Degenerative Joint Conditions

Information for Understanding Arthritis and Degenerative Joint Conditions, and Nutritional Supplements designed to support Degenerative Joint Conditions.

For Nutritional Supplements formulated to support the management of Arthritis, Joint and Muscle Conditions with background, rational and references for ingredients in nutritional supplements to support Arthritis, Joint and Muscle Conditions. Please go to their pages.
Understanding Arthritis, Joint Disorders & Degeneration

What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint and it’s surrounding tissues, including the cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Arthritis can be caused by numerous dis-ease states and chemistry imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, genetic disorders, and over-use (wearing-out) of the joints. The joints most often affected with arthritis are found in the back and spine, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles, and toes. The most common symptoms of arthritis include painful, limited movement in the affected joint(s), swelling of the joints, increased heat and redness in surrounding tissues, and a dry, crackling sensation or sound emanating from the affected joint.

What Causes Arthritis?
Arthritis can be caused by many factors. Nutritional deficiencies leading to arthritis usually involve calcium depletion, or a diet poor in fresh vegetables and high in acid and mucous-producing foods. Arthritic conditions can also be related to unbalanced body chemistry (acid pH), imbalances of the body’s glands and the hormones they produce, genetic (family) history, allergic reactions to foods, auto-immune reactions (when the body’s immune system attacks itself), and stressful lifestyles or environments. Other common causes include osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), and long-term use of anti-arthritic drugs and over-the-counter pain medications. Anabolic steroids, used by some body builders, can lead to arthritis-like degeneration of the joints. Finally, overuse of any joint in the body can cause the wearing down of the cartilage between two bones (osteoarthritis) or instability of the joint.

What Are The Main Types of Arthritis?

1. Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), or Osteoarthritis.
DJD is the breakdown or wearing-out of the cartilage on the ends of the bones, which limits the ability of the bones to move against each other. This occurs mainly in large, weight bearing joints, or in other joints where there have been years of repetitive movement. The cartilage between the bones allows the bones to move (or slide) on each other, providing stable movement at the joints. If the smooth cartilage between the bones becomes roughened from wear and tear, it causes friction between the bones, leading to pain in the joint. With osteoarthritis, you will often see bone spurs on x-rays, and occasionally soft cysts (fluid filled cavities in the bones and/or joints. Osteoarthritis usually develops after the age of forty, affecting women three times more than men. Classic symptoms include joint stiffness in the morning upon arising, or after periods of resting and/or sitting. Movement, stretching, or heat relieves this stiffness. Other symptoms include pain that increases with the use of the affected joint(s), progressive reduction of joint motion, and pain, redness, and swelling in the surrounding tissues.
Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), the most common form of arthritis, is found in many different joints in the body: but particularly in the knees, neck, back, hips, and fingers. It commonly causes pain, inflammation, and decreased range of motion. Considered by western allopathic doctors as an irreversible process of joint destruction. Western drug treatment, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin and Ibuprofin treat the symptoms of joint pain and degenerative joint conditions, however, they do not slow the progression of the disease. In fact, long-term use of NSAID's can cause further joint damage (decrease bone repair, increase micro-fractures) and accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis by inhibiting synthesis of proteoglycans.

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid and juvenile rheumatoid (affecting young people) arthritis(RA) are serious, painful joint diseases. RA primarily affects the cartilage (at the end of the bones), and tissues that surround the lubricating fluid in the joint. The tissues in and around the joint are often degenerated or completely destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. RA can affect the entire body, but it most often affects the small joints of the fingers and hands. These joints become swollen, tender, and in advanced cases, deformed. The pain and deformity of advanced RA is often crippling. Rheumatoid arthritis affects over two million Americans. It occurs in women twice as frequently as men, often in people aged under 40 years old. Juvenile RA, as the name states, can involve even young children. The primary causes (onset factors) of rheumatoid arthritis appear to be linked to bacterial infections, nutritional deficiencies, or physical and/or emotional stress.

3. Gouty Arthritis.

Gouty arthritis occurs mainly in people who are ‘living the high life’ eating rich foods, red meats, and regularly drinking alcohol. It is caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the bloodstream (another chemistry imbalance), which find their way into the joints and their surrounding tissues, causing extremely sharp, needle-like pain in the joints (especially the joints of the big toe). Fever, body chills, sweats, and loss of joint motion often accompany this intense pain. Over 90% of gout sufferers are overweight males, over the age of forty. Health problems related to or caused by gout include indigestion, constipation, depression, headache, a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, and various skin conditions.

4.Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis usually affects people with psoriasis of the skin, and/or nails (common symptoms include a characteristic red, flaky or scaly skin rash, and thick, eroded nails) or those with a family history of psoraisis. Psoriatic arthritis causes pain, inflammation, swelling, and eventually degeneration, primarily in the joints of the fingers and toes, and sometimes the hips and spine.

Which Nutrients Can Help?

Nutrients, which I often recommend to patients suffering from arthritic conditions, include glucosamine sulfate, mucopolysaccharides, shark cartilage, and bovine cartilage, which all replace joint ‘ground substances’ and cause the regeneration of the cartilage and other joint tissues. The enzyme bromelain and sea cucumber (Beche-de-mer) have natural anti-inflammatory compounds effective with arthritic and joint conditions. Herbs that I commonly recommend for arthritic conditions include, white willow bark for natural pain relief; boswellia serrata and feverfew as natural anti-inflammatory agents; yucca, as a blood purifier; and cat’s claw, to stimulate the immune system and for it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. Many of these nutrients are found in Biotics Research's joint formulae.

What About Dietary Oils?
Another important group of nutrients related to arthritic conditions are essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. They come in the form of both plant and fish oils (evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, borage oil, flax seed oil, soy oil, pumpkin seed oil, and various fish oils). In numerous research studies, these oils have been shown to provide ‘lubrication’ to the joints, and help control the pain and inflammation of arthritis. It is important that people are digesting fats well so the body can properly utilize these dietary oils. Many of these dietary oils are found in our Optimal EFA, which is a special blend of omega 3's and good omega 6's.

Can Antioxidants Help?

I recommend many varieties of antioxidant nutrients, including Vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene, and super oxide dismutase (SOD) to help eliminate and prevent the formation of free-radicals, which contribute to the degeneration of the joints and aging.

Acidic Body Chemistry, Can It Lead To Arthritis?
In my clinical nutrition practice, I have found that one of the most common denominators of arthritic patients is a urine acid/base (pH) which is acidic (lower than 6.3). You can buy urine pH test strips at any pharmacy to test your own urine. This general acidity of the body creates an increased potential of developing inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. The acidity does not just manifest in the urine, it spreads through the whole body chemistry, creating or contributing to inflammatory and degenerative conditions. The two things I have found to reduce or eliminate this acidity include improving overall digestion and cleansing the body internally. For this I recommend my ‘Healthy Alternatives Plus- Digestion & Stomach Upset Support’ formula, to reduce fermentation, putrefaction, and acid created throughout the gastrointestinal tract. I also highly recommend cellular, colon and liver cleansing to reduce or minimize general (systemic) acidity.

