The illness (or non-illness according to some) called fibromyalgia has been getting a lot more coverage in the media lately. It seems like conventional medicine is teetering on the fence regarding fibro. Some still insist it does not truly exist and does not deserve the title of a disease. Others are recognizing it, but unfortunately recommending treatments such as drugs, including addictive pain killers and antidepressants. The FDA has also recently approved the first medication that may be specifically prescribed for treating the condition. So, I guess now fibro will get recognition since we have a drug to treat it. No drug = No disease, at least that is the track record.
Alternative therapies have long been the mainstay for many fibro patients, and this article gives encouraging evidence that swimming, especially in warm water, can be very beneficial at battling fibromyalgia. Researchers believe fibro can be brought on by habitually poor lifestyle choices and stressful situations, among other factors. We are also finding that many people with fibromyalgia also test positive for Lyme disease. The most important aspect is for sufferers to learn how to change their way of life so that balance can be restored and so that the body can work on repair and healing. One thing is for sure, that will not be effectively accomplished through the use of toxic drugs that mask symptoms and possibly worsen the overall health of the body.
Swimming eases fibromyalgia pain, study says
An hour workout 3 times a week soothed symptoms of the mystery ailment
Reuters
updated 6:41 p.m. CT, Thurs., Feb. 21, 2008
LONDON - Swimming can significantly ease the debilitating pain of fibromyalgia, an ailment with no known cure, European researchers said on Friday.
The condition mainly strikes women and can cause severe pain and tenderness in muscles, ligaments and tendons. Shoulder and neck pain is common but some people with the condition also have problems sleeping, and suffer anxiety and depression.
In their study of 33 women, the researchers had one group exercise in warm water for more than an hour three times a week for eight months while the others did no aquatic training.
The women who swam said the workouts helped ease their pain and they reported an improved quality of life, said Narcis Gusi at the University of Extremadura in Spain and Pablo Tomas-Carus of the University of Evora in Portugal, who conducted the study.
The addition of an aquatic exercise program to the usual care for fibromyalgia in women is cost-effective in terms of both health care costs and societal costs, they wrote in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.
Doctors usually prescribe exercise and relaxation techniques, painkillers or sometimes a low-dose antidepressant to treat the symptoms.
Pregabalin, a drug that calms nerve cells, gained U.S. regulatory approval in June to treat the condition. It is sold as Lyrica by Pfizer Inc.
In November, U.S. researchers showed that women who participated in a physical training regimen said they had less pain, better physical functioning and vitality.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23284116
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Many Roles of Intestinal Bacteria
The design of our bodies is astounding in so many different ways that it would be difficult to pick out one particular part that stands out above the others. However, the value of the intestinal tract and its many varied functions should make it Number One on anyones Top Ten list of key bodily systems. Besides the obvious responsibilities of processing food by absorbing nutrients and excreting waste products, the gut is largely accountable for the health and operation of the immune system as well. This is a huge reason to make sure that you keep your intestinal tract clean and healthy with proper bowel detoxification and cleansing.
In a nut shell, the intestinal tract needs a large number of healthy, hard-working bacteria in order to perform optimally and keep you well. Most of us are aware of probiotics, which are natural substances that encourage the growth of helpful bacteria in the gut. The article posted below discusses certain non-digestible food products known as prebiotics that are also very beneficial for the bacterial health of the colon.
I found this article interesting because it reinforces the importance of various natural substances needed by the body to maintain our health. In addition, it also shows us that we must be careful when studying scientific findings, as researchers are prone to make mistakes occasionally just like the rest of the human race. Calling maltodextrin a placebo is certainly an error because it is not inert, but rather has an impact that can effect body weight. While there is valuable information to be gained from this study, let it be a lesson to us that we need to carefully analyze information rather than simply taking it for granted as gospel truth.
Prebiotics Prevent Excessive Weight Gain in Teenagers
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) Daily supplements of certain prebiotics given at the right time in development may have long-lasting benefits for adolescents' healthy body weight and body fat ratio, according to a study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food substances that encourage the development and growth of certain bacteria in the colon.
Researchers divided 97 healthy, non-obese adolescents with an average age of 11.6 years and into two groups. One group received a mix of the prebiotics inulin and oligofructose dissolved in orange juice or milk daily, while the second group received a maltodextrin placebo dissolved in the same drinks. This intervention was carried out for one year.
The adolescents who received supplementation with prebiotics showed a smaller increase in body mass index, body weight and body fat mass than the adolescents who were treated with the placebo. On average at the end of the study period, the body mass index of those in the prebiotic group was 0.52 kilograms per meter (squared) lower than those in the placebo group. They also had an average of 0.84 kilograms less mass of total body fat.
Adolescents whose calcium intake was higher than 700 milligrams per day experienced a greater benefit from prebiotics, with a body mass index of 0.82 kilograms per square meter lower than that of those in the unsupplemented group.
These benefits appeared to be maintained at a one-year followup checkup.
The researchers noted that while the body mass index of those in the intervention group increased by a healthy amount (0.7 kilograms per square meter), the body mass index of the other adolescents increased by 1.2 kilograms per square meter -- significantly more than the 0.6 to 0.8 kilogram per square meter increase to be expected at that age. "That's because maltodextrin is not a placebo," explained consumer health advocate Mike Adams. "It's actually a form of refined sugar that promotes an increase in body mass and weight gain, as demonstrated in this study. In fact, this study says more about the harmful effects of maltodextrin than the benefits of inulin," Adams said.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z022704.html
In a nut shell, the intestinal tract needs a large number of healthy, hard-working bacteria in order to perform optimally and keep you well. Most of us are aware of probiotics, which are natural substances that encourage the growth of helpful bacteria in the gut. The article posted below discusses certain non-digestible food products known as prebiotics that are also very beneficial for the bacterial health of the colon.
I found this article interesting because it reinforces the importance of various natural substances needed by the body to maintain our health. In addition, it also shows us that we must be careful when studying scientific findings, as researchers are prone to make mistakes occasionally just like the rest of the human race. Calling maltodextrin a placebo is certainly an error because it is not inert, but rather has an impact that can effect body weight. While there is valuable information to be gained from this study, let it be a lesson to us that we need to carefully analyze information rather than simply taking it for granted as gospel truth.
Prebiotics Prevent Excessive Weight Gain in Teenagers
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) Daily supplements of certain prebiotics given at the right time in development may have long-lasting benefits for adolescents' healthy body weight and body fat ratio, according to a study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food substances that encourage the development and growth of certain bacteria in the colon.
Researchers divided 97 healthy, non-obese adolescents with an average age of 11.6 years and into two groups. One group received a mix of the prebiotics inulin and oligofructose dissolved in orange juice or milk daily, while the second group received a maltodextrin placebo dissolved in the same drinks. This intervention was carried out for one year.
The adolescents who received supplementation with prebiotics showed a smaller increase in body mass index, body weight and body fat mass than the adolescents who were treated with the placebo. On average at the end of the study period, the body mass index of those in the prebiotic group was 0.52 kilograms per meter (squared) lower than those in the placebo group. They also had an average of 0.84 kilograms less mass of total body fat.
Adolescents whose calcium intake was higher than 700 milligrams per day experienced a greater benefit from prebiotics, with a body mass index of 0.82 kilograms per square meter lower than that of those in the unsupplemented group.
These benefits appeared to be maintained at a one-year followup checkup.
The researchers noted that while the body mass index of those in the intervention group increased by a healthy amount (0.7 kilograms per square meter), the body mass index of the other adolescents increased by 1.2 kilograms per square meter -- significantly more than the 0.6 to 0.8 kilogram per square meter increase to be expected at that age. "That's because maltodextrin is not a placebo," explained consumer health advocate Mike Adams. "It's actually a form of refined sugar that promotes an increase in body mass and weight gain, as demonstrated in this study. In fact, this study says more about the harmful effects of maltodextrin than the benefits of inulin," Adams said.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z022704.html
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Obesity: A Clear and Present Danger
As we take in all the rhetoric surrounding the upcoming Presidential election, certain issues seem to be rising to the surface. Protecting our country and the world from terrorists is on the mind of many politicians and voters, but the findings of a recent summit indicate that obesity and its associated health problems may be potentially much more hazardous than terroristic threats.
Between an increase in tobacco use around the world, and the adoption of Western habits such as overeating and a sedentary lifestyle, the article below points out that the average life span of the worlds population may be poised to drop for the first time in over a hundred years.
Health care is up on the block for discussion, but it unfortunately seems to be fading as a major campaign issue. As the old saying goes, people vote their pocketbooks, so problems such as lowering taxes and bolstering the economy are typically the types of issues that turn elections. What people fail to realize is that health care that encourages mainline treatments like pharmaceutical drugs and expensive surgeries, but ignores proactive solutions such as healthy lifestyle changes that can not only prevent disease but eliminate it as well, will only drain our finances and result in a population that is sick, tired, stressed, and frustrated. Hmm. Sounds like we are already knocking at that door.
Obesity more dangerous than terrorism: experts
by Lawrence Bartlett
Mon Feb 25, 1:55 AM ET
World governments focus too much on fighting terrorism while obesity and other "lifestyle diseases" are killing millions more people, an international conference heard Monday.
Overcoming deadly factors such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise should take top priority in the fight against a growing epidemic of preventable chronic disease, legal and health experts said.
Global terrorism was a real threat but posed far less risk than obesity, diabetes and smoking-related illnesses, prominent US professor of health law Lawrence Gostin said at the Oxford Health Alliance Summit here.
"Ever since September 11, we've been lurching from one crisis to the next, which has really frightened the public," Gostin told AFP later.
"While we've been focusing so much attention on that, we've had this silent epidemic of obesity that's killing millions of people around the world, and we're devoting very little attention to it and a negligible amount of money."
The fifth annual conference of the Oxford Health Alliance -- co-founded by Oxford University -- has brought together world experts from academia, government, business, law, economics and urban planning to promote change.
An estimated 388 million people will die from chronic disease worldwide over the next 10 years, according to World Health Organisation figures quoted by the alliance.
"There's a political paralysis in dealing with the issue," said Gostin, an adviser to the US government and a professor at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities.
He noted that prevention of obesity and its effects had hardly rated a mention in the current campaign for the US presidency.
"Yet the human costs are frightening when we consider that obesity could shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation, resulting in the first reversal in life expectancy since data collecting began in 1900," he said.
Like terrorism, some passing health threats get major government attention and media coverage, while heart and lung disease, diabetes and cancer account for 60 percent of the world's deaths, the meeting was told.
"It is true that new and re-emerging health threats such as SARS, avian flu, HIV/AIDS, terrorism, bioterrorism and climate change are dramatic and emotive," said Stig Pramming, the Oxford group's executive director.
"However, it is preventable chronic disease that will send health systems and economies to the wall."
The conference is due to end Wednesday with a "Sydney Resolution" calling on governments and big business among others to take action to avert millions of premature deaths due to chronic disease.
"The way we live now is making us sick, it's making our planet sick and it's not sustainable," said Asia-Pacific co-director Ruth Colagiuri.
The Sydney resolution focuses on four key areas, including the need to make towns and cities healthier places in which to live by urban design which promotes walking and cycling and reduces carbon emissions from motor vehicles.
Insufficient physical exercise is a risk factor in many chronic diseases and is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths worldwide each year, said Tony Capon, professor of health studies at Australia's Macquarie University.
"We need to build the physical activity back into our lives and it's not simply about bike paths, it's about developing an urban habitat that enables people to live healthy lives: ensuring that people can meet most of their daily needs within walking and cycling distance of where they live," he said.
The resolution also calls for a reduction in sugar, fat and salt content in food, making fresh food affordable and available and increasing global efforts to stop people smoking.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080225/hl_afp/healthaustraliaconference&printer=1
Between an increase in tobacco use around the world, and the adoption of Western habits such as overeating and a sedentary lifestyle, the article below points out that the average life span of the worlds population may be poised to drop for the first time in over a hundred years.
Health care is up on the block for discussion, but it unfortunately seems to be fading as a major campaign issue. As the old saying goes, people vote their pocketbooks, so problems such as lowering taxes and bolstering the economy are typically the types of issues that turn elections. What people fail to realize is that health care that encourages mainline treatments like pharmaceutical drugs and expensive surgeries, but ignores proactive solutions such as healthy lifestyle changes that can not only prevent disease but eliminate it as well, will only drain our finances and result in a population that is sick, tired, stressed, and frustrated. Hmm. Sounds like we are already knocking at that door.
Obesity more dangerous than terrorism: experts
by Lawrence Bartlett
Mon Feb 25, 1:55 AM ET
World governments focus too much on fighting terrorism while obesity and other "lifestyle diseases" are killing millions more people, an international conference heard Monday.
Overcoming deadly factors such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise should take top priority in the fight against a growing epidemic of preventable chronic disease, legal and health experts said.
Global terrorism was a real threat but posed far less risk than obesity, diabetes and smoking-related illnesses, prominent US professor of health law Lawrence Gostin said at the Oxford Health Alliance Summit here.
"Ever since September 11, we've been lurching from one crisis to the next, which has really frightened the public," Gostin told AFP later.
"While we've been focusing so much attention on that, we've had this silent epidemic of obesity that's killing millions of people around the world, and we're devoting very little attention to it and a negligible amount of money."
The fifth annual conference of the Oxford Health Alliance -- co-founded by Oxford University -- has brought together world experts from academia, government, business, law, economics and urban planning to promote change.
An estimated 388 million people will die from chronic disease worldwide over the next 10 years, according to World Health Organisation figures quoted by the alliance.
"There's a political paralysis in dealing with the issue," said Gostin, an adviser to the US government and a professor at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities.
He noted that prevention of obesity and its effects had hardly rated a mention in the current campaign for the US presidency.
"Yet the human costs are frightening when we consider that obesity could shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation, resulting in the first reversal in life expectancy since data collecting began in 1900," he said.
Like terrorism, some passing health threats get major government attention and media coverage, while heart and lung disease, diabetes and cancer account for 60 percent of the world's deaths, the meeting was told.
"It is true that new and re-emerging health threats such as SARS, avian flu, HIV/AIDS, terrorism, bioterrorism and climate change are dramatic and emotive," said Stig Pramming, the Oxford group's executive director.
"However, it is preventable chronic disease that will send health systems and economies to the wall."
The conference is due to end Wednesday with a "Sydney Resolution" calling on governments and big business among others to take action to avert millions of premature deaths due to chronic disease.
"The way we live now is making us sick, it's making our planet sick and it's not sustainable," said Asia-Pacific co-director Ruth Colagiuri.
The Sydney resolution focuses on four key areas, including the need to make towns and cities healthier places in which to live by urban design which promotes walking and cycling and reduces carbon emissions from motor vehicles.
Insufficient physical exercise is a risk factor in many chronic diseases and is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths worldwide each year, said Tony Capon, professor of health studies at Australia's Macquarie University.
"We need to build the physical activity back into our lives and it's not simply about bike paths, it's about developing an urban habitat that enables people to live healthy lives: ensuring that people can meet most of their daily needs within walking and cycling distance of where they live," he said.
