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28/05/2009

Vitamins and other natural ways for brain excellence

(NaturalNews) The brain can maintain optimum performance if care is taken with nutrition to prevent age-related memory loss. Keeping the mind active is important, especially as the brain ages. Learning a new language or skill can help keep the brain plastic. Research shows that three hours a day of mental activity, such as crossword puzzles, can help prevent senile dementia. Some foods have a special affinity to brain function.

Nutrients from the sea
Fish has been called, "brain food" for good reasons. It contains Omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to brain health. Interestingly, iodine, also from the sea, is an important nutrient used by the brain. Iodine is present in seaweed and in iodized salt. Oysters contain zinc that stimulates nerve functioning and activity, and cognitive function.

Vitamins for the brain
1. Acetyl-l-carnitine is also found in the brain. It protects your brain cells and increases blood flow in the brain. One of its important functions is to synthesize the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which helps with memory by increasing activity of the mitochondria in brain cells. Research with acetylcholine with Alzheimer and diabetic patients showed improved brain chemistry.

2. Vitamin B12 helps repair nerve fibers in the brain. Research shows that it may also decrease the blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which decreases brain function.

3. Vitamin E
A nationally funded study of vitamin E showed that it protects nerve cells from damage, possibly from its antioxidant effects. The study used high doses that should be prescribed by a physician, as vitamin E can interfere with blood clotting medications.

4. Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3s are found in the fatty membranes in nerve cells in the brain. Research has shown that omega-3s can reduce dementia. The FDA has now allowed food supplements to post health claims on labels of omega-3s that state, "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." The recommended dose, according to the FDA, is 3 grams a day.

Herbal Brain Enhancers
1. Ginseng is an adaptogen that helps improve brain function by increasing the release of hormones. Ginseng has been used to treat those with learning disabilities.

2. Gingko Biloba: Acts as a tonic to the circulatory system by increasing blood flow to the brain, which also brings more nutrition to the brain. Several compounds of the plant are thought to provide the functions of both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to the brain. Ginkgo is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and further research in its usefulness in brain chemistry is ongoing.

3. Bacopa is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to improve brain function since the 6th century.

4. Huperia serrata has been used in Chinese medicine to aid brain function. The mechanism seems to imitate that of FDA approved drugs so clinical trials are underway in the National Institute on Aging.

Proper brain nutrition can go a long way in maintaining and restoring healthy brain function.

http://brain.web-us.com
http://www.alz.org/
http://www.naturalnews.com/025813.html

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Japanese vegetarian cuisine explained

(NaturalNews) Even if you don't like seafood, your local sushi restaurant features an array of medicinal plant-based foods that regularly accompany each meal. This article will highlight ten healthy vegetarian items commonly found in Japanese cuisine along with their key health properties.

Part I - Seaweed Products

* Dulse - Palmaria palmata (Palmariacea)

A red seaweed, dulse contains calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, protein and zinc. Dulse also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and E. Useful in treating an underactive thyroid, dulse is also low in sodium. Dulse is a seasoning and is often used in seaweed salad.

* Nori - Porphyra (Bangiaceae)

Available in red and green pigment, nori is a seaweed that contains the polysaccaraide Galactan along with choline, eicosapentanoic acid, inositol and taurine. Nori contains copper, iodine, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Nori helps treat ulcers, fights cancer and lowers cholesterol. Sheets of nori are used to wrap rice and ingredients in sushi rolls.

* Wakame - Undaria pinnatifida (Alariaceae)

Available in both brown and green varieties, wakama is a seaweed collected off the coast of Japan. Wakame contains the antioxidant fucoxanthin, a pigment known to boost the metabolism. Wakame reduces cholesterol, stimulates the liver, fights diabetes and helps treat prostate cancer. Used in miso soup, wakame is an invasive weed in New Zealand and California.
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Part II - Soybean Products

* Soy - Glycine max (Fabaceae)

Soy contains lecithin which protects against mental fatigue. Soy contains vitamins A, B, and C, along with iron, phosphorous, potassium and protein. Soy boosts the immune system, helps treat diabetes, improves kidney function and promotes healthy vision and strong cardiovascular health.

Note: There has been much recent controversy regarding soy and there are several important considerations:

1) Soybeans should be organically grown. Non-organic soybeans are often bathed in solvents such as hexane.

2) Soybeans should be locally grown if possible (versus grown in China and shipped 12,500 miles). At least find companies who are willing to reveal their actual sources of their soybeans along with proof of certification. Recent studies have shown that this is easier said than done.

3) Soybeans should be fermented. Unfermented soy such as soy milk and tofu contain higher levels of estrogen-mimicking chemicals called phytoestrogens. These cause boys to exhibit female traits and cause breast cancer in women. Choose fermented soy products such as the ones outlined next.

* Tamari (Soy Sauce)

A concentrated, fermented soy product, tamari has been used in China for about 3000 years. Tamari contains antioxidants along with vitamin B6, iron, phosphorous, protein and the amino acid tryptophan. Soy sauce should be refrigerated after opening.

* Tempeh

Made by fermenting soybeans with the Rhizopus mold, tempeh contains antioxidants, isoflavones, saponins, fiber, protein and every required amino acid. Tempeh aids digestion and boosts the immune system.

* Miso

Miso is a product made from soybeans (or other grains) fermented with the Koji mold. Miso contains vitamin K, B6, B12, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorous and zinc along with protein and amino acids. Miso comes in several varieties including Genmai, Hacho, Mugi, and Shiro. A must for those building a storable food supply, 12 ounces of miso paste is enough to make several gallons of soup. Unlike canned and processed foods, miso is a living food.
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Part III - Condiments

* Wasabi - Wasabia japonica (Cruciferae)

A plant that contains antioxidants called isothiocynates, wasabi also contains calcium and potassium. Wasabi stimulates digestion, detoxifies the liver, and fights prostate cancer. Wasabi is the spicy green paste served alongside most sushi orders. However, most restaurants do not serve real Wasabi which is rare and expensive, opting for dyed Horseradish instead.

* Ginger (Pickled) - Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae)

Ginger contains soothing compounds called Gingerols. Ginger also contains vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Ginger stimulates digestion, relieves arthritis, treats nausea, and is safe for pregnant women. Ginger helps fight cancer of the ovaries and colon, and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

* Tekka

A blend of miso, burdock, carrot, lotus root and sesame, tekka is a little-known but delicious condiment that has the look and feel of chewing tobacco and the flavor of soy sauce. Highly concentrated, tekka is the perfect companion for rice. A good source of iron, tekka contains lotus root which helps sooth stomach and colon inflammation, along with burdock root that is known to help purify the blood.
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References

The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants - Dorling Kindersley and Andrew Chevallier

Wasabi Cleanse
http://vitanetonline.com/forums/1/T...

Healthiest Staples of Japanese Cuisine
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/...

Soy products bathed in Hexane
http://www.naturalnews.com/026303.html

Soy products get poor scores
http://www.naturalnews.com/026294.html

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Fingerprints disspear after chemotherapy

(NaturalNews) Imagine being treated like a suspected criminal or terrorist by immigration officials all because you have cancer and your doctor gave you a drug that causes a strange side effect -- your fingerprints have disappeared into thin air. Does that sound like a novel or movie plot? Unfortunately for one 62-year-old cancer patient, and possibly others, this was anything but fiction.

In a letter just published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology, Dr Eng-Huat Tan, a cancer specialist in the medical oncology department at the National Cancer Centre in Singapore, reported on a perplexing case of missing fingerprints due to the cancer drug capecitabine. And he has warned that other people taking the drug should start carrying a doctor's letter with them if they want to travel to the U.S.

Here's what happened: Dr. Tan's 62-year-old patient (known only as Mr. S., due to privacy considerations) was suffering from metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma -- a head and neck cancer that had spread. Fortunately, the malignancy had responded well to treatment and, in hopes of preventing a recurrence of the malignancy, the patient was put on capecitabine, the generic name for the drug sold in the U.S. as Xeloda. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in some people, capecitabine stops cancer cells from growing and decreases the size of tumors. But it also can produce a host of adverse side-effects including severe diarrhea, life-threatening bleeding and hand-foot syndrome. The latter problem is a condition that stems from chronic inflammation of the palms and/or soles of the feet. It makes the skin peel, bleed and develop ulcers or blisters. "This can give rise to eradication of finger prints with time," Dr. Tan stated in his letter.

Dr. Tan's patient had taken capecitabine for three years and developed a mild case of hand-foot syndrome. But he didn't realize it had robbed him of his fingerprints until, in December of 2008, the cancer survivor went to the U.S. to visit his relatives. Foreign visitors have been required to provide fingerprints at U.S. airports for several years where the prints are compared to millions of visa holders' prints in a database in order to detect whether a new visa applicant has a visa under a different name. The fingerprints are also matched via a computer base to check for criminals and people who are supposedly security threats.

"He (the patient) was detained at the airport customs for four hours because the immigration officers could not detect his fingerprints. He was allowed to enter after the custom officers were satisfied that he was not a security threat. He was advised to travel with a letter from his oncologist stating his condition and the treatment he was receiving to account for his lack of fingerprints to facilitate his entry in future," Dr. Tan wrote to the Annals of Oncology.

According to the oncologist, several other cancer patients taking capecitabine have also experienced a loss of fingerprints and have discussed this strange drug side effect on their blog sites. Some have also related that they, too, have had problems entering the U.S. due to their lack of fingerprints.

"In summary, patients taking long-term capecitabine may have problems with regards to fingerprint identification when they enter United States' ports or other countries that require fingerprint identification and should be warned about this. It is uncertain when the onset of fingerprint loss will take place in susceptible patients who are taking capecitabine. However, it is possible that there may be a growing number of such patients as Mr. S. who may benefit from maintenance capecitabine for disseminated malignancy. These patients should prepare adequately before traveling to avert the inconvenience that Mr. S. was put through," Dr. Tan wrote.