Which Foods Make The Body More Acid? (BAD)
In looking at diet, I have found that an individual may be able to make their body pH less acidic by eating less acid-forming foods and eating more alkaline producing foods. The most acid-forming food is sugar (any kind), and all foods containing sugar. Other acid-formers include alcohol, beans and legumes (black beans, chickpea, green pea, kidney, lentil, lima bean, pinto bean, red bean, soybean, soy milk, tofu, white bean), catsup, cocoa, coffee, cornstarch, cranberry, dairy products (casein, cheese, milk, yogurt), eggs, fats and oils (avocado oil, canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grape seed oil, lard, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil), fish, flour-based foods, fruit juices (especially citrus and cranberry), grains (amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, triticale), wheat, meat (red), most all other animal proteins, mustard, noodles, nuts (cashew, filbert, Brazil, peanut, peanut, pecan, tahini, walnut, and any nut butter), oatmeal, olives, pasta, pepper, plums, prunes, sauerkraut, seeds (most), shellfish, soft drinks (colas), tea (most), and vinegar. Most chemical drugs are acidic. Acidic sweets and sweeteners include all candy, honey, maple syrup, saccharin (poison anyway), sugar. Most alcoholic beverages are acidic, including beer, sake, vodka, whiskey, and some wines.

Which Foods Make The Body More Alkaline? (GOOD)
Foods that increase the alkalinity of the body include most fruits and vegetables. Vegetables include alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, coconut, collard greens, cucumber, daikon, dandelion root, kale, kohlrabi, kombu, lettuce, lotus root, mushroom, mustard green, nori, okra, olive, onion, parsnip, peas, peppers, potato (most), pumpkin, rutabaga, spinach, squash, sweet potato, taro, turnip, wakame and watercress.
Fruits (raw, not juices) include apple, apricot, banana, blackberry, blueberry, cantaloupe, cherry, currant, date, fig, gooseberry, grapes and raisins, grapefruit, honeydew, lemon, lime, loganberry, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, persimmon, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, tangerine, most tropical fruits, and watermelon. One alkaline-forming grain is millet. Two alkaline forming sweeteners are raw honey and molasses. Teas that are alkaline-forming include dandelion, ginseng, and kuzu. Other alkaline formers include aloe vera liquid preparations (never eat raw aloe), and ‘green foods’ such as alfalfa, barley grass, chlorella, chlorophyll, parsley, and wheat grass.

Are There Other Dietary Links To Arthritis?
There is also a dietary link to arthritic conditions from consumption of vegetables in the nightshade family: bell pepper, egg plant, tomatoes, and white potatoes. Supplemental iron medications are suspect in increasing pain, joint destruction and swelling. I recommend that people get their iron from plant sources: foods high in elemental iron are blackstrap molasses, broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans and peas. The herb yellowdock is known to contain large amounts of elemental iron.
Proper nutrition and arthritis specific nutritionional supplementation offers answers to people who are suffering from arthritic conditions. Our ‘Joint Support’ formula provides specific ground substances (nutritional building blocks) to regenerate ‘worn out’ joints and surrounding tissues, and provides the appropriate cellular and tissue nutrients that reduce arthritic symptoms, allowing improved joint function. Our ‘Essential Fatty Acids’ formula provides specific Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acid nutrients which nourish and lubricate the joints, vitamin E, and an herb, Rosemary, clinically shown to reduce pain.
Western drug treatment, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin and Ibuprofin treat the symptoms of joint pain and degenerative joint conditions, however, they do not slow the progression of the disease. In fact, long-term use of NSAID's can cause further joint damage (decrease bone repair, increase micro-fractures) and accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis by inhibiting synthesis of proteoglycans.

Nutrition & Behavior: A Lecture By Russell Blaylock, MD

Prescription Drugs Kill 300 Percent More Americans Than Illegal Drugs

Prescription Drugs Kill 300 Percent More Americans Than Illegal Drugs

Monday 10 November 2008

by: David Gutierrez | Visit article original @ Natural News

Heath Ledger found dead from prescription drug abuse. (Photo: AP)

A report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has concluded that prescription drugs have outstripped illegal drugs as a cause of death.

An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together. According to state law enforcement officials, this is a sign of a burgeoning prescription drug abuse problem.

"The abuse has reached epidemic proportions," said Lisa McElhaney, a sergeant in the pharmaceutical drug diversion unit of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. "It's just explosive."

In 2007, cocaine was responsible for 843 deaths, heroin for 121, methamphetamines for 25 and marijuana for zero, for a total of 989 deaths. In contrast, 2,328 people were killed by opioid painkillers, including Vicodin and Oxycontin, and 743 were killed by drugs containing benzodiazepine, including the depressants Valium and Xanax.

Alcohol directly caused 466 deaths, but was found in the bodies of 4,179 cadavers in all.

While the number of dead bodies containing heroin jumped 14 percent from the prior year, to a total of 110, the number of deaths influenced by the painkiller oxycodone increased by 36 percent, to a total of 1,253.

Across the country, prescription drugs have become an increasingly popular alternative to the more difficult to acquire illegal drugs. Even as illegal drug use among teenagers have fallen, prescription drug abuse has increased. For example, while 4 percent of U.S. 12th graders were using Oxycontin in 2002, by 2005 that number had increased to 5.5 percent.

It's not hard for teens to come by prescription drugs, according to Sgt. Tracy Busby, supervisor of the Calaveras County, Calif., Sheriff's Office narcotics unit.

"You go to every medicine cabinet in the county, and I bet you're going to find some sort of prescription medicine in 95 percent of them," he said.

Adults can acquire prescriptions by faking injuries, or by visiting multiple doctors and pharmacies for the same health complaint. Some people get more drugs than they expect to need, then sell the extras.

"You have health care providers involved, you have doctor shoppers, and then there are crimes like robbing drug shipments," said Jeff Beasley of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. "There is a multitude of ways to get these drugs, and that's what makes things complicated."

And while some people may believe that the medicines' legality makes them less dangerous than illegal drugs, Tuolumne County, Calif., Sheriff's Office Deputy Dan Crow warns that this is not the case. Because everybody reacts differently to foreign chemicals, there is no way of predicting the exact response anyone will have to a given dosage. That is why prescription drugs are supposed to be taken under a doctor's supervision.

