Natural Ways to Beat the Flu

Today's article gives some practical methods of naturally preventing the flu that take a very holistic approach to wellness and disease prevention in general. Despite all the propaganda about flu shots, the truth is that they expose people to dangerous toxins and simply don't work very well to boot. Living a lifestyle that includes healthy choices such as stress management techniques, a nutritious organic diet, plenty of pure water, enough quality sleep, and supplementation with herbs and vitamins is the only approach that ever has or ever will keep us well, whether we are fighting the flu or any other type of illness.

As we come to the end of '08 and turn the page on a new calendar, it is important to reemphasize that our health is directly related to the choices we make on a daily basis. Perhaps if we can learn to take on the necessary changes needed to improve our health on a "one day at a time" approach, we can begin to develop the consistency that will lead to a lifestyle of wellness. When weighing all the demands on our time and finances, it is important to remember that there is nothing more valuable in this world than our spiritual and physical health. I wish you all a blessed and healthful New Year that is filled with the joy of living well.



Reduction in Stress Can Save You from the Flu
by Deanna Dean, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) There is a host of conclusive studies indicating something as simple as reducing stress could save you from a nasty cold or debilitating flu this season. We all know about recommendations to wash our hands often, get enough sleep and drink fluids, but Dr. Sheldon Cohen, PhD, a leading expert on stress related illnesses, has concluded from studies that the singular strategy to keep your immune system and general health strong and avoid catching a cold or the flu, is to reduce stress.

He says 25 years of research in this area shows conclusively that there is a distinct connection between stress and infection. Biologically, stress raises blood levels of cortisol, an important hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. Cortisol is involved in many important bodily functions, but when high blood levels of cortisol are maintained from chronic stress for prolonged periods of time, the negative consequences are dire on many fronts- cognitive impairment, high blood pressure, thyroid suppression, decreased bone density and muscle tissue, increase in abdominal fat, and, a compromised immune system. Stress makes it harder for your body to naturally fight off infections. One of the best strategies to stay healthy and flu-free this holiday season is to lower stress and engage in activities that have proven to lower stress levels like prayer, meditation, exercise, deep breathing exercises and spending time outside enjoying nature.

No one doubts that we live in a stress laden world, which may explain why Prozac and Valium are two of the most prescribed drugs today that can leave the user with unsavory side effects. Alternative physicians encourage a natural approach suggesting the addition of herbs and dietary supplements to help lower your body's response to stress and keep your immune system strong.

Proven to boost immune response to invading viruses are herbs called nervines which act as nerve tonics to feed, strengthen, regulate and rehabilitate frazzled nerves. Holy Basil is one recommended by Dr.James LaValle PhD, ND, CCN, author and founding director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute. He says it's important to get products that are standardized because they will have consistent amounts of the active ingredients. He mentions that Holy Basil should have a standardization of 1-2.5% ursolic acid.

There are many herbs known to have calming effects. Among them are: Blue Vervain- allays fevers in virus colds, Damania- serves as a tonic for the nervous system, Spearmint- used to soothe nerves, Valerian-can serve as a substitute for Valium, and Scullcap-considered one of the best nerve tonics.

Garlic has been used throughout recorded history as a medicinal aid. It's an excellent herb for maintaining health. According to recently published summaries from Oxford, one of its most potent health benefits includes its ability to enhance the body's immune cell activity.

Vitamins are important as well. When distress attacks our adrenal glands the main nutrient, pantothenic acid, is burned away. Pantothenic acid, vitamin B-5, is known as an anti-stress vitamin. However, when we're under stress there is an increased need for the full spectrum of B-complex vitamins. They work best synergistically, meaning they work best when taken together rather than isolating one particular B vitamin. Also, they are water soluble and any excess is excreted and not stored in the body, so they have to be replaced daily. One thing to keep in mind during the holidays when a few of us might over indulge, is over consumption of alcohol and sugar destroys vitamin B.

Vitamin C and Zinc have long been touted as essential supplements when you experience the first sniffles, but there are controversies still surrounding their effectiveness in fighting the common cold. Nevertheless, Dr. Cohen says, "These nutrients do work better when we're not fighting uphill against stress-induced immunity suppression."

Diet of course plays a key role in diminishing stress and boosting the immune system. Eat a natural, unprocessed, balanced diet to avoid deficiencies that add undue stress to the body systems. If you exercise strenuously, eat healthy, unrefined carbohydrates in order to reduce a blood level increase in the stress hormone mentioned earlier, cortisol, and to limit the degree of exercise induced immune depression.

There are many strategies we can adopt to avoid the flu this season, but the one act of reducing stress can be the simple approach that will keep your immune system strong and protect your health.

http://www.naturalnews.com/z025122.html

Common Cancer Screen Prone to Errors

The colonoscopy has long been recommended for people over the age of 50 and for younger individuals who have a history of colon cancer in their family, and is in fact one of the most commonly performed tests in America. While it can be a valuable tool when used appropriately, there is evidence that a disturbingly high percentage of these procedures fail to find cancer or the precursors that could indicate a risk for colon cancer. If you choose to undergo a colonoscopy, be sure to have it done by a provider who has a lot of experience, and a proven track record for safety and the ability to properly interpret the results.

While there is some valuable information in the article below, it is inaccurately titled, as a colonoscopy is not actually a preventative measure. The only way to prevent colon cancer is to practice a lifestyle of wellness that includes a whole foods based diet that is heavy on foods such as organic raw fruits and vegetables. It is also important to maintain good colon health by drinking plenty of pure water and regularly cleaning the colon using a quality oxygen-based cleanser. Exercise also helps to promote regularity, another way to keep the colon operating efficiently and thus prevent disease as well. The health of the colon/digestive tract is one of the primary issues that will dictate whether we are living well or simply existing in a state of disease. It is also where 75-80% of the immune system is located. Only a healthy digestive tract can properly absorb nutrients and remove waste from the body. You may want to consider doing a colon cleanse followed by the Optimum Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse to start the New Year, especially if you have overindulged in rich or unhealthy foods over the Holidays.


Colonoscopy Only Prevents 60% of Colon Cancer Cases

Washington (dbTechno) - According to a new study, having a colonoscopy come back negative does not mean you do not have colon cancer in some cases, as it has been found that the screening can possibly contain errors, missing some colon cancer cases.

A new Canadian study was published this week in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, and focused on the effectiveness of the colonoscopy screening for colon cancer.

What they found may surprise you, as the screening, which is commonly recommended, may not be as accurate as once thought.

Researchers carried out the study on patients to see if the screening could successfully detect colon cancer.

They discovered that the screening was not effective in finding cancer in the right side of the colon.

Colon cancer in this area is very hard to detect, and can prove to be deadly.

Overall, the colonoscopy screenings missed the majority of the cancers on the right side, and over 30% of cancers in the left side of the colon.

Doctors now believe these screenings may prevent around 60% of colon cancer cases, rather than the 90% originally believed.

http://www.dbtechno.com/health/2008/12/18/update-colonoscopy-only-prevents-60-of-colon-cancer-cases/

My, How Times Have Changed

As we enter Christmas week, I thought a light-hearted (no pun intended) look at how our societal views regarding body weight have changed might be fun. From an historical perspective, it is interesting to see how the scale has migrated from a novelty in the family room to the privacy of the bathroom. This article also seemed timely to me because when you review the health news highlights of the past year, 2008 might be labeled the "Year of Obesity." Back in the 1800's, the majority of people, other than the wealthy, still did physical labor and ate a fairly simple diet based on homegrown, whole foods for the most part. Obesity was not an issue, as it is in today's world of fast-food restaurants and lethargy.

