decreased by investing money in programs that have been proven to lower smoking rates and increase healthy eating and physical activity. They found that within two years, investment in community health programs could lead to a 5 percent reduction in rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, while significantly reducing rates of arthritis and some kinds of cancer within only 10 to 20 years.

For every dollar invested in community-based preventive health care programs, the researchers found, $5.60 in later healthcare treatment would be saved. Investing just $10 per person could lead to savings of more than $16 billion per year within only five years.

People often think that such programs "[pay] off 20 or 30 years from now," Harkin said, "but this shows you get the money back almost immediately, and then the savings grows bigger and bigger."

The report encourages federal, state and local governments to increase tobacco taxes, ban smoking in public places and require nutrition labels on restaurant menus. It also urges governments to increase funding for community health initiatives, like a program in Dallas that has led to improved eating and physical activity habits among participating youth. Governments can also encourage healthy living through relatively simple and inexpensive measures, the report said, such as keeping sidewalks in good shape.

"What's been interesting is that if you make it easier for people to make better choices, they actually do," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health.