"All this stuff is poison," Crow said. "Your body will fight all of this stuff." Tuolumne County Health Officer Todd Stolp agreed. A prescription drug taken recreationally is "much like a firearm in the hands of someone who's not trained to use them," he said.

While anyone taking a prescription medicine runs a risk of negative effects, the drugs are even more dangerous when abused. For example, many painkillers are designed to have a delayed effect that fades out over time. This can lead recreational users to take more drugs before the old ones are out of their system, placing them at risk of an overdose. Likewise, the common practice of grinding pills up causes a large dose of drugs to hit the body all at once, with potentially dangerous consequences.

"A medication that was meant to be distributed over 24 hours has immediate effect," Stolp said.

Even more dangerous is the trend of mixing drugs with alcohol, which, like most popularly abused drugs, is a depressant.

"In the case of alcohol and drugs, one plus one equals more than two," said Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lt. Dan Bressler.

Florida pays careful attention to drug-related deaths, and as such has significantly better data on the problem than any other state. But a recent study conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) suggests that the problem is indeed national. According to the DEA, the number of people abusing prescription drugs in the United States has jumped 80 percent in six years to seven million, or more than those abusing cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin, hallucinogens an inhalants put together.

Not surprisingly, there has been a corresponding increase in deaths. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, the number of emergency room visits related to painkillers has increased by 153 percent since 1995. And a 2007 report by the Justice Department National Intelligence Drug Center found that deaths related to the opioid methadone jumped from 786 in 1999 to 3,849 in 2004 - an increase of 390 percent.

Many experts attribute the trend to the increasing popularity among doctors of prescribing painkillers, combined with a leap in direct-to-consumer marketing by drug companies. For example, promotional spending on Oxycontin increased threefold between 1996 and 2001, to $30 million per year.

Sonora, Calif., pharmacist Eddie Howard reports that he's seen painkiller prescriptions jump dramatically in the last five years.

"I don't know that there is that much pain out there to demand such an increase," he said. The trend concerns Howard, and he tries to keep an eye out for patients who are coming in too frequently. But he admits that there is little he can do about the problem.

"When you have a lot of people waiting for prescriptions, it's hard to find time to play detective," he said.

Still, the situation makes Howard uncomfortable.

"It almost makes me a legalized drug dealer, and that's not a good position to be in," he said.

Top Pain Scientist Fabricated Data in Studies, Hospital Says

From the Wall Street Journal March 11, 2009

By KEITH J. WINSTEIN and DAVID ARMSTRONG

A prominent Massachusetts anesthesiologist allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies that claimed to show benefits from painkillers like Vioxx and Celebrex, according to the hospital where he worked.

Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., said that its former chief of acute pain, Scott S. Reuben, had faked data used in the studies, which were published in several anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008.

Associated Press

The anesthesiologist allegedly faked data in 21 studies on the use of various painkillers, including Vioxx.

The hospital has asked the medical journals to retract the 21 studies, some of which reported favorable results from the use of painkillers like Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra and Merck & Co.'s Vioxx -- both since withdrawn -- as well as Pfizer's Celebrex and Lyrica. Dr. Reuben's research work also claimed positive findings for Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor XR as a pain killer. And he wrote to the Food and Drug Administration, urging the agency not to restrict the use of many of the painkillers he studied, citing his own data on their safety and effectiveness.

"Dr. Reuben deeply regrets that this happened," said the doctor's attorney, Ingrid Martin. "Dr. Reuben cooperated fully with the peer review committee. There were extenuating circumstances that the committee fairly and justly considered." She declined to explain the extenuating circumstances. Dr. Reuben didn't respond to requests for comment sent through Ms. Martin and left at his former office.

The retractions, first reported in Anesthesiology News, have caused anesthesiologists to reconsider the use of certain practices adopted as a result of Dr. Reuben's research, doctors said. His work is considered important in encouraging doctors to combine the use of painkillers like Celebrex and Lyrica for patients undergoing common procedures such as knee and hip replacements.

Last month, the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia retracted 10 of Dr. Reuben's studies and posted a list of the 11 published in other journals on its Web site. The journal Anesthesiology said it has retracted three of Dr. Reuben's articles.

Dr. Reuben had been a paid speaker on behalf of Pfizer's medicines, and it paid for some of his research. "It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reuben's alleged actions," Pfizer said in a statement. "When we decided to support Dr. Reuben's research, he worked for a credible academic medical center and appeared to be a reputable investigator."

Wyeth said it isn't aware of any financial relationship between the company and Dr. Reuben.

An FDA spokeswoman said late Tuesday she wasn't aware of the matter. Merck had no immediate comment.

Hal Jenson, the chief academic officer at Baystate Medical, said a routine audit last spring flagged discrepancies in Dr. Reuben's work. That led to a larger investigation in which Dr. Reuben cooperated, Dr. Jenson said. "The conclusions are not in dispute," he added.

Dr. Reuben is on an indefinite leave from his post at Baystate, the hospital said. He no longer holds an appointment as a professor at Tufts University's medical school, according to the university.

Baystate concluded that "Dr. Reuben was solely responsible for the fabrication of data," Dr. Jenson said.

Jeffrey Kroin, who co-wrote four papers with Dr. Reuben, said he was dumbfounded to receive a letter earlier this year from Baystate, retracting the studies.

"We analyzed it and made figures and graphs, and sent it back, and wrote papers, and everything seemed fine," said Dr. Kroin of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "If someone has a good reputation, has 10 years of papers and has a very high position within their medical school, generally you assume they have a lot of integrity."

Jacques E. Chelly, the head of acute interventional postoperative pain service at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said he was "shocked" by the news of the retractions. Dr. Reuben "was very well respected," Dr. Chelly said.

He added that the situation has prompted his hospital to review the protocols it uses to treat patients for pain, because Dr. Reuben's work was so influential in establishing them. He said the hospital was now conducting its own study to verify the efficacy of drugs that Dr. Reuben claimed were effective painkillers.

In an editorial in the journal Anesthesiology, editor James C. Eisenach warned that "these retractions clearly raise the possibility that we might be heading in wrong directions or toward blind ends in attempts to improve pain therapy."

The retracted studies aren't expected to affect the drugs' regulatory status because Dr. Reuben's studies weren't part of the packages that manufacturers submitted to the FDA or European authorities.

Write to Keith J. Winstein at keith.winstein@wsj.com and David Armstrong at david.armstrong@wsj.com

Fight for Kids against Psychiatric Drugging

fightforkids.org
Watch John Travolta and Kelly Preston and other celebrities speak up about this $1 Billion dollar pharmaceutical industry.

The Truth About Diet Soda

The authors of Eat This Not That reveal some hard truths about low-calorie sodas.