The resolution also calls for a reduction in sugar, fat and salt content in food, making fresh food affordable and available and increasing global efforts to stop people smoking.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080225/hl_afp/healthaustraliaconference&printer=1
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Multiple Benefits of Whole Grains
According to a recently released study, eating whole grain foods encourages weight loss and reduces the risk for coronary disease and other debilitating conditions. Researchers found that such foods reduce inflammation in the circulatory system, a factor which many health care providers now see as a major contributor to our overall health. In fact, levels of inflammation in the body may be one of the most significant issue that determines our wellness or lack thereof.
Our bodies were designed to use whole foods for fuel. In one of the earliest examples of propaganda regarding junk food, well-to-do Europeans of several centuries ago thought that a new kind of bread known as white bread was a delicacy that separated them from the commoners who ate heavy, dark bread made from whole grains. In modern times, a different twist has been used, with advertisers telling us that a certain brand of white bread will build strong bodies in 12 ways. Maybe things have not changed so much since Medieval times, at least when it comes to errant advice about nutrition. At any rate, the more the mainstream media picks up on stories like the one below that support natural alternatives to junk food and conventional medicine, the greater chance we have of turning the tide towards sane medical and nutritional alternatives that agree with nature instead of working against it.
Whole grains help deflate belly rolls
Study of obese adults also found reduced inflammation in blood vessels
Reuters
updated 11:12 a.m. CT, Wed., Feb. 20, 2008
Cutting calories helps people lose weight, but doing so by filling up on whole grains may be particularly heart-healthy, new research suggests.
In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C-reactive protein or CRP.
CRP is a marker of chronic, low-level inflammation in the blood vessels, and both abdominal fat and CRP, in excess, are linked to heart attack and stroke.
In contrast, dieters in the study who mainly ate refined grains, like white bread, were able to lose weight, but they trimmed less fat from the middle and showed no change in CRP.
The findings offer yet more incentive for Americans to opt for whole grains over highly processed versions, according to the researchers.
"This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases," Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the senior researcher on the study, said in a statement.
She and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University report the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In general, experts recommend eating whole grains - such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley - rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain.
This fact might explain why dieters in the current study showed added benefits when they ate whole grains, according to the researchers. For example, fiber-rich foods may have kept participants' blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day, and this, in turn, may have lowered their CRP levels.
Possible antioxidant benefitsAlternatively, CRP might have dropped because of the antioxidant nutrients that are present in whole grains but depleted in refined ones.
The study included 50 obese men and women who had metabolic syndrome, a collection of several risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke - such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
All of the study participants cut calories for 12 weeks, but half were instructed to strive for whole grains, while the rest were told to choose refined grains. The whole-grain group was told to look for products with "whole grain" listed as the first ingredient on the label.
In the end, the average weight loss was about 8 to 11 pounds in both groups. However, the average CRP level dropped by 38 percent in the whole-grain group, while remaining unchanged in the refined-grain group. In addition, while both groups showed a similar change in waistline size, the whole-grain dieters showed a greater reduction in the percentage of fat around the middle.
The researchers recommend that consumers look at labels and be careful to choose products that are good sources of whole grain.
"There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain," Kris-Etherton said. She suggested looking for foods like oatmeal, breakfast cereals made from whole grains, whole-wheat pastas, granola and popcorn.
As a general rule, she said, consumers should buy grain products that are at least 51 percent whole grain. Products that put health claims about whole grains on their labels are required to contain at least that much whole grain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23256171/
Our bodies were designed to use whole foods for fuel. In one of the earliest examples of propaganda regarding junk food, well-to-do Europeans of several centuries ago thought that a new kind of bread known as white bread was a delicacy that separated them from the commoners who ate heavy, dark bread made from whole grains. In modern times, a different twist has been used, with advertisers telling us that a certain brand of white bread will build strong bodies in 12 ways. Maybe things have not changed so much since Medieval times, at least when it comes to errant advice about nutrition. At any rate, the more the mainstream media picks up on stories like the one below that support natural alternatives to junk food and conventional medicine, the greater chance we have of turning the tide towards sane medical and nutritional alternatives that agree with nature instead of working against it.
Whole grains help deflate belly rolls
Study of obese adults also found reduced inflammation in blood vessels
Reuters
updated 11:12 a.m. CT, Wed., Feb. 20, 2008
Cutting calories helps people lose weight, but doing so by filling up on whole grains may be particularly heart-healthy, new research suggests.
In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C-reactive protein or CRP.
CRP is a marker of chronic, low-level inflammation in the blood vessels, and both abdominal fat and CRP, in excess, are linked to heart attack and stroke.
In contrast, dieters in the study who mainly ate refined grains, like white bread, were able to lose weight, but they trimmed less fat from the middle and showed no change in CRP.
The findings offer yet more incentive for Americans to opt for whole grains over highly processed versions, according to the researchers.
"This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases," Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the senior researcher on the study, said in a statement.
She and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University report the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In general, experts recommend eating whole grains - such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley - rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain.
This fact might explain why dieters in the current study showed added benefits when they ate whole grains, according to the researchers. For example, fiber-rich foods may have kept participants' blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day, and this, in turn, may have lowered their CRP levels.
Possible antioxidant benefitsAlternatively, CRP might have dropped because of the antioxidant nutrients that are present in whole grains but depleted in refined ones.
The study included 50 obese men and women who had metabolic syndrome, a collection of several risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke - such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
All of the study participants cut calories for 12 weeks, but half were instructed to strive for whole grains, while the rest were told to choose refined grains. The whole-grain group was told to look for products with "whole grain" listed as the first ingredient on the label.
In the end, the average weight loss was about 8 to 11 pounds in both groups. However, the average CRP level dropped by 38 percent in the whole-grain group, while remaining unchanged in the refined-grain group. In addition, while both groups showed a similar change in waistline size, the whole-grain dieters showed a greater reduction in the percentage of fat around the middle.
The researchers recommend that consumers look at labels and be careful to choose products that are good sources of whole grain.
"There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain," Kris-Etherton said. She suggested looking for foods like oatmeal, breakfast cereals made from whole grains, whole-wheat pastas, granola and popcorn.
As a general rule, she said, consumers should buy grain products that are at least 51 percent whole grain. Products that put health claims about whole grains on their labels are required to contain at least that much whole grain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23256171/
Monday, February 25, 2008
Dramatic Effects of Diet on Hyperactivity
More good news regarding the treatment of hyperactivity and ADHD in children. Despite reluctance to accept the obvious on the part of many in conventional medicine, dietary changes are proving to be a very fast and effective tool at managing such disorders. Doctors may scoff and still prefer the use of the highly toxic drug Ritalin, but the testimony of parents and others who have eyes to see and ears to hear is giving more weight to the evidence that the foods we put into our bodies and those of our children have a significant impact on both wellness and disease.
It is sad to see the number of children who are prescribed stimulants, antidepressants, and even stronger anti-psychotic drugs when such lifestyle remedies as dietary choices and exercise habits has not even been suggested to parents. Instead of prescribing real answers that can better the lives of patients, many doctors settle for the dangerous side effects of drugs that are proven to be less than effective in most cases, and will alter the brain chemistry to the point where recovery is very difficult. The battle for freedom in health care choices is heating up all over the world, and it may soon be impossible for many people to choose alternative therapies that are not provided by Big Pharma. It is encouraging to see more positive stories appearing in the media. Perhaps an increased number of people are starting to wake up and realize that the recommendations of their family physician are not necessarily in their best interest.
Diet change gives hyperactive kids new taste for life in Norway
by Nina Larson
Sun Feb 24, 1:52 PM ET
Tears streak Rita's cheek as she recalls what it was like trying to figure out what was wrong with her son more than a decade ago, but she breaks into a smile when she explains how changing his diet made all the difference.
"I could tell something was wrong with him as soon as he began eating solids as a baby. It was if the food was draining him," says Rita, 50, describing how her son Christoffer had yoyoed between passive and hyperactive behaviour until she had removed several staples from his diet including milk and grains.
Christoffer, today a normally developed 14-year-old, is one of 23 children suffering from hyperactive disorders who were put on milk-free diets in 1996-1997 and whose development has been tracked ever since by a small group of educators and researchers in the southwestern Norwegian town of Stavanger.
The group set out to prove a theory by Oslo-based scientist Karl Ludvig Reichelt that a metabolic disorder making it difficult to break down certain proteins, including casein (the protein in milk that makes it possible to make cheese), could cause mental problems like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
"One of the kids I worked with started on the diet on Wednesday and by the weekend his parents said they saw a huge positive change in his behaviour," says special educator Magne Noedland, who helped spearhead the diet project.
All 23 children, who were between four and 11 years old when the project started, were suspected of having ADHD and had been shown to have abnormal levels of peptides in their urine.
The accumulation of peptides, which are short compounds containing two or more amino acids, is an indication that the enzyme needed to fully break down certain proteins is inhibited or missing, and can have an opium-like effect on the brain, according to Reichelt.
Much international research has been done linking such protein disorders to cases of autism and schizophrenia, and a growing number of studies also hint that some cases of ADHD are connected with the digestive problem.
There is however a lot of scepticism to the theory in medical circles, with many doctors believing medication like Ritalin is the best way to treat the condition.
Noedland acknowledges the Stavanger project does not meet all scientific standards, claiming the main problem is the lack of comprehensive studies on how many ADHD children suffer from peptide abnormalities.
"There is no reason to put everyone with ADHD on a diet if only 10 percent of them have protein imbalances," he says.
The children in the Stavanger project all followed a strict casein-free diet the first year, and the results were overwhelmingly positive, Noedland says, pointing out that 22 of the 23 families reported clear improvements in their child's behaviour and attention-span.
A number of the children have since stopped following the diet for different reasons and some were put on medication, but after eight years six were still strictly avoiding all milk products and several had also cut out gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and to some extent oats.
"We see a clear difference between those who stopped and those who stayed on the diet," Noedland says.
"Seeing these kids going from one day not being able to learn a thing to the next day being receptive; as a teacher that's a wonderful feeling," says Kristine Fosse, one of the educators involved in the project.
To illustrate her point, Fosse pulls out a writing test by a six-year-old boy who took part in the project.
The boy was asked to write his numbers after involuntarily breaking his diet and ingesting milk on September 22, 1996. The result was a confused and jumbled mess of squiggly lines. Just two days later, again strictly steering clear of casein, he repeated the exercise, this time writing four clearly legible numbers in an even line.
"It's incredible. We've seen intelligence tests that had gone steadily down suddenly turn around and go back up" after a change of diet, says Ann-Mari Knivsberg, who covers the research end of the Stavanger project.
One of the children who still avoids milk and gluten, 17-year-old Sigbjoern, says any lapse in his diet affects his performance in school.
"I can tell right away when I've eaten something I shouldn't. It's really hard to concentrate. I'm always careful before tests," he says, taking a big bite of gluten and milk-free carrot cake.
Considered a hyperactive problem child with retarded development in nursery school, Sigbjoern today ranks among the best students in his class.
"He had a slow start and a lot of trouble learning to begin with, but by secondary school he was really doing well," says Sigbjoern's mother Grete, 52.
Both Grete and Rita asked that their families' last names not be used for fear of stigmatisation.
"It is considered shameful to have ADHD," Grete says. "When they're on a diet they're just like everyone else. Just look at them. We have two normal, great kids. I'm eternally grateful that Sigbjoern was included in the project."
Hundreds of other Norwegian children with ADHD, mainly in and around Stavanger, have in recent years been put on milk-free diets to help deal with their condition, but Fosse complains many doctors don't inform parents of the option.
"We want to get the word out that this can be an alternative. Parents have to do a lot of searching before they get this information," she says.
"The scepticism is infuriating. I'm glad I have a good education and can stand up for myself when I meet doctors who ridicule what I'm doing," says Grete, putting her arm around Sigbjoern's shoulder.
"I mean, as a parent, wouldn't you want to at least try switching your child's diet before medicating him?"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080224/hl_afp/norwayhealthchildrenmedicinehyperactive&printer=1;_ylt=Alj_KBXLFUORTOxDtLeQN1vv27gF
It is sad to see the number of children who are prescribed stimulants, antidepressants, and even stronger anti-psychotic drugs when such lifestyle remedies as dietary choices and exercise habits has not even been suggested to parents. Instead of prescribing real answers that can better the lives of patients, many doctors settle for the dangerous side effects of drugs that are proven to be less than effective in most cases, and will alter the brain chemistry to the point where recovery is very difficult. The battle for freedom in health care choices is heating up all over the world, and it may soon be impossible for many people to choose alternative therapies that are not provided by Big Pharma. It is encouraging to see more positive stories appearing in the media. Perhaps an increased number of people are starting to wake up and realize that the recommendations of their family physician are not necessarily in their best interest.
Diet change gives hyperactive kids new taste for life in Norway
by Nina Larson
Sun Feb 24, 1:52 PM ET
Tears streak Rita's cheek as she recalls what it was like trying to figure out what was wrong with her son more than a decade ago, but she breaks into a smile when she explains how changing his diet made all the difference.
"I could tell something was wrong with him as soon as he began eating solids as a baby. It was if the food was draining him," says Rita, 50, describing how her son Christoffer had yoyoed between passive and hyperactive behaviour until she had removed several staples from his diet including milk and grains.
Christoffer, today a normally developed 14-year-old, is one of 23 children suffering from hyperactive disorders who were put on milk-free diets in 1996-1997 and whose development has been tracked ever since by a small group of educators and researchers in the southwestern Norwegian town of Stavanger.
The group set out to prove a theory by Oslo-based scientist Karl Ludvig Reichelt that a metabolic disorder making it difficult to break down certain proteins, including casein (the protein in milk that makes it possible to make cheese), could cause mental problems like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
"One of the kids I worked with started on the diet on Wednesday and by the weekend his parents said they saw a huge positive change in his behaviour," says special educator Magne Noedland, who helped spearhead the diet project.
All 23 children, who were between four and 11 years old when the project started, were suspected of having ADHD and had been shown to have abnormal levels of peptides in their urine.
The accumulation of peptides, which are short compounds containing two or more amino acids, is an indication that the enzyme needed to fully break down certain proteins is inhibited or missing, and can have an opium-like effect on the brain, according to Reichelt.
Much international research has been done linking such protein disorders to cases of autism and schizophrenia, and a growing number of studies also hint that some cases of ADHD are connected with the digestive problem.
There is however a lot of scepticism to the theory in medical circles, with many doctors believing medication like Ritalin is the best way to treat the condition.
Noedland acknowledges the Stavanger project does not meet all scientific standards, claiming the main problem is the lack of comprehensive studies on how many ADHD children suffer from peptide abnormalities.
"There is no reason to put everyone with ADHD on a diet if only 10 percent of them have protein imbalances," he says.
The children in the Stavanger project all followed a strict casein-free diet the first year, and the results were overwhelmingly positive, Noedland says, pointing out that 22 of the 23 families reported clear improvements in their child's behaviour and attention-span.
A number of the children have since stopped following the diet for different reasons and some were put on medication, but after eight years six were still strictly avoiding all milk products and several had also cut out gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and to some extent oats.
"We see a clear difference between those who stopped and those who stayed on the diet," Noedland says.
"Seeing these kids going from one day not being able to learn a thing to the next day being receptive; as a teacher that's a wonderful feeling," says Kristine Fosse, one of the educators involved in the project.
To illustrate her point, Fosse pulls out a writing test by a six-year-old boy who took part in the project.
The boy was asked to write his numbers after involuntarily breaking his diet and ingesting milk on September 22, 1996. The result was a confused and jumbled mess of squiggly lines. Just two days later, again strictly steering clear of casein, he repeated the exercise, this time writing four clearly legible numbers in an even line.