He recommended that patients on capecitabine carry a doctor's letter with them and noted that his patient was able to subsequently travel again with a letter from his oncologist which helped him get through immigration and security much easier.

Reference:
Travel warning with capecitabine. Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp278

For more information:
http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_j...
http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinf...
http://www.nci.nih.gov/Templates/dr...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...

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Vitamin D keeps the mind sharp in elders

(NaturalNews) Getting a little hazy mentally and losing some cognitive function doesn't necessarily have to happen as you grow older. Evidence continues to mount that exposing yourself regularly to a healthy dose of regular sunshine and eating certain vitamin-rich fish can help keep brains sharp -- especially those of middle-aged and older men.

The latest data comes from a new study just published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry by University of Manchester scientists in collaboration with colleagues from other European centers. The researchers compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men between the ages of 40 to 79 years at eight test centers.

They found that the middle-aged and older men with the higher levels of vitamin D, primarily synthesized in the skin after exposure to sunshine and also found in certain foods such salmon, showed the best cognitive function. In fact, the men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in a simple and sensitive neuropsychological test that documents an individual's attention and speed of information processing.

"Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings but we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D," said lead author Dr. David Lee, of Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, in a statement to the media. "The main strengths of our study are that it is based on a large population sample and took into account potential interfering factors, such as depression, season and levels of physical activity."

The most unexpected finding of the study was that increased vitamin D and faster information processing was more strongly associated in men over the age of 60, although the biological reasons for this remain unclear. Bottom line: the scientists concluded that vitamin D appears to have extraordinarily positive effects on the brain and the study raises the possibility that the vitamin could minimize aging-related declines in cognition.

There's additional breaking news about Vitamin D, too -- it may slow the progressive decline in the ability to breathe that can occur in people with asthma. According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, calcitriol, a form of vitamin D synthesized within the body, can prevent or forestall the irreversible decline in breathing that leaves many asthmatics even more vulnerable when they suffer an asthma attack. Gautam Damera, Ph.D., who presented the research at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego on Wednesday, May 20, stated that calcitriol's anti-inflammatory qualities and its ability to inhibit smooth muscle proliferation could make it an important new therapy for treating steroid-resistant asthma.

Vitamin D has already been shown to have a host of health benefits. As reported earlier this year in Natural News, it may help in the treatment and survival of colon cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/026237.html) and the vitamin may be able to halt the growth of some breast tumors, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/025495.html).

For more information:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus...
http://www.thoracic.org/sections/pu...

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26/05/2009

Macrobiotic diet prevents cancer

(NaturalNews) Macrobiotic is a word derived from Greek roots and means "long life". A macrobiotic diet combines simplicity in eating and avoidance of toxins in food with Buddhist Zen principles. Because of it's emphasis of nutrient-rich, whole foods the macrobiotic diet has been of interest in prevention of cancer.

A macrobiotic diet is a low-fat, high-fiber diet with an emphasis on whole grains and vegetables. Followers of a macrobiotic diet avoid meat, animal fats such as butter and lard, dairy products, eggs, artificial sweeteners, and chemical additives. The diet is made up of whole grains (brown rice, millet, buckwheat, wheat, corn, rye), vegetables, beans (and bean products such as tofu), sea vegetables (nori, kombu, hiziki), and smaller amounts of fruit, seeds, nuts, and white fish. Preferably these foods are organic, locally grown, and whole or very minimally processed. Vegetables such as avocados, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, asparagus, and beets are discouraged.

Cooking food in accordance with a macrobiotic diet must be done with utensils made from materials such as wood, glass, enamel, and stainless steel. Cooking with microwaves and electricity is discouraged, as are dietary supplements.

Research is focusing on the benefits of a macrobiotic diet in the prevention of cancer. Because of the emphasis on soy products, a macrobiotic diet is high in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-derived estrogens that have been found to have health benefits including potential reduction in breast cancer and prostate cancer. A study published in the Journal Cancer Research compared women eating a macrobiotic diet with women eating a typical American diet and found that those following a macrobiotic diet had lower levels of blood estradiol levels. Research has shown a link between high estradiol levels and breast cancer.

Besides the benefits from phytoestrogens, eating a diet low in fat and high in fiber, such as the macrobiotic diet, also helps lower cancer risk. The limitations placed on certain foods such as animal fats, eggs, and dairy also decrease risk for cancers such as colorectal, ovarian, and prostate cancer. In addition, emphasis on organic foods decreases pesticide exposure which has also been shown to be associated with cancer.

Because of the restrictive nature of a macrobiotic diet, it must be followed with extreme care to ensure that nutrient requirements are met. A macrobiotic diet, with its focus on low-fat, high-fiber foods as well as including foods high in phytoestrogens is effective in decreasing risk of cancer.

Sources:

Effect of Diet on Excretion of Estrogens in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/c...)

Macrobiotic Diet (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/...)

Macrobiotic Diet, American Cancer Society (http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejourna...)

The Macrobiotic Diet as Treatment for Cancer: Review of the Evidence, Joellyn Horowitz, M.D.; Mitsuo Tomita, M.D. (http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejourna...)

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Traditional Chinese medicine healing techniques

(NaturalNews) When ancient Chinese healing techniques work, Western doctors often assume the benefits must be due to the placebo effect. But researchers at the University of Oregon (UO) have repeatedly documented that a mind-body practice called integrative body-mind training (IBMT), derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has profound beneficial effects on human health. And amazingly, the ancient healing produces measurable physical and mental changes in just five days of practice.

In the l990s, IBMT was first adapted from ancient healing practices in China. Today, thousands of Chinese use IBMT. IBMT avoids struggling with controlling thoughts and relies instead on a state of restful alertness. A calm but focused mind is believed to be achieved through specific IBMT postures, relaxation, a harmonizing of body and mind and balanced breathing. How you do it: an experienced IBMT coach/instructor provides initial directions, breath adjustment guidance and mental imagery techniques while calming music is played in the background.

Research on the technique began at UO in l997 led by visiting UO professor Yi-Yuan Tang and UO psychologist Michael Posner. "Life is full of stress, and people need to learn methods to handle stress and improve their performance," Dr. Tang said in a media release. "There is physical training but we wanted to see about mental training. This method appears to have benefit for the modern society where the pace is fast."

The researchers published a study in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) in the late l990s documenting that doing IBMT prior to a mental math test resulted in low levels of the stress hormone cortisol among Chinese students. Moreover, the experimental group showed lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than students using a standard relaxation technique. The investigators also showed that measurable changes in stress reduction and attention occurred after just five days of practicing IBMT.

Dr. Tang and his research team, including UO's Dr. Posner, wanted to find out how the technique worked so fast and what specifically it might be doing to the brain. Now their new research, just published online ahead of regular publication in PNAS, specifically documents the brain and physiological changes caused by IBMT. The scientists studied and analyzed data from several technologies in two experiments involving 86 undergraduate students at Dalian University of Technology in China, where Dr. Tang is a professor.

For each experiment, the researchers studied participants who had never practiced relaxation techniques or meditation before. Each group received IBMT or general relaxation instruction for 20 minutes each day for five days. Although both groups of research subjects experienced benefits from the training, those in the IBMT group showed dramatic changes that were documented by brain imaging and physiological testing.

Specifically, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed that IBMT subjects had increased blood flow in the right anterior cingulate cortex, part of the brain linked to self regulation of thought and emotion. Physiological tests also revealed IBMT subjects had lower heart rates and skin conductance responses, increased belly breathing amplitude and decreased chest respiration rates than the relaxation group. These results, the scientists noted in their paper, "reflected less effort exerted by participants and more relaxation of body and calm state of mind."

Another remarkable physical finding: IBMT subjects had more high-frequency heart-rate variability than their relaxation counterparts. In a statement to the media, the researchers explained this indicated "successful inhibition of sympathetic tone and activation of parasympathetic tone [in the autonomic nervous system]." Sympathetic tone is more active when stressed.

"We were able to show that the training improved the connection between a central nervous system structure, the anterior cingulate, and the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system to help put a person into a more bodily state," Dr. Posner said in a statement to the media.

For more information:
http://comm.uoregon.edu/archive/new...

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Tumeric ( curcumin) reduces weight gain

(NaturalNews) In addition to being the seasoning that provides flavor to Indian curries, the yellow-gold spice known as turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) has long been an important part of traditional Asian medicine. Throughout countless centuries, herbalists have prescribed it to treat gastrointestinal problems, lack of energy, arthritis pain and other conditions. Modern day Western medicine has recently taken a serious look at the spice and, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties of turmeric and its major polyphenol (a type of phytochemical), curcumin. Now researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA) have found another possible benefit of turmeric. The curcumin it contains appears to reduce weight gain and suppress the growth of fat tissue.

The new research, just published in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, does not involve humans but it does provide tantalizing clues that turmeric could be helpful in the fight against obesity. Tufts scientists studied mice fed high fat diets supplemented with curcumin from turmeric and they also investigated cell cultures incubated with curcumin. The phytochemical reduced weight gain in curcumin-supplemented mice. Moreover, it suppressed the growth of fat tissue in both the lab animals and in cell models.

"Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis," said senior author Mohsen Meydani, DVM, PhD, director of the Vascular Biology Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA, in a statement to the media. "Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high fat diets."

Dr. Meydani and his research team fed lab mice a high fat diet for 12 weeks. One group of the animals eating the high fat diet also received curcumin while a control group did not. Both groups ate the same amount of food, which showed that the curcumin didn't change the appetite of the mice. However, the rodents fed the curcumin supplemented diet did not gain as much weight as the mice that didn't eat any curcumin.