By Dave Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, Men's Health

Find more: Test Your Nutritional IQ The 8 Worst Breakfasts in America Buy Eat This, Not That! Books

We talk a lot about “watching what we eat,” but if you never gave a thought to what you ate and instead watched only what you drank, you could probably cut 450 calories a day out of your life—that’s nearly a pound of fat trimmed away each week! That's what a study from the University of North Carolina found. Americans today drink about 192 gallons of liquid a year—or about 2 liters a day. To put it into perspective, this is nearly twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago.

When confronted with the growing tide of calories from sweetened beverages, the first response is, “Why not just drink diet soda?” Well, for a few reasons. Eat This, Not That! did some research and found out some hard truths behind the low-calorie (and nutrition-free) beverage. The story isn't as clear-cut as you suspect, and it might make you think twice the next time you're looking for a thirst-quencher.

Hard truth No. 1

Just because diet soda is low in calories doesn't mean it can't lead to weight gain.

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It may have only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research suggests that consuming sugary-tasting beverages—even if they're artificially sweetened—may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter (and more caloric) cereal, bread, dessert—everything. Considering there are 15 calories in every teaspoon of sugar, that's not good news if you're watching your weight.

Hard truth No. 2

Guzzling these drinks all day long forces out the healthy beverages you need.

Diet soda is 100 percent nutrition-free—and it's important to remember that all that useless liquid is taking up space that could have gone to more healthy alternatives. On the positive side, it means you won’t be taking in equally non-nutritious, calorie- and sugar-packed options. But it's just as important to actively drink the good stuff as it is to avoid that bad stuff. So one diet soda a day is fine, but if you're downing five or six cans, that means you're limiting your intake of healthful beverages, particularly water and tea, which is high in antioxidants.

Plus, a recent study from Johns Hopkins found that restricting liquid caloric intake is a more effective way to lose weight than restricting calories from food. There’s no better place than by eliminating anything on our list of the 20 unhealthiest drinks in America.

Hard truth No. 3

There remain some concerns over aspartame, the low-calorie chemical used to give diet sodas their flavor.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar, and some animal research has linked consumption of high amounts of the sweetener to brain tumors and lymphoma in rodents. The FDA maintains that the sweetener is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes. Check out our guide to the 11 most controversial food additives to see how aspartame stacks up.

The bottom line is this: Diet soda does you no good, and it might just be doing you harm. The best way to hydrate is by drinking low-calorie, high-nutrient fluids—and choosing healthy alternatives, like the ones you'll find in our list of the 16 best drink swaps.

Now that you have a hold on your liquid assets, upgrade the rest of your grocery list by avoiding the 13 Worst "Healthy" Foods in the Supermarket.

Acupuncture and Massage for Chronic Pain

According to the American Pain Association, an estimated 86 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain can be characterized by persistent pain signals that are repeatedly fired from the nervous system, and they can last from weeks to years. As with most prevalent and life-affecting afflictions, there is a wide variety of solutions available; from over-the-counter medication to prescription drugs, chronic pain is dealt with daily in a variety of ways. However, traditional Chinese medicine may have two more effective means of relief to offer.

Both Chinese acupuncture and massage therapy are regularly used to alleviate chronic pain. There is some contention in the field of Oriental medicine as to which practice is more beneficial. According to the British Medical Journal, a recent study showed acupuncture to provide greater short-term pain relief and better range of motion than traditional massage. The conclusion of the British Medical Journal declared acupuncture to be a safe form of treatment for people with chronic neck pain and one that offers clear clinical advantages over conventional massage in the reduction of pain and improvement of mobility.
While acupuncture is believed by many to provide long-term relief for chronic pain, massage therapy also has a good deal of staunch believers. The Archives of Internal Medicine conducted a randomized trial comparing traditional Chinese medical acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and self-care education for chronic low back pain. The results this study stated that therapeutic massage was effective for persistent low back pain and provided long-lasting benefits, and that traditional Chinese acupuncture was "relatively ineffective." The Touch Research Institute has conducted over 90 clinical studies on the beneficial effects of massage therapy. These studies have proven massage therapy's effectiveness in the relief of not only chronic pain, but also juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, labor pain, fibromyalgia, and back pain

Treating ADHD & ADD With Acupuncture

Traditional treatment of ADHD and ADD (attention deficit disorder) is through the prescription of the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin): its production has increased seven times in the 1990s alone, and is continually administered to younger and younger patients. Parents are beginning to question the drugs side-effects and are asking for alternative approaches to ADHD.

In recent years, acupuncture has become a popular complementary therapy for children suffering from ADHD. Auricular acupuncture, specifically, has been proven most effective. The ear may be used alone or in combination with body acupuncture to solve countless illnesses through the stimulation of specific points on the body with micro-thin needles, electricity, laser, or other devices. Since the ear may be stimulated through noninvasive procedures, it is the favored treatment for children.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system that evaluates each patient individually and addresses specifically to their personality, problems, and bodies. Treatment of ADHD through acupuncture and Oriental medicine is looked upon much differently than Western medicine, which sees ADHD as a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. According to Chinese medicine, ADHD is either due to insufficient nourishment of the spirit, spirit agitation by some type of heat, or orifice obstruction by static blood or phlegm. Static blood may also interfere with the normal engenderment of blood and hence lead to insufficient spirit nourishment.
Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are often the first choice for ADHD children because of the safe nature of the therapies. Since 1980s there have been numerous clinical trials using Chinese herbs alone to help ADHD children. Most of the trials reported encouraging results.
Parents interested in pursuing natural therapies for children suffering from ADHD should consult a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine or a registered acupuncturist.

Smoking affects more than your lungs

Health Tip: Smoking and the Musculoskeletal System

Those puffs affect more than your lungs

(HealthDay News) -- Damage to the lungs is one of the first things people think about when it comes to the health detriments of smoking. But smoking can affect much ofyour body, right down to your bones and muscles.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says smoking can have the following effects on the musculoskeletal system:

- Increases risk of osteoporosis.

- Reduces bone density.

- Reduces blood supply to bones, causes bone cells to form more
slowly, and impairs calcium absorption.

- Reduces the effectiveness of estrogen therapy.

- Raises your risk of hip fracture.

- Raises your risk of rotator cuff injuries.

- May contribute to low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis.

- Extends healing time after bone fractures.

FDA continues its war on natural supplements

The FDA has fired a new salvo in its war against the dietary supplement industry. Not long after a federal ruling overturned a ban on the supplement ephedra, the FDA has strong-armed the makers of Hydroxycut, a similar supplement, into pulling 14 of their products off the shelves.

One death was potentially linked to this Hydroxycut in 2007 -- and yet there were a staggering 9 million packages of the stuff sold in the last year.