"It's incredible. We've seen intelligence tests that had gone steadily down suddenly turn around and go back up" after a change of diet, says Ann-Mari Knivsberg, who covers the research end of the Stavanger project.
One of the children who still avoids milk and gluten, 17-year-old Sigbjoern, says any lapse in his diet affects his performance in school.
"I can tell right away when I've eaten something I shouldn't. It's really hard to concentrate. I'm always careful before tests," he says, taking a big bite of gluten and milk-free carrot cake.
Considered a hyperactive problem child with retarded development in nursery school, Sigbjoern today ranks among the best students in his class.
"He had a slow start and a lot of trouble learning to begin with, but by secondary school he was really doing well," says Sigbjoern's mother Grete, 52.
Both Grete and Rita asked that their families' last names not be used for fear of stigmatisation.
"It is considered shameful to have ADHD," Grete says. "When they're on a diet they're just like everyone else. Just look at them. We have two normal, great kids. I'm eternally grateful that Sigbjoern was included in the project."
Hundreds of other Norwegian children with ADHD, mainly in and around Stavanger, have in recent years been put on milk-free diets to help deal with their condition, but Fosse complains many doctors don't inform parents of the option.
"We want to get the word out that this can be an alternative. Parents have to do a lot of searching before they get this information," she says.
"The scepticism is infuriating. I'm glad I have a good education and can stand up for myself when I meet doctors who ridicule what I'm doing," says Grete, putting her arm around Sigbjoern's shoulder.
"I mean, as a parent, wouldn't you want to at least try switching your child's diet before medicating him?"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080224/hl_afp/norwayhealthchildrenmedicinehyperactive&printer=1;_ylt=Alj_KBXLFUORTOxDtLeQN1vv27gF
Friday, February 22, 2008
Music: A Healing Gift
Instead of depending on medications, surgery, and other invasive and potentially harmful remedies to our medical conditions, it appears that natural treatments such as the use of therapeutic music are coming more and more into vogue, even in some enclaves of conventional medicine and the mainstream media.
Music has been used throughout history as a means to soothe both body and soul. The ancient Hebrew scriptures tell the story of the shepherd boy David who drove away the madness of the King by playing the harp. The article below references the beneficial effects of both music and audio books on the recovery of stroke victims. Many studies have indicated increased intellectual capacity and creativity in people who expose themselves to classical music.
Music is just one of many gifts provided to us by our Creator to enable health and healing, and as preventative measures against disease. As the hazards of modern medical practices become more and more evident, perhaps the trend towards these natural, more organic methods of pursuing wellness will become more established, and we can return to letting the body heal itself, as it is so wonderfully designed to do.
Music hits right note for stroke patients
By Michael Kahn, LONDON (Reuters)20/02/200807:02
A little Beethoven is good for the brain, according to a Finnish study published on Wednesday showing that music helps people recover more quickly from strokes.
And patients who listened to a few hours of music each day soon after a stroke also improved their verbal memory and were in a better mood compared to patients who did not listen to music or used audio books, the researchers said.
Music therapy has long been used in a range of treatments but the study published in the journal Brain is the first to show the effect in people, they added.
"These findings demonstrate for the first time that music listening during the early post-stroke stage can enhance cognitive recovery and prevent negative mood," the researchers wrote.
Strokes, which occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked, can kill brain tissue and are one of the worldwide leading causes of death and permanent disability. Treatments include blood thinning drugs and attempts to lower cholesterol.
The study involved 60 people who recently had a stroke of the middle cerebral artery in the left or right side of the brain. This is the most common stroke and can affect motor control, speech and a range of other cognitive functions.
One group listened to their favourite music every day or used audio books while another did not listen to any music. All volunteers received standard rehabilitation treatment.
Three months after stroke music listeners showed a 60 percent better improvement in verbal memory compared to an 18 percent benefit for those using audio books and 29 percent for people who did not listen to either.
The ability to focus attention also improved by 17 percent in music listeners, said Teppo Sarkamo, a psychologist at the Cognitive Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, who led the study.
"We can't say what is happening in the brain but based on previous research and theory it may be music listening could actually activate the brain areas that are recovering," he said in a telephone interview.
Music might also in some way activate more general mechanisms that repair and renew the brain's neural networks after stroke, Sarkamo said.
Larger studies are needed to better understand exactly what is going on but these findings show that music may offer a cheap, easy additional treatment for stroke patients, he said.
"This could be considered a pilot study," Sarkamo said. "It is a promising start.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1911114120080220?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Music has been used throughout history as a means to soothe both body and soul. The ancient Hebrew scriptures tell the story of the shepherd boy David who drove away the madness of the King by playing the harp. The article below references the beneficial effects of both music and audio books on the recovery of stroke victims. Many studies have indicated increased intellectual capacity and creativity in people who expose themselves to classical music.
Music is just one of many gifts provided to us by our Creator to enable health and healing, and as preventative measures against disease. As the hazards of modern medical practices become more and more evident, perhaps the trend towards these natural, more organic methods of pursuing wellness will become more established, and we can return to letting the body heal itself, as it is so wonderfully designed to do.
Music hits right note for stroke patients
By Michael Kahn, LONDON (Reuters)20/02/200807:02
A little Beethoven is good for the brain, according to a Finnish study published on Wednesday showing that music helps people recover more quickly from strokes.
And patients who listened to a few hours of music each day soon after a stroke also improved their verbal memory and were in a better mood compared to patients who did not listen to music or used audio books, the researchers said.
Music therapy has long been used in a range of treatments but the study published in the journal Brain is the first to show the effect in people, they added.
"These findings demonstrate for the first time that music listening during the early post-stroke stage can enhance cognitive recovery and prevent negative mood," the researchers wrote.
Strokes, which occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked, can kill brain tissue and are one of the worldwide leading causes of death and permanent disability. Treatments include blood thinning drugs and attempts to lower cholesterol.
The study involved 60 people who recently had a stroke of the middle cerebral artery in the left or right side of the brain. This is the most common stroke and can affect motor control, speech and a range of other cognitive functions.
One group listened to their favourite music every day or used audio books while another did not listen to any music. All volunteers received standard rehabilitation treatment.
Three months after stroke music listeners showed a 60 percent better improvement in verbal memory compared to an 18 percent benefit for those using audio books and 29 percent for people who did not listen to either.
The ability to focus attention also improved by 17 percent in music listeners, said Teppo Sarkamo, a psychologist at the Cognitive Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, who led the study.
"We can't say what is happening in the brain but based on previous research and theory it may be music listening could actually activate the brain areas that are recovering," he said in a telephone interview.
Music might also in some way activate more general mechanisms that repair and renew the brain's neural networks after stroke, Sarkamo said.
Larger studies are needed to better understand exactly what is going on but these findings show that music may offer a cheap, easy additional treatment for stroke patients, he said.
"This could be considered a pilot study," Sarkamo said. "It is a promising start.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1911114120080220?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Indoor Air Pollution: Are Our Homes Toxic?
The following article highlights a news story that just will not go away. For almost the last two years, FEMA has been receiving numerous reports of health problems experienced by residents who were relocated into government supplied trailers in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The culprit has been identified as formaldehyde, a chemical commonly found in many construction materials, and lawsuits are pending against the parties involved.
The issues raised by this story are critical. As the design of new homes becomes increasingly energy efficient and air tight, the dozens of toxic substances found in the structure, carpeting, furniture, and other aspects of a homes interior become more concentrated and thus more toxic. In addition, the presence of noxious cleaning and personal care products also contributes to indoor air pollution. In fact, several studies have found that the environment in the average home is much more polluted than even the worst outside air. This toxicity is likely a contributing factor to the increase of many modern diseases such as cancer, asthma, and other allergies.
This story is also a reminder that we cannot trust government regulatory agencies to be looking out for our best interests. Despite known dangers, the construction industry is still allowed to manufacture and sell products that contain hazardous chemicals. This is very similar to the way the FDA approves drugs, food additives, and other potential health hazards even though they are known be toxic.
Keeping your home free of poisonous substances should be a major wellness priority. One of the easiest ways this can be done is by the use of a quality air filtration and purification system especially in bedrooms and family rooms. Other ways would be to replace synthetic carpeting with natural carpeting or with natural wood flooring, using non-toxic paints and varnishes, and refusing the Teflon fabric coatings that are offered to assure stain-resistant furniture. Adding live plants to your home and office will also help with air purification.
Toxic Trailers
Formaldehyde fears are forcing a second evacuation of hurricane victims.
By Mary Tutwiler 2/20/2008
After a year and a half of dismissing, ignoring and denying claims from hurricane Katrina and Rita victims that formaldehyde fumes building up in the travel trailers were making them sick, FEMA officials announced last week that they are moving trailer residents into hotels and apartments as fast as possible. At the New Orleans press conference, FEMA administrator David Paulison said, The real issue is not what it will cost but how fast we can move people out. He was accompanied by Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control, who addressed the agencys findings in a formaldehyde study the CDC conducted for FEMA.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. It is widely used to manufacture building materials and numerous household products, and its most significant use in homes is as an adhesive resin in pressed wood products. The CDC found that the formaldehyde levels inside the trailers ranged from five times the level found in typical homes to up to nearly 40 times customary exposure levels. Its report says that residents need to place a high priority on lowering exposure to formaldehyde. This is especially important if residents of your trailer are elderly, young children, or have health conditions such as asthma.
The report recommended that FEMA move quickly to relocate trailer residents, and to follow-up in offering assistance to Louisiana and Mississippi health departments to address medical needs. FEMA should consider establishing a registry and long-term heath monitoring of children who resided in FEMA-supplied travel trailers and mobile homes. FEMA is currently contacting every trailer resident with information about formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde exposure can cause headaches, nosebleeds, burning and watering eyes, sore throats, nausea, skin rashes and may set off asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. It is a known cancer-causing agent. According to New Iberia chemist and environmental consultant Wilma Subra, the need to monitor anyone who lived in a trailer is paramount. When you leave the environment of the trailer, the symptoms should subside, she says. But if someone is re-exposed - and it is the glue in things like particle board that contains formaldehyde, that could be in kitchen cabinets or bathrooms in any house they move into - they may have elevated symptoms again.
Subra is concerned that people will move away, find new doctors, and fail to make the connection. It may be years before the ill effects of exposure to a carcinogen like formaldehyde are known. It is not just the people living in the trailers now who need long-term monitoring, she says. It is people who moved out a year ago. They were exposed as well.
The immediate relocation of families living in the trailers is FEMAs first priority. We are not booting people out, Paulison says. What we are doing is putting them into hotels and motels until we can find an apartment for them. It is just transition, to get them out of the travel trailer and into someplace where it is safer. Louisiana has 25,162 occupied FEMA trailers and mobile homes - 137 in Lafayette Parish, 100 in Iberia and 66 in Vermilion.
Vicki Boudreaux, chief operations officer for Acadiana Outreach, who has been working with FEMA to help hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees since they lost their homes in the 2005 storms, says finding places for 137 families in Lafayette is going to be an insurmountable task. Nothing in FEMAs history leads me to believe they can pull off [a relocation] of all these people in two weeks. I have heard talk of hotels. That is a nightmare. And no hotel is actually going to buy it. They remember all too well what they went through the first time. So I do not think it is going to be a hotel route. I am not sure what their end result can be or should be or will be.
Boudreaux says there is simply no affordable housing available. When I say no houses, I do not mean there is maybe 20 houses and people do not like where they are located. You cannot find affordable places. We struggle with our clients, evacuee and non-evacuee all the time. If you want to stay in Lafayette and you want housing, I do not know what the option is going to be.
Boudreaux says emptying the trailers is going to create another evacuation, albeit smaller, than the one following the storms. Short of re-creating another Cajundome emergency shelter, I do not know where they are going to go.
FEMAs formaldehyde hotline is (866) 562-2381 or TTY 1 (800) 462-7585. FEMA employees are available to discuss housing concerns at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC specialists will respond to health-related concerns at 1-800-CDC-INFO. To register rental properties with FEMA, contact the agency at (888) 294-2822.
http://www.theind.com/news3.asp?CID=-1257283744
The issues raised by this story are critical. As the design of new homes becomes increasingly energy efficient and air tight, the dozens of toxic substances found in the structure, carpeting, furniture, and other aspects of a homes interior become more concentrated and thus more toxic. In addition, the presence of noxious cleaning and personal care products also contributes to indoor air pollution. In fact, several studies have found that the environment in the average home is much more polluted than even the worst outside air. This toxicity is likely a contributing factor to the increase of many modern diseases such as cancer, asthma, and other allergies.
This story is also a reminder that we cannot trust government regulatory agencies to be looking out for our best interests. Despite known dangers, the construction industry is still allowed to manufacture and sell products that contain hazardous chemicals. This is very similar to the way the FDA approves drugs, food additives, and other potential health hazards even though they are known be toxic.
Keeping your home free of poisonous substances should be a major wellness priority. One of the easiest ways this can be done is by the use of a quality air filtration and purification system especially in bedrooms and family rooms. Other ways would be to replace synthetic carpeting with natural carpeting or with natural wood flooring, using non-toxic paints and varnishes, and refusing the Teflon fabric coatings that are offered to assure stain-resistant furniture. Adding live plants to your home and office will also help with air purification.
Toxic Trailers
Formaldehyde fears are forcing a second evacuation of hurricane victims.
By Mary Tutwiler 2/20/2008
After a year and a half of dismissing, ignoring and denying claims from hurricane Katrina and Rita victims that formaldehyde fumes building up in the travel trailers were making them sick, FEMA officials announced last week that they are moving trailer residents into hotels and apartments as fast as possible. At the New Orleans press conference, FEMA administrator David Paulison said, The real issue is not what it will cost but how fast we can move people out. He was accompanied by Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control, who addressed the agencys findings in a formaldehyde study the CDC conducted for FEMA.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. It is widely used to manufacture building materials and numerous household products, and its most significant use in homes is as an adhesive resin in pressed wood products. The CDC found that the formaldehyde levels inside the trailers ranged from five times the level found in typical homes to up to nearly 40 times customary exposure levels. Its report says that residents need to place a high priority on lowering exposure to formaldehyde. This is especially important if residents of your trailer are elderly, young children, or have health conditions such as asthma.
The report recommended that FEMA move quickly to relocate trailer residents, and to follow-up in offering assistance to Louisiana and Mississippi health departments to address medical needs. FEMA should consider establishing a registry and long-term heath monitoring of children who resided in FEMA-supplied travel trailers and mobile homes. FEMA is currently contacting every trailer resident with information about formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde exposure can cause headaches, nosebleeds, burning and watering eyes, sore throats, nausea, skin rashes and may set off asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. It is a known cancer-causing agent. According to New Iberia chemist and environmental consultant Wilma Subra, the need to monitor anyone who lived in a trailer is paramount. When you leave the environment of the trailer, the symptoms should subside, she says. But if someone is re-exposed - and it is the glue in things like particle board that contains formaldehyde, that could be in kitchen cabinets or bathrooms in any house they move into - they may have elevated symptoms again.
Subra is concerned that people will move away, find new doctors, and fail to make the connection. It may be years before the ill effects of exposure to a carcinogen like formaldehyde are known. It is not just the people living in the trailers now who need long-term monitoring, she says. It is people who moved out a year ago. They were exposed as well.