"Curcumin appeared to be responsible for total lower body fat in the group that received supplementation," Dr. Meydani, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, said in the press statement. "In those mice, we observed a suppression of micro vessel density in fat tissue, a sign of less blood vessel growth and thus less expansion of fat. We also found lower blood cholesterol levels and fat in the liver of those mice. In general, angiogenesis and an accumulation of lipids in fat cells contribute to fat tissue growth."

In addition, the scientists found similar results in cell cultures. And, according to their published study, their data suggests curcumin has the ability to interfere with the expression of two genes which contribute to angiogenesis progression in both cell and rodent models.

"We have no way of telling whether curcumin could prevent fat tissue growth in humans," Dr. Meydani said in the press statement. "The mechanism or mechanisms by which curcumin appears to affect fat tissue must be investigated in a randomized, clinical trial involving humans."

Reference:
Ejaz A, Wu, D, Kwan P, and Meydani M. Journal of Nutrition. May 2009; 139 (5): 1042-1048. Curcumin Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Angiogenesis and Obesity in C57/BL Mice. 919-925.

For more information:
http://news.tufts.edu/releases/rele...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...

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Zinc and selenium to fight breast cancer

(NaturalNews) Any woman wanting to avoid breast cancer or its recurrence needs to be aware of the real risk factors. These are not the factors you hear about from the typical oncologist who is interested in pushing drugs. Imbalances in the body are the real risk factors that explain why women get breast cancer, not lack of drugs. The only way to avoid cancer or its recurrence is to address these imbalances. Two minerals, zinc and selenium, are key in maintaining balance in the body and keeping cancer away. Recent research has added to the pile of data underscoring the importance of these minerals in keeping women cancer-free.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have reported that glands in the breast have unique zinc requirements resulting from their need to transfer extraordinary amounts of zinc into milk during lactation. When nursing women's breasts are deficient in zinc, the result can be severe zinc deficiency in the infant, resulting in impaired growth and development. When zinc is deficient or not properly metabolized, breast cancer is often an additional outcome. Lack of zinc has been implicated not only in the initiation of breast cancer, but also in the transition, progression, and metastasis of the disease. When zinc is deficient, cellular functioning in the breast is compromised. (Genes and Nutrition, April 2)

In France, scientists report that estrogen receptor expression in breast cancers is associated with differentiated tumors and a more favorable prognosis. The greater the resemblance of cancerous breast cells to non-cancerous breast cells, the less threatening is the disease. Although the exact mechanism underlying the protection ERs play against cancer progression remains to be researched, these scientists studied the actions of ER alpha, and documented that one of the ways this ER inhibits invasion is though its first zinc finger. A zinc finger is a group of proteins organized around a zinc ion that can bind to DNA and influence gene regulation. (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2008)

In other research, Dr. David Watts reviewed the hair trace mineral reports of thousands of women and found that a pattern of elevated boron, copper and calcium levels with lower levels of zinc occurred in women with breast cancer. According to Dr. Watts, boron and copper appear to make the body more sensitive to the stimulatory effects of estrogen, and less responsive to the quieting effects of progesterone. Zinc is the mineral that aids in the production and utilization of progesterone, so this pattern of mineralization makes women less progesterone responsive and more estrogen sensitive. Raising zinc levels and lowering boron, copper and calcium levels can bring these women into mineral balance and help in the creation of hormonal balance.

The primary gene protecting women from breast cancer, p53, is thought to be the most frequently mutated or altered gene in the development of cancer. This gene requires zinc, and if it is missing, the gene becomes mutated, resulting in it becoming inactivated or suppressed. Dysfunction of p53 is well documented in the development of breast cancer, indicating that a zinc deficiency is a risk factor for breast cancer independent of the levels of boron, copper and calcium.

Zinc is important in prostate gland function and may help prevent and treat prostate cancer. It has another important role in the lives of women too. Zinc is required for protein synthesis and collagen formation. Without adequate levels of zinc, skin begins to sag and lose its elasticity. The optimal balance ratio for copper and zinc is 1 to 10 according to nutrition experts Phyllis Balch CNC and James Balch M.D.

In addition to sagging skin, deficiency of zinc may result in the loss of the senses of taste and smell. It can cause fingernails to become thin, peel and develop white spots. Other possible signs of zinc deficiency for women include hair loss, high cholesterol levels, impaired night vision, increased susceptibility to infection, memory impairment, diabetes, skin lesions, and slow wound healing.

Food sources for zinc are brewer's yeast, egg yolks, kelp, lamb, legumes, lima beans, liver, meats, mushrooms, pecans, poultry, pumpkin seeds, sardines, seafood, soy lecithin, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Zinc is found in alfalfa, burdock, cayenne, chamomile, dandelion, eyebright, fennel seeds, milk thistle, nettle, parsley, rose hips, sage, skullcap, and wild yam. Zinc picolinate, zinc citrate, and zinc as methionine are good choices for supplemental zinc. These are available from many supplement companies.

The relationship between selenium status and intake among breast cancer patients was studied by scientists in Kuala Lumpur. 64 women with breast cancer and 127 matched controls were interviewed to obtain information on their habitual dietary intakes, demographic data, and medical history. Selenium status was determined from toenail and hair analysis. The researchers found that total energy and protein intake was significantly higher among controls than among the breast cancer cases. The selenium intake among the women with breast cancer was significantly lower than the controls. Breast cancer risk decreased with the increasing quartiles of selenium intake. Selenium in hair did not differ among breast cancer cases and controls, but selenium status in the nails of controls was significantly higher compared to the breast cancer cases. (Sinapore Medical Journal, March).

In a recent study done at the University of Washington, scientists investigated the signaling pathways modulated by selenium. They compared global gene expression profiles in mammary tissues from pubescent female rats maintained on a selenium (3ppm) diet with those on a standardized diet. The selenium-enriched diet altered the steady-state levels of genes involved in various cellular functioning, the most dramatic of which was the changes in the expression of multiple genes that regulate circadian rhythm.

The normal mammary tissue of rats fed the standardized diet showed little circadian oscillation relative to liver tissue. However, the mammary tissue of the selenium fed rats showed a progressive, time-dependent increase in the expression of circadian gene Per2, and a circadian regulated transcription factor. Further, the results showed that the expression of Per2 and transcription mitigated RNA was significantly decreased in mammary tumors arising in selenium fed rate, but not in tumors of rats on the control diet. This suggests that selenium-induced elevation in the expression of circadian genes was incompatible with mammary cancer. The researchers concluded that the Per 2 gene is an important target of selenium for cancer prevention. (Cancer Prevention Research, July, 2008)

Selenium's main role is inhibiting the oxidation of fats as a component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, one of the most powerful of the body's own antioxidants. When combined with vitamin E, selenium protects the immune system. It plays a vital role in regulating the effects of thyroid hormone on fat metabolism. In a study, men who consumed 200 mcg of selenium daily over a ten-year period had roughly half the risk of developing lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer compared with men who did not.

Symptoms of selenium deficiency are exhaustion, high cholesterol, infections, liver impairment, and pancreatic insufficiency. Westerners often do not have enough selenium, because it is processed out of the foods typically eaten. This is one of the reasons that American men are five times more likely than Japanese men to die from prostate cancer. The typical Asian diet contains four times the amount of selenium as the typical American diet.

Selenium is found in meat and grains, but the level depends on the soil content where the food was grown. It can be found in brewer's yeast, broccoli, brown rice, chicken, dairy products, garlic, kelp, liver, molasses, onions, salmon, seafood, vegetables, wheat germ, and whole grains. Perhaps the best source of selenium is Brazil nuts. Eating two of the nuts a day provides 240 mcg of selenium. Earl Mindell, in his Vitamin Bible, recommends 200 mcg of selenium intake daily.

For more information:

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-...

http://www.naturalnews.com/024456.html

http://www.survivordiver.com/breast...

Phyllis and James Balch, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fourth edition.

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25/05/2009

Nutrition and gastric cancer

(NaturalNews) It has been two decades since the discovery that many stomach ulcers result from an infection with the bacteria dubbed Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori for short. Now it is known that about six percent of people in the world carry this infection which is associated not only with ulcers but with stomach cancer. The primary treatment for H. pylori has been antibiotics -- but they can cause a host of side effects and, what's more, the bacteria are quickly becoming resistant to the drugs. But there's good news: a natural amino acid, glutamine, appears to protect from injury caused by H. pylori and could reduce the risk of gastric cancers associated with the infection, too.

Glutamine is an amino acid found naturally in many foods, including beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products and some fruits and vegetables. L-glutamine, the biologically active isomer of glutamine, is sometimes used in supplement form by body builders to increase their muscle mass. Now new research just reported in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition concludes glutamine may prove beneficial in offsetting gastric damage caused by H. pylori infection. In fact, the study, which was conducted by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), suggests glutamine could be a natural alternative to the use of antibiotics now prescribed widely for treating stomach ulcers.

"Our findings suggest that extra glutamine in the diet could protect against gastric damage caused by H. pylori," senior author Susan Hagen, PhD, Associate Director of Research in the Department of Surgery at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement to the media. "Gastric damage develops when the bacteria weakens the stomach's protective mucous coating, damages cells and elicits a robust immune response that is ineffective at ridding the infection." She added that over time, years of infection can cause persistent gastritis and damage to cells in the digestive tract -- creating an environment conducive to the development of malignancies.

In earlier research, Dr. Hagen and her research team had shown that glutamine protects against cell death from H. pylori-produced ammonia. "Our work demonstrated that the damaging effects of ammonia on gastric cells could be reversed completely by the administration of L-glutamine," Dr. Hagen said in the press release. "The amino acid stimulated ammonia detoxification in the stomach -- as it does in the liver -- so that the effective concentration of ammonia was reduced, thereby blocking cell damage."