However, as with most things in this day and age, it is not all that cut and dried. Yes, we have created a monster of disease and poor health with our modern diets and lifestyles. Yes, Americans are sadly obese as a whole. So the obvious answer to these concerns is lifestyle changes that lead towards wellness, right? Of course this is true, but in the wacky world of Big Pharma and commercial "medicine," more press has been given to drugs that allow people to eat whatever they want and skimp on exercise (and still lose weight) and other obesity "solutions" such as fad diet products that promise fitness but only expose individuals to more health risks. In addition, we have governmental agencies that are increasingly tolerant of genetically modified foods and who have an agenda to block natural supplements and make it difficult for citizens to get their hands on any real food at all. So, enjoy the article below, but also keep in mind that as we enter the New Year, the battle for healthcare freedoms is becoming more and more of an issue. If we as individuals and as a Nation are to find wellness, we must have access to the nutritional building blocks that are needed in order to accomplish this goal.


Once Upon A Time, Scales Were Displayed In Parlors, Not Hidden In Bathrooms
15 Dec 2008

Stepping onto a scale after a calorie-filled holiday season isn't an activity many 21st-century Americans relish.

But in the late 19th century, scales were all the rage at festive gatherings - the 1800s' answer to Guitar Hero.

"A family would think it fun to weigh themselves before and after a big holiday dinner to see how much they had gained," said Deborah I. Levine, Ph.D., an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Modeling Interdisciplinary Inquiry Fellowship Program in the Humanities and Social Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

"Knowing your weight was a novelty, a kind of parlor trick, before scales became widely available through mass production," said Levine.

Instead of being hidden away in a bathroom, home scales in the late 19th century often resided in prominent places in parlors, where family and guests would gather to socialize, likely alongside other popular 19th-century devices for body measurement. They were garbed to fit in their elaborately decorated environments.

"Parlor scales, which use the same technology that many doctors' office scales use today, often were made with highly polished wood, with inlay designs and semi-precious stones," Levine said.

However, in the early 20th century, attitudes about weight evolved. Medical and life insurance industries set weight "norms" for healthy individuals, and Americans began to see being over- or underweight as hazardous.

A person's weight became more than just a number, Levine said. It was health information, and having too big or too small a figure could mean serious consequences. A fun fact to be shared and compared among family and friends was transformed into a statement about a person's health and even moral character.

As the public's perception of weight changed, so did scales' places in fine society, Levine said. They were banished from their lofty spots in parlors to kitchens and finally, to bathrooms. Sequestered scales no longer needed to impress, and their ornate decorations gave way to the plain white or gray often seen today.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=133005

Homemade Salad Dressing for Holiday Dinner? Try Adding Honey

I ran across this article, and thought it would be an interesting follow up to our discussion earlier in the week on this blog of honey as an alternative to sugar. The article is actually adapted from a press release directed towards salad dressing manufacturers, but it gives some interesting insight as to why honey can be so beneficial to our health. For example, the antioxidant properties that act to preserve the salad dressing are also at work in our bodies when we consume honey. Free radicals are so abundant in our modern diets and lifestyles that the more antioxidants we take in through raw foods, the better off we are. High quality, organic honey, especially if locally grown, also provides needed minerals and vitamins, and acts to prevent and treat many common allergies as well.

If you are looking for something different to serve to your guests this year, offer them a generous salad made of fresh and colorful organic vegetables, nuts, flaxseed, or any number of healthy condiments, and top it off with some homemade salad dressing made with honey, organic raw apple cider vinegar, and a healthy oil such as organic extra-virgin olive oil or organic flax seed oil. You can experiment and come up with your own recipe. Who knows, you may have the makings of a new holiday tradition on your hands!


Honey Adds Health Benefits, Is Natural Preservative And Sweetener In Salad Dressings
10 Dec 2008

Antioxidant-rich honey is a healthy alternative to chemical additives and refined sweeteners in commercial salad dressings, said a new University of Illinois study.

"To capitalize on the positive health effects of honey, we experimented with using honey in salad dressings," said Nicki Engeseth, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry. "We found that the antioxidants in honey protected the quality of the salad dressings for up to nine months while sweetening them naturally."

Engeseth's study substituted honey for EDTA, an additive used to keep the oils in salad dressings from oxidizing, and high-fructose corn syrup, used by many commercial salad-dressing producers to sweeten their salad dressing recipes.

"We chose clover and blueberry honeys for the study after an analysis of the sweetening potential, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profiles of 19 honeys with varying characteristics," said the scientist.

The dressings were also compared to a control dressing that contained ingredients found in current commercial salad dressings, she said.

Engeseth explained a problem the scientists encountered in using honey in a salad dressing system. "Salad dressings are emulsions - they contain oil and water; and to keep these ingredients together in one phase, manufacturers rely on emulsifiers and thickening agents to avoid thinning of the dressing and separation of the oil and water phase," she said.

When the researchers found that enzymes in the honey broke the emulsion by attacking the starch that was used to thicken the dressing, they came up with a new formulation that used xanthan gum as a thickening agent, which they then used in all the dressings, she said.

The researchers then stored the dressings under various conditions, including 37 degrees Celsius (accelerated storage) for six weeks and 23 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius for one year, followed by an evaluation of their oxidative stability.

"After nine months of storage, both types of honey were as effective as EDTA in protecting against oxidation or spoilage. Blueberry honey performed slightly better than clover," she said.

Engeseth said that many consumers prefer products with natural ingredients and that salad dressings made with honey should appeal to these consumers.

"There's such a wide range of salad dressings on the market--some unique salad dressings as well as inexpensive products that perform beautifully. If manufacturers are interested in developing salad dressings that have a healthy twist, we've demonstrated that using honey as both an antioxidant and a sweetener is one way to do this," she said.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=132503

Regular Sleep Boosts Immune System

A new study bolsters evidence that getting enough quality sleep at night can act as a preventative measure by strengthening immune system activity to stop disease from occurring or to knock out potential infections that are present. Our bodies operate best when we act in agreement with the natural circadian rhythms triggered by daylight / darkness cycles.

As more and more is learned about the purposes of sleep, we see that this daily period of rest is critical for rebuilding and restoring virtually all systems of the body. It is also a time when many waste products are purged from the body, a necessary function in order for us to stay healthy. There's no way around it. Choosing to incorporate regular sleep into your lifestyle is not optional if you want to pursue maximum wellness.


Immune System Works Better at Night
Monday, December 15, 2008; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A good night's sleep really does a sick body good, new research says.

Stanford University research with fruit flies reveals that the immune system fights invading bacteria the hardest at night and the least during the day. The findings were to be presented Sunday at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting, in San Francisco.

"These results suggest that immunity is stronger at night, consistent with the hypothesis that circadian proteins upregulate restorative functions such as specific immune responses during sleep, when animals are not engaged in metabolically costly activities," Stanford researcher Mimi Shirasu-Hiza said in a news release issued by the conference organizers.

Circadian rhythm paces the human body as well as the fruit fly, running internal clock's time for eating and rest every day.

The researchers noted that previous experiments with flies found that bacterial infection threw off the insects' circadian rhythm, and not having this internal clock working properly made them highly susceptible to infection.

In this experiment, the researchers infected the flies with two different bacteria at different times of day or night. Those infected at night were more likely to survive than those infected during the day. The researchers also detected low "phagocytic" activity -- the body's innate immune response -- in flies with a corrupt circadian clock.

SOURCE: American Society for Cell Biology, news release, Dec. 14, 2008

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121500907_pf.html

More information
The National Sleep foundation has more about How Sleep Works: 101 Ways to Get a Great Night's Sleep

Sweets Can Be Habit-Forming

Princeton University researchers have discovered that sugar, one of the main components of the typical American diet, may have addictive properties similar to many drugs. The consumption of sweet foods increases for many people during the holiday season, but the truth is that most Americans consume way too much sugar all year round. This dietary habit leads to a multitude of health problems including diabetes, a weakened immune system, and malnutrition due to empty sugar calories replacing more nutritious foods.