The immediate relocation of families living in the trailers is FEMAs first priority. We are not booting people out, Paulison says. What we are doing is putting them into hotels and motels until we can find an apartment for them. It is just transition, to get them out of the travel trailer and into someplace where it is safer. Louisiana has 25,162 occupied FEMA trailers and mobile homes - 137 in Lafayette Parish, 100 in Iberia and 66 in Vermilion.
Vicki Boudreaux, chief operations officer for Acadiana Outreach, who has been working with FEMA to help hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees since they lost their homes in the 2005 storms, says finding places for 137 families in Lafayette is going to be an insurmountable task. Nothing in FEMAs history leads me to believe they can pull off [a relocation] of all these people in two weeks. I have heard talk of hotels. That is a nightmare. And no hotel is actually going to buy it. They remember all too well what they went through the first time. So I do not think it is going to be a hotel route. I am not sure what their end result can be or should be or will be.
Boudreaux says there is simply no affordable housing available. When I say no houses, I do not mean there is maybe 20 houses and people do not like where they are located. You cannot find affordable places. We struggle with our clients, evacuee and non-evacuee all the time. If you want to stay in Lafayette and you want housing, I do not know what the option is going to be.
Boudreaux says emptying the trailers is going to create another evacuation, albeit smaller, than the one following the storms. Short of re-creating another Cajundome emergency shelter, I do not know where they are going to go.
FEMAs formaldehyde hotline is (866) 562-2381 or TTY 1 (800) 462-7585. FEMA employees are available to discuss housing concerns at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC specialists will respond to health-related concerns at 1-800-CDC-INFO. To register rental properties with FEMA, contact the agency at (888) 294-2822.
http://www.theind.com/news3.asp?CID=-1257283744
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Choose Your Soy Carefully
One of the most successful public relations campaigns in history has caused a massive love affair with soy products in the United States. Not only is the average American convinced that soy is wonderful and can do you no harm, but even many in the natural and health food community are persuaded that soy is a healthful alternative to be pursued. The proper type of soy is indeed an excellent food that has many benefits, but the concern is that all soy is not alike and the suspect form - unfermented soy - has been associated with many health concerns. Unfortunately, the unfermented variety composes the vast majority of soy available in the US. In fact, the grocery stores are lined with tons of foods and other consumer goods that contain soy. So much so, that we are most likely embarking on soy over-load.
It is amazing to me that many people who are attuned to natural foods are not aware of the differences between fermented and unfermented soy. It can be difficult to find fermented soy even in many health food stores. The abundance of unfermented soy in the diets of most Americans is suspect in playing a part in numerous health concerns, including an epidemic of precocious (premature) puberty in our children. I use the words suspect because basically the jury is still out as to the danger of soy; however, the verdict does not look good for unfermented soy. Add to that the fact that a large amount of soy in the United States is genetically modified and we have a whole new set of concerns. Soy producers have jumped on the good publicity associated with the name soy and turned it into a cheap food additive that has produced huge financial rewards for the industry. Once again, profits have been given a higher priority than the wellness of Americans, and the FDA has given their blessing to the entire process.
The Truth About Unfermented Soy and Its Harmful Effects
by Teya Skae
(NaturalNews) With vegetarianism gaining increasing popularity from the 1970's, reaching its peak in the 1990's, soy has emerged as a 'near perfect' food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopausal symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis - among many other things. It seems like a good thing - or is it really? How did such a 'healthy food' emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?
According to lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD, "The reason there's so much soy in America is because the soy industry started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry." There was a lot of soy oil and with it came a lot of soy protein residue as a left over by-product, and since they couldn't feed it to the animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another big market which, of course, was human consumption.
This excess soy production and its protein residue was the motivation for the multi-million dollars spent on advertising and intense lobbying of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which resulted in about 74 percent of U.S. consumers believing that soy products are healthy. Australia has traditionally prided itself as being a dairy consuming nation, due to the fact that we have such abundant supply of cattle. However, lactose intolerance is becoming a health concern recognised by the medical profession; accordingly, soy is becoming very popular as an alternative to dairy, following in the footsteps of US consumers in believing that all soy-based products have health benefits. In reality, the research that has concluded that all soy products are healthy is far from accurate, and very much skewed by economic motives.
Let's examine why soy products are far from healthy:
For greater clarity, soy products are classified into two main groups: fermented and unfermented. There are also another two sub-groups: organic and Genetically Modified (GM). The GM soy is to be avoided at all costs, as the hazards of GM are some of the worst innovations of modern day bio-technology. Not only are all GM products unhealthy to humans and animals but also to the normal plants that grow in the surrounding area, due to the natural process of winds causing cross-pollination, resulting in mutated species of what were once natural variations of plants. This topic is too vast to cover in this article but for more research, visit (http://www.non-gm-farmers.com) .
The unfermented soy category is a most problematic one. It includes soy products, such as tofu, bean curd, all soy milks, soy infant formulae, soy protein powders and soy meat alternatives, such as soy sausages/veggie burgers, made from hydrolysed soy powder.
So what is wrong with unfermented soy products?
Soy belongs to the family of legumes. Other members of the legume family include beans - such as adzuki, red kidney, navy, barlotti, etc., as well as chickpeas. Peanuts are included as well, as they are technically not a nut but a legume. All legumes and whole-grains - such as, rice, barley, oats, wheat and rye - contain amounts of phytic acid. Being a legume, soy contains a high amount of phytic acid. So, what's wrong with phytic acid? A number of things - yet, in some cases, phytic acid can also be beneficial.
Phytic acid's structure gives it the ability to bind minerals, proteins and starch, and results in lower absorption of these substances. Hence, phytic acid, in large amounts, can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract. Soy also inhibits the uptake of one of the most important minerals needed for growth and metabolism, iodine, which is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.However, for non-vegetarian men, phytic acid may prove to be quite helpful, due to its binding/chelating ability with minerals.
Since a large percentage of non-vegetarian adult males have excess iron, phytic acid would be helpful to them by binding the excess iron. But we need to bear in mind phytic acid will simultaneously bind other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. In the case of children and menstruating women, the phytic acid in soy can be a serious negative, as women and children need iron. In women, iron is needed to replace the loss during their menses and in children iron is required for growth and development.
Apart from the phytic acid-related phenomena, there are additional factors that make soy an unhealthy choice.
Soy:
*contributes to thyroid disorder, especially in women
*promotes kidney stones
*weakens the immune system
*contributes to food allergies and digestive intolerance
Perhaps the most disturbing of soy's ill effects on health has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking only two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle.
Soy is particularly problematic for infants and it would be very wise to avoid giving them soy-derived products, since it has been estimated that infants who are exclusively fed soy formula receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of oestrogen every day. Check out (www.westonaprice.org) to find some alarming research and statistics on what can go wrong when infants and children are regularly fed soy formula.
In order to derive some benefit from soy, consuming only fermented soy products - such as organic miso (mugi barley and genmai miso are the best), organic tempeh, soy sauce or tamari and natto - is the way to do it. This is because the phytic acid, which is inherent in soy beans, has been neutralized in the process of fermentation. Consuming fermented soy is very beneficial in recolonizing the friendly bacteria in the large intestine, which neutralizes the 'unfriendly' bacteria and allows for greater general assimilation of foods and nutrients.
So, fermented soy is of benefit and unfermented soy is not. It is not only soy that needs to be fermented but whole-grains as well. In fact, grains (apart from millet, buckwheat and couscous) and legumes are best consumed after soaking them for 48-72 hours prior to cooking, which allows fermentation to take place. The soaking of grains and beans is also advocated in the principles of macrobiotics, which is very popular amongst vegetarians. Yet many vegetarian restaurants do not have time or forget to incorporate this very important process in their vegetarian cooking and thus people who regularly eat out at vegetarian restaurants might develop severe mineral deficiencies due to the large consumption of phytic acid in their diet.
Another common fallacy is that soy foods couldn't possibly have a downside because Asian cultures eat large quantities of soy every day and consequently remain free of most western diseases. In reality, the people of China, Japan and other Asian countries eat very little soy. The soy industry's own figures show that soy consumption in China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and Taiwan ranges from 10 to 90 grams per day. That is grams of soy food, not grams of soy protein alone. Compare this with a cup of tofu (250 grams) or soy milk (240 grams). Many Americans and Australians today would be consuming a cup of tofu and a couple of glasses of soy milk every day. They might also add veggie burgers to this, thinking they are getting their much needed protein intake. Infants on soy formula are probably the most disadvantaged, as that is their main source of nutrition and they ingest large amounts of soy relative to their body weight. Often the side effects are not noticed but, as they are growing up, runny noses, frequent colds, irritability, severe sugar cravings and food intolerance develop.
The summary below outlines the adverse effects of unfermented soy products:
*Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
*Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
*Soy phytoestrogens are potent anti-thyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
*Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
*Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
*Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Source: (www.westonaprice.org)
In contrast, consuming organic fermented soy products is quite beneficial. Consuming even small amounts of unfermented soy on a regular basis could cause some adverse effects in our body. Next time you consider drinking soy milk; perhaps instead consider oat milk, coconut milk or goat's milk. Some people who are allergic to dairy can tolerate goat milk and goat cheese products in small quantities. Replacing soy and regular milk with these alternatives allow us to enjoy our beverages and cereals without harming our health.
References:((http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytoche...)(http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html)Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's
Favourite Health Food by Kaayla Daniel ((http://www.mothering.com/articles/growi...)
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/z022630.html
It is amazing to me that many people who are attuned to natural foods are not aware of the differences between fermented and unfermented soy. It can be difficult to find fermented soy even in many health food stores. The abundance of unfermented soy in the diets of most Americans is suspect in playing a part in numerous health concerns, including an epidemic of precocious (premature) puberty in our children. I use the words suspect because basically the jury is still out as to the danger of soy; however, the verdict does not look good for unfermented soy. Add to that the fact that a large amount of soy in the United States is genetically modified and we have a whole new set of concerns. Soy producers have jumped on the good publicity associated with the name soy and turned it into a cheap food additive that has produced huge financial rewards for the industry. Once again, profits have been given a higher priority than the wellness of Americans, and the FDA has given their blessing to the entire process.
The Truth About Unfermented Soy and Its Harmful Effects
by Teya Skae
(NaturalNews) With vegetarianism gaining increasing popularity from the 1970's, reaching its peak in the 1990's, soy has emerged as a 'near perfect' food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopausal symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis - among many other things. It seems like a good thing - or is it really? How did such a 'healthy food' emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?
According to lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD, "The reason there's so much soy in America is because the soy industry started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry." There was a lot of soy oil and with it came a lot of soy protein residue as a left over by-product, and since they couldn't feed it to the animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another big market which, of course, was human consumption.
This excess soy production and its protein residue was the motivation for the multi-million dollars spent on advertising and intense lobbying of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which resulted in about 74 percent of U.S. consumers believing that soy products are healthy. Australia has traditionally prided itself as being a dairy consuming nation, due to the fact that we have such abundant supply of cattle. However, lactose intolerance is becoming a health concern recognised by the medical profession; accordingly, soy is becoming very popular as an alternative to dairy, following in the footsteps of US consumers in believing that all soy-based products have health benefits. In reality, the research that has concluded that all soy products are healthy is far from accurate, and very much skewed by economic motives.
Let's examine why soy products are far from healthy:
For greater clarity, soy products are classified into two main groups: fermented and unfermented. There are also another two sub-groups: organic and Genetically Modified (GM). The GM soy is to be avoided at all costs, as the hazards of GM are some of the worst innovations of modern day bio-technology. Not only are all GM products unhealthy to humans and animals but also to the normal plants that grow in the surrounding area, due to the natural process of winds causing cross-pollination, resulting in mutated species of what were once natural variations of plants. This topic is too vast to cover in this article but for more research, visit (http://www.non-gm-farmers.com) .
The unfermented soy category is a most problematic one. It includes soy products, such as tofu, bean curd, all soy milks, soy infant formulae, soy protein powders and soy meat alternatives, such as soy sausages/veggie burgers, made from hydrolysed soy powder.
So what is wrong with unfermented soy products?
Soy belongs to the family of legumes. Other members of the legume family include beans - such as adzuki, red kidney, navy, barlotti, etc., as well as chickpeas. Peanuts are included as well, as they are technically not a nut but a legume. All legumes and whole-grains - such as, rice, barley, oats, wheat and rye - contain amounts of phytic acid. Being a legume, soy contains a high amount of phytic acid. So, what's wrong with phytic acid? A number of things - yet, in some cases, phytic acid can also be beneficial.
Phytic acid's structure gives it the ability to bind minerals, proteins and starch, and results in lower absorption of these substances. Hence, phytic acid, in large amounts, can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract. Soy also inhibits the uptake of one of the most important minerals needed for growth and metabolism, iodine, which is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.However, for non-vegetarian men, phytic acid may prove to be quite helpful, due to its binding/chelating ability with minerals.
Since a large percentage of non-vegetarian adult males have excess iron, phytic acid would be helpful to them by binding the excess iron. But we need to bear in mind phytic acid will simultaneously bind other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. In the case of children and menstruating women, the phytic acid in soy can be a serious negative, as women and children need iron. In women, iron is needed to replace the loss during their menses and in children iron is required for growth and development.
Apart from the phytic acid-related phenomena, there are additional factors that make soy an unhealthy choice.
Soy:
*contributes to thyroid disorder, especially in women
*promotes kidney stones
*weakens the immune system
*contributes to food allergies and digestive intolerance
Perhaps the most disturbing of soy's ill effects on health has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking only two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle.
Soy is particularly problematic for infants and it would be very wise to avoid giving them soy-derived products, since it has been estimated that infants who are exclusively fed soy formula receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of oestrogen every day. Check out (www.westonaprice.org) to find some alarming research and statistics on what can go wrong when infants and children are regularly fed soy formula.
In order to derive some benefit from soy, consuming only fermented soy products - such as organic miso (mugi barley and genmai miso are the best), organic tempeh, soy sauce or tamari and natto - is the way to do it. This is because the phytic acid, which is inherent in soy beans, has been neutralized in the process of fermentation. Consuming fermented soy is very beneficial in recolonizing the friendly bacteria in the large intestine, which neutralizes the 'unfriendly' bacteria and allows for greater general assimilation of foods and nutrients.
So, fermented soy is of benefit and unfermented soy is not. It is not only soy that needs to be fermented but whole-grains as well. In fact, grains (apart from millet, buckwheat and couscous) and legumes are best consumed after soaking them for 48-72 hours prior to cooking, which allows fermentation to take place. The soaking of grains and beans is also advocated in the principles of macrobiotics, which is very popular amongst vegetarians. Yet many vegetarian restaurants do not have time or forget to incorporate this very important process in their vegetarian cooking and thus people who regularly eat out at vegetarian restaurants might develop severe mineral deficiencies due to the large consumption of phytic acid in their diet.
Another common fallacy is that soy foods couldn't possibly have a downside because Asian cultures eat large quantities of soy every day and consequently remain free of most western diseases. In reality, the people of China, Japan and other Asian countries eat very little soy. The soy industry's own figures show that soy consumption in China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and Taiwan ranges from 10 to 90 grams per day. That is grams of soy food, not grams of soy protein alone. Compare this with a cup of tofu (250 grams) or soy milk (240 grams). Many Americans and Australians today would be consuming a cup of tofu and a couple of glasses of soy milk every day. They might also add veggie burgers to this, thinking they are getting their much needed protein intake. Infants on soy formula are probably the most disadvantaged, as that is their main source of nutrition and they ingest large amounts of soy relative to their body weight. Often the side effects are not noticed but, as they are growing up, runny noses, frequent colds, irritability, severe sugar cravings and food intolerance develop.