Meanwhile, how many dangerous and deadly reactions have there been to any number of prescription drugs (many of which you read about right here) that have resulted in little more than
a black box warning be placed on those pharmaceuticals?

Hydroxycut is made from all-natural ingredients and is sold over the counter. You can get it not just in health food and supplementretailers, but also at pharmacies and grocery stores. Like ephedra-based supplements such as Xenadrine (which was also pulled from shelves), Hydroxycut is popular with dieters and athletes (especially bodybuilders), and is particularly prized for its energy-boosting and weight-loss effects.

According to Dr. Linda Katz of the FDA's food and nutrition division, there have been as many as 23 cases of liver-related complications stemming from the use of Hydroxycut, including the 2007 death of
a teenager. Among the maladies blamed on the use of the supplement are cases of liver failure and jaundice.

All of this might be true, but the fact is, no matter how safe something is, it can potentially be dangerous when it's used incorrectly, or if it's overused -- including water.

I am always wary of the government butting its nose into the supplement business. After all, they've done a less-than-stellar job of keeping the prescription drugs safe in this country, and it's not hard to see that their close ties to the pharmaceutical industry have given the agency an anti-natural supplement bent.

For example, the tragic death of a 19-year-old in 2007, which was allegedly caused by Hyrdoxycut, wasn't reported to the FDA until -- are you ready for this? -- March of 2009. Any reasonable person
would surely find this just a bit fishy. But not the FDA.

Though the media made much hay out of some highly publicized deaths that were loosely linked to ephedra supplements, evidence in some of those cases showed blatant misuse of the product. I
suspect this Hydroxycut fatality (if the link can be proven) is a similar situation. Like I said, putting too much of ANYTHING in your body has the potential to kill you.

Look at all the misery brought about from the use of, for example, the vaccine Gardasil, which fights the human papillomavirus -- an STD that can cause cervical cancer. To date, there have been 32 deaths linked to this useless vaccine, along with a large number of other medical incidents, including 11,000 adverse reactions (pleasantries like
as anaphylactic shock, grand mal seizures, foaming at the mouth, coma, and paralysis -- of these, 27 cases were considered life threatening).
Also, have been at least 38 cases of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a debilitating nerve disorder.

But you can still get a Gardasil shot for your nine-year-old from any doctor. Want some Hydoxycut? Sorry -- that stuff'll kill you.

Eating Pork can be Hazardous to your Health

Eating Pork can be Hazardous to your Health

When I was studying in England I used to live in a "dig" (rooming house) in Highgate, North London. There were Chinese students from Malaysia, Singapore, Sarawak, Hong Kong and Vietnam rooming in the two houses that faced each other. We were all good friends and we spent the weekends cooking and sharing our favorite dishes. One of our friends called Luk studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and he would spend his summer vacation in London with us. Luk's special contribution was "Charsiu" the Cantonese barbecued pork. The way he prepared it was just exquisite, much better than those of any Chinese restaurant I have ever tasted. He had been coming to Highgate every summer for three years, and we always looked forward to tasting his "Charsiu." The summer before his final year in the university Luk also came to stay with our group, but there was a radical change in him. He told us there would be no more "Charsiu" from that time onwards. The real shocker is that he vowed not to eat any more pork dishes and strongly advised all of us in the group not to do so either. He had such a strong conviction against pork that he would not eat with us if we insisted on having it.

Here is his explanation. Luk was with a team of medical students doing a research project on the effects of diet on stomach and intestinal diseases such as trichinosis. The research team's method was to go to the hospitals and dissect corpses for autopsies. They based their studies on the diets of the various ethnic communities in the region. Their research uncovered the finding of the ethnic community with the highest percentage of cases with the trichinella spiralis worm belonged to a race that had pork as its main staple diet. Their research data showed a remarkably low percentage of Jews and Moslems with the trichinella spiralis worm in their bodies. It is significant that these two ethnic communities exclude pork and other biblically unclean meats in their diet.

My friend had seen such clear evidence in the co-relationship between pork consumption and stomach and intestinal diseases that he could make a determination not to eat that meat again in all his life. That was the first time I had ever heard a negative report on pork, but it has a lasting impression on my mind ever since that summer in London, England.

Trichinosis Worm

Trichinosis Worm

Trichinosis

Pronounced As: trikinosis or trichiniasis trikinisis, parasitic disease caused by the roundworm Trichinella spiralis. It follows the eating of raw or inadequately cooked meat, especially pork. The larvae are released, reach maturity, and mate in the intestines, the females producing live larvae. The parasites are then carried from the gastrointestinal tract by the bloodstream to various muscles, where they become encysted. It is estimated that 10% to 20% of the adult population of the United States suffers from trichinosis at some time. In many people the disease exhibits no symptoms and is discovered only at autopsy. In others it causes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms as the worms multiply in the digestive tract. When the larvae circulate through the bloodstream, the patient experiences edema, irregular fever, profuse sweating, muscle soreness and pain, and prostration. There may be involvement of the central nervous system, heart, and lungs; death occurs in about 5% of clinical cases. Once the larvae have imbedded themselves in the muscle tissue, the cysts usually become calcified; however, the infestation usually causes no further symptoms except fatigue and vague muscular pains. There is no specific treatment.

Bad Effects of Pork Consumption

Pig's bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases. Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs.

Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza.

Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds, which can lead to itching and inflammation; growth hormone, which promotes inflammation and growth; sulfur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, resulting in arthritis, rheumatism, etc. Sulfur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage.

Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content. The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found it its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage.

One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms, which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor does salting or smoking kill them. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs.

Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh. Pigs have been used for dissection in biology labs due to the similarity between their organs and human organs. People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin.

Pigs eating dung

Pigs eating dung

Medical and Scientific Reasons for not Eating Pork

This is a direct quote from "What the Bible Says About Healthy Eating" by Dr. Rex Russell. He attended Baylor School of Medicine in Houston, Texas and did his residency at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota.

"One reason for God's rule forbidding pork is that the digestive system of a pig is completely different from that of a cow. It is similar to ours, in that the stomach is very acidic. Pigs are gluttonous, never knowing when to stop eating. Their stomach acids become diluted because of the volume of food, allowing all kinds of vermin to pass through this protective barrier. Parasites, bacteria, viruses, and toxins can pass into the pigs flesh because of overeating. These toxins and infectious agents can be passed on to humans when they eat a pig's flesh.