Kicking the sugar habit is a very positive step that I highly recommend, especially as the New Year approaches. Try replacing sugar with a quality, locally grown honey, or stevia. But even honey and other natural alternatives to sugar should be used in moderation. Some people find that when quitting sugar it is best to avoid all sweeteners for a period of time and allow your body to adjust and get used to being without sweets. By all means, never stoop to using artificial sweeteners, as these substances are very toxic to the body. If you do whatever it takes to become free of sugar, you will be taking a major step towards overall wellness.


Study Suggests Sugar May Be Addictive
Finding might yield new insights into eating disorders, experts say
Posted December 10, 2008
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Science is verifying what many overeaters have suspected for a long time: sugar can be addictive.

In fact, the sweetener seems to prompt the same chemical changes in the brain seen in people who abuse drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting, in Nashville.

"Our evidence from an animal model suggests that bingeing on sugar can act in the brain in ways very similar to drugs of abuse," lead researcher Bart Hoebel, a professor of psychology at Princeton University, said during a Dec. 4 teleconference.

"Drinking large amounts of sugar water when hungry can cause behavioral changes and even neurochemical changes in the brain which resemble changes that are produced when animals or people take substances of abuse. These animals show signs of withdrawal and even long-lasting effects that might resemble craving," he said.

Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, added: "The big question has been whether it's just a behavioral thing or is it a metabolic chemical thing, and evidence like this supports the idea that something chemical is going on."

A "sugar addiction" may even act as a "gateway" to later abuse of drugs such as alcohol, Hoebel said.

The stages of addiction, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, include bingeing, withdrawal and craving.

For the new research, rats were denied food for 12 hours a day, then were given access to food and sugar (25 percent glucose and 10 percent sucrose, similar to a soft drink) for 12 hours a day, for three to four weeks.

The bingeing released a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine each time in the part of the brain involved in reward, the nucleus accumbens. "It's been known that drugs of abuse release or increase the levels of dopamine in that part of the brain," Hoebel said.

But it wasn't only the sugar that caused this effect, Hoebel explained -- it was the sugar combined with the alternating schedule of deprivation and largesse. After three weeks, the rats showed signs of withdrawal similar to those seen when people stop smoking or drinking alcohol or using morphine.

The scientists next blocked the animals' brain endorphins and found withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, behavioral depression and a drop in dopamine levels. In other words, they confirmed a neurochemical link with the rats' behavior.

But longer periods of abstinence didn't "cure" the rats. Instead, there were long-lasting effects with the animals: They ingested more sugar than before, as if they were craving the substance and, without sugar, they drank more alcohol.

The researchers speculated that some of these brain changes may also occur in people with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, although more research needs to be done to confirm the effects in humans.

"Some say it's easy to lose weight -- you just have to shut your mouth, stop eating so much," Aronne said. "I tell them a good way to overcome global warming is if people made less carbon dioxide by breathing less. Obviously, that's absurd. You can't do it because you feel uncomfortable.

"The same thing is true of eating," he added. "Fattening food has an impact on the regulating mechanism that breaks down your sense of fullness, makes you feel an urge to go back and get that blast of sugar and this creates the vicious cycle of weight gain that we're going through."

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/10/study-suggests-sugar-may-be-addictive_print.htm

Panic in Big Pharma Land

Today's article caught my eye because it is very representative of the type of pretzel logic used by drug firms, the FDA, and many conventional healthcare providers. I can almost picture executives and public relations people from the pharmaceutical companies huddled around a conference table to deal with this potentially disastrous crisis: "The public has too much information about the drugs we sell them!"

Almost 75% of Americans who were surveyed are concerned about the safety of prescription drugs, and the industry is scrambling before the bottom drops out of their cash cow. Perhaps one of the most telling revelations in the article below is the opinion of drug industry insiders that this lack of confidence in prescription drug safety is likely to be short-lived. How they could come to such a conclusion is anyone's guess, but I suppose with all their marketing gurus and plants in the media and Big Government, they are certain that people will once again come to their senses and line up passively for their medications without questioning why these toxic substances are ruining the health and even taking the lives of so many millions every year.

The reality is not that we have too much information, but rather not enough. The way drug studies are skewed and compromised by funding from questionable sources that scream conflict of interest, many hazards are hidden, and the ones that are disclosed are downplayed and minimized. Articles such as the one below are dispatched by the media in a deliberate attempt to scare the public into continuing consumption of pharmaceuticals despite the alarming statistics that prove they are extremely unsafe.


Wall Street Journal Examines Potential Harm in Providing Too Much Drug Safety Information

The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined how "consumers are receiving a flood of safety information about the drugs they take -- so much that it risks scaring some people."

According to the Journal, a recent "series of prescription medication scares" has prompted the media, consumer advocacy groups and FDA to release more information regarding the safety of prescription medications. However, the proliferation of such information "might overwhelm patients and raise undue alarm," according to some medical professionals. The Journal warns that patients "may forget about the benefits of a medication if they focus only on risk," and "the health consequences associated with stopping a medication ... may be far worse than the possibility of a side effect."

According to a Pfizer survey conducted in March of 300 medical professionals, 89% of respondents said they were at least somewhat concerned that patients would stop taking medications if potentially negative safety information was released too early. In addition, a 2008 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health and USA Today found that 27% of U.S. residents feel "very confident" in the safety of prescription drugs sold in the U.S. and a little more than half feel that drug companies do enough to test and monitor drug safety. However, drug industry officials say the skepticism regarding drug safety might only be temporary, the Journal reports.

Drug industry experts say that one potential problem is that many patients take "safe" to mean virtually no risk, Timothy Lesar, director of Clinical Pharmacy Services at Albany Medical Center and a member of FDA's drug safety advisory committee, said. He said, "There are no guarantees and there are always risks," adding, "If we're going to take risk, we need to make sure there are benefits here."

Efforts at Clarity
Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Wyeth and Johnson & Johnson are "ramping up efforts to be more open about drug safety," and FDA also is "taking steps to continue alerting consumers about drug-safety issues while trying not to cause unnecessary worry," the Journal reports. According to FDA drug safety official Paul Seligman, FDA intends to change its early notification letters about drug-safety concerns to list the number of adverse events that have occurred compared with the number of people taking the drug and post such concerns on WebMD.

Seligman said that the effects of providing more safety information are not yet clear, adding that FDA plans to study consumers' reactions and use of safety information. He said, "We're always aware and want to strive to make sure that this (safety) information is provided in a way that outweighs any unintended consequences" (Wang, Wall Street Journal, 12/9).

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=55992

Doctor's Orders: Do They Follow Their Own Advice?

According to a newly released survey, only about 4 out of 10 healthcare professionals chose to get a flu shot last year. The next time a physician recommends a treatment to you, especially if it has potentially hazardous side effects (as most do in modern medicine), you might ask them if they would do the same if they were the patient, and if not, why not. If you are fortunate enough to have an open relationship with your provider -- as we all should -- he or she may just take off the "doctor" hat and tell you person to person their own true opinion, rather than what the HMO, drug company, or medical board often tutor them to say.

Our own wellness, and that of our family's, is something each of us should be personally responsible for. It is up to us to proactively learn how to best maintain our health and avoid disease. Part of this plan should include a relationship with a healthcare professional that knows us and knows what course is most beneficial for our specific needs. It is best to work with someone who shares your own healthcare philosophy -- hopefully one that focuses on prevention through the use of nutrition and other wellness-related lifestyle choices.


Sixty Percent of Doctors Refuse to Get Flu Shots
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, December 9, 2008

If flu shots are so good for you, then why do sixty percent of doctors and nurses refuse to get them? ABC News is reporting that only forty percent of health care professionals opted to be vaccinated against the flu last year.

It's yet another case of health professionals telling patients to do one thing while they do something entirely different themselves. For example, according to surveys published earlier this year, most oncologists would never undergo chemotherapy.