The summary below outlines the adverse effects of unfermented soy products:
*Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
*Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
*Soy phytoestrogens are potent anti-thyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
*Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
*Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
*Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Source: (www.westonaprice.org)
In contrast, consuming organic fermented soy products is quite beneficial. Consuming even small amounts of unfermented soy on a regular basis could cause some adverse effects in our body. Next time you consider drinking soy milk; perhaps instead consider oat milk, coconut milk or goat's milk. Some people who are allergic to dairy can tolerate goat milk and goat cheese products in small quantities. Replacing soy and regular milk with these alternatives allow us to enjoy our beverages and cereals without harming our health.
References:((http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytoche...)(http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html)Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's
Favourite Health Food by Kaayla Daniel ((http://www.mothering.com/articles/growi...)
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/z022630.html
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Cancer Survivors Trained as Treatment Consultants: Is the Fox Watching the Hen House?
On the surface, it appears as an idea with some merit. Train people who have been through the maze of possible cancer treatments as coaches for other patients who are newly diagnosed. However, upon closer inspection, it is apparent that there are some serious concerns associated with this program. The main red flag is due to the parties that are sponsoring this treatment coaching. It is funded in part by major pharmaceutical companies and other organizations that have links to the cancer industry. You can be certain that the seminars used to train volunteers and paid coaches heavily push the highly profitable drugs and procedures that fuel Big Cancer. Alternative remedies and cancer support therapies that have saved numerous lives without the hazardous side effects associated with chemotherapy and surgery are conveniently left off the curriculum or are offered, at best, as something to think about, while it is emphasized that natural therapies have never been proven and are therefore not scientific. Of course, neither have chemotherapy or radiation; but they are promoted as being cutting-edge, scientific, and providing the best chance for survival.
Another problem I have with this coaching program is that it assumes people do not have the capability to research and choose their own alternatives when it comes to health care. This underlying philosophy of our government that we will take care of you because you are not smart enough to take care of yourself flows over into allopathic healthcare, thus taking the individuals responsibility for their personal wellness away from them. No one is responsible for your health or lack of it but YOU! While I admit that weeding through cancer information may be difficult at best, it can be done. Considering the life and death decisions associated with a cancer diagnosis, there is no substitute for personal research and education regarding the specifics of your condition. Knowledge is empowering and is something that should not be feared. If you are a victim of cancer, you do not have to be a pawn of the conventional medical system. Very effective alternative cancer treatments that are based on a holistic approach towards wellness are readily available. However, these are not likely to be encouraged by the purveyors of mainstream cancer care.
I highly encourage every person who has been given a cancer diagnosis to get both sides to the story, so to speak. Do your homework and dig deep for answers. They are out there and you may be surprised at what you find. Cancer patients that thoroughly educate before making treatment decisions are usually the ones that do the best job of helping their body to repair and heal itself.
Cancer 'coaches' sway treatment choices
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
Sat Feb 16, 12:16 PM ET
The advice made her head spin: Have the lump removed. No, let them take the whole breast. Chemo? Radiation? Everyone seemed to have an opinion.
"I just shut everyone down around me," said Bernie Brann, a newly diagnosed cancer patient from upstate New York. "You're just so overwhelmed with information."
Bad advice, or just too much of it, can compound the trauma and damage done by the disease itself, cancer patients often find. Friends and relatives are important for support, but when these untrained people act as cancer coaches, they can sway people to make poor decisions about their care.
This includes survivors, whose opinions are highly valued by patients suddenly facing the scary diagnosis. They may know a lot about cancer, but can do harm if they project their own experiences onto someone else, who may have a different form of the disease that needs different treatment.
Survivors also may be out of touch with changes in the field, where genetic discoveries are rapidly reshaping notions of who needs chemotherapy and what kind.
What's the solution?
Many advocacy groups and hospitals are using "professional" coaches - trained volunteers or paid workers who can objectively help new patients navigate the maze of information and options.
The American Cancer Society started a patient navigator program a few years ago that now operates in 87 locations and is planning to expand. The National Breast Cancer Coalition also trains coaches, and big treatment hospitals like the University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are increasingly using them for breast, prostate, lung and other types of cancer.
Attendance set records in December at one of the top training programs, held during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. More than 240 breast cancer survivors spent late nights at the convention center, taking notes as scientists schooled them on the latest research.
These women go home to volunteer in hospitals and support groups where they staff hotlines, meet with new patients and teach other coaches what they learned. Demand for this training is so great that the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation gets grants from the Avon Foundation and nine drug companies to subsidize some attendees, but still can't meet the need. Dozens are turned down each year.
To find a coach or navigator, patients can ask their doctors, local cancer hospitals or groups like the cancer society for help. Brann, feeling a need for unbiased help, found a coach by calling the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, where associate director Bob Riter provided it.
"People are usually too free about giving advice," said Riter (pronounced RITT-er), a survivor of male breast cancer and graduate of the San Antonio program. "We never tell people what to do. We provide information, and we help them think out loud."
Whether amateur or professional, a good cancer coach should offer these things, experts say:
_Support: an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold.
_Resources: reliable information or help getting it, and only if the patient wants it.
_Objectivity: a willingness to help patients discover what is best for them, rather than to validate the coach's own cancer battle and choices.
"There's a big difference in saying, 'This is what I did' and 'Here's what you should do,'" Riter said.
Elderly people are especially vulnerable to having their decisions usurped, he added. "Sometimes middle-aged kids impose what they want to do on their parents" without asking what the parent wants.
No hard numbers exist on how many cancer patients bring professional coaches or informal ones - a relative or friend - to doctor appointments where treatments are discussed.
"The person coming with you can either be an asset or a liability," said Meg Gaines, a lawyer and ovarian cancer survivor who runs the Center for Patient Partnerships, an advocacy resource at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
It is good if the coach can ask questions, gather information and take notes for the shell-shocked patient to use later, she said. It is bad if the coach interferes with the patient's decisions.
Doctors often find themselves in the middle, fighting for the patient's trust. Some choices come down to personal values and risk tolerance, said Dr. C. Kent Osborne, a breast cancer specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Whether to have chemotherapy is an example. Some women want to avoid it at all cost. Others "don't want to leave any stone unturned," and demand it even if it has harmful side effects and only a 1 percent chance of helping, he said.
As for patients being swayed by others, "a lot of that occurs when they're not in the doctor's office and they go back to their home and their community," Osborne said. "Then well-meaning friends might say, 'Well, gee, I was treated with this and you should get that,' or 'Aunt Molly got this and you should get that, too,' not understanding that every patient is different."
Patients can fall into the same trap when they coach each other, Gaines said.
"This is the potential downside of support groups - you don't have expertise around the room," she said. "Someone may be describing her own treatment and others will think, 'My doctor didn't tell me that,'" possibly because their cancer is different.
Mary Michaud, policy director at the Wisconsin center, warns: "Beware of people who tell you your experience is going to be just like theirs."
Anna Cluxton, a Columbus, Ohio, woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, feels strongly that she did the right thing having her whole breast removed rather than just the lump. When she coaches other young women whose doctors have advised less drastic surgery, she said she will not express an opinion, but suggests a pointed question: "Ask them, 'What will be my chances of recurrence in that same breast?'"
"You need to be aware of all the options" and discuss them fairly, she said.
Vira Brooks, an Omaha public schools administrator, had a different experience 13 years ago. Although she had a tiny, very early-stage tumor, her surgeon recommended removing the whole breast. She chose less drastic treatment after a survivor she knew coached her through looking at other options.
"She was basically my champion. She helped me navigate the system," Brooks said. "She listened, she shared with me what she had been through," but didn't try to tell her what to do.
Brooks now tries to do the same. She has coached dozens of patients, including black women like herself who are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and are more likely to die from the disease. A local hospital refers people to her.
As for Bernie Brann, the patient from upstate New York, she did not seek a lot of advice when she was first diagnosed. But word got around at Ithaca College Health Center, where the 69-year-old woman works two nights a week as a nurse's aide.
Doctors told her she could either have a mastectomy or just the lump removed, and at first, she thought she would do the latter. "But I had so many people saying, 'No, no, no, that's not the way to go.' Most people said, 'Have a mastectomy.' It was so radical. It just overwhelmed me. It was not something I wanted to do."
She credits her three children with offering support without telling her what to do. Her oldest son went with her to appointments, as did a close friend with nursing training. Ultimately, she changed her mind about what would be best for her, and had a mastectomy in late December.
"I didn't want to go through this again. My feeling was, get in there, get rid of it, get on with your life," she said.
"It's been quite a rollercoaster," she said. But she feels more confident now that she can make good decisions about her future care.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080216/ap_on_he_me/cancer_coaches;_ylt=ApAj5wa8uQDXepm3Vbjtt5kR.3QA
Another problem I have with this coaching program is that it assumes people do not have the capability to research and choose their own alternatives when it comes to health care. This underlying philosophy of our government that we will take care of you because you are not smart enough to take care of yourself flows over into allopathic healthcare, thus taking the individuals responsibility for their personal wellness away from them. No one is responsible for your health or lack of it but YOU! While I admit that weeding through cancer information may be difficult at best, it can be done. Considering the life and death decisions associated with a cancer diagnosis, there is no substitute for personal research and education regarding the specifics of your condition. Knowledge is empowering and is something that should not be feared. If you are a victim of cancer, you do not have to be a pawn of the conventional medical system. Very effective alternative cancer treatments that are based on a holistic approach towards wellness are readily available. However, these are not likely to be encouraged by the purveyors of mainstream cancer care.
I highly encourage every person who has been given a cancer diagnosis to get both sides to the story, so to speak. Do your homework and dig deep for answers. They are out there and you may be surprised at what you find. Cancer patients that thoroughly educate before making treatment decisions are usually the ones that do the best job of helping their body to repair and heal itself.
Cancer 'coaches' sway treatment choices
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
Sat Feb 16, 12:16 PM ET
The advice made her head spin: Have the lump removed. No, let them take the whole breast. Chemo? Radiation? Everyone seemed to have an opinion.
"I just shut everyone down around me," said Bernie Brann, a newly diagnosed cancer patient from upstate New York. "You're just so overwhelmed with information."
Bad advice, or just too much of it, can compound the trauma and damage done by the disease itself, cancer patients often find. Friends and relatives are important for support, but when these untrained people act as cancer coaches, they can sway people to make poor decisions about their care.
This includes survivors, whose opinions are highly valued by patients suddenly facing the scary diagnosis. They may know a lot about cancer, but can do harm if they project their own experiences onto someone else, who may have a different form of the disease that needs different treatment.
Survivors also may be out of touch with changes in the field, where genetic discoveries are rapidly reshaping notions of who needs chemotherapy and what kind.
What's the solution?
Many advocacy groups and hospitals are using "professional" coaches - trained volunteers or paid workers who can objectively help new patients navigate the maze of information and options.
The American Cancer Society started a patient navigator program a few years ago that now operates in 87 locations and is planning to expand. The National Breast Cancer Coalition also trains coaches, and big treatment hospitals like the University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are increasingly using them for breast, prostate, lung and other types of cancer.
Attendance set records in December at one of the top training programs, held during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. More than 240 breast cancer survivors spent late nights at the convention center, taking notes as scientists schooled them on the latest research.
These women go home to volunteer in hospitals and support groups where they staff hotlines, meet with new patients and teach other coaches what they learned. Demand for this training is so great that the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation gets grants from the Avon Foundation and nine drug companies to subsidize some attendees, but still can't meet the need. Dozens are turned down each year.
To find a coach or navigator, patients can ask their doctors, local cancer hospitals or groups like the cancer society for help. Brann, feeling a need for unbiased help, found a coach by calling the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, where associate director Bob Riter provided it.
"People are usually too free about giving advice," said Riter (pronounced RITT-er), a survivor of male breast cancer and graduate of the San Antonio program. "We never tell people what to do. We provide information, and we help them think out loud."
Whether amateur or professional, a good cancer coach should offer these things, experts say:
_Support: an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold.
_Resources: reliable information or help getting it, and only if the patient wants it.
_Objectivity: a willingness to help patients discover what is best for them, rather than to validate the coach's own cancer battle and choices.
"There's a big difference in saying, 'This is what I did' and 'Here's what you should do,'" Riter said.
Elderly people are especially vulnerable to having their decisions usurped, he added. "Sometimes middle-aged kids impose what they want to do on their parents" without asking what the parent wants.
No hard numbers exist on how many cancer patients bring professional coaches or informal ones - a relative or friend - to doctor appointments where treatments are discussed.
"The person coming with you can either be an asset or a liability," said Meg Gaines, a lawyer and ovarian cancer survivor who runs the Center for Patient Partnerships, an advocacy resource at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
It is good if the coach can ask questions, gather information and take notes for the shell-shocked patient to use later, she said. It is bad if the coach interferes with the patient's decisions.
Doctors often find themselves in the middle, fighting for the patient's trust. Some choices come down to personal values and risk tolerance, said Dr. C. Kent Osborne, a breast cancer specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Whether to have chemotherapy is an example. Some women want to avoid it at all cost. Others "don't want to leave any stone unturned," and demand it even if it has harmful side effects and only a 1 percent chance of helping, he said.
As for patients being swayed by others, "a lot of that occurs when they're not in the doctor's office and they go back to their home and their community," Osborne said. "Then well-meaning friends might say, 'Well, gee, I was treated with this and you should get that,' or 'Aunt Molly got this and you should get that, too,' not understanding that every patient is different."
Patients can fall into the same trap when they coach each other, Gaines said.
"This is the potential downside of support groups - you don't have expertise around the room," she said. "Someone may be describing her own treatment and others will think, 'My doctor didn't tell me that,'" possibly because their cancer is different.
Mary Michaud, policy director at the Wisconsin center, warns: "Beware of people who tell you your experience is going to be just like theirs."
Anna Cluxton, a Columbus, Ohio, woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, feels strongly that she did the right thing having her whole breast removed rather than just the lump. When she coaches other young women whose doctors have advised less drastic surgery, she said she will not express an opinion, but suggests a pointed question: "Ask them, 'What will be my chances of recurrence in that same breast?'"
"You need to be aware of all the options" and discuss them fairly, she said.
Vira Brooks, an Omaha public schools administrator, had a different experience 13 years ago. Although she had a tiny, very early-stage tumor, her surgeon recommended removing the whole breast. She chose less drastic treatment after a survivor she knew coached her through looking at other options.
"She was basically my champion. She helped me navigate the system," Brooks said. "She listened, she shared with me what she had been through," but didn't try to tell her what to do.
Brooks now tries to do the same. She has coached dozens of patients, including black women like herself who are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and are more likely to die from the disease. A local hospital refers people to her.
As for Bernie Brann, the patient from upstate New York, she did not seek a lot of advice when she was first diagnosed. But word got around at Ithaca College Health Center, where the 69-year-old woman works two nights a week as a nurse's aide.
Doctors told her she could either have a mastectomy or just the lump removed, and at first, she thought she would do the latter. "But I had so many people saying, 'No, no, no, that's not the way to go.' Most people said, 'Have a mastectomy.' It was so radical. It just overwhelmed me. It was not something I wanted to do."