To find out if a similar mechanism could be at work in intact stomachs infected with H. pylori, the researchers divided 105 mice into two groups. One group of lab animals was fed a standardized diet which was 1.9 percent glutamine. The second group ate the same diet plus supplemental L-glutamine that upped the percentage of the animals' food intake of the amino acid to 6.9 percent. After two weeks, the mice were again divided into two additional groups with one group receiving a fake dose of H. pylori while the other group received a dose of the real bacteria.

The result was four separate mouse groups comprised of an uninfected control group, an uninfected glutamine group, an infected-with-H.-pylori control group, and an uninfected-with-H.-pylori glutamine group. During the next 20 weeks, the scientists took samples of blood and stomach tissues from the animals for analysis. Blood was checked for antibodies to specific types of T-helper immune cells, which mediate the body's immune system response when there's an active H. pylori infection. Stomach tissues were also analyzed for signs of damage, the presence of inflammatory substance called cytokines, and for signs of cancerous cells.

The results? Six weeks after infection, the mice had increased levels of three kinds of cytokines that all play an important role in the stomach's attempt to protect against the damaging effects of an H. pylori infection. In addition, by the 20th week, the researchers found that the H. pylori-infected animals that were fed the L-glutamine diet had far lower levels of inflammation than the mice eating the standard control diet.

"Because many of the stomach pathologies during H. pylori infection (including cancer progression) are linked to high levels of inflammation, this result provides us with preliminary evidence that glutamine supplementation may be an alternative therapy for reducing the severity of infection," Dr. Hagen said in the statement to the media.

"H. pylori bacteria infect more than half of the world's population and were recently identified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization," she stated. "Approximately 5.5 percent of the entire global cancer burden is attributed to H. pylori infection and, worldwide, over 900,000 new cases of gastric cancer develop each year. The possibility that an inexpensive, easy-to-use treatment could be used to modify the damaging effects of H. pylori infection warrants further study in clinical trials."

For more information:
http://www.bidmc.org/News/InResearc...
http://www.naturalnews.com/026018.html
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddis...

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Indian curry health benefits

(NaturalNews) While some Indian spices are commonly found on the home spice rack, few understand just how powerful these spices are in their freshest form. Understanding the health benefits of each ingredient is key to optimizing home cooked meals for the particular needs of the family. This article will summarize the medicinal properties of the top five spices used to prepare Indian Curry.

The Top 5 Indian Spices

* Caraway (seed) - Carum carvi (Umbelliferae)

One of the oldest spices, and historically known as a cure-all, caraway contains the volatile oil limonene. Caraway boosts the immune system and soothes irritated skin. When combined with olive oil caraway relieves bronchitis, colds, toothache, eye infections, sore throat, and cancer. Caraway seeds freshen the breath, and caraway oil stimulates milk production in lactating mothers. Caraway has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

* Cardamom (pods) - Elletaria cardamomum (Zingiberaceae)

Cardamom is called "the Queen of all spices" and contains the antioxidant cineole. Cardamom is another spice regarded as a cure-all. Cardamom detoxifies the liver, strengthens the immune system and calms the nerves. Cardamom is used to fight kidney and stomach cancer, and also to treat digestive problems, asthma, and urinary tract infections. Cardamom seeds freshen the breath.

* Clove - Eugenia caryophyllus (Myrtaceae)

Clove contains the volatile oil eugenol, a powerful antioxidant that is commonly used as a topical pain reliever for toothaches. Also used as a sore throat spray, to treat joint pain, and to reduce skin inflammation, clove even helps fight stomach cancer. Clove has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

* Fennel (seed) - Foeniculum vulgare (Umbelliferae)

Fennel seeds contain several important antioxidants including anethole, kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin. Fennel also contains fiber, folate, potassium and vitamin C. Fennel strengthens the immune system, helps treat colon cancer, and reduces blood pressure. Fennel helps combat the toxic effect of food additives. Fennel has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-tumor properties.

* Turmeric< (root) - Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae)

Turmeric, also known as curcumin contains curcuma, the pigment providing the bright yellow/orange color and a powerful antioxidant. A natural pain killer, turmeric detoxifies the liver, treats arthritis, reduces nervous tension and fights depression. Also used for psoriasis, turmeric boosts metabolic function and reduces body fat. Turmeric is used to treat leukemia, multiple sclerosis, melanoma and Alzheimer's disease. When turmeric is combined with cauliflower it is believed to help prevent cancers of the pancreas, prostate, liver and lungs. Turmeric has antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Preparation of Indian Curry

It is best to obtain spices in whole seed form and to grind them just prior to use. When purchasing Indian spices one must beware of cheap imported seeds (often contaminated with heavy metals). Also, spices should not be irradiated (whole seeds should sprout when soaked in water for two days).

Once the Indian spices are ground they are mixed into a blend called Garam Masala. Unlike Thai curry, Garam Masala does not keep long and should be prepared fresh before each meal.

For Indian cuisine, vegetables and meats are sauteed using generous amounts of curry spices and served with Basmati Rice (to which bay leaves or whole cloves are added before cooking). A leavened pita-style bread called Nan is normally served alongside Indian dishes. A simple homemade cheese called Paneer (milk mixed with vinegar or citric acid) is mixed with various vegetables such as spinach. Popular condiments include yogurt, hot sauce, and sweet chutney. Whole fennel seeds are often chewed after dinner to freshen breath.
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References

The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants - Dorling Kindersley and Andrew Chevallier

More on Caraway Essential Oil
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-...

More on Cardamom
http://www.webindia123.com/spices/c...

More on Clove
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic...

More on Fennel
http://www.compleatmother.com/women...

More on Turmeric
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthi...

Paneer Recipe
http://www.indianfoodforever.com/ba...

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23/05/2009

Pancreatic cancer drug failure

Pancreas cancer drug failure clue

Scientists are working to find more effective ways to tackle pancreatic cancer

Friday, 22 May 2009 03:07 UKE-mail this to a friend Printable version
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8061920.stm


Experts believe they have discovered why pancreatic cancer can be so resistant to drug treatment.

There are 7,600 new cases in the UK each year - but only 3% of those diagnosed are alive five years later.

Cancer Research UK scientists led an international team which used mouse tests to show tumours have poor blood supply, stopping drugs working.

Writing in Science, they say the findings could help overcome resistance to the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine.
This is a very substantial finding
Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK


Tests on human pancreatic cancer samples also contained a deficient blood supply, suggesting that their observation should also be applicable to patients.

Dr David Tuveson, of Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute, led the research.

He said: "We're extremely excited by these results as they may help explain the disappointing response that many pancreatic cancer patients receive from chemotherapy drugs."

Treatment boost

The team, which included scientists from the US and Europe, also tested a new chemical compound called IPI-926, which was created by US company Infinity Pharmaceuticals.

They found that when this was used in combination with gemcitabine in genetically modified mice, there was increased cell death and a reduction of the pancreatic tumour size.

The scientists suggest the compound could be added to a number of other treatments which had previously proved disappointing in trials.
Each type of cancer needs its own specific research
Maggie Blanks, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund


Cancer Research UK director of cancer information Lesley Walker said: "This is a very substantial finding.

"If these results hold in future studies, we hope that scientists will be able to make better use of current treatments and develop a range of new options which will help people with pancreatic cancer live longer.

"Results like these give us real confidence that we will combine this focus with our other research efforts and meet our goals of improving survival from all forms of the disease," Dr Walker added.

Maggie Blanks, founder of Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, said: "Pancreatic cancer patients have very few treatment options.

"If these findings help in the development of more effective treatments, this will be a big step forward in improving the outlook for pancreatic cancer patients.

"This research illustrates the point that cancer is not one disease, and that each type of cancer needs its own specific research.

"Pancreatic cancer has had little research attention in the past and so the understanding of the disease - that can advance diagnosis and treatment - lags behind other cancer types.

"The findings of Dr Tuveson and his team can add significantly to that understanding."

Labels:

22/05/2009

Vitamin D- key to healthy brain

Vitamin D 'key to healthy brain'

Sunlight is one source of vitamin D

Thursday, 21 May 2009 12:09 UKE-mail this to a friend Printable version
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8058183.stm


Scientists have produced more evidence that vitamin D has an important role in keeping the brain in good working order in later life.

A study of over 3,000 European men aged 40-79 found those with high vitamin D levels performed better on memory and information processing tests.

The University of Manchester team believe vitamin D may protect cells or key signalling pathways in the brain.

The study features in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
This underscores the importance of vitamin D for humans and why evolution gave us a liking for the sun
Professor Tim Spector
Kings College London


It follows research published in January which suggested that high levels of vitamin D can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age.

The latest study focused on men from eight cities across Europe.

Their mental agility was assessed using a range of tests, and samples were taken to measure levels of vitamin D in their blood.

Men with high vitamin D levels performed best, with those who had the lowest levels - 35 nmol/litre or under - registering poor scores.

The researchers said the reason why vitamin D - found in fish and produced by sun exposure - seemed to aid mental performance was unclear.

Hormone link

They suggested it might trigger an increase in protective hormonal activity in the brain. However, the only data to back this up so far comes from animal studies.

There is also some evidence that vitamin D can dampen down an over-active immune system.

Alternatively, it may boost levels of antioxidants that in effect detoxify the brain.

The researchers stressed that many people, particularly in older age, were vitamin D deficient.

Therefore, if it were possible to stave off the effects on ageing on the brain with vitamin D supplements the implications for the health of the population could be significant.

Professor Tim Spector, of King's College London, has carried out research into the effect of vitamin D on ageing.

He said: "This is further evidence from observational studies that vitamin D is likely to be beneficial to reduce many age-related diseases.

"Taken together with similar data that shows its importance in reducing arthritis, osteoporotic fractures, as well as heart disease and some cancers, this underscores the importance of vitamin D for humans and why evolution gave us a liking for the sun.

"We also know that our genes also determine our vitamin D levels which explains why individuals can vary so much.