In the "Biblical Archeological Review", Jane Cahill examined the toilets of a Jewish household in Jerusalem, finding no parasites or infectious agents, but only pollen from the many fruits, vegetables, and herbs they had eaten. A similar study done about Egyptians revealed eggs from Schistosoma, Trichinella, wire worm and tapeworms, all found in pork. All of these organisms cause significant chronic diseases. [ this is footnoted Jane Cahill and Peter Warnock, "It had to happen, Scientist Examines Ancient Bathrooms of Romans 586B.C." BAR May/June 1991]

In what is probably a strong illustration of the perils of pork, at one time no cases of trichinosis had been reported in the country of Bolivia for several years. [this is footnoted from "Veterinary Parasitology" May 1993] However, 25% of pigs tested were infested with trichinosis. People working on these farms and the population eating the pigs were also found to be positive for infestation with this parasite. The primary symptoms of this infection include muscle pain, headaches, fever and swelling in the extremities.[foot noted Baker, Bryant, Urban, and Lumney, "Swine Immunity to Selected Parasites", "Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology" October 1994] These are all nonspecific symptoms that do not necessarily indicate any one disease. Although this may explain why the trichinosis had not been diagnosed in Bolivia for several years, it is strong circumstantial evidence that many people became ill because of pork.

Dr. W.J. Zimmerman reviewed the diaphragm muscle from multiple autopsies done in the U.S. in the late 1960"s, and reported that trichinosis was not an unusual finding. [footnoted Zimmerman, Steele, And Kagan, "Trichiniases in the U.S. Population, 1966-70: Prevalence and Epidemiologic Factors", Health Services Reports 88:7 Aug/Sept 1973] It is well accepted that illnesses caused by parasites have a significant economic effect worldwide.

In the U.S., three of the six most common food-borne parasitic diseases of humans are associated with pork consumption. These include toxoplasmosis, taeniases or cysticercosis [caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium] and trichinellosis.

In Japan, the source of these infections was traced to the flesh of pigs, bears, horses, racoons and foxes. All of these animals are listed in Scripture as putrid or unclean.

Swine are also good incubators of toxic parasites and viruses- although the animal doesn't appear to be ill while carrying these diseases. A scientist at the University of Giessen's Institute for Virology in Germany showed in a study of worldwide influenza epidemics that pigs are the one animal that can serve as a mixing vessel for new influenza viruses that may seriously threaten world health.

If a pig is exposed to a human's DNA virus and then a bird's virus, the pig mixes the two viruses - developing a new DNA virus that is often extremely lethal for humans. These viruses have already caused worldwide epidemics and destruction. Virologists have concluded that if we do not find a way to separate humans from pigs, the whole earth's population may be at risk. [footnoted Scholtissek,M.D., "Cultivating a Killer Virus" National History Jan. 1992]

The 1942 Yearbook of Agriculture reported that 50 diseases were found in pigs, and many of these were passed on to humans by eating the pig's flesh.

Additionally, just the handling of swine has an element of risk. A large hog-raising facility in the area where I live wisely requires its employees to wear gloves, masks and protective clothing while working in the pig barns. The workers are required to shower each day before going home.

Little wonder that GOD would inspire His prophet to include eating pork among the disobedient acts of stubborn people in addition to idolatry and conjuring spirits of the dead, "a people who continually provoke Me to My face,...who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat" [Isa. 65:3,4]"

Natural Support For Female Infertility

You know the patient who decides to wait until the right time in her personal life or career before she decides to have a child. She tries, but it doesn’t happen. Feelings of shame, inadequacy, and downright heartache can take over a person’s life. It can cause great marital discord. The Department of Reproductive Health and Research estimated that one in four “ever-married” women of reproductive age in most developing countries are infertile because of primary or secondary infertility. That’s a lot of people.

What are the causes of female infertility?

The World Health Organization breaks them down this way: ovulatory disorders (25 %), endometriosis (15%), pelvic adhesions (12%), tubal blockage (11 %), other tubal abnormalities (11%), hyperprolactinemia (7 %), and unknown or other (19%).
But what causes these vague terms ovulatory disorders, endometriosis, adhesions, tubal blockage, and the unknown or other categories?

Can you see the “I” word in all these labels?

“I” for inflammation. As we get into the details and review the research, think how inflammation can be directly or indirectly tied to infertility. How many times has Dr. Tang and his colleagues have removed garbage food from your diet, increased movement, reduced stress and all of a sudden you hear the couple is pregnant?
We can see how inflammation is the result of these factors. Fix the cause and the inflammation goes away.

One of the biggest factors is environmental toxins.

These have a serious effect on the female endocrine system and as a result contribute to an increase in infertility. Many pesticides and herbicides mimic estrogen and bind to receptor sites disrupting the hormonal feedback loops.

Another category of toxins are heavy metals. They influence neurotransmitters in the central nervous system inhibiting the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. Mercury can accumulate in the pituitary gland affecting the production of gonadotropins.
Heavy metals can also accumulate in the adrenal glands and block many enzymatic pathways
causing hyperandrogenemia or partial hypoadrenalism.
Cadmium toxicity can be a cause of hyper and hypothyroidism which can be another indirect
link to infertility.
We could perform a hair mineral analysis to test for the presence of these toxins and your mineral balance.
We have specific detoxification programs that may help in ridding the body of these toxins.


Let’s take a look at some practical things we can do. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine has been found to interfere with ovulation; Over 1 cup of coffee per day or 3 cans of caffeinated soda has been associated with lower conception rates, as high as 50%.

Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity has been attributed to "anovulatory infertility" as a result of hyperandrogenism. This has adverse effects on the endometrium and developing ovacytes. An elevation in circulating leptin levels due to excess adipose tissue inhibits luteinising hormone and has a deleterious effect on follicular receptor cells.

Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of B12, folic acid, and B6. A severe vitamin B12 deficiency as found in pernicious anemia can cause infertility.
A deficiency in folic acid has been linked to preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth,
preterm delivery, and low birth weight; even mild deficiencies in folate metabolism can contribute to fetal loss.

Prenatal Packs from Biotics Research is excellent in supplying the proper balance of nutrients for fertility. My son Aldan was nourished exclusively with Prenatal Packs as the supplement of choice and he is healthy. It is not just vitamins alone, but esssential oils, antioxidants, and minerals. We compared it to the prescription prenatal "Prenate Elite" and Biotics' version BLOWS IT AWAY.

B6 is important in hormone production and helps to adjust progesterone and estrogen levels. A
study was done on three-hundred sixty-four female workers in China. Urine specimens were
collected for up to 1 year to detect gonadatropin levels as a measure for conception and early pregnancy loss. Low levels of B6 were directly correlated to a decrease in conception and contributed to the risk of early pregnancy loss.

A small study reported in the "Food and Nutrition Bulletin" on 14 patients with B12 deficiency and recurrent fetal loss with periods of infertility. B12 supplementation was successful in bringing 10 of these women to a full-term pregnancy.