She credits her three children with offering support without telling her what to do. Her oldest son went with her to appointments, as did a close friend with nursing training. Ultimately, she changed her mind about what would be best for her, and had a mastectomy in late December.
"I didn't want to go through this again. My feeling was, get in there, get rid of it, get on with your life," she said.
"It's been quite a rollercoaster," she said. But she feels more confident now that she can make good decisions about her future care.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080216/ap_on_he_me/cancer_coaches;_ylt=ApAj5wa8uQDXepm3Vbjtt5kR.3QA
Monday, February 18, 2008
Obesity Competing with Smoking as Leading Cancer Cause
It is no secret that being overweight increases your risk for numerous health problems. Recent studies are now producing clinical evidence that link obesity and excess body fat to certain types of cancer. Researchers are identifying obesity as a specific cause for a significant number of cancer deaths in both genders. Some are even stating that up to 35% of cancer cases are the result of nutritional factors, including obesity.
Of course, as this research becomes more and more popularized, the more lose weight quick products we see on the market. However, just as the war on cancer is not being won through the use of conventional medicine, neither is the war on obesity being won through media advertising that suggests weight loss can be accomplished through the popping of a pill or the drinking of a chemical-laden shake. It dismays me to walk into many health food stores and see two to three aisles devoted to weight loss supplements and powdered drinks. There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Instead, it is about completely changing a lifestyle that has not worked. Sadly, for most people this seems to big of a price to pay, that is, until they get sick.
As the number of smokers decreases, at least in the Western world, tobacco use is getting a fight for its money as the leading cause of cancer. In fact, if all of the lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer were taken into consideration, such as the SAD diet, lack of exercise, and unmanaged stress, a case could easily be made that these issues are truly the number one trigger for cancer and most other debilitating diseases. It is good news that smoking rates are decreasing, but until society gets the picture and begins to understand that a lifestyle of wellness is the only way to defeat disease, conditions such as cancer will continue to flourish. Being examples in our own homes by teaching our children a healthy lifestyle is the best way to begin turning around the epidemic of obesity and other unhealthy patterns that are currently ravaging American families.
Weight gain hikes risk of many cancers
New research links obesity to a dozen different types of the disease
The Associated Press Feb. 14, 2008
LONDON - Being obese or even overweight may increase a persons risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer, European researchers report in a new study.
Doctors have long suspected a link between weight gain and certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers. But the new study, published Friday in the journal Lancet, suggests it could also increase chances for cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder, among others.
While the study suggests a link, there is no definitive proof that being fat in itself causes cancer.
To make the link between cause and effect, we need to tick several boxes, said Dr. Andrew Renehan, the studys lead author and senior lecturer at the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Manchester. This study begins to tick the first two or three boxes, but more research is needed to confirm it.
The researchers compiled data from 141 studies and considered more types of cancers and more diverse populations than had been done previously. The research covered more than 280,000 cases from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The subjects, both overweight and normal weight, were followed for about nine to 15 years, with researchers tracking their body mass index, or BMI - a calculation based on weight and height - and correlating it with incidents of cancer.
In men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52 percent, thyroid cancer by 33 percent, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24 percent, the research found.
In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60 percent, esophagus by 51 percent and kidney by 34 percent, the study said.
The link was weaker for bone and blood cancers, for both men and women.
In Asian populations, there appeared to be a stronger link between increased BMI and breast cancer, the study said.
This study provides a lot of circumstantial evidence about the dangers of obesity, said Dr. David Robbins, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the study. It also highlights the cancer crisis we face as obesity rates increase worldwide.
Scientists are unsure how being overweight could make people more susceptible to cancer.
One of the hypotheses is that the presence of excess fat cells could affect the levels of hormones in your body, Renehan said. At a cellular level, that may favor the development of tumors in humans.
Because many studies have found that fatter people are more likely to get cancer, experts often recommend losing weight to reduce cancer risk.
The simple message is that, if you manage to keep a healthy body weight, you will have a lower risk of developing cancer, said Ed Yong, of Cancer Research United Kingdom.
The Lancet study was paid for by British Medical Association, the University of Manchester and the University of Bern, Switzerland. Renehan has consulted for several pharmaceutical companies that make hormone replacements.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23170572/
Of course, as this research becomes more and more popularized, the more lose weight quick products we see on the market. However, just as the war on cancer is not being won through the use of conventional medicine, neither is the war on obesity being won through media advertising that suggests weight loss can be accomplished through the popping of a pill or the drinking of a chemical-laden shake. It dismays me to walk into many health food stores and see two to three aisles devoted to weight loss supplements and powdered drinks. There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Instead, it is about completely changing a lifestyle that has not worked. Sadly, for most people this seems to big of a price to pay, that is, until they get sick.
As the number of smokers decreases, at least in the Western world, tobacco use is getting a fight for its money as the leading cause of cancer. In fact, if all of the lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer were taken into consideration, such as the SAD diet, lack of exercise, and unmanaged stress, a case could easily be made that these issues are truly the number one trigger for cancer and most other debilitating diseases. It is good news that smoking rates are decreasing, but until society gets the picture and begins to understand that a lifestyle of wellness is the only way to defeat disease, conditions such as cancer will continue to flourish. Being examples in our own homes by teaching our children a healthy lifestyle is the best way to begin turning around the epidemic of obesity and other unhealthy patterns that are currently ravaging American families.
Weight gain hikes risk of many cancers
New research links obesity to a dozen different types of the disease
The Associated Press Feb. 14, 2008
LONDON - Being obese or even overweight may increase a persons risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer, European researchers report in a new study.
Doctors have long suspected a link between weight gain and certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers. But the new study, published Friday in the journal Lancet, suggests it could also increase chances for cancer of the esophagus, thyroid, kidney, uterus and gall bladder, among others.
While the study suggests a link, there is no definitive proof that being fat in itself causes cancer.
To make the link between cause and effect, we need to tick several boxes, said Dr. Andrew Renehan, the studys lead author and senior lecturer at the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Manchester. This study begins to tick the first two or three boxes, but more research is needed to confirm it.
The researchers compiled data from 141 studies and considered more types of cancers and more diverse populations than had been done previously. The research covered more than 280,000 cases from North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The subjects, both overweight and normal weight, were followed for about nine to 15 years, with researchers tracking their body mass index, or BMI - a calculation based on weight and height - and correlating it with incidents of cancer.
In men, an average weight gain of 33 pounds increased the risk of esophageal cancer by 52 percent, thyroid cancer by 33 percent, and colon and kidney cancers each by 24 percent, the research found.
In women, a weight gain of 29 pounds increased the risk of cancer in the uterus and gall bladder by nearly 60 percent, esophagus by 51 percent and kidney by 34 percent, the study said.
The link was weaker for bone and blood cancers, for both men and women.
In Asian populations, there appeared to be a stronger link between increased BMI and breast cancer, the study said.
This study provides a lot of circumstantial evidence about the dangers of obesity, said Dr. David Robbins, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the study. It also highlights the cancer crisis we face as obesity rates increase worldwide.
Scientists are unsure how being overweight could make people more susceptible to cancer.
One of the hypotheses is that the presence of excess fat cells could affect the levels of hormones in your body, Renehan said. At a cellular level, that may favor the development of tumors in humans.
Because many studies have found that fatter people are more likely to get cancer, experts often recommend losing weight to reduce cancer risk.
The simple message is that, if you manage to keep a healthy body weight, you will have a lower risk of developing cancer, said Ed Yong, of Cancer Research United Kingdom.
The Lancet study was paid for by British Medical Association, the University of Manchester and the University of Bern, Switzerland. Renehan has consulted for several pharmaceutical companies that make hormone replacements.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23170572/
Friday, February 15, 2008
Natural Treatment for Parkinsons Disease
It was refreshing to run across the news story below that outlines the use of dance, specifically the tango, as a treatment tool for Parkinsons Disease patients. In the midst of all the bad news about the dangers of pharmaceutical drugs and the hazards of conventional medicine, researchers have given more credence to the common sense notion that lifestyle choices such as exercise can be very practical and effective ways to combat and even prevent disease.
The physical benefits are the most obvious, keeping patients limber and the muscles accustomed to a variety of motions. But the value of the social and relational aspects of exercise, especially in a group atmosphere, cannot be underestimated. If we habitually tell people with debilitating diseases that they are limited to this or that, they exist within those limits. However, programs and therapies that encourage people to stretch those limits and involve natural functions of the body that enable healing and renewal are so much closer to the spirit of wellness than simply treating symptoms with potentially hazardous medications. Could it be that more exercise and social interaction could mean less need for drugs and other invasive therapies?
Tango Classes Put Parkinson's Patients a Step Ahead
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) - Not only is the tango a dance of romance and passion, it also helps improve balance and mobility in people with Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis compared the effects of Argentine tango lessons and exercise classes on the functional mobility of 19 Parkinson's patients. The patients were randomly assigned to do 20 one-hour tango classes or group strength and exercise sessions designed for Parkinson's patients and the elderly.
All the patients were assessed prior to the start of these activities and after they completed the sessions. The dance classes included stretching, balance exercises, tango-style walking, footwork patterns, experimenting of timing of steps, and dance with and without a partner. The exercise classes included 40 minutes of seated exercise, followed by standing exercises supported by a chair, core strengthening and stretching.
By the end of the sessions, both groups showed significant improvements in standard tests designed to measure mobility. People in the tango group showed more improvement in balance than those in the exercise group.
"Given these preliminary results, we think tango is feasible for individuals with Parkinson's disease and may be an appropriate and effective form of group exercise for individuals with Parkinson's disease," researcher Gammon M. Earhart, an assistant professor of physical therapy, said in a prepared statement.
"Although some participants were initially skeptical because they hadn't danced in years or thought they couldn't because of the disease, this study shows that dance can improve functional mobility," Earhart said.
While dance in general may benefit people with Parkinson's, several aspects of tango movement may be especially helpful to these patients, including dynamic balance, turning, initiation of movement, moving at different speeds, and walking backward.
"This type of therapy looks to be superior than what is currently offered," researcher Madeline E. Hackney, a predoctoral trainee in movement science, said in a prepared statement. "The quality of life improved in these patients because of the social aspect of dancing."
The study was published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.
Further studies with larger groups of patients are needed to confirm these preliminary findings, the researchers said.
More information:
The National Parkinson Foundation has more about Parkinson's disease treatment options.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080213/hl_hsn/tangoclassesputparkinsonspatientsastepahead;_ylt=Ai9imsdYOpvvpEv96sG5ISW9j7AB
The physical benefits are the most obvious, keeping patients limber and the muscles accustomed to a variety of motions. But the value of the social and relational aspects of exercise, especially in a group atmosphere, cannot be underestimated. If we habitually tell people with debilitating diseases that they are limited to this or that, they exist within those limits. However, programs and therapies that encourage people to stretch those limits and involve natural functions of the body that enable healing and renewal are so much closer to the spirit of wellness than simply treating symptoms with potentially hazardous medications. Could it be that more exercise and social interaction could mean less need for drugs and other invasive therapies?
Tango Classes Put Parkinson's Patients a Step Ahead
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) - Not only is the tango a dance of romance and passion, it also helps improve balance and mobility in people with Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis compared the effects of Argentine tango lessons and exercise classes on the functional mobility of 19 Parkinson's patients. The patients were randomly assigned to do 20 one-hour tango classes or group strength and exercise sessions designed for Parkinson's patients and the elderly.
All the patients were assessed prior to the start of these activities and after they completed the sessions. The dance classes included stretching, balance exercises, tango-style walking, footwork patterns, experimenting of timing of steps, and dance with and without a partner. The exercise classes included 40 minutes of seated exercise, followed by standing exercises supported by a chair, core strengthening and stretching.
By the end of the sessions, both groups showed significant improvements in standard tests designed to measure mobility. People in the tango group showed more improvement in balance than those in the exercise group.
"Given these preliminary results, we think tango is feasible for individuals with Parkinson's disease and may be an appropriate and effective form of group exercise for individuals with Parkinson's disease," researcher Gammon M. Earhart, an assistant professor of physical therapy, said in a prepared statement.
"Although some participants were initially skeptical because they hadn't danced in years or thought they couldn't because of the disease, this study shows that dance can improve functional mobility," Earhart said.
While dance in general may benefit people with Parkinson's, several aspects of tango movement may be especially helpful to these patients, including dynamic balance, turning, initiation of movement, moving at different speeds, and walking backward.
"This type of therapy looks to be superior than what is currently offered," researcher Madeline E. Hackney, a predoctoral trainee in movement science, said in a prepared statement. "The quality of life improved in these patients because of the social aspect of dancing."
The study was published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.
Further studies with larger groups of patients are needed to confirm these preliminary findings, the researchers said.
More information:
The National Parkinson Foundation has more about Parkinson's disease treatment options.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080213/hl_hsn/tangoclassesputparkinsonspatientsastepahead;_ylt=Ai9imsdYOpvvpEv96sG5ISW9j7AB
Thursday, February 14, 2008
FDA Poised to Approve Irradiation of Natural Supplements
Earlier this week we discussed on this blog how various governmental and private organizations, such as the FDA and pharmaceutical companies, are seeking to suppress the availability of natural herbal remedies and medicinal plants. It appears they are after nutritional and dietary supplements as well. The FDA is on the verge of approving or even mandating irradiation of such products under the premise of protecting the public from contaminants. They are even using the term pasteurization interchangeably with irradiation in some of their documentation, probably because the public is used to this term and it will make it easier for people to accept irradiation.
As the article below points out, the known and suspected dangers of irradiation are numerous and substantial. The attempt to usher in irradiation of nutritional supplements is only another step in the process of indoctrinating consumers to go along with genetically modified products and other measures that are designed to control and limit the food and medicine supply. Big Pharma is being set up to have a monopoly on all forms of medicinal remedies, despite the proven dangers of many pharmaceutical drugs. By slapping unreasonable controls and limits on natural products, the plan is to severely limit or even eliminate their availability. Included in this post is a link to a letter that can be sent to your representatives in Congress expressing your opposition to FDA plans. If we do not speak up now, we may soon lose our chance forever to choose natural treatment over the inherent dangers of the one-size-fits-all approach of conventional medicine.
Don't Nuke Our Supplements!
The American Association for Health Freedom opposes the irradiation of dietary supplements and supports the American Herbal Products Association letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to request that the agency deny a food additive petition that would allow the use of ionizing irradiation on dietary supplements and dietary ingredients. AAHF will be submitting our own letter to the FDA supporting the AHPA position and providing our own comments.
We feel that if there was ever an approach that could, in a single swoop, lessen the potency of herbs and other dietary supplements, then it is irradiation.
There is good evidence now that almost any dosage of ionizing radiation does some damage (if it can kill pathogens, it can damage other cells and molecules), and any dosage above 10kGy is considered very high. 30 kGy is just plain crazy! Vitamins are much more prone to break down when not present in a food matrix, as is typically the case in dietary supplements. In other words, consumers could seriously be misled if the stated label content is different from the actual content which has been reduced as a result of irradiation.
There are other risks as well: the formation of radiolytic products which can be harmful and the increased risk of migration of components in packaging materials (e.g. plasticizers like bisphenol-A) into the food or dietary supplement product.