"We now need to study the best way to give using vitamin D properly in prevention."

Dr Iain Lang, of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, carried out the earlier research.

He agreed there was mounting evidence suggesting vitamin D was good for the brain, but warned that it was possible that poor mental performance could be down to an inadequate diet, of which vitamin D deficiency might be just one manifestation.

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Aspartame linked to leukemia and limphoma

NCI Study Links Aspartame To Leukemia & Lymphoma

* EFSA blesses formaldehyde-forming aspartame on April 20
* NCI backs study linking formaldehyde to
leukemia, lymphoma on May 14

From Dr. Betty Martini
Mission Possible International
5-21-9


The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced April 20, 2009: ..."on the basis of all the evidence currently available including the [second] published ERF study there is no indication of any genotoxic or carcinogenic potential of aspartame and that there is no reason to revise the previously established ADI (allowable daily intake) for aspartame of 40mg/kg bw/day." Truth be told: aspartame is an addictive excitoneurotoxic, genetically engineered, carcinogenic that interacts with virtually all medications.

EFSA is blinded by allegiance to commercial interests so it invents objections to acclaimed medical research, disregarding the suffering, ruined lives and death their cupidity brings to Europe.

In 2005 the renowned Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences reported a rigorous three years study on 1,800 rats, concluding: aspartame causes significant increases in lympomas/leukemias and is a multi-potential carcinogen. EFSA invented "deficiencies" in the study to protect manufacturers pet poison. The second study, ERF 2007, entirely verified the first. Dr. Morando Soffritti, who led both projects, noted that so much formaldehyde developed in aspartame-exposed rats that their skin turned yellow.

Who is the European Food Safety Authority? In 2002 a review of aspartame a review of aspartame y the European commission, Scientific Committee on Food attempted to pass off this deadly addictive drug as safe. An assessment by the European Anti-Fraud Agency (OLAF) revealed the opinion was written by a single person and not by the entire Scientific Committee on Food. OLAF did not reveal the name of this individual or any scientific expertise or conflict of interest he/she had.

Astonishingly, one unnamed individual writes each opinion of the committees. Next, persons, often industry consultants, review the draft. What is clear: neither the author nor the Committee (including industry consultants) considered or had familiarity with the scientific research detailed in the 2002 analysis.

The European Commission, Scientific Committee on Food is defunct and reviews are now conducted by EFSA, which is composed of many of the same scientists with conflicts of interest who were on the earlier bureaucracy.

America's FDA approved aspartame as a synthetic sweetener in 1981. However, studies given the FDA by the manufacturer hide the fact the poison caused tumors in lab rats.

An Interesting Twist Of Formaldehyde Fate

On May 14, 2009, the National Cancer Institute confirmed the link between formaldehyde and cancer. The NCI's Laura E. Beane Freeman, Ph.D. reported that an extended analysis of workers exposed to formaldehyde was associated with a 37 percent increased death-risk from lymphoma and leukemia. "The overall patterns of risk seen in this extended follow-up of industrial workers are consistent with a causal association between formaldehyde exposure and cancers of the blood and lymphatic system and warrant continued concern," Online: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to Kristina Fiore of MedPage Today, "Since the 1980s, the Institute has studied a cohort of 25,619 workers employed before Jan. 1, 1966 in 10 industrial plants that produced formaldehyde in molded-plastic products, photographic film, decorative laminates and plywood. The formaldehyde cohort, originally assessed through Dec. 31, 1979, was then updated through Dec. 31, 1994."

Researchers have not yet identified the mechanism by which formaldehyde causes leukemia but the pattern is consistent with "a possible causal association, with the largest risks occurring closer in time to relevant exposure." She called for further study to "evaluate risks of these cancers in other formaldehyde-exposed populations and to assess possible biological mechanisms."

Toxicologist, Dr. George Schwartz, told team NutraSweet in 1999 they had presented a one-sided self serving polemic defending their potentially dangerous product and said, "As one example, your comment that "formate is quickly eliminated by the body" is demonstrably false. .. The study done by Trocho et al, Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo. Life Sciences 63:5:p.337-49, 1998, clearly demonstrates cellular persistence and accumulation, or in layman's terms, that formaldehyde can remain and accumulate in the body."

It is absolutely established that formaldehyde converted from the methyl ester in aspartame embalms living tissue and damages DNA. http://www.mpwhi.com/formaldehyde_from_aspartame.pdf

EPA listed formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen in 1987. In 2004 the International Agency for Research on Cancer went further classifying formaldehyde as a "known human carcinogen" based partly on research suggesting a link to leukemia. Dr. Woodrow Monte (Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health) in New Zealand saw that the New Zealand Food Safety Authority was concerned formaldehyde was found in pajamas. He wrote: "If you are concerned about formaldehyde in your pajamas then think twice about taking it with your breakfast cereal. Aspartame or Equal, the controversial sweetener virtually forced down the throats of the American FDA by the notorious former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (the president of the company that produced it) turns into Formaldehyde inside your children's bodies. It is well known aspartame or Equal (E951/951) turns into wood alcohol when it is consumed, however, few people realize this wood alcohol morphs into formaldehyde in the cells of the human body. Formaldehyde is a Class 1 causing agent (the world class of carcinogen) and is responsible for everything from sick house syndrome to birth defects. Definitely something we don't want to see in Pajamas but most certainly not in our food."

Dr. James Bowen said: "Other examples of this toxic axis are the extreme poisonings caused by formaldehyde, which plasticizes corpses, and is a deadly carcinogen. Both acute and chronic poisonings from methanol with the several other synergistic poisonings from aspartame ingestion steadily accumulate within aspartame consumers until finally hastening or culminating in fatal events."

"The NCI study confirms the work of Dr. Soffritti," said Mission Possible Director Dr. Betty Martini. "Now we have to get the NCI to realize that the 'biological mechanisms' that cause formaldehyde-induced cancers from workplace exposures are likely to be identical to the 'biological mechanisms' causing aspartame-induced cancers. Research shows formaldehyde, which aspartame produces, causes lymphoma and leukemia in both lab rats and people. EFSA's general review of aspartame will be completed in November. With their tight relationship with industry what should we expect? Perhaps they'll remember Mark Twain's words: "Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

FDA has admitted aspartame carcinogenicity; nevertheless the NCI and NIH recently said aspartame is a safe artificial sweetener.

Note: For 30 years the neurotoxicity/carcinogenicity of aspartame have been demonstrated in numerous studies posted on the sites below. This research is confirmed by the case histories of thousands of victims who suffered dread infirmities or died from the myriad complications from this chemical poison. This could end if the NCI announces workplace formaldehyde and dietary formaldehyde have the same affect on the body and produce the same cancers.

FDA Toxicologist, Dr. Adrian Gross, told Congress in 1985 aspartame violates the Delaney Amendment because it causes cancer and an allowable daily intake should never have been allowed to be set.

Russell Blaylock, M.D. said in "Health and Nutrition Secrets to Save Your Life": "So in the case of diet drinks in aluminum cans, the very toxic brain aluminum fluoride compound co-exists with multiple toxins found in aspartame, thus creating the most powerful government-approved toxic soup imaginable."

******************

Contact

Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.
Founder, Mission Possible World Health International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
770-242-2599
E-Mail: BettyM19@mindspring.com
http://www.wpwhi.com
http://www.wnho.net
http://www.dorway.com
bettym19@mindspring.com

Aspartame Toxicity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame


For references confirming material in this article:
www.mpwhi.com, http://www.dorway.com, http://www.wnho.net

Aspartame Toxicity Center:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

OLAF Comment:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-postscript.htm

Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, H. J. Roberts, M.D.:
http://www.sunsentpress.com

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D.:
http://www.russellblaylockmd.com

Aspartame documentary: Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World:
http://www.soundandfury.tv

Clip explaining political chicanery of Don Rumsfeld in approval:
http://www.soundandfury.tv/pages/rumsfeld.html

What the real aspartame experts said about EFSA's review:
http://dorway.com/dorwblog/?p=1939

FDA audit: Bressler Report:
http://dorway.com/dorwblog/?page_id=56

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19/05/2009

Why we should avoid vaccines ?

Why You Should Avoid Taking Vaccines

Article posted Feb 06 2007, 11:34 PM
By Dr. James Howenstine, MD.

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=20073

Dr. James R. Shannon, former director of the National institute of health declared, "the only safe vaccine is one that is never used."

Cowpox vaccine was believed able to immunize people against smallpox. At the time this vaccine was introduced, there was already a decline in the number of cases of smallpox. Japan introduced compulsory vaccination in 1872. In 1892 there were 165,774 cases of smallpox with 29,979 deaths despite the vaccination program. A stringent compulsory smallpox vaccine program, which prosecuted those refusing the vaccine, was instituted in England in 1867. Within 4 years 97.5 % of persons between 2 and 50 had been vaccinated. The following year England experienced the worst smallpox epidemic[1] in its history with 44,840 deaths. Between 1871 and 1880 the incidence of smallpox escalated from 28 to 46 per 100,000. The smallpox vaccine does not work.

Much of the success attributed to vaccination programs may actually have been due to improvement in public health related to water quality and sanitation, less crowded living conditions, better nutrition, and higher standards of living. Typically the incidence of a disease was clearly declining before the vaccine for that disease was introduced. In England the incidence of polio had decreased by 82 % before the polio vaccine was introduced in 1956.

In the early 1900s an astute Indiana physician, Dr. W.B. Clarke, stated "Cancer was practically unknown until compulsory vaccination with cowpox vaccine began to be introduced. I have had to deal with two hundred cases of cancer, and I never saw a case of cancer in an un-vaccinated [2] person."

There is a widely held belief that vaccines should not be criticized because the public might refuse to take them. This is valid only if the benefits exceed the known risks of the vaccines.