Functional B12 and folic acid deficiencies are very prevalent. For B12, folic acid, and B6, Biotics makes a product
called B12-2000 that is a lozenge and actually tastes good.
Another key to fertility is to maintain healthy levels of glutathione, vitamin A, E, and beta carotene.
A study involving 40 women with habitual abortion and controls measured plasma levels of
glutathione, vitamins A & E, and beta carotene.
The women experiencing habitual abortion were significantly lower in these nutrients compared to the control group.
I’ve mentioned environmental toxins and metals. These precipitate free radicals and inflammation.
Supplementing antioxidants with foods and high quality nutraceuticals such as Biotics Research is critical.

In reference to antioxidants, good ol' vitamin C was looked at in a randomized controlled, multicenter study. Vitamin C at 750mg/day was administered to patients with luteal phase defects.
Supplementation resulted in higher pregnancy rates in the treatment group compared to the
controls. Still another study in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology in 2005 reported
that women with recurrent miscarriages and luteal phase defects had lower levels of antioxidants. The study showed that the concentration of antioxidants was significantly lower in
women with recurrent miscarriages than in healthy women.
Based on that information, a double blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was done to determine
the effects of vitamin E, iron, zinc, selenium, and L-arginine on fertility. The study
revealed that mid-luteal progesterone levels increased from 8.2 ng/mL to12.8 ng/mL; the
patients experienced a significant increase in the rates of ovulation and pregnancy.
We can supplement the antioxidants and nutrients mentioned with BioProtect from Biotics
Research. BioProtect is a full spectrum antioxidant that contains vitamin, mineral, enzyme,
plant, and amino acid antioxidants. It has been designed to supply and regenerate already oxidized
antioxidants.
You are also encouraged to eat a rainbow of nutrients such as kale, yellow peppers,
tomatoes, purple cabbage, blueberries, and apricots. Use Whey Protein Isolate on a daily basis and consume more broccoli, asparagus, avocado, and spinach to help optimize glutathione levels.
When we assess nutritional status and support the basic physiology, the body will often return to health and who knows… maybe even bring new life into this world.

FDA and FTC overstepping their power

Something significant happened this week in the world of health advertising

Diagnostic Errors—The Next Frontier for Patient Safety

Diagnostic Errors—The Next Frontier for Patient Safety: An estimated 40 000 to 80 000 US hospital deaths result
from misdiagnosis annually.4 -JAMA. 2009;301(10):1060-1062.

SLS: Wash your hair in Agent Orange?

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a very common chemical found in shampoos, hair conditioners, toothpaste, body washes bubble baths etc. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is also a strong and harsh detergent used in industry as a degreaser and a powerful wetting and foaming agent. Individuals and companies promoting cosmetic and personal care products that are free of Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) have had a lot of mileage out of bad publicity SLS has received over the last few years. What are the facts?

Sodium lauryl sulphate Safety Data Sheet

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate facts?

As a concerned and aware consumer, do you really have anything to worry about as far as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is concerned?

It would appear that we have two quite differing views on the safety of using and exposing the body to constant low levels of toxic chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS). I feel it is only fair we look at the facts as they are reported by the chemical industry and other concerned individuals in regard to SLS.

I would like to quote word for word as reported in the book "Health Wars" written by investigative medical journalist Phillip Day: You make up your own mind about the wisdom of using Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) in your shampoo and children's bubble bath!

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a very harsh detergent found in almost all shampoos and more than a few toothpastes. Pick up a cross section of these products next time you visit the supermarket and you will find Sodium Lauryl Sulphate SLS or Sodium Lauryth Sulphate (SLES) in pride of place under the ingredients label.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate started its career as an industrial degreasant and garage floor cleaner. When applied to human skin it has the effect of stripping off the oil layer and then irritating and eroding the skin, leaving it rough and pitted.

Studies on SLS have shown that:" (Judi Vance, Beauty To Die For, Promotion Publishing, 1998)

1. "Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children's eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference."

2. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea."

3. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas."

4. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin."

5. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin."

6. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair."

7. "Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested." (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)

Ethoxylation: Ethoxylation is the process that makes degreasing agents such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) less abrasive and gives them enhanced foaming properties. When SLS is ethoxylated, it forms Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), a compound used in many shampoos, toothpastes, bath gels, bubble baths, and industrial degreasants. The problem is, the extremely harmful compound 1,4-dioxane may be created during the ethoxylation process, contaminating the product. 1,4-dioxane was one of the principal components of the chemical defoliant Agent Orange, used to great effect by the Americans during the Vietnam War to strip off the jungle canopy to reveal their enemy. 1,4-dioxane is a hormonal disrupter believed to be the chief agent implicated in the host of cancers suffered by Vietnam military personnel after the war. It is also an oestrogen mimic thought to increase the chances of breast cancer and endometrial cancer, stress related illnesses and lower sperm counts.

Dr Samuel Epstein (Author and research Scientist) reports: "The best way to protect yourself is to recognise ingredients most likely to be contaminated with the1,4-dioxane. These include ingredients with the prefix word, or syllable PEG, Polyethylene, Polyethylene Glycol, Polyoxyethylene, eth (as in sodium laureth sulphate) or oxynol. Both polysorbate 60 and polysorbate 80 may also be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. (Epstein, Dr Samuel, Safe Shoppers Bible, P.190-191)

So my uncle Ellick was right from ten years ago. Thank you.

INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SWINE FLU

What Is Swine Flu? Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influnza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort, or swap genes, and new viruses that are a mixture of swine, human and/or avian influenza can emerge. Over the years variations of swine flu have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs. They are H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, the most recent isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses. This is not the same as the human H1N1 viruses, and vaccines for the human seasonal flu will not provide any protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.

How Is It Spread? First, human infections with swine flu occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs. The virus can then spread from person-to-person in the same way as the seasonal flu. Many people become infected by person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing, or by touching something with the flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. More recent illnesses (and the reported death of one individual in Texas) suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S.

Steps Your Can Take To Help Prevent Infection It is very important to emphasize the importance of washing hands frequently throughout the day. Also, It is key to stay in good health. Get plenty of sleep, be aware of your stress level, stay physically active, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods. All of these are factors of a healthy immune system. When considering a healthy diet remember to avoid foods that contain high levels of sugar, highly refined carbohydrates, starch vegetables, and all highly processed vegetable oils such as corn, canola, and soy. Obviously, you should avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Optimum immune function should be priority. Consider the following protocol to help maintain a healthy immune system: Bio-Immunozyme Forte™, NAC, Ultra Vir-X™, and Bio-FCTS™ Each should be taken 1 tablet/capsule, 3 times per day. Vitamin D is also important in maintaining a healthy immune system. If you or your patients are not already taking Bio-D-Mulsion Forte®, you should consider starting now. It is recommended to get 4000 IU of vitamin D per day. That is just 2 drops of Bio-D-Mulsion Forte® each day! Good digestion is also very supportive in optimal immune function. To maintain good bowel flora consider BioDoph-7 Plus® (2 to 3 capsules 2 times per day) and as a form of hydrochloric acid support and enzymes, take Hydro-Zyme™ (2 to 3 tablets per meal).