Irradiation of bioactive compounds in these nutritional supplements is well known to change those molecules and destroy them, thus changing the unique structure that makes these compounds effective nutrients.
Bottom line, if something is irradiated, it should not be permitted at the levels that have been suggested to the FDA and it should be clearly indicated on the label by ingredient.
What You Can Do
Contact Congress (using letter below, please take a moment to personalize it, we list some talking points that you can cut and paste) with a copy going to the FDA.
Help to spread the word.
(Editors note: To access the suggested letter and add the following Talking Points, please click on the link listed at the end of this post).
Talking Points
Yes, we know that there is no radioactivity left in the molecules or food irradiated. That is not the issue. The issue is the change that takes place in those molecules.
If you were a member of the legislature then, do you remember what it was like to get mail at the US Capitol before the Anthrax attacks after 9/11 in 2001? Because of those attacks, all of Capitol mail started getting irradiated. Perhaps you remember getting the VCR tapes, the DVDs and the burned plastic covers, all crinkled by the radiation? Do you remember how brittle the paper was, how dusty, and how many of the staff reported getting sick from the paper dust? The very structure of the paper was changed. That is what the proposed gamma radiation sterilization process proposed would do to our dietary supplements. Those molecules in those supplements are much more fragile than paper! When extracted from food, extreme care is taken by most manufacturers to protect these molecules from further destabilization, even from things like light!
In fact the FDA just earlier this year finally approved the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) rules for dietary supplements, which the industry has been waiting for since DSHEA (Dietary Supplements Health Education Action) passed in 1994. The industry is dealing with processes to make sure that harmful biological agents and toxins are not accidentally introduced into the manufacturing process. In the case of irradiation, though it would kill anthrax spores, it would not neutralize things like mold toxins. Therefore this process is not only harmful to the complex dietary supplements molecules, but ineffective at doing what the commercial irradiation petitioners proposed.
http://ga4.org/campaign/dont_nuke_supplements
As the article below points out, the known and suspected dangers of irradiation are numerous and substantial. The attempt to usher in irradiation of nutritional supplements is only another step in the process of indoctrinating consumers to go along with genetically modified products and other measures that are designed to control and limit the food and medicine supply. Big Pharma is being set up to have a monopoly on all forms of medicinal remedies, despite the proven dangers of many pharmaceutical drugs. By slapping unreasonable controls and limits on natural products, the plan is to severely limit or even eliminate their availability. Included in this post is a link to a letter that can be sent to your representatives in Congress expressing your opposition to FDA plans. If we do not speak up now, we may soon lose our chance forever to choose natural treatment over the inherent dangers of the one-size-fits-all approach of conventional medicine.
Don't Nuke Our Supplements!
The American Association for Health Freedom opposes the irradiation of dietary supplements and supports the American Herbal Products Association letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to request that the agency deny a food additive petition that would allow the use of ionizing irradiation on dietary supplements and dietary ingredients. AAHF will be submitting our own letter to the FDA supporting the AHPA position and providing our own comments.
We feel that if there was ever an approach that could, in a single swoop, lessen the potency of herbs and other dietary supplements, then it is irradiation.
There is good evidence now that almost any dosage of ionizing radiation does some damage (if it can kill pathogens, it can damage other cells and molecules), and any dosage above 10kGy is considered very high. 30 kGy is just plain crazy! Vitamins are much more prone to break down when not present in a food matrix, as is typically the case in dietary supplements. In other words, consumers could seriously be misled if the stated label content is different from the actual content which has been reduced as a result of irradiation.
There are other risks as well: the formation of radiolytic products which can be harmful and the increased risk of migration of components in packaging materials (e.g. plasticizers like bisphenol-A) into the food or dietary supplement product.
Irradiation of bioactive compounds in these nutritional supplements is well known to change those molecules and destroy them, thus changing the unique structure that makes these compounds effective nutrients.
Bottom line, if something is irradiated, it should not be permitted at the levels that have been suggested to the FDA and it should be clearly indicated on the label by ingredient.
What You Can Do
Contact Congress (using letter below, please take a moment to personalize it, we list some talking points that you can cut and paste) with a copy going to the FDA.
Help to spread the word.
(Editors note: To access the suggested letter and add the following Talking Points, please click on the link listed at the end of this post).
Talking Points
Yes, we know that there is no radioactivity left in the molecules or food irradiated. That is not the issue. The issue is the change that takes place in those molecules.
If you were a member of the legislature then, do you remember what it was like to get mail at the US Capitol before the Anthrax attacks after 9/11 in 2001? Because of those attacks, all of Capitol mail started getting irradiated. Perhaps you remember getting the VCR tapes, the DVDs and the burned plastic covers, all crinkled by the radiation? Do you remember how brittle the paper was, how dusty, and how many of the staff reported getting sick from the paper dust? The very structure of the paper was changed. That is what the proposed gamma radiation sterilization process proposed would do to our dietary supplements. Those molecules in those supplements are much more fragile than paper! When extracted from food, extreme care is taken by most manufacturers to protect these molecules from further destabilization, even from things like light!
In fact the FDA just earlier this year finally approved the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) rules for dietary supplements, which the industry has been waiting for since DSHEA (Dietary Supplements Health Education Action) passed in 1994. The industry is dealing with processes to make sure that harmful biological agents and toxins are not accidentally introduced into the manufacturing process. In the case of irradiation, though it would kill anthrax spores, it would not neutralize things like mold toxins. Therefore this process is not only harmful to the complex dietary supplements molecules, but ineffective at doing what the commercial irradiation petitioners proposed.
http://ga4.org/campaign/dont_nuke_supplements
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Infant Deaths May Be Related to Vaccinations
Due to ignorance or denial on the part of the medical establishment, it is very possible that some infant deaths that are classified as shaken baby syndrome or sudden infant death syndrome may actually be caused by toxic reactions to vaccinations. The information posted below discusses many issues related to the vaccination of our children, often against parents best wishes. A link to an article that covers the technical evidence pertaining to infant fatalities as related to immunizations is also included.
Parents must be on the alert regarding their rights to make informed choices about the administration of vaccines to their children. As recent cases have indicated, such as the forced immunization of children in Maryland (complete with armed guards and attack dogs to ensure compliance), the political climate is currently one that supports a governmental iron fist, to the point that the rights of those opposed to vaccinations are routinely and illegally violated. In addition, as the article below points out, many parents who question the protocol for the immunization of their children are simply asked to find medical services elsewhere. Victories have been won, such as the reversal of an executive order issued by the governor of Texas that would have forced school-aged girls to be exposed to the HPV vaccine, but due vigilance must be maintained. The enemies against health care freedoms are formidable and they have deep pockets, so it is reasonable to expect that other showdowns will surface in the near future.
Vaccines & Infant Death (SBS): Pediatrician Speaks Out on NVIC's The Doctor's Corner
by Barbara Loe Fisher
The Doctor's Corner, sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center, is a new internet forum at www.NVIC.org for pediatricians to publish referenced articles and analyses evaluating vaccine risks. Today, F. Edward Yazbak, M.D., FAAP, has published an analysis, "Multiple Vaccinations and Shaken Baby Syndrome," that reviews the relationship between administration of multiple vaccines to infants who develop serious adverse events or die and parents being subsequently charged with "Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
Dr. Yazbak provides a review of death reports of infants 6 months of age or younger to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). He describes individual case histories and the history of vaccine deaths, which are misdiagnosed as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and discusses vaccine deaths which may be misdiagnosed as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
When an infant dies after vaccination, pediatricians are often reluctant to consider the possibility that the vaccine(s) recently given to keep the child well have killed the child. In our 1985 book, DPT: A Shot in the Dark, Harris Coulter and I described the misdiagnosis of infant deaths, which have occurred within 24 to 72 hours after DPT vaccination, as SIDS. The fact that coroners often misdiagnose vaccine deaths as SIDS is further evidenced by compensation awards made in the U.S. Court of Claims to parents, whose babies died within hours of DPT vaccination, but the coroner initially diagnosed the death as "SIDS."
Dr. Yazbak's article about the misdiagnosis of vaccine deaths and injuries as "Shaken Baby Syndrome" and the subsequent persecution and imprisonment of innocent parents is an important one.
We are all obviously unanimous in our condemnation of any form of child abuse and our conviction that any abuser should be punished to the full extent of the law.
It is well known that vaccines can cause brain inflammation and catastrophic brain damage in some children. Until all of the biological mechanisms for vaccine injury and death are fully understood and described in the scientific literature, parents should be given the benefit of the doubt when babies die after vaccination.
The Doctor's Corner is a public service of the National Vaccine Information Center which provides a place for enlightened pediatricians to discuss how and why vaccines cause reactions, injuries and death; why some children may be at higher risk than others for suffering a vaccine reaction; and how vaccine risks can be reduced.
Pediatricians will also examine the relationship between infectious disease, vaccination and how early childhood experiences with both can influence immune function.
The National Vaccine Information Center has long supported the forging of a more enlightened partnership between pediatricians and parents when it comes to making vaccination decisions for children. Parents in the 21st century are becoming educated about vaccination and want something more from pediatricians than inflexible administration of one-size- fits-all vaccine policies that fail to respect bio-diversity or the informed consent ethic.
NVIC's The Doctor's Corner is a place for intelligent, open-minded, compassionate and courageous pediatricians to demonstrate that they understand and are prepared to respond in a different way to parental concerns about vaccination.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR'S CORNER
Every day, mothers take their infants and children to pediatricians for routine check-ups and vaccinations. A trip to the pediatrician's office should be an opportunity to learn more about vaccination, as many mothers and fathers are seeking a partnership with their pediatrician that involves shared decision-making about which vaccines their children will receive and when.
However, many parents, who ask their pediatricians questions about vaccine risks or want to change the vaccine schedule for their child, are instead being dismissed from the pediatric practice. Parents report that some pediatricians won't screen out high risk children, such as those who are sick at the time of vaccination, and are even more reluctant to acknowledge that health deterioration after previous vaccinations may have been caused by vaccine reactions. Instead of being reassured that everything is being done to minimize vaccine reaction risks for their child, too many parents are being threatened with loss of medical care for their child if they do not agree to the one-size-fits-all vaccine policy approach.
The Doctor's Corner sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a place for enlightened pediatricians to publish referenced articles and stimulate dialogue about how and why vaccines cause reactions, injuries and death; why some individuals may be at higher risk than others for suffering a vaccine reaction; and ways in which vaccine risks may be reduced. The discussion on NVIC's The Doctor's Corner will also examine the relationship between infectious disease and vaccination and how early childhood experiences with both can influence immune function which may, or may not, lead to long term good health.
The National Vaccine Information Center has long supported the forging of a new and more enlightened partnership between pediatricians and parents when it comes to making vaccination decisions for children. Parents in the 21st Century are becoming educated about vaccination and want something more from pediatricians than inflexible administration of one-size-fits-all vaccine policies that fail to respect bio-diversity or the informed consent ethic. NVIC's The Doctor's Corner, then, is a place for intelligent, open-minded, compassionate and courageous pediatricians to demonstrate that they understand and are prepared to respond in a different way to parental concerns about vaccination.
To read Dr. Yazbak's complete article, click here: http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/learning/edward-yazbak-shaken-baby-syndrome.html
Parents must be on the alert regarding their rights to make informed choices about the administration of vaccines to their children. As recent cases have indicated, such as the forced immunization of children in Maryland (complete with armed guards and attack dogs to ensure compliance), the political climate is currently one that supports a governmental iron fist, to the point that the rights of those opposed to vaccinations are routinely and illegally violated. In addition, as the article below points out, many parents who question the protocol for the immunization of their children are simply asked to find medical services elsewhere. Victories have been won, such as the reversal of an executive order issued by the governor of Texas that would have forced school-aged girls to be exposed to the HPV vaccine, but due vigilance must be maintained. The enemies against health care freedoms are formidable and they have deep pockets, so it is reasonable to expect that other showdowns will surface in the near future.
Vaccines & Infant Death (SBS): Pediatrician Speaks Out on NVIC's The Doctor's Corner
by Barbara Loe Fisher
The Doctor's Corner, sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center, is a new internet forum at www.NVIC.org for pediatricians to publish referenced articles and analyses evaluating vaccine risks. Today, F. Edward Yazbak, M.D., FAAP, has published an analysis, "Multiple Vaccinations and Shaken Baby Syndrome," that reviews the relationship between administration of multiple vaccines to infants who develop serious adverse events or die and parents being subsequently charged with "Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
Dr. Yazbak provides a review of death reports of infants 6 months of age or younger to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). He describes individual case histories and the history of vaccine deaths, which are misdiagnosed as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and discusses vaccine deaths which may be misdiagnosed as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
When an infant dies after vaccination, pediatricians are often reluctant to consider the possibility that the vaccine(s) recently given to keep the child well have killed the child. In our 1985 book, DPT: A Shot in the Dark, Harris Coulter and I described the misdiagnosis of infant deaths, which have occurred within 24 to 72 hours after DPT vaccination, as SIDS. The fact that coroners often misdiagnose vaccine deaths as SIDS is further evidenced by compensation awards made in the U.S. Court of Claims to parents, whose babies died within hours of DPT vaccination, but the coroner initially diagnosed the death as "SIDS."
Dr. Yazbak's article about the misdiagnosis of vaccine deaths and injuries as "Shaken Baby Syndrome" and the subsequent persecution and imprisonment of innocent parents is an important one.
We are all obviously unanimous in our condemnation of any form of child abuse and our conviction that any abuser should be punished to the full extent of the law.
It is well known that vaccines can cause brain inflammation and catastrophic brain damage in some children. Until all of the biological mechanisms for vaccine injury and death are fully understood and described in the scientific literature, parents should be given the benefit of the doubt when babies die after vaccination.
The Doctor's Corner is a public service of the National Vaccine Information Center which provides a place for enlightened pediatricians to discuss how and why vaccines cause reactions, injuries and death; why some children may be at higher risk than others for suffering a vaccine reaction; and how vaccine risks can be reduced.
Pediatricians will also examine the relationship between infectious disease, vaccination and how early childhood experiences with both can influence immune function.
The National Vaccine Information Center has long supported the forging of a more enlightened partnership between pediatricians and parents when it comes to making vaccination decisions for children. Parents in the 21st century are becoming educated about vaccination and want something more from pediatricians than inflexible administration of one-size- fits-all vaccine policies that fail to respect bio-diversity or the informed consent ethic.
NVIC's The Doctor's Corner is a place for intelligent, open-minded, compassionate and courageous pediatricians to demonstrate that they understand and are prepared to respond in a different way to parental concerns about vaccination.
ABOUT THE DOCTOR'S CORNER
Every day, mothers take their infants and children to pediatricians for routine check-ups and vaccinations. A trip to the pediatrician's office should be an opportunity to learn more about vaccination, as many mothers and fathers are seeking a partnership with their pediatrician that involves shared decision-making about which vaccines their children will receive and when.
However, many parents, who ask their pediatricians questions about vaccine risks or want to change the vaccine schedule for their child, are instead being dismissed from the pediatric practice. Parents report that some pediatricians won't screen out high risk children, such as those who are sick at the time of vaccination, and are even more reluctant to acknowledge that health deterioration after previous vaccinations may have been caused by vaccine reactions. Instead of being reassured that everything is being done to minimize vaccine reaction risks for their child, too many parents are being threatened with loss of medical care for their child if they do not agree to the one-size-fits-all vaccine policy approach.