Many doctors take vitamins and nutritional supplements, but they won't tell their patients to do the same because state medical boards have made it illegal for doctors to recommend nutritional therapies.

Thus, much of what medical professionals tell patients stands in contradiction to what they actually believe is best for their health. Flu shots have become the mad cry of quackery in modern medicine, which believes that the human immune system is useless to prevent infectious disease and must be artificially hijacked by invasive medical procedures (a shot) in order to function correctly.

Interestingly, related research just announced today reveals that half a flu shot produces the same results as a full flu shot. But they didn't test the "no flu shot but extra vitamin D" option, which would have been ever better.

Flu shots are pure quackery combined with clever hucksterism. And if you don't believe me, just check the medical records of the doctors themselves: Most of them aren't getting flu shots in the first place. Doctors aren't stupid people. If they're not getting flu shots, that tells you probably they think it's a waste of time.

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000597_flu_shots_medical_myths_doctors.html

Boost Heart Health with Raw Nuts

A recent Spanish study has indicated that eating a relatively small amount of certain types of nuts daily can -- when combined with other healthy dietary choices -- significantly reduce risk for factors such as visceral (belly) fat, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Many nuts are a wonderful food source, packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. I found the article below to be somewhat balanced, reminding readers that nuts alone will not solve their health issues. However, one thing they failed to mention is that for nuts to do their job at helping us stay well, they must be consumed raw. If they are roasted or cooked in any way, most of the health benefits are lost, and in fact cooked nuts can produce free-radical damage instead of acting as an antioxidant like raw nuts do. We must also be aware of the fact that many foods are now irradiated, including almonds, for example. In my opinion, this makes foods unsafe. So, as with all health tips, keep this "nutty" advice in perspective. Making it a part of an overall nutritional plan may help you to meet your wellness goals.


Scientists find nutty risk reducer: Eat more nuts
By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Mon Dec 8, 8:59 pm ET

CHICAGO -- Here's a health tip in a nutshell: Eating a handful of nuts a day for a year -- along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish -- may help undo a collection of risk factors for heart disease.

Spanish researchers found that adding nuts worked better than boosting the olive oil in a typical Mediterranean diet. Both regimens cut the heart risks known as metabolic syndrome in more people than a low-fat diet did.

"What's most surprising is they found substantial metabolic benefits in the absence of calorie reduction or weight loss," said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

In the study, appearing Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the people who improved most were told to eat about three whole walnuts, seven or eight whole hazelnuts and seven or eight whole almonds. They didn't lose weight, on average, but more of them succeeded in reducing belly fat and improving their cholesterol and blood pressure.

Manson, who wasn't involved in the study, cautioned that adding nuts to a Western diet --one packed with too many calories and junk food -- could lead to weight gain and more health risks. "But using nuts to replace a snack of chips or crackers is a very favorable change to make in your diet," Manson said.

The American Heart Association says 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome, a combination of health risks, such as high blood pressure and abdominal obesity. Finding a way to reverse it with a diet people find easy and satisfying would mean huge health improvements for many Americans, Manson said.

Nuts help people feel full while also increasing the body's ability to burn fat, said lead author Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain.

"Nuts could have an effect on metabolic syndrome by multiple mechanisms," Salas-Salvado said in an e-mail. Nuts are rich in anti-inflammatory substances, such as fiber, and antioxidants, such as vitamin E. They are high in unsaturated fat, a healthier fat known to lower blood triglycerides and increase good cholesterol.

More than 1,200 Spaniards, ranging in age from 55 to 80, were randomly assigned to follow one of three diets. They were followed for a year. The participants had no prior history of heart disease, but some had risk factors including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and abdominal obesity.

At the start, 751 people had metabolic syndrome, about 61 percent, distributed evenly among the three groups.

Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more of the following conditions: abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

The low-fat group was given basic advice about reducing all fat in their diets. Another group ate a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts. The third group ate a Mediterranean diet and was told to make sure they ate more than four tablespoons of olive oil a day.

Dietitians advised the two groups on the Mediterranean diet to use olive oil for cooking; increase fruit, vegetable and fish consumption; eat white meat instead of beef or processed meat; and prepare homemade tomato sauce with garlic, onions and herbs. Drinkers were told to stick with red wine.

After one year, all three groups had fewer people with metabolic syndrome, but the group eating nuts led the improvement, now with 52 percent having those heart risk factors. In the olive oil group, 57 percent had the syndrome. In the low-fat group, there was very little difference after a year in the percentage of people with the syndrome.

The nut-rich diet didn't do much to improve high blood sugar, but the large number of people with Type 2 diabetes -- about 46 percent of participants -- could be the reason, Salas-Salvado said. It's difficult to get diabetics' blood sugar down with lifestyle changes alone, he said.

To verify that study volunteers ate their nuts, researchers gave some of them a blood test for alpha-linolenic acid found in walnuts.

The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health and the government of Valencia, Spain.

Salas-Salvado and another co-author disclosed in the publication that they are unpaid advisers to nut industry groups. Salas-Salvado said all of their research "has been conducted under standard ethical and scientific rules" and that peer-review journal editors determined the study results were not influenced by food industry ties.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081209/ap_on_he_me/med_nuts_diet/print

Benefits of Exercise Reaffirmed in Recent Study

Just ask any mom. They know instinctually that exercise is a great way to cool down an angry child, and the same has always been true for adults as well. Stress management may look a bit different for kids and adults -- or at least the issues are different -- but physical activity is a very effective technique that aids both body and mind.

I find it a bit humorous that the media announces the finding that exercise helps with anger and weight loss as if it were the latest therapeutic discovery to come down the pike. Getting plenty of exercise on a daily basis is one of the foundational lifestyle choices that lead towards wellness. We should start our children on a workout routine as early as possible. The best way to do this is to lead by example and exercise regularly ourselves. Perhaps instituting a family exercise time might be a great idea for the upcoming new year.


Exercise helps overweight kids with anger
By Anne Harding
Wed Dec 3, 3:31 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Sedentary overweight children who start exercising after school become more fit -- and may also be less likely to slam doors, hit other children, and express their anger in other aggressive ways, researchers report.

"It may help children control their anger, and that might be because they're in a better mood because they don't get angry as much, and it might also be an aspect of self-control," Dr. Catherine L. Davis of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, the lead researcher on the study, told Reuters Health.

While there's no evidence that overweight kids are significantly more aggressive than their normal-weight peers, they are more likely to be bullied or to bully others.

Given that exercise is known to help improve mood and reduce hostility in adults, Davis and her colleagues set out to determine if it might have the same effect in overweight young people.

They randomized 208 overweight, sedentary 7- to 11-year-old public school students to a no-exercise control group, 20 minutes of exercise daily, or 40 minutes of exercise for 10 to 15 weeks. Both exercise groups were bussed to and from the research gym, and spent 75 minutes there daily.

Children in both exercise groups scored lower on the Anger Out and Anger Expression components of the so-called Pediatric Anger Expression Scale after they had completed the program. Scores did not change in the control group.

The exercisers also increased their fitness levels. The amount of time the exercise groups were able to walk on a treadmill rose from an average of 485 seconds to 551 seconds, while for the control group treadmill time stayed about the same. The more a child's fitness increased, the greater his or her reduction in anger expression.

Getting attention from the program staff, being punished for behaving aggressively while participating in the program, and even spending less time watching violent shows on TV could all have been factors in why the children in the exercise group showed reductions in anger expression, the researchers say.

However, Davis points out, she and her colleagues have shown that overweight children who exercise regularly have improved cognitive function, which could translate to better anger control.

To better understand the independent effect of physical activity, the researchers are now conducting a 5-year, $3.6 million study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in which the control group will also come to the research gym, but will do arts and crafts and other activities that don't require them to break a sweat.