Do Vaccines Actually Prevent Disease?

This important question does not appear to have ever been adequately studied. Vaccines are enormously profitable for drug companies and recent legislation in the U.S. has exempted lawsuits against pharmaceutical firms in the event of adverse reactions to vaccines which are very common. In 1975 Germany stopped requiring pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination. Today less than 10 % of German children are vaccinated against pertussis. The number of cases of pertussis has steadily decreased[3] even though far fewer children are receiving pertussis vaccine.

Measles outbreaks have occurred in schools with vaccination rates over 98 % in all parts of the U.S. including areas that had reported no cases of measles for years. As measles immunization rates rise to high levels measles becomes a disease seen only in vaccinated persons. An outbreak of measles occurred in a school where 100 % of the children had been vaccinated. Measles mortality rates had declined by 97 % in England before measles vaccination was instituted.

In 1986 there were 1300 cases of pertussis in Kansas and 90 % of these cases occurred in children who had been adequately vaccinated. Similar vaccine failures have been reported from Nova Scotia where pertussis continues to be occurring despite universal vaccination. Pertussis remains endemic[4] in the Netherlands where for more than 20 years 96 % of children have received 3 pertussis shots by age 12 months.

After institution of diphtheria vaccination in England and Wales in 1894 the number of deaths from diphtheria rose by 20 % in the subsequent 15 years. Germany had compulsory vaccination in 1939. The rate of diphtheria spiraled to 150,000 cases that year whereas, Norway which did not have compulsory vaccination, had only 50 cases of diphtheria the same year.

The continued presence of these infectious diseases in children who have received vaccines proves that life long immunity which follows natural infection does not occur in persons receiving vaccines. The injection process places the viral particles into the blood without providing any clear way to eliminate these foreign substances.

Why Do Vaccines Fail To Protect Against Diseases?

Walene James, author of Immunization: the Reality Behind The Myth, states that the full[5] inflammatory response is necessary to create real immunity. Prior to the introduction of measles and mumps vaccines children got measles and mumps and in the great majority of cases these diseases were benign. Vaccines "trick" the body so it does not mount a complete inflammatory response to the injected virus.

Vaccines and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS

The incidence of Sudden Infant Death syndrome SIDS has grown from .55 per 1000 live births in 1953 to 12.8 per 1000 in 1992 in Olmstead County, Minnesota. The peak incidence for SIDS is age 2 to 4 months the exact time most vaccines are being given to children. 85 % of cases of SIDS occur in the first 6 months of infancy. The increase in SIDS as a percentage of total infant deaths has risen from 2.5 per 1000 in 1953 to 17.9 per 1000 in 1992. This rise in SIDS deaths has occurred during a period when nearly every childhood disease was declining due to improved sanitation and medical progress except SIDS. These deaths from SIDS did increase during a period when the number of vaccines given a child was steadily rising to 36 per child.

Dr. W. Torch was able to document 12 deaths in infants which appeared within 3½ and 19 hours of a DPT immunization. He later reported 11 new cases of SIDS death and one near miss which had occurred within 24 hours of a DPT injection. When he studied 70 cases of SIDS two thirds of these victims[6] had been vaccinated from one half day to 3 weeks prior to their deaths. None of these deaths was attributed to vaccines. Vaccines are a sacred cow and nothing against them appears in the mass media because they are so profitable to pharmaceutical firms.

There is valid reason to think that not only are vaccines worthless in preventing disease they are counterproductive because they injure the immune system permitting cancer, auto-immune diseases and SIDS to cause much disability and death.

Are Vaccines Sterile?

Dr. Robert Strecker claimed that the department of defense DOD was given $10,000,000 in 1969 to create the AIDS virus to be used as a population-reducing[7] weapon against blacks. By use of the Freedom of Information Act Dr. Strecker was able to learn that the DOD secured funds from Congress to perform studies on immune destroying agents for germ warfare.

Once produced, the vaccine was given in two locations. Smallpox vaccine containing HIV was given to 100,000,000 Africans in 1977. Over 2000 young white homosexual males in New York City were given Hepatitis B vaccine that contained HIV virus in 1978. This vaccine was given at New York City Blood Center. The Hepatitis B vaccine containing the HIV virus was also administered to homosexual males in San Francisco, Los Angeles, St.Louis, Houston and Chicago in 1978 and 1979. U.S. Public Health epidemiology studies have disclosed that these same 6 cities had the highest incidence of AIDS, Aids related Complex (ARC) and deaths rates from HIV, when compared to other U.S. cities.

When a new virus is introduced into a community. It takes 20 years for the number of cases to double. If the fabricated story that green monkey bites of pygmies led to the HIV epidemic, the alleged monkey bites in the 1940s should have produced a peak in the incidence of HIV in the 1960s at which time HIV was non existent in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) began a African smallpox vaccination campaign in 1977 that targeted urban population centers and avoided pygmies. If the green monkey bites of pygmies truly caused the HIV epidemic the incidence of HIV in pygmies should have been higher than in urban citizens. However, the opposite was true.

In 1954 Dr. Bernice Eddy (bacteriologist) discovered live monkey viruses in supposedly sterile inactivated polio vaccine[8] developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. This discovery was not well received at the NIH and Dr. Eddy was demoted. Later Dr. Eddy, working with Sarah Stewart, discovered SE polyoma virus. This virus was quite important because it caused cancer in every animal receiving it. Yellow fever vaccine had previously been found to contain avian (bird) leukemia virus. Later Dr. Hilleman isolated SV 40 virus from both the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines. There were 40 different viruses[9] in these polio vaccines they were trying to eradicate. They were never able to get rid of these viruses ontaminating the polio vaccines. The SV 40 virus causes malignancies. It has now been identified in 43 % of cases of non-Hodgekin lymphoma[10] , 36 % of brain tumors[11] , 18 % of healthy blood samples, and 22 % of healthy semen samples, mesothiolomas and other malignancies. By the time of this discovery SV 40 had already been injected into 10,000,000 people in Salk vaccine. Gastric digestion inactivtes some of SV 40 in Sabin vaccine. However, the isolation of strains of Sabin polio vaccine from all 38 cases of Guillan Barre Syndrome[12] GBS in Brazil suggests that significant numbers of persons are able to be infected from this vaccine. All 38 of these patients had received Sabin polio vaccine months to years before the onset of GBS. The incidence of non-Hodgekin lymphoma has"mysteriouly" doubled since the 1970s.

Dr. John Martin, Professor of Pathology at the Univ. of Southern California, was employed by the Viral Oncology Branch of the Bureau of Biologics (FDA) from 1976 to 1980. While employed there he identified foreign DNA in the live polio vaccine Orimune Lederle that suggested serious vaccine contamination. He warned his supervisors about this problem and was told to discontinue his work as it was outside the scope of testing required for polio vaccine.

Later Dr. Martin learned that all eleven of the African green monkeys used to grow the Lederle polio virus Orimune had grown simian cytomegalovirus from kidney cell cultures. Lederle was aware of this viral contamination as their Cytomegaloviral Contamination Plan[13] clearly showed in 1972. The Bureau of Biologics decided not to pursue the matter so production of infected polio vaccine continued.

In 1955 Dr. Martin identified unique cell destroying viruses termed stealth viruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. These viruses lacked genes that would enable the immune system to recognize them. Thus they were protected by the body's failure to develop antiviral antibodies. In March of 1995, Dr. Martin learned that some of these stealth viruses had originated from African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus of a type known to infect man.

The Lederle vaccine experience suggests that the higher-ups are not concerned about sloppy and dangerous preparation of vaccines. Animal cross infection is a huge unsolved current problem for all vaccine manufacturing. If this vaccine production sounds like an unbelievable mess to you, you are right.

The influential Club of Rome has a position paper in which they state that the world population is too large and needs to be reduced by 90 %. This means that 6 billion people must be reduced to 500 to 600 million. Obviously, creating famines and genocidal wars such as wrecked havoc in Africa, and loosing new laboratory-created diseases (HIV, Ebola, Marburg[14] , and probably West Nile virus and SARS) can help reduce the population. Other elitist groups (Trilaterals, Bildenbergers) have expressed similar concerns about excess people on planet Earth.

The company that was projected to produce the new smallpox vaccine in the U.S. was in serious trouble in England because of unsatisfactory quality of operations before setting up their facility in the U.S. Why would their performance here be any better than it was in England?

If there are important powerful groups of people that are determined to reduce the world population, what could be a more diabolically clever way to eliminate people than to inject them with a cancer-causing vaccine? The person receiving the injection would never suspect that the vaccine taken 10 to 15 years earlier had caused the cancer to appear.

Other Dangers From Vaccines

In the March 4, 1977 issue of Science Jonas and Darrell Salk warn, "Live virus vaccines against influenza or poliomyelitis may in each instance produce the disease it intended to prevent. The live virus against measles and mumps may produce such side effects as encephalitis (brain damage).

The swine flu vaccine was administered to the American public even though there had never been a case of swine flu identified in a human. Farmers refused to use the vaccine because it killed too many animals. Within a few months of use in humans this vaccine caused many cases of serious nerve injury (Guillan Barre syndrome).

An article in the Washington Post on Jan. 26, 1988 mentioned that all cases of polio since 1979 had been caused by the polio vaccine with no known cases of polio from a wild strain since 1979. This might have created a perfect situation to discontinue the vaccine, but the vaccine is still given. Vaccines are a wonderful source of profits with no risks to the drug companies since vaccine injuries are now recompensed by the government.

The steady escalation in the number of vaccines administered has been followed by an identical rise in the incidence of auto-immune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, subacute lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, asthma) seen in children. While there is a genetic transmission of some of these diseases many are probably due to the injury from foreign protein particles, mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and other toxic agents injected in vaccines.