The Doctor's Corner sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a place for enlightened pediatricians to publish referenced articles and stimulate dialogue about how and why vaccines cause reactions, injuries and death; why some individuals may be at higher risk than others for suffering a vaccine reaction; and ways in which vaccine risks may be reduced. The discussion on NVIC's The Doctor's Corner will also examine the relationship between infectious disease and vaccination and how early childhood experiences with both can influence immune function which may, or may not, lead to long term good health.
The National Vaccine Information Center has long supported the forging of a new and more enlightened partnership between pediatricians and parents when it comes to making vaccination decisions for children. Parents in the 21st Century are becoming educated about vaccination and want something more from pediatricians than inflexible administration of one-size-fits-all vaccine policies that fail to respect bio-diversity or the informed consent ethic. NVIC's The Doctor's Corner, then, is a place for intelligent, open-minded, compassionate and courageous pediatricians to demonstrate that they understand and are prepared to respond in a different way to parental concerns about vaccination.
To read Dr. Yazbak's complete article, click here: http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/learning/edward-yazbak-shaken-baby-syndrome.html
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Natural Remedy for Depression
A study released this week in a European medical journal gives strong clinical support for the effectiveness of an herb called Rhodiola at fighting depression. This medicinal plant has a long history of usage in folk medicine dating back to the time of the Vikings. Researchers are learning more about exactly how Rhodiola works to alleviate depression, and along with positive results, the herb appears to have no negative side effects associated with it.
There are many medicinal plants and herbs that have been provided to us by our creator. However, the availability of these may be in peril as we live in a day and age when many governments, including the good old USA, along with powerful special interest groups such as pharmaceutical companies, are opposed to natural health freedoms that would allow the public to continue to choose medicinals and herbs as treatment options. If these organizations would have their way, natural herbs and supplements would be outlawed or so restricted and altered that they would lose their natural effectiveness. This, unfortunately, is the current political climate, despite an increasing awareness of the dangers linked to prescription drugs. Antidepressants, one of the largest segments of the pharmaceutical drug market, are also one of the most hazardous. Articles like the one below are significant because any publicity that can be garnered in support of natural medicine and alternatives to prescription drugs is always welcome as we attempt to offset the attacks on health care freedom worldwide. For more articles focused on natural remedies for depression go to: http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/learning/depression-articles.html
February 6 2008
Rhodiola Herbal Extract Found to Fight Off Depression
by Michael Jolliffe
(NaturalNews) A new clinical trial has found that an extract of the herb Rhodiola could be a useful treatment for cases of mild to moderate depression.
The study, published in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, involved 80 participants, aged between 18 and 70, who were divided into three groups. The first received 340mg of Rhodiola extract daily, the second twice as much, and the third two capsules containing a placebo.
The results revealed that only the groups taking Rhodiola had found benefit, with particularly significant improvements in insomnia and emotional instability, and no adverse effects.
Rhodiola is thought to work against depression in two ways. Firstly, researchers believe the herb blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase in a manner similar to the early drug anti-depressants such as amitriptyline, which helps the brain to retain levels of 'feel good' neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine.
Rhodiola is also believed to calm a part of the brain known as the HPA axis, which connects the brain to the adrenal glands. High levels of adrenal stress hormones have consistently been found in individuals suffering from depression, but Rhodiola may address this imbalance and help to restore normal levels.
The plant has a long history of traditional usage associated with improving strength, motivation and resistance to stress and fatigue. Early records suggest that civilisations as old as the Vikings have prized and cultivated Rhodiola. It was equally prized by Soviet researchers during the Cold War, who successfully tested its application with both athletes and astronauts.
Experts have commented on the promise that this latest research holds for the treatment of depression. Dr. Richard Brown, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, and one of the world's leading experts on Rhodiola, called for additional studies 'to explore and establish the potential applications of the herb', but stated his belief that both sufferers and researchers should be 'encouraged' by the results.
About the author
Michael Jolliffe is a health writer, and an expert on nutritional and environmental influences on health and disease. He is a member of the British Association for Nutritional Therapy, International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine and the Life Extension Foundation. To make contact, email michael@healthrevolutions.com or visit www.healthrevolutions.com.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022598.html
There are many medicinal plants and herbs that have been provided to us by our creator. However, the availability of these may be in peril as we live in a day and age when many governments, including the good old USA, along with powerful special interest groups such as pharmaceutical companies, are opposed to natural health freedoms that would allow the public to continue to choose medicinals and herbs as treatment options. If these organizations would have their way, natural herbs and supplements would be outlawed or so restricted and altered that they would lose their natural effectiveness. This, unfortunately, is the current political climate, despite an increasing awareness of the dangers linked to prescription drugs. Antidepressants, one of the largest segments of the pharmaceutical drug market, are also one of the most hazardous. Articles like the one below are significant because any publicity that can be garnered in support of natural medicine and alternatives to prescription drugs is always welcome as we attempt to offset the attacks on health care freedom worldwide. For more articles focused on natural remedies for depression go to: http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/learning/depression-articles.html
February 6 2008
Rhodiola Herbal Extract Found to Fight Off Depression
by Michael Jolliffe
(NaturalNews) A new clinical trial has found that an extract of the herb Rhodiola could be a useful treatment for cases of mild to moderate depression.
The study, published in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, involved 80 participants, aged between 18 and 70, who were divided into three groups. The first received 340mg of Rhodiola extract daily, the second twice as much, and the third two capsules containing a placebo.
The results revealed that only the groups taking Rhodiola had found benefit, with particularly significant improvements in insomnia and emotional instability, and no adverse effects.
Rhodiola is thought to work against depression in two ways. Firstly, researchers believe the herb blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase in a manner similar to the early drug anti-depressants such as amitriptyline, which helps the brain to retain levels of 'feel good' neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine.
Rhodiola is also believed to calm a part of the brain known as the HPA axis, which connects the brain to the adrenal glands. High levels of adrenal stress hormones have consistently been found in individuals suffering from depression, but Rhodiola may address this imbalance and help to restore normal levels.
The plant has a long history of traditional usage associated with improving strength, motivation and resistance to stress and fatigue. Early records suggest that civilisations as old as the Vikings have prized and cultivated Rhodiola. It was equally prized by Soviet researchers during the Cold War, who successfully tested its application with both athletes and astronauts.
Experts have commented on the promise that this latest research holds for the treatment of depression. Dr. Richard Brown, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, and one of the world's leading experts on Rhodiola, called for additional studies 'to explore and establish the potential applications of the herb', but stated his belief that both sufferers and researchers should be 'encouraged' by the results.
About the author
Michael Jolliffe is a health writer, and an expert on nutritional and environmental influences on health and disease. He is a member of the British Association for Nutritional Therapy, International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine and the Life Extension Foundation. To make contact, email michael@healthrevolutions.com or visit www.healthrevolutions.com.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022598.html
Monday, February 11, 2008
Cosmetic Procedures May Have Deadly Side Effects
The popularity of plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures has exploded in the last few years. The number of these procedures being performed worldwide has increased over 4300% since 1997, and almost 25% of these involve Botox injections as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Botox and other similar drugs contain the botulinum toxin, which has been identified as one of the most lethal substances known to man. How dangerous is this stuff? Even the makers of Botox admit that the drug has been associated with spontaneous reports of death. As the article below reports, last Friday the FDA issued a warning about the hazards of such drugs, but only after a consumer group had first sounded the alarm about the deaths of 16 persons (including several children) who were given botulinum drugs.
Even when it is administered properly, Botox is hazardous. In addition, injections must be repeated multiple times. To make matters even worse, a trend has developed that seeks to beat the high cost of the treatments by having Botox parties whereby individuals get together and give each other injections. This is a very foolish choice, as the botulinum can easily be introduced to unintended muscles and can result in paralysis of them, including muscles associated with swallowing and breathing. This has even happened in the hands of a professional who may not have had the necessary experience to give proper treatments.
There are much safer, more effective, and more natural ways to fight wrinkles. Many natural skin care companies using organic botanicals have excellent lines of products specifically designed to diminish the appearance wrinkles without exposing you to poisons or caustic chemicals. And, of course, putting healthy foods in your body and keeping it well-hydrated with filtered water will certainly have a positive effect on the outward appearance of your skin as well.
FDA Links Anti-Wrinkle Drugs to Deaths
By LAURAN NEERGAARD - 1 day ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - The popular anti-wrinkle drug Botox and a competitor have been linked to dangerous botulism symptoms in some users, cases so bad that a few children given the drugs for muscle spasms have died, the government warned Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration warning includes both Botox, a wrinkle-specific version called Botox Cosmetic, and its competitor, Myobloc, drugs that all use botulinum toxin to block nerve impulses, causing them to relax.
In rare cases, the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening the muscles used for breathing and swallowing, a potentially fatal side effect, the FDA said.
Botox is best known for minimizing wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles - but botulinum toxin also is widely used for a variety of muscle-spasm conditions, such as cervical dystonia or severe neck spasms.
The FDA said the deaths it is investigating so far all involve children, mostly cerebral palsy patients being treated for spasticity in their legs. The FDA has never formally approved that use for the drugs, but some other countries have.
However, the FDA warned that it also is probing reports of illnesses in people of all ages who used the drugs for a variety of conditions, including at least one hospitalization of a woman given Botox for forehead wrinkles.
The FDA wouldn't say exactly how many reports it is probing.
"We're not talking hundreds. It is a relative handful," said Dr. Russell Katz, FDA neurology chief.
But the agency warned that patients receiving a botulinum toxin injection for any reason - cosmetic or medical - should be told to seek immediate care if they suffer symptoms of botulism, including: difficulty swallowing or breathing, slurred speech, muscle weakness, or difficulty holding up their head.
"I think people should be aware there's a potential for this to happen," Katz said. "People should be on the lookout for it."
Fridays warning came two weeks after the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to strengthen warnings to users of Botox and Myobloc - citing 180 reports of U.S. patients suffering fluid in the lungs, difficulty swallowing or pneumonia, including 16 deaths.
Nor is it the first warning. The drug labels do warn about the potential for botulinum toxin to spread beyond the injection site and occasionally kill, but the warnings link that side effect to patients with certain neuromuscular diseases, such as myasthenia gravis.
That is what is different about these latest cases, said FDAs Katz: The botulism toxin seems to be harming people who do not have that particular risk factor. (Cerebral palsy involves a brain injury, not a disease.)
Still, the FDA cautioned that its investigation is in the early stages. It has asked Botox maker Allergan Inc. and Myobloc maker Solstice Neurosciences Inc. to provide additional safety records.
Allergan spokeswoman Caroline Van Hove said children with cerebral palsy receive far larger doses injected into their leg muscles than the doses given adults seeking wrinkle care.
In a statement, Solstice said it supports FDA probe but stressed that the agency has not concluded the drug poses any new risk.
While the FDA said the problems may be related to overdoses, it also has reports of side effects with a variety of doses.
Public Citizens Dr. Sidney Wolfe criticized FDAs warning as falling short. He asked that the agency order a black-box warning, the FDAs strongest type, be put on the drug labels and require that every patient receive a pamphlet outlining the risk before each injection.
"Every doctor needs to notified about this, every patient needs to be notified," Wolfe said. "Children are showing the way, unfortunately some dead children."
He said drug regulators in Britain and Germany last year required that sterner warnings be sent to every doctor in those countries.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPIcKUvnY5taSrr2y_KWPTml4gSAD8UMN7K01
Even when it is administered properly, Botox is hazardous. In addition, injections must be repeated multiple times. To make matters even worse, a trend has developed that seeks to beat the high cost of the treatments by having Botox parties whereby individuals get together and give each other injections. This is a very foolish choice, as the botulinum can easily be introduced to unintended muscles and can result in paralysis of them, including muscles associated with swallowing and breathing. This has even happened in the hands of a professional who may not have had the necessary experience to give proper treatments.
There are much safer, more effective, and more natural ways to fight wrinkles. Many natural skin care companies using organic botanicals have excellent lines of products specifically designed to diminish the appearance wrinkles without exposing you to poisons or caustic chemicals. And, of course, putting healthy foods in your body and keeping it well-hydrated with filtered water will certainly have a positive effect on the outward appearance of your skin as well.
FDA Links Anti-Wrinkle Drugs to Deaths
By LAURAN NEERGAARD - 1 day ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - The popular anti-wrinkle drug Botox and a competitor have been linked to dangerous botulism symptoms in some users, cases so bad that a few children given the drugs for muscle spasms have died, the government warned Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration warning includes both Botox, a wrinkle-specific version called Botox Cosmetic, and its competitor, Myobloc, drugs that all use botulinum toxin to block nerve impulses, causing them to relax.
In rare cases, the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening the muscles used for breathing and swallowing, a potentially fatal side effect, the FDA said.
Botox is best known for minimizing wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles - but botulinum toxin also is widely used for a variety of muscle-spasm conditions, such as cervical dystonia or severe neck spasms.
The FDA said the deaths it is investigating so far all involve children, mostly cerebral palsy patients being treated for spasticity in their legs. The FDA has never formally approved that use for the drugs, but some other countries have.
However, the FDA warned that it also is probing reports of illnesses in people of all ages who used the drugs for a variety of conditions, including at least one hospitalization of a woman given Botox for forehead wrinkles.
The FDA wouldn't say exactly how many reports it is probing.
"We're not talking hundreds. It is a relative handful," said Dr. Russell Katz, FDA neurology chief.
But the agency warned that patients receiving a botulinum toxin injection for any reason - cosmetic or medical - should be told to seek immediate care if they suffer symptoms of botulism, including: difficulty swallowing or breathing, slurred speech, muscle weakness, or difficulty holding up their head.
"I think people should be aware there's a potential for this to happen," Katz said. "People should be on the lookout for it."
Fridays warning came two weeks after the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to strengthen warnings to users of Botox and Myobloc - citing 180 reports of U.S. patients suffering fluid in the lungs, difficulty swallowing or pneumonia, including 16 deaths.
Nor is it the first warning. The drug labels do warn about the potential for botulinum toxin to spread beyond the injection site and occasionally kill, but the warnings link that side effect to patients with certain neuromuscular diseases, such as myasthenia gravis.
That is what is different about these latest cases, said FDAs Katz: The botulism toxin seems to be harming people who do not have that particular risk factor. (Cerebral palsy involves a brain injury, not a disease.)
Still, the FDA cautioned that its investigation is in the early stages. It has asked Botox maker Allergan Inc. and Myobloc maker Solstice Neurosciences Inc. to provide additional safety records.
Allergan spokeswoman Caroline Van Hove said children with cerebral palsy receive far larger doses injected into their leg muscles than the doses given adults seeking wrinkle care.
In a statement, Solstice said it supports FDA probe but stressed that the agency has not concluded the drug poses any new risk.
While the FDA said the problems may be related to overdoses, it also has reports of side effects with a variety of doses.
Public Citizens Dr. Sidney Wolfe criticized FDAs warning as falling short. He asked that the agency order a black-box warning, the FDAs strongest type, be put on the drug labels and require that every patient receive a pamphlet outlining the risk before each injection.
"Every doctor needs to notified about this, every patient needs to be notified," Wolfe said. "Children are showing the way, unfortunately some dead children."
He said drug regulators in Britain and Germany last year required that sterner warnings be sent to every doctor in those countries.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPIcKUvnY5taSrr2y_KWPTml4gSAD8UMN7K01
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