SOURCE: Pediatric Exercise Science, November 2008.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081203/hl_nm/us_exercise_anger/print

FDA Forced to Address Dental Mercury

There's good news today about legal actions that have mandated the FDA to make an official statement regarding the hazards of mercury used in amalgam dental fillings. For years FDA denied the existence of any credible evidence proving such hazards, and therefore refused to issue a warning. Even this ruling falls short of a definitive statement warning all individuals of the mercury hazards, addressing only children and pregnant women. However, it is a positive step in the right direction.

As usual, if it meets their agenda, FDA lags far behind the trends that have already begun to change in our society. Most dentists nowadays offer amalgam-free fillings to their patients simply because people have become aware of the dangers of mercury and are requesting safer alternatives. Let's hope it won't take too much more legal strong arming to require a total ban on fillings that contain mercury and other heavy metals and that have been linked to numerous health problems.



FDA Reluctantly Admits Mercury Fillings Have Neurotoxic Effects on Children
by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) For the first time, the FDA has issued a warning that the mercury contained in silver dental fillings may pose neurological risks to children and pregnant women.

"Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," reads a statement that has been added to the agency's Web site. "Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner."

The warning was one of the conditions that the FDA agreed to in settling a lawsuit filed by several consumer health groups."

Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA's claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe," said Charles Brown, a lawyer for Consumers for Dental Choice, one of the plaintiffs.

"It's a watershed moment," said Michael Bender of the Mercury Policy Project, another plaintiff.

Mercury is a well-known neurotoxin that can cause cognitive and developmental problems, especially in fetuses and children. It can also cause brain and kidney damage in adults.

So-called dental amalgams, or fillings made with a mix of mercury and other metals, have been used since the 1800s. Although it is known that small amounts of mercury are vaporized (and can be inhaled) when the fillings are used to chew food, and though Canada, France and Sweden have all placed restrictions on the use of mercury fillings, the FDA has always insisted that amalgams are safe.

Dental amalgams are considered medical devices, regulated by the FDA.

Even the FDA's new warning stops short of admitting that dental amalgams are dangerous for the general population. Instead, it focuses on the same population that has already been warned to limit mercury exposure by consuming less seafood: children and pregnant women. The FDA says it does not recommend that those who already have mercury fillings get them removed.

Millions of people have received amalgam fillings, although their popularity has dropped off in recent years. Currently, only 30 percent of dental fillings contain mercury - the rest are tooth-colored resin composites made from glass, cement and porcelain. These alternative fillings are more expensive and less durable than amalgam, however.

In 2002, the FDA began a regulatory review of amalgam that was expected to be complete within a few years. In 2006, with the review still incomplete, an independent FDA advisory panel of doctors and dentists rejected the agency's position that there is no reason for concern about the use of amalgam. While the panel agreed that the majority of people receiving such fillings would not be harmed, panel members expressed concern for the health of certain sensitive populations, including children under the age of six.

The panel recommended that the FDA conduct further studies on the risks to children from dental amalgam, and that it consider a policy of informed consent for children and pregnant: that is, warning those groups of the risks associated with the fillings before installing them.

Part of the lawsuit centered on the FDA's failure to respond to these recommendations in a timely fashion.

"This is your classic failure to act," federal judge Ellen Segal Huvelle told the agency.

As part of the lawsuit settlement, the FDA must reach a final decision on the regulation of amalgam by July 28, 2009.

"This court settlement signals the death knell for mercury fillings," Brown predicted.But J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Ipsita Smolinski disagreed, saying that the FDA is unlikely to ban amalgam entirely.

"We do believe that the agency will ask for the label to indicate that mercury is an ingredient in the filling, and that special populations should be exempt from such fillings, such as: nursing women, pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised individuals," Smolinski said.

http://www.naturalnews.com/z024993.html

How Our Moods Affect Others

The idea of "the pursuit of happiness" may have been popularized in the Declaration of Independence, but according to a new study, our personal happiness is not a solo affair. It has been known for years that people who have many relationships with others are most likely to feel happy, but the other side of the coin is that my mood -- for good or bad -- can significantly impact the well-being of a large number of other individuals.

We are by nature social creatures, and we have been created to flourish best in a positive and healthy social network. I found this article to be especially appropriate for our current state of affairs here in America, and around the world as well. While we are facing some very real challenges in our economy, it is so easy to focus on the fear and the negativity that pervades the media day in and day out. Today's article shines some light on how happiness is not only an individual pursuit, but that it has a corporate aspect as well.

Perhaps we all need to take a thoughtful look at what we believe, speak, read, and listen to on a regular basis. It is also important to assess the types of people we surround ourselves with. Do we find ourselves more often in a positive, grateful mood, or is negativity and complaining more the norm? Just as we can impact the moods of others, so it is that we ourselves can be influenced too. Mental health is a critical part of overall wellness, and since we are all about prevention on this blog, perhaps some lessons can be learned here about avoiding depression and discontentment simply by monitoring what we allow our minds to absorb. As the study discussed in this article points out, there is more at stake than our own personal happiness.

Experiment. While out shopping, eating and/or socializing during this Christmas season, smile and greet people with a Merry Christmas! From my own experience, you will see sad and tired faces literally light up as they acknowledge your smile and friendliness. You will also find that your spirit and mood will be up-lifted as well.


Happy Contagion
05 Dec 2008

A laugh can be infectious. You don't need a sophisticated study to tell you that. But does this happy contagion vanish as quickly as a smile?

New research from James Fowler of UC San Diego and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School shows that happiness spreads far and wide through a social network traveling not just the well-known path from one person to another but even to people up to three degrees removed.

This holiday season, during gloomy economic times which, if things get dire enough, might be called a "depression" it is heartening to know, said Fowler, that "happiness spreads more robustly than unhappiness" and seems to have a greater effect than money.

The study is being published in the British Medical Journal."Scientists have been interested in happiness for a long time," said Fowler.

"They've studied the effect of everything from winning the lottery to losing your job to getting sick, but they never before considered the full effect of other people. We show that happiness can spread from person to person to person in a chain reaction through social networks."

"One of the key determinants of human happiness is the happiness of others," said Christakis.

"An innovative feature of our work was exploring the idea that emotions are a collective phenomenon and not just an individual one."

Christakis and Fowler used data from the Framingham Heart Study to recreate a social network of 4,739 people whose happiness was measured from 1983 to 2003. To assess the participants' emotional wellbeing, they relied on answers to four items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: "I felt hopeful about the future"; "I was happy"; "I enjoyed life"; and "I felt that I was just as good as other people.

"The research shows that happiness loves company. Happy people tend to cluster together, and, on the surface, people with more social contacts seem generally happier. Fowler and Christakis observe, however, that what matters there is not just the total number of connections but the number of happy ones.

On average, every happy friend increases your own chance of being happy by 9 percent. Each unhappy friend decreases it by 7 percent.

Happiness, the researchers found, spreads in a social network up to three degrees of separation: You are 15 percent more likely to be happy if directly connected to a happy person; 10 percent if it's the friend of a friend who is happy; and 6 percent if it's the friend of a friend of a friend.

Unhappiness also spreads, but not nearly as much.

"The effects we observe may not seem like much at first," said Fowler, "but consider that $5,000 extra dollars, in 1984, was associated with just a 2 percent increase in happiness and you see that the power of other people is incredible. Someone you don't know and have never met the friend of a friend of a friend can have a greater influence than hundreds of bills in your pocket.

"The structure of connections matters, too. "Remarkably," said Fowler, "where we sit in the social network has a big impact on how happy we are."

According to the study, individuals' happiness depends not only on how many friends they have but also on how many friends their friends have. In social-network terms, this is known as "centrality." And the more central a person is the better connected their friends or the wider the social circle the more likely they are to become happy. (The effect does not work the other way around: Becoming happy doesn't widen a social circle.)