In 1999, the rotavirus vaccine was recommended by the Center for Disease Control for all infants. When this vaccine program was instituted several infants died and many had life endangering bowel obstructions. Prelicensure trials[15] of the rotavirus vaccine had demonstrated an increased incidence of intussusception 30 times greater than normal but the vaccine was released anyway without special warnings to practitioners to be on the lookout for bowel problems. Children's vaccines are often not studied for toxicity possibly because such study might eliminate them from being used.

A large study from Australia showed that the risk of developing encephalitis from the pertussis vaccine was 5 times greater than the risk of developing encephalitis by contacting pertussis by natural methods.

Naturally acquired immunity by illness evolves by spread of a virus from the respiratory tract to the liver, thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. When symptoms begin, the entire immune response has been mobilized to repel the invading virus. This complex immune system response creates antibodies that confer life long immunity against that invading virus and prepares the child to respond promptly to an infection by the same virus in the future.

Vaccination, in contrast, results in the persisting of live virus or other foreign antigens within the cells of the body, a situation that may provoke auto-immune reactions as the body attempts to destroy its own infected cells. There is no surprise that the incidence of auto-immune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, subacute lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, asthma, psoriasis) has risen sharply in this era of multiple vaccine immunization.

Vaccine Induced Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Dr. John Classen has published 29 articles on vaccine-induced[16] diabetes. At least 8 of 10 children with Type 1 (insulin needing) diabetes have this disease as a result of vaccination. These children may have avoided measles, mumps, and whooping cough but they have received something far worse: an illness that shortens life expectancy by 10 to 15 years and results in a life requiring constant medical care.

Dr. Classen has shown in Finland, the introduction of hemophilus type b vaccine caused three times as many cases of type 1 diabetes as the number of deaths and brain damage from hemophilus influenza type b it might have prevented.

In New Zealand, the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children rose by 61 % after an aggressive vaccine program against hepatitis B.. This same program has been started in the U.S.A. so we can now look forward to many cases of Type 1 diabetes in children. Similar rises in Type 1 diabetes have been seen in England, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark after immunization programs against Hepatitis B.

Toxic Substances Are Needed To Make Vaccines.

Vaccines contain many toxic substances that are needed to prevent the vaccines from becoming infected or to improve the performance of the vaccine. Among these substances are mercury, formaldehyde and aluminum.[17]

In the past 10 years, the number of autistic children has risen from between 200 and 500 percent in every state in the U.S. This sharp rise in autism followed the introduction of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 1975.

Representative Dan Burton's healthy grandson was given injections for 9 diseases in one day. These injections were instantly followed by autism. These injections contain a preservative of mercury called thimerosal. The boy received 41 times the amount of mercury which is capable of harm to the body. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can injure the brain and nervous system. And tragically, it did.

In the United States the number of compulsory vaccine injections has increased from 10 to 36 in the last 25 years. During this period, there has been a simultaneous increase in the number of children suffering learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. Some of these childhood disabilities are related to intrauterine cerebral damage from maternal cocaine use, but probably vaccines cause many of the others.

Many vaccines contain aluminum. A new disease called macrophagic myofasciitis causes pain in muscles, bones and joints. All persons with this disease have received aluminum containing vaccines. Deposits of aluminum are able to remain as an irritant in tissues and disturb the immune and nervous system for a lifetime.

Nearly all vaccines contain aluminum and mercury. These metals appear to play an important role in the etiology of Alzheimer's Disease. An expert at the 1997 International Vaccine Conference related that a person who takes 5 or more annual flu vaccine shots has increased the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's Disease by a factor of 10 over the person who has had 2 or fewer flu shots.

When we take vaccines we are playing a modern version of Russian Roulette. We not only get exposed to aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde and foreign cell proteins but we may get simian virus 40 and other dangerous viruses which can cause cancer, leukemia and other severe health problems because the vaccine pool is contaminated due to careless animal isolation techniques. Congress has protected the manufacturers from lawsuits, so dangerous vaccines simply increase profits at no risk to the drug companies.

U.S. children aged 2 months began receiving hepatitis B vaccine in December 2000.No peer-reviewed studies of the safety of hepatitis B in this age bracket had been done. Over 36,000 adverse reactions with 440 deaths were soon reported but the true incidence is much higher as reporting is voluntary so only approximately 10 % of adverse reactions get reported. This means that about 5000 infants are dying annually from the hepatitis B vaccine. The CDC's Chief of Epidemiology admits that the frequency of serious reactions to hepatitis B vaccine is 10 times higher than other vaccines. Hepatitis B is transmitted sexually and by contaminated blood, so the incidence of this disease must be near zero in this age bracket. A vaccine expert, Dr. Philip Incao, states that "the conclusion is obvious that the risks[18] of hepatitis B vaccination far outweigh the benefits. Once a vaccine is mandated the vaccine manufacturer is no longer liable for adverse reactions.

Dr. W.B. Clarke's important observation that cancer was not found in unvaccinated individuals demands an explanation and one now appears forthcoming. All vaccines given over a short period of time to an immature immune system deplete the thymus gland (the primary gland involved in immune reactions) of irreplaceable immature immune cells. Each of these cells could have multiplied and developed into an army of valuable cells to combat infection and growth of abnormal cells. When these immune cells have been used up, permanent immunity may not appear. The Arthur Research Foundation in Tucson, Arizona estimates that up to 60 % of our immune system may be exhausted[19] by multiple mass vaccines (36 are now required for children). Only 10 % of immune cells are permanently lost when a child is permitted to develop natural immunity from disease. There needs to be grave concern about these immune system injuring vaccinations! Could the persons who approve these mass vaccinations know that they are impairing the health of these children, many of whom are being doomed to requiring much medical care in the future?

Compelling evidence is available that the development of the immune system after contracting the usual childhood diseases matures and renders it capable to fight infection and malignant cells in the future.

The use of multiple vaccines, which prevents natural immunity, promotes the development of allergies and asthma. A New Zealand study disclosed that 23 % of vaccinated children develop asthma , as compared to zero in unvaccinated children.

Cancer was a very rare illness in the 1890's. This evidence about immune system injury from vaccinating affords a plausible explanation for Dr. Clarke's finding that only vaccinated individuals got cancer. Some radical adverse change in health occurred in the early 1900s to permit cancer to explode and vaccinating appears to be the reason.

Vaccines are an unnatural phenomena. My guess is that if enough persons said no to immunizations there would be a striking improvement in general health with nature back in the immunizing business instead of man. Having a child vaccinated should be a choice not a requirement. Medical and religious exemptions are permitted by most states.

When governmental policies require vaccinations before children enter schools coercion has overruled the lack of evidence of vaccine efficacy and safety. There is no proof that vaccines work and they are never studied for safety before release. My opinion is that there is overwhelming evidence that vaccines are dangerous and the only reason for their existence is to increase profits of pharmaceutical firms.

If you are forced to immunize your children so they can enter school, obtain a notarized statement from the director of the facility that they will accept full financial responsibility for any adverse reaction from the vaccine. Since there is at least a 2 percent risk of a serious adverse reaction they may be smart enough to permit your child to escape a dangerous procedure. Recent legislation passed by Congress gives the government the power to imprison persons refusing to take vaccines (smallpox, anthrax, etc). This would be troublesome to enforce if large numbers of citizens declined to be vaccinated at the same time.

Footnotes:

1 Null Gary Vaccination: An Analysis of the Health Risks- Part Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients Dec. 2003 pg 78
2 Mullins Eustace Murder by Injection pg 132 The National Council for Medical Research, P. O. Box 1105, Staunton, Virginia 24401
3 Gary Null Interview with Dr. Dean Black April 7, 1995
4 de Melker HE, et al Pertussis in the Netherlands: an outbreak despite high levels of immunization with whole-cell vaccine Emerging Infectious Diseases 1997; 3(2): 175-8 Centers for Disease Control
5 Gary Null Interview with Walene James, April 6, 1995
6 Torch WS Diptheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) immunizations: a potential cause of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Neurology 1982; 32-4 A169 abstract.
7 Collin Jonathan The Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients 1988 abstracted in Horowitz L. Emerging Viruses Aids & Ebola pg 1-5
8 Harris RJ et al Contaminant viruses in two live vaccines produced in chick cells.J Hyg (London) 1966 Mar:64(1) : 1-7
9 Horowitz Leonard G. Emerging Viruses AIDS & Ebola pg 484
10 Vilchez RA et al Association between simian virus 40 and non-Hodgekin lymphoma Lancet 2002 Mar 9;359(9309):817-823
11 Bu X A study of simian virus 40 infection and its origin in human brain tumors Zhonghu Liu Xing Bing Xue Zhi 2000 Feb;21 (1):19-21
12 Friedrich F. et al temporal association between the isolation of Sabin-related poliovirus vaccine strains and the Guillan-Barre syndrome Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 1996 Jan-Feb; 38(1):55-8
13 Horowitz Leonard Emerging Viruses: Aids and Ebola pg 492
14 Horowitz Leonard G Emerging Viruses: Aids & Ebola pg 378-88 Tetrahedron Inc. Suite 147, 206 North 4th Ave. Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 1-888-508-4787 tetra@tetrahedron.org
15 Null, Gary Vaccination: An Anatysis of the health risks-Part 3 Townsend letter for doctors & patients Dec. 2003 pg 78
16 Classen, JB et al. Association between type 1 diabetes and Hib vaccine BMJ 1999; 319:1133
17 Brain 9/01
18 Incao, philip M.D. Letter to representative Dale Van Vyven, Ohio House of Representatives March 1, 1999 provided to www.garynull.com by The Natural Immunity Information Network
19 Rowen Robert Your first consultation with Dr. Rowen pg 20

© 2003 Dr. James Howenstine - All Rights Reserved

Dr. James A. Howenstine is a board certified specialist in internal medicine who spent 34 years caring for office and hospital patients. Curiosity sparked a 4 year study of natural health products when 5 of his patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis were able to discontinue the use of methotrexate (chemotherapy agent) after trying an extract of New Zealand mussels for the therapy of severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Howenstine is convinced that natural products are safer, more effective and less expensive than pharmaceutical drugs. This research led to the publication of his book 'A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work'. This book and the recommended health products are available from www.naturalhealthteam.com

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Improve your digestion !