Signs and symptoms of swine flu include but are not limited to: fever cough sore throat body aches headache chills vomiting diarrhea lack of appetite lethargy These symptoms are the same as human influenza viruses. To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would need to be collected and sent to CDC for laboratory testing. For more interim guidance for clinicians and public health professionals please visit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Health Tip: Signs of Nail Fungus

Health Tip: Signs of Nail Fungus
A thick, yellowish nail is a common symptom

(HealthDay News) -- Fungi can creep underneath nails on the toes and fingers, causing an infection. While this problem usually can be treated with a prescription medication (that is quite toxic to your body), keeping nails clean and dry can help prevent it in the first place.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these warning signs of a fungal nail infection:

• A nail that is brittle and crumbles.
• A change in the way the nail is shaped.
• A thick nail.
• A change in the color of the nail.
• A nail that is dull, or is separating from the skin.
• A nail that appears to have particles beneath it.

We have a wonderful anti-fungal protocol to eliminate the fungus. When the nail gets this bad then there is a systemic problem: a chronic fungal infection in your WHOLE body. This is no easy simple fix. It is a protocol that lasts at least one month to have complete elimination rather than fighting it until the nail looks better (which the nail grows about half an inch per month anyway.)

Trouble Sleeping? Try These Tips

Trouble Sleeping? Try These Tips
What you do and drink before bedtime can have an effect

(HealthDay News) -- Though the value of a good night's sleep is well known, it's not uncommon for people to get far less than the eight hours recommended for peak performance.

The Comprehensive Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders Center at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Texas offers these explanations why, and tips on how to get more shut-eye:

• Control caffeine. The cycle of downing a large cup of coffee to wake up in the morning and more after dinner, whether out of habit or desire to stay up late, counters the body's ability to sleep soundly on its own. Go easy on the caffeine, especially in the six hours before bedtime.
• Stress less. Lying awake at night worrying about responsibilities at home or work does little besides making sleep more difficult, so just let your troubles go at bedtime. "Once your head hits the pillow, your only duty is to sleep," Raul Noriega, manager of the center, said in a Baylor news release.
• Reschedule that nighttime workout. Exercising helps your body, but doing it too close to bedtime might hurt it in the end, because it makes falling asleep more difficult. That's because sleep causes the body temperature to drop about a degree and, if you're heated up from exercise, it could take hours for you to cool down enough for sleep, Noriega said.
• Develop a sleep routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Shut off the TV and music, turn down the lights and take a warm (not hot) shower to build an atmosphere of calm. And you might try reading in bed for a little bit before turning off the lights.

Vanillin is not natural

Vanillin may be made naturally or synthetically but the latter prevails because of the power of the dollar in synthetically making it than purifying vanilla plants.

I took a look at my "All-Natural Yogurt" = as long as it is 99% it is "all-natural" which means 1% can be toxins or toxic or artificial or "natural" flavoring. "Natural" flavoring is misleading due to lobbyists which influence the government enough to allow the use of artificial chemicals to be labeeled "natural".


Snippets from Wikipedia.

Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3. Its functional groups include aldehyde, ether, and phenol. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin, instead of natural vanilla extract, is sometimes used as a flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.

Methyl vanillin is used by the food industry as well as ethylvanillin. The ethyl is more expensive but has a stronger note. It differs from vanillin by having an ethoxy group (-O-CH2CH3) instead of a methoxy group (-O-CH3).

Natural "vanilla extract" is a mixture of several hundred different compounds in addition to vanillin. Artificial vanilla flavoring is a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin. Because of the scarcity and expense of natural vanilla extract, there has long been interest in the synthetic preparation of its predominant component. The first commercial synthesis of vanillin began with the more readily available natural compound eugenol. Today, artificial vanillin is made from either guaiacol or from lignin, a constituent of wood which is a byproduct of the paper industry.

Lignin-based artificial vanilla flavoring is alleged to have a richer flavor profile than oil-based flavoring; the difference is due to the presence of acetovanillone in the lignin-derived product, an impurity not found in vanillin synthesized from guaiacol.[2]


Vanillin was first isolated as a relatively pure substance in 1858 by Nicolas-Theodore Gobley, who obtained it by evaporating a vanilla extract to dryness, and recrystallizing the resulting solids from hot water.[4] In 1874, the German scientists Ferdinand Tiemann and Wilhelm Haarmann deduced its chemical structure, at the same time finding a synthesis for vanillin from coniferin, a glycoside of isoeugenol found in pine bark.[5] Tiemann and Haarmann founded a company, Haarmann & Reimer (now part of Symrise) and started the first industrial production of Vanillin using their process in Holzminden (Germany). In 1876, Karl Reimer synthesized vanillin from guaiacol.[6] By the late 19th century, semisynthetic vanillin derived from the eugenol found in clove oil was commercially available.[7]

Synthetic vanillin became significantly more available in the 1930s, when production from clove oil was supplanted by production from the lignin-containing waste produced by the Sulfite pulping process for preparing wood pulp for the paper industry. By 1981, a single pulp and paper mill in Ontario supplied 60% of the world market for synthetic vanillin.[8] However, subsequent developments in the wood pulp industry have made its lignin wastes less attractive as a raw material for vanillin synthesis. While some vanillin is still made from lignin wastes, most synthetic vanillin is today synthesized in a two-step process from the petrochemical precursors guaiacol and glyoxylic acid.[3]

Beginning in 2000, Rhodia began marketing biosynthetic vanillin prepared by the action of microorganisms on ferulic acid extracted from rice bran. At $700/kg, this product, sold under the trademarked name Rhovanil Natural, is not cost-competitive with petrochemical vanillin, which sells for around $15/kg.[9] However, unlike vanillin synthesized from lignin or guaiacol, it can be labeled as a natural flavoring.

Excitotoxins

This is a long video lecture, about 1 hour long, but please watch in your spare time.

Did you know MSG may come up under different names?

hydrolyzed vegetable protein
vegetable protein
textured protein
protein extract
enzymes (depending on the source)
yeast extract
natural flavoring
spices
carragenum

Problem: the food industry lobbied to be able to disguise certain chemicals from being subject to mandatory labelling.

Also...

Surprisingly to me, it affects cholesterol and triglycerides too!