Fowler and Christakis also looked at what happens to happiness with distance. When a friend who lives within a mile becomes happy, it increases the probability a person is happy by 25 percent. More distant friends have no significant effect. Similar effects are seen in siblings who live within a mile and in co-resident spouses versus distant siblings and distant spouses. Next-door neighbors have a significant effect, 34 percent, while neighbors further away, even on the same block, do not.

"We think the spread of emotion has a fundamental psychobiological aspect," said Christakis. "Physical personal interaction is necessary, so the effect decays with distance."

The effect also decays with time.

There are several practical implications to the work, not least of which, Fowler said, might be to take greater responsibility for your own happiness because it affects dozens of others. "The pursuit of happiness is not a solitary goal. We are connected, and so is our joy."

The study follows up on research by Fowler and Christakis published in the New England Journal of Medicine documenting social-network effects in obesity and smoking cessation.

The research is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging, a Pioneer Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a contract from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the Framingham Heart Study.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/131875.php

Too Little Sleep Increases Cancer Risk

It is encouraging to see the article below published in the mainstream media because it gives a very holistic perspective on disease prevention. Today's piece highlights a recent study that analyzes the cancer preventative matrix involving physical activity, sleep patterns, and certain types of cancer. As important as exercise is to overall wellness and prevention, not getting enough sleep can greatly reduce its benefits. When the circadian rhythms of the body are constantly on a roller coaster, the body will have a difficult time with repair and healing.

Just as poor habits work together to rob us of our health, so it is with healthy lifestyle patterns. Healthy nutrition, plenty of clean water, exercise, sufficient quality sleep, and other positive choices combine to produce a lifestyle that pursues wellness and minimizes the risk of disease. But don't get discouraged if you haven't "arrived" yet. Very few have it all down perfectly, but it is important to know what your health goals are. It is difficult to find your way in any area of life if you don't know your destination. For example, many health concerns would be alleviated by implementing a natural weight loss program to take off extra pounds. Extra weight walks hand-in-hand with a lot of disease. As we approach the New Year, I encourage you to set goals to improve your health and well-being, and to be very specific about what you must do in order to accomplish these goals successfully.


Exercise And Sleep Reduce Women's Cancer Risk
18 Nov 2008

A new US study of nearly 6,000 women found that while regular exercise appeared to reduced their risk of cancer, this benefit was likely to be lost if they did not get enough sleep.

The researchers presented their findings at the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research that is taking place in National Harbor, Maryland, this week. The press statement did not mention whether they intend to publish their findings in the AACR's peer-reviewed journal Cancer Research, or any other.

Lead author and cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute in the US, Dr James McClain said:

"Greater participation in physical activity has consistently been associated with reduced risk of cancer incidence at several sites, including breast and colon cancers."

"Short duration sleep appears to have opposing effects of physical activity on several key hormonal and metabolic parameters, which is why we looked at how it affected the exercise/cancer risk relationship," he added.

Scientists don't know exactly how exercise reduces cancer risk, but they suspect it is something to do with hormone levels and the immune system, and also because it affects body weight. In this study McClain and colleagues looked at the link between exercise and cancer, with particular attention to how not getting enough sleep might affect it.

While there are lots of studies looking at the links between sleep, exercise and health, not many are looking specifically at cancer, said the researchers in a press statement.

For the study the researchers used data taken from 5,968 cancer-free women aged 18 years and over who completed an initial survey in 1998 and were then monitored for nearly 10 years through State Cancer Registries in Washington County and Maryland.

From the questionnaire responses they compiled a measure of physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and assessed the link between this, sleep, and the incidence of overall, breast and colon cancer in the group of participants.

McClain said the findings suggest that:

"Sleep duration modifies the relationship between physical activity and all-site cancer risk among young and middle-aged women."

604 of the women showed a first incidence of breast cancer and there was a significantly lower risk of overall and breast cancer among the women in the higher 50 per cent of PAEE or physical exercise level.

Among the women aged 65 and under in the upper 50 per cent of PAEE, those who had less than 7 hours sleep a day had the higher overall cancer risk, suggesting that much of the cancer-preventive benefit that might come from doing more physical activity could be undermined by lack of sufficient sleep.

However, these results need to be confirmed by more research, which is what McClain and colleagues plan to do next, as well as explore in more detail what the underlying mechanisms could be that link sleep and exercise in the prevention of cancer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/129735.php

Hidden Sodium in "Healthy" Foods

Today's post gives an interesting perspective on how the American food industry replaces ingredients that have gotten a bad reputation (such as fat) with others that are also harmful to our health, like excessive amounts of salt. In an effort to appeal to consumers, many foods that are marketed as "healthy" (but in reality are still processed junk foods, for the most part) are laced with extra salt to boost their flavor. Ordinary table salt imposes a huge burden on the body. Because it is bleached and chemically stripped of everything that might be beneficial, it introduces additional toxins into the body that are difficult to be expelled completely. Next to animal fat, high levels of sodium is one of the most dangerous factors of the SAD (Standard American Diet).

The best way to avoid too much sodium is to choose a diet based on whole, natural foods (organic is always best) that are not processed or full of artificial ingredients and additives. Using Himalayan Crystal Ionic salt is also recommended, as this has the added benefit of providing many minerals that the body needs. Himalayan Crystal Salt contains 84 minerals along with trace elements that come alive when dissolved in water, and is then able to penetrate the human cell in a form that can be easily metabolized by the body and does not lead to dehydration the way that common salt can.


High Salt Levels Common in Many Foods
Tuesday, December 2, 2008; 12:00 AM

TUESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- There can be plenty of sodium -- commonly known as salt -- in foods that seem to be health-friendly, and shoppers should know that lower-fat foods can have much more sodium than full-fat products.

That's the finding of a report published online Monday by Consumer Reports magazine. Researchers analyzed 37 common supermarket items and found large amounts of sodium in unexpected places, including some products that don't even taste salty. For example: a cup of Kellogg's Raisin Brain cereal contains 350 milligrams of sodium; a half-cup of Friendship 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese has 360 milligrams of sodium; and a single Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain White Bagel has 440 milligrams of sodium.

Here are some other findings from the report:

Four strands of Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists have 200 milligrams of sodium, while four strands of Twizzlers Strawberry Licorice have 115 milligrams.

Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce has 430 milligrams of sodium per half cup. The product has an American Heart Association logo on the label, which means that saturated fat and cholesterol are restricted, but not that it's low in sodium.

Each pancake made, as directed, with Aunt Jemima Original Pancake and Waffle Mix contains 200 milligrams of sodium.

One cup of Heart Healthy V8 vegetable juice has 480 milligrams of sodium.

Some seemingly healthy fast food can contain high levels of sodium. For example, McDonald's Premium Caesar Salad with grilled chicken has about 890 milligrams of sodium, without dressing. A large order of fries has 350 milligrams of sodium.

"Our analysis found that lower-fat products might be higher in sodium. That's in part because when fat is taken out of full-fat foods, sodium is sometimes used to compensate for flavor," Jamie Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports, said in a news release.

Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (the amount in one teaspoon of table salt), according to dietary guidelines. Middle-aged and older people, those with high blood pressure, and black Americans should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day. But, the average American consumes 2,900 to 4,300 milligrams a day, the study authors said.

A high-sodium diet can increase the risk of high blood pressure (which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease) and also increase the risk of asthma, kidney stones, osteoporosis and stomach cancer. A 50 percent reduction in Americans' dietary sodium intake could save 150,000 lives a year, according to the American Medical Association.

"On average, Americans consume far more sodium than the recommended daily limit. Unfortunately, cutting back isn't easy because of the high levels of sodium in the many processed and prepared foods that Americans eat on a regular basis," Hirsh said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120201634_pf.html

Vitamin D Earning Respect in Mainstream Medicine

Vitamin D, one of the most crucial elements of human health, is receiving increased attention as more members of conventional medicine are beginning to understand and discuss its many benefits. The latest research indicates the importance of Vitamin D to cardiac health and related issues.