(NaturalNews) Feel like a thunderstorm is going on in your intestinal tract? Or maybe you are among the people who rely on Tums or Rolaids after each meal. The bottom line is that more than half of Americans are not properly digesting their food. One simple solution that has worked for millions is sequential eating.

Sequential eating is one of the basic tenets of Dr. Stanley Bass, who began his medical practice in the 1950's specializing in orthopathic and natural hygiene medicine, and physiology. He believed in treating illness and disease through the use of fasting and food, and was strongly against the use of drugs. Much of his life was spent researching his theories for preserving and restoring health using himself as a guinea pig. Dr. Bass is still going strong today, practicing medicine, providing consultations, and writing.

Sequential eating is an observational science

Dr. Bass was aware of a famous case during the American Civil War, in which a soldier received a gunshot wound that caused a large visible opening to appear in his stomach. Through this opening, doctors were able to observe that his food digested in different layers.

Much later, a physiologist named Grutzner fed rats morsels of food in three different colors. A black layer was fed first, then a white layer, and finally a red layer. Shortly after eating, the stomachs of the animals were examined. The different colored food was found to be in layers.

Dr. Bass performed studies upon himself by eating different foods, one variety at a time, in sequence throughout several different meals. When nature called, he examined what came out the other end. He found the watermelon he had eaten came first, then the tossed salad, cheese, and meat in that order.

Obviously these experiments do not live up to the rigors of the scientific method, and after the mental picture of Dr. Bass' experiment leaves the mind, laughter may follow. However, it is difficult to dismiss these studies because of the large numbers of people who have been helped by them.

Another reason to value these experiments is their ability to document what many children seem instinctively to know. Children can often be observed to eat one food on their plate until they are through with it or it is gone, and then move on to another. They prefer to begin with the lightest food, and typically eat meat or other dense protein sources last.

Sequential eating theory is based on different digestion times of various foods

The theory of sequential eating rests on the vast difference in times required to digest different types of foods. If foods that digest quickly are eaten with foods that digest slowly, they must wait for the slowly digesting foods to leave the stomach. During the time they are waiting in line to be digested, many of the foods that would have otherwise been digested quickly begin to ferment and produce gas and alcohol while waiting for slowly digesting foods to move through the system. Since it can take some foods up to 4 or 5 hours to leave the stomach, the gas, acid and indigestion caused by the decomposition of other foods waiting to be digested can be devastating.

In his book Ideal Health through Sequential Eating, Dr. Bass describes a typically well digested meal in which six different foods are eaten in sequence producing enzymes adapted to each particular type of food starting with papaya, tossed salad, and corn on the cob. Meat is the last food eaten. Each of the foods forms a sequential layer in the stomach. With this meal, the papaya will leave the stomach first, after 30 minutes. Then the second layer (tossed salad) will move into its place, leaving the stomach in about 30 to 40 minutes. This is followed by the third layer (corn) which then moves down and will be the next to leave the stomach. As the meal progresses, foods that require longer times in the stomach for processing are eaten.

As each layer leaves, the stomach size gets smaller and feels more comfortable. Each layer digests separately without mixing and without disturbing adjacent layers. No foods are allowed to ferment, and no excessive acids or gases produce.

If these six foods had been eaten all together by moving the fork around the plate taking a bite of each food, a much longer digestion time would have been required. During this digestion time, the papaya, salad, and corn eaten toward the end of the meal would have had to wait until the pieces of meal eaten earlier had moved out of the stomach. While waiting, they would have had time to ferment and produce unpleasant effects.

Basic rules of sequential eating

The most watery, least dense foods should be eaten first, and the most concentrated or dense foods should be eaten last. Watery foods such as fresh fruits and leafy salads are digested rapidly, leaving the stomach quickly and making room for the more concentrated foods.

A glass of vegetable juice or a piece of melon leaves the stomach within minutes if it is consumed first. It can then be followed by something that would normally be incompatible, such as avocado or nuts, and there will not be symptoms of indigestion. However, if the avocado or nuts were eaten first, fermentation of the juice or melon would be the result.

People tend to have a high protein salad or sandwich followed by a piece of fruit for dessert. They then experience indigestion, bloating and gas as the fruit ferments while the other food is being digested. To avoid this, eat the fruit first. Acid fruits, such as citrus, pineapple, blackberry, or pomegranate should be eaten before all other fruits and all other foods.

Beverages or water should be consumed before the meal begins.

Some good sequences

Acid fruits before less acid fruits
Vegetables before starch
Fruit 15 minutes before vegetable soup or salad
Melon before all other fruits including acid fruits

Some particularly bad sequences and combinations

Mixing dried sweet fruit, honey, maple syrup or bananas with nuts or seeds
Mixing starch foods with fresh or acid foods or fruits
Mixing dried sweet fruits with acid fruits
Eating dried sweet fruits with or after concentrated proteins
Eating raw, fresh or dried fruits after any cooked food
Drinking beverages or water during or after meals

Dr. Bass' tips for eating

Dr. Bass views it as supremely important to chew all foods until they are as close to liquid as possible. Foods eaten without proper chewing take longer to digest, require the use of more digestive enzymes, and are not well assimilated into the body. People who do not properly chew their food often find themselves totally exhausted from all the energy expenditure needed to digest the food.

Dr. Bass recommends consuming food with full attention directed to the act of eating, and the taste of the food. When the body and mind are integrated and attuned to the act of eating, good digestion is promoted. And when the great sensual enjoyment of eating and relishing the taste of food becomes the total focus, people instinctively recognize when taste begins to lose its enjoyment, and the eating will stop. Of course, for people to eat in this manner which is in sync with the other creatures of nature, foods that contain flavorings must not be consumed. When foods are adulterated with added flavors, the body is unable to recognize natural signals.

Digestion times of various foods

Dr. Bass assembled these digestion times which are the amount of time needed for a food to exit the stomach. These times represent the ideal situation under which only one food at a time is being considered; it is well chewed, and the person's digestive functioning is in top shape. On a conventional diet in which foods are combined haphazardly, or for persons whose systems are not optimal, digestion times are much longer.

The smaller the amount of a particular food eaten, the less time it will take for that food to be digested. The fewer the varieties eaten, the easier the digestion, and the less likely the person is to overeat.

Watermelon, fruit and vegetable juices: 15-20 minutes.
Semi-liquid blended salads: 20-30 minutes
Other melon, orange, grape: 30 minutes
Other fresh fruits: 40 minutes
Raw tossed salad: 30-40 minutes
Most steamed or cooked vegetable: 40-50-minutes
Starchy vegetables: 60 minutes
Grains, legumes and lentils: 90 minutes
Seeds: 2 hours
Nuts: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Skim milk or low fat cottage cheese or ricotta: 90 minutes
Whole milk cottage cheese: 120 minutes
Whole milk hard cheese: 4 to 5 hours
Egg yolk: 30 minutes
Whole egg: 45 minutes
Fish (cod, scrod, flounder, sole): 30 minutes
Fatty fish: 45 to 60 minutes
Chicken without skin: 1 1/2 to 2 hours
Turkey without skin: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Beef or lamb: 3 to 4 hours
Pork: 4 1/2 to 5 hours

For more information:

http://drbass.com/sequential.html

http://www.drbass.com/attentive.html

http://www.drbass.com/cursio.html

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17/05/2009

Glacier is advancing

Warming? - AK's Hubbard Glacier Advancing 7 Ft Per Day!

From Robert Felix
IceAgeNow.com
5-14-9


This past week, climatologist Cliff Harris of the Coeur d'Alene Press received an astounding report from Yakutat, Alaska, concerning the Hubbard Glacier. The glacier is advancing toward Gilbert Point near Yakutat at the astonishing rate of two meters (seven feet) per day!

"The Army Corp of Engineers special Web site for the Hubbard Glacier - www.glacierresearch.com - contains some absolutely amazing photos of the advancing glacier," says Harris. "One can easily see the expanding wall of ice. It's HUGE!" (The website may tell you that viewing is restricted, but if you keep clicking on stuff you'll find the secret.)

"Even the dedicated global warmists need to know the truth about the recent extended period of global cooling caused by our 'SILENT SUN,' Harris continues.

'When' and 'if' the Hubbard Glacier eventually closes the Russell Fjord, the fjord will fill with fresh water, becoming a 30-mile-long lake creating a new 40,000-cubic-feet-per-second river system. This will have an extremely 'negative' economic impact on Yakutat and the surrounding regions. It's possible that at the shocking rate of seven feet per day in its advancement, the Hubbard Glacier could close the fjord by later this summer, or even prior to that time, if the current rate of advancement speeds up, say to perhaps 10 or 12 feet per day.

"Not only has our 'SILENT SUN,' almost completely devoid of sunspots, been at least partially responsible for the expanding glaciers in Alaska, Norway and elsewhere, but 'Ole Sol' is likewise, in my not-so-humble climatological opinion, to blame for our recent colder, snowier and wetter spring seasons in North Idaho and the surrounding Inland Empire.

"Heavier snows -- up to six inches or more above 5,000 feet -- have accumulated in the nearby mountains on a daily basis since early May. It may be mid June or later before Glacier Park's 'Going-to-the-Sun Highway' opens. (Next week, we'll take a look at what's happening to the glaciers in the park. Are they also beginning to expand? Find out the truth in just seven days.)"

http://www.iceagenow.com/Alaskas_Hubbard_G...eet_per_day.htm

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