Most Americans have insufficient levels of Vitamin D in their bodies, and much of that is due to bad choices such as a poor diet and a lethargic lifestyle. The reality is that couch potatoes don't usually spend enough time outdoors, and the most useful form of Vitamin D is that made by our own bodies from exposure to sunlight.

Even wellness-minded people can find that they aren't getting enough Vitamin D, especially during the winter or if they live far from the equator. Supplementation with a quality Vitamin D product, especially one that supplies adequate D-3, is highly recommended.


Too Little Vitamin D Puts Heart at Risk
Research Suggests Vitamin D Deficiency May Be an Unrecognized Heart Disease Risk Factor

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC

Dec. 1, 2008 -- Getting too little vitamin D may be an underappreciated heart disease risk factor that's actually easy to fix.

Researchers say a growing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of heart disease and is linked to other, well-known heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

For example, several large studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other heart-related event during follow-up, compared with those with higher vitamin D levels.

"Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized, emerging cardiovascular risk factor, which should be screened for and treated," says researcher James H. O'Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., in a news release. "Vitamin D is easy to assess, and supplementation is simple, safe and inexpensive."

Most of the body's vitamin D requirements are met by the skin in response to sun exposure. Other less potent sources of vitamin D include foods such as salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, and vitamin D-fortified foods like milk and some cereals. Vitamin D can also be obtained through supplements.

Vitamin D Deficiency on the Rise

Vitamin D deficiency is traditionally associated with bone and muscle weakness, but in recent years a number of studies have shown that low levels of the vitamin may predispose the body to high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and chronic blood vessel inflammation (associated with hardening of the arteries). It also alters hormone levels to increase insulin resistance, which raises the risk of diabetes.

In a review article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers surveyed recent studies on the link between vitamin D deficiency and heart disease to come up with practical advice on screening and treatment.

They concluded that vitamin D deficiency is much more common than previously thought, affecting up to half of adults and apparently healthy children in the U.S.

Researchers say higher rates of vitamin D deficiency may be due in part to people spending more time indoors and efforts to minimize sun exposure through the use of sunscreens. Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 blocks approximately 99% of vitamin D synthesis by the skin.

"We are outside less than we used to be, and older adults and people who are overweight or obese are less efficient at making vitamin D in response to sunlight," says O'Keefe. "A little bit of sunshine is a good thing, but the use of sunscreen to guard against skin cancer is important if you plan to be outside for more than 15 to 30 minutes of intense sunlight exposure."

Testing for Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D levels can be measured with a blood test that looks at a specific form of vitamin D called 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D). Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a blood 25(OH)D level below 20 ng/dL. Normal levels are considered to be above 30 ng/dL.

Researchers recommend 25(OH)D screening for those with known risk factors for vitamin D deficiency including:

Older age
Darkly pigmented skin
Reduced sun exposure due to seasonal variation or living far from the equator
Smoking
Obesity
Kidney or liver disease

The U.S. government's current recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 200 international units (IU) per day for individuals under age 50. For those between 50 and 70, 400 IU per day is recommended, and for those over age 70, the RDA is 600 IU. Most experts believe these doses are too low, and that somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day is necessary to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. The safe upper limit of vitamin D consumption is 10,000 IU per day.

Vitamin D supplements are available in two different forms: Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Although both appear effective in raising vitamin D blood levels, Vitamin D3 supplements appear to result in a longer-lasting boost.

Although there are no current guidelines for restoring and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels in people at risk for heart disease, for those who are vitamin D deficient, the researchers recommend initial treatment with 50,000 IU of vitamin D2or D3 once a week for eight to 12 weeks, followed by maintenance with one of the following strategies:

50,000 IU vitamin D2or D3 every 2 weeks
1,000 to 2,000 IU vitamin D3 daily
Sunlight exposure for 10 minutes for white patients (longer for people with increased skin pigmentation) between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Once maintenance therapy has been initiated, rechecking 25(OH)D blood levels is recommended after three to six months of ongoing supplementation.

"Restoring vitamin D levels to normal is important in maintaining good musculoskeletal health, and it may also improve heart health and prognosis," says O'Keefe. "We need large, randomized, controlled trials to determine whether or not vitamin D supplementation can actually reduce future heart disease and deaths.”

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20081201/too-little-vitamin-d-puts-heart-at-risk?print=true

Beware of Some Skin Care Treatments

The market for treatments regarding skin care and skin disorders is huge, and there are many new "remedies" that have recently become available and are quite safe when used correctly. In the past on this blog, we have warned readers about the dangers of many cosmetic and personal skin care products that contain toxic chemicals. Today's post covers ELOS (Electrical Light Optical Synergy) and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) machines, and a recent case in New Zealand involving injury to a woman undergoing such treatments.

Apparently the training and certification given to operators of these machines varies greatly, as does the quality and safety of the equipment itself. The article also points out that certain medications can negatively affect ELOS treatments as well.

The skin is particularly vulnerable, as whatever substances are applied to this organ can go directly into the bloodstream and are quickly dispersed throughout the body. Newer procedures such as ELOS and IPL are usually safe and effective when properly administered; however, care must be taken when choosing this type of therapy. When dealing with any type of skin care, it is critical to research and make sure that the company offering the treatment has properly certified technicians and uses quality equipment. We must also remember that some people's skin is more sensitive because of diet, sun exposure, medications, cosmetics, etc. Thus, not everyone will react in the same manner nor should they all be treated alike. Before any type of skin treatment/therapy make sure that you tell the technician everything about your skin and be certain that you are getting treated by a reputable company. Ask for references. Also, if the pricing seems too good to be true, then check out other companies that are offering the same technique. Skincare therapy is really not a good place to "pinch" pennies.


Call for tight controls after scar therapy goes wrong
4:00AM Wednesday Nov 19, 2008
By Martin Johnston

The beauty therapy industry is calling for tighter controls after a woman who was treated for acne scars ended up with worse damage on her face.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rae Lamb yesterday made public her brief report on the case, in which she said the therapist breached the code of patients' rights on standard of care and informed consent.

The woman had asked the clinic about laser treatments for acne scars and a skin pigmentation disorder which had left dark patches on her cheeks.

She was treated with an ELOS machine (electrical light optical synergy). The next morning she found blisters and swelling where she had been treated.

She sought help from another beauty therapist and a doctor. The clinic apologised, refunded her fee and offered free treatments. She needed further assessment and treatment from a skin specialist.

The therapist had been trained in the use of the machine. She assessed the woman's skin type as highest risk for treatment with ELOS or the related intense pulsed light (IPL) machine.

The woman signed her consent to the therapy, but was "clearly unaware of the risks", Ms Lamb
said.

The consultation form listed medications that could cause problems with ELOS. The woman's acne was concurrently being treated with an antibiotic, but it did not appear the use of this medication was "satisfactorily explored".

Ms Lamb said the Association of Beauty Therapists had no guidelines on therapists' use of ELOS and IPL machines and the industry relied on the machines' distributors for training. The association's policy on IPL focused more on workplace safety than managing risks to clients.

"It appears that there is a need for adequate guidelines/standards regarding the use of ELOS and IPL equipment across the whole sector."

Association president Judy West said yesterday: "We have been really concerned. We are certainly looking into trying to make this more safe for the public." The established distributors provided good training, but many machines were obtained through the internet "and that's creating massive problems".

Russell Smith, owner of InTouch Medical, the distributor of a British IPL machine, said British and US machines cost $50,000 to $100,000. Chinese-made machines could be imported for $7000, but some were so poorly designed that patients could inadvertently be burned.

THE MACHINE
* Electrical light optical synergy (ELOS).
* Uses an adjustable combination of pulsed light and radio frequencies.
* A development of intense pulsed light (IPL), which uses only light.
* It is estimated there are up to 300 machines in use in New Zealand, mainly by beauty therapists.
* They are different from laser therapy.
* IPL can be used to remove hair, freckles and spider veins. ELOS can also treat acne.
* Beauty therapists, unlike nurses and doctors, are not regulated by statute.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10543799

Perfume = Air Pollution

Many individuals have an allergy or chemical sensitivity to ingredients in perfumes, colognes, and other fragrances. But today's article points out that even if a person does not have an allergic reaction to such chemicals, they are by nature toxic, and many are carcinogens as well. People who use these products create a hazard for those around them, and by applying perfumes to their skin they endanger themselves as well.

Indoor air pollution is a very serious problem. Due to the confined nature of interior air, the conditions inside our homes, offices, and automobiles are typically much worse than outside. Most homes are loaded with cleaning and personal care products that are also very toxic. Whether we are aware of bad reactions to these substances or not, it is wise to very carefully consider what we allow ourselves to be exposed to in our homes and places of work.

Many people like to use an essential oil hydrosol. They are very refreshing and up-lifting without being harmful or polluting the air. Rose Hydrosol is one of my personal favorites.


Co-Workers Can Sue Over Excessive Perfume in Workplace
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, November 29, 2008

A Judge has ruled that a lawsuit over workplace perfume filed by a Detroit city planner can proceed. The lawsuit alleges that perfume from a co-worker made Susan McBride unable to properly breathe, creating a hazardous work environment and making it difficult for her to complete her work.

The city of Detroit sought to have the lawsuit dismissed in court, but the Judge agreed with McBride that her difficulty in breathing with the excessive perfume did, indeed, qualify for protection under federal laws that protect the disabled from workplace discrimination.

That may seem like an odd law to invoke in this case (is McBride really "disabled" due to her difficulty in breathing?) but at least it is recognizing the reality of perfume toxicity.

Let's get straight to the real story here, folks: Perfume-wearing people are toxic to the world, and they create a toxic workplace filled with poisonous, cancer-promoting chemicals that cause healthy people to gasp for breath.

It mostly seems to be old ladies who slosh on the perfume, but it's also a few old men, and none of them seem to have any idea that their toxic scents can be detected a quarter-mile away, upwind!

That's because the senses of these perfume-wearing idiots have been burned out by years and years of chemical assault. They can't even smell their own perfume, so they slop on ever-increasing amounts of the stuff, completely oblivious to the fact that they're creating a toxic cloud of fumes emanating at least ten meters from their body in all directions. They stand in elevators, sit in meetings or walk down hallways, thinking, "Gee, I smell so pretty!" when, in reality, they smell like some disgruntled family member smashed a bottle of perfume over their thick skulls and they never bothered to wash it off.

Synthetic perfume chemicals cause cancer

These people also remain oblivious to the fact that perfumes contain cancer-causing chemicals that are absorbed right through the skin. These chemicals enter the blood where they poison the liver and other organs, causing cancer and cellular toxicity throughout the body.

I also have a theory that this onslaught of chemicals literally affects brain function, causing the brain to recede from sensory reality by decoupling neurons, thus making those people cognitively impaired. You can observe this in the real world, too: Have you ever noticed it's the dumbest people who wear the most perfume or cologne? I do not believe that is by chance: It could very well be a cause-effect relationship between perfume chemicals and brain function.

Keep in mind, too, that dumbed-down mainstream consumers use a lot of perfume-laced products throughout their homes: Laundry detergent, dryer sheets, air fresheners, carpet cleaners, shampoo, shower soap and other products laced with the same toxic fragrance chemicals found in perfumes. This creates a toxic environment in which cancer is accelerated and brain development is retarded.

NaturalNews supports a nationwide ban on perfumes in the workplace. Indoor air pollution in offices across the country is already quite bad due to the toxic chemicals used in building materials (particle board, carpet glues, etc.). It certainly does not need perfumes, colognes and smelly shower soap added to the recipe.

In addition, personal care products containing cancer-causing chemicals should be banned from the marketplace entirely. All perfume products are technically illegally labeled because they don't warn consumers of the cancer risk of their ingredients.

I encourage ALL workers exposed to perfumes to sue for damage caused by exposure to such chemicals. It is only through such lawsuits that employers will enforce "no fragrance" rules and eliminate such toxic chemicals from work environments.

Barely a decade ago, people even SMOKED in the workplace! Today that would be considered ludicrous. And why? Because smoke contains hazardous chemicals and pollutes the air for everyone.Precisely the same argument applies to perfumes.

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000560_fragrance_chemicals_indoor_air_workplace_environment.html

Antibiotics in Chickens Pose Hazards to All

Even if you don't eat commercially processed chicken or other meats, you may want to note what researchers discovered as covered in today's article. Adding antibiotics to meat has long been criticized by those concerned about the hazards associated with this practice. Such overuse of antibiotics can make legitimately harmful forms of bacteria immune to antibiotic drugs, and it also weakens the human immune system by harming beneficial bacteria in our bodies.

Our intestinal tract, when healthy, is naturally populated by numerous forms of bacteria that are major factors in digestion and the proper functioning of the immune system. This balance can be restored through the use of a high-quality probiotic supplement and the use of an oxygen-based colon cleanser such as Mag O7 that will help to keep the intestinal tract clean. The type of environmental exposure to antibiotics discussed in today's post is just another way that our bodies can be torn down and thus increase our risk of disease unless we take steps to protect ourselves and nurture wellness.


Study ties chicken trucks to bacteria
By Timothy B. Wheeler
November 27, 2008

Anyone who's ever driven behind a truck hauling chickens knows to expect a powerful odor and even a few feathers in its wake. But poultry carriers also apparently trail an airborne plume of potentially harmful bacteria, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

The results suggest that motorists and those who live along roads traveled by chicken trucks may be exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the researchers say. They urged further study and possibly changing transport methods in areas of intense poultry production such as the Delmarva Peninsula.

Scientists at Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health tailed 10 poultry trucks on U.S. 13 down the Delmarva Peninsula in summer and fall of last year, as the vehicles hauled their loads to a processing plant in Accomack, Va. With the windows of their car down and the air conditioning off, the researchers drove two to three car lengths behind the trucks, so they could get a good dose of the vehicles' slipstream.

The researchers collected elevated levels of bacteria in and on their car, including some that were resistant to antibiotic drugs used to treat human illnesses. Their findings were published in the inaugural issue of Journal of Infection and Public Health.

Bloomberg researcher Ellen Silbergeld and others have previously reported that chicken industry workers and the public might be at greater risk of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria when handling live, raw or inadequately cooked poultry. Critics have questioned the routine feeding of antibiotics to chickens, which is approved by the federal government, because bacteria can develop a resistance to the drugs and render them ineffective in treating human illnesses.

The National Chicken Council issued a statement criticizing the study, calling it "unfocused, unrealistic, and rather unsafe."

Only two strains of the Enterococcus bacterium detected by the researchers are potentially harmful to humans, according to Steve Pretanik, the industry group's director of science and technology. The study did not attempt to identify which types it collected.

Pretanik also said the researchers "tailgated" the chicken trucks, which he contended was an unsafe practice and an unrealistic measure of any health risk. Few motorists would follow a truck that closely, he argued.

"Tailgating a tractor-trailer is much more dangerous than being around live chickens," he contended in the statement.

Ana Rule, a Bloomberg research associate and the study's lead author, said further research is needed to gauge the risk, but this study showed that antibiotic resistant bacteria are coming from the trucks.

"We drove the same roads without following chicken trucks, and we didn't find the bacteria," she said.

And while most motorists might not follow trucks as closely, or would at least roll up their windows, Rule said that their study points to a broader exposure that merits further scrutiny.

"If it's getting into the car, it's getting into the environment," Rule said. "There's people living along that road. The next thing we would like to test is how the trucks are impacting the community."

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000560_fragrance_chemicals_indoor_air_workplace_environment.html