Transvaginal Mesh and Women’s Health

Please go to our new page for Transvaginal Mesh and More Updates

Rank 30 Jan, 2012 = 4/158,000

5 January, 2012  -  NEW ARTICLE


Our series on transvaginal mesh is now in PDF format, 26 pages.

19 December: High Costs Associated with Urogenital Surgery


Cost of surgery for certain urogenital conditions can range from $4000 to $6000 for your doctor with additional costs related to hospital care.

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C.R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) may have beaten The Street with its third-quarter results, but Wall Street investors are beating it back today, sending shares down nearly 4 percent.

The medical device maker reported its Q3 earnings and its $250 million acquisition of Medivance after the market closed yesterday. Bard posted profits of $130.1 million, or $1.46 per diluted share, on sales of $719.2 million for the three months ended Sept. 30.

That's 2.0 percent more profit and 6.0 percent more revenues than during the same period last year, when Murray Hill, N.J.-based Bard reported profits of $127.5 million, or $1.34 diluted EPS, on sales of $678.4 million.  October 26, 2011 by MassDevice

FDA Safety Communication: UPDATE on Serious Complications Associated with

 Transvaginal Placement of Surgical Mesh for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Boston Scientific and other transvaginal mesh makers defend their devices amid FDA probe

Boston Scientific urges the FDA to maintain a class II device status on transvaginal mesh amid calls from public advocates for product recalls and FDA warnings that the devices may do more harm than good.

Johnson & Johnson vaginal mesh lawsuits another blow to the FDA's device review process

October 20, 2011 by Arezu Sarvestani

With high profile recalls in hip implants and defibrillators in the recent past, the FDA's medical device review process takes another hit it doesn't need as health care giant Johnson & Johnson weathers a storm of transvaginal mesh complaints.

 FDA's medical device review process is again under scrutiny as lawsuits pile up against health care leviathan Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) for transvaginal mesh devices that may do more harm than good.

Lawsuits claiming negligence against mesh-makers have also implicated the FDA's review system for continuing to clear new mesh products under the 510(k) system, despite the predicate device being pulled from U.S. shelves.

Boston Scientific Corp.'s (NYSE:BSX) ProteGen mesh, cleared in 1996 and pulled from the shelves a year later, was used as a predicate device for clearing subsequent mesh products, despite more than 120 adverse event reports on the original design at the time, Bloomberg reported.

from Bloomberg By Alex Nussbaum and David Voreacos - Oct 20, 2011 J&J Vaginal Mesh Approved by FDA Based on Similar Device Recalled in 1999

More from the FDA

September 29, 2011

I am excited to report that I will be doing some follow up stories for an old friend, Eric Chaffin, of Chaffin Luhana LLP about prolapse and vaginal mesh complications. Eric is the one who originally approached me about doing the below vaginal mesh series a couple of years ago when he was with his old law firm. Eric and his now law partner, Roopal Luhana, have their own firm in NYC, Chaffin Luhana LLP. Eric and Roopal were some of the first attorneys in the country to represent women in the Bard Avaulta mesh litigation and in Gynecare mesh lawsuits. They continue to represent women in these medical device cases, as well as in other vaginal mesh litigations, including representing women in cases against Boston Scientific and American Medical Systems regarding allegedly defective vaginal mesh. You can learn more about the vaginal mesh cases Chaffin Luhana is handling through the vaginal mesh information website that Chaffin Luhana sponsors. I also hope that you will visit us soon here at Natural Health News to read the first of what I anticipate will be a multiple part follow up series regarding vaginal mesh.

Original and complete article from 2009 about TV Mesh Has Moved in order to bring you more updates on this important health issue.

UPDATE: 19 June, 2011

Several years ago I was commissioned by a consumer injury law firm to write a series of articles. One of those articles, http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html addressed issues with the transvaginal mesh device.  This article is also found on our other websites, simply4health.org and leaflady.org.

In the past several months I have noticed an increasing number of TV ads for this device from consumer injury law firms.  I have also noticed a viral spread of this article which has booted the reader ship of my blog, Natural Health News, by thousands of readers daily. 

This tells me that many women must be very interested in this topic, either because they have had this surgery and are facing problems, or they have been advised to have this operation.

Alternatives to the surgery are available options.  I hope to educate you about an important one that can do a great deal to prevent and correct this condition.

Should you wish a copy of this new article please email us and request it.  

Please consider a donation to help us continue this important work.

As originally written in 2009, in cooperation with Eric Chaffin, this article has created an internet storm -


Originally posted March 2009 -

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh Origins


Polypropylene was first developed in the 1950s as a thermoplastic polymer resin of propylene and is made from petroleum. Polypropylene may be molded or extruded into many forms, including fibers for suture material, specially produced mesh and nonwoven sheet applications. Nonwoven polypropylene fabric later began to be extruded from polymer melts rather than from fibers. 

New MESH page has the complete article and much more information.

Quaternary ammonium biocides are used as a disinfectant and germ killing substance because they disrupt the cell membrane and proteins. QUATS may not, however, be fully effective against Pseudomonas bacteria. Also, researchers have found in laboratory experiments that oleamide, which interacts with neurotransmitters, may leak out of polypropylene plastics.

Polypropylene Knitted Mesh (PPKM) fabrics are comprised of monofilament yarns, which are engineered for the manufacturing of textile fabrics. The polymer and manufacturing processes that are used produce fabrics with properties that are ideally suited for the manufacturing of medical device applications. Medical applications include hernia mesh patches, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) slings, and vaginal prolapse suspenders.

Nonwoven polypropylene fabric has been used for similar applications.

Problems with polypropylene fabrics have led to warnings being issued for various products made from nonwoven material and in some cases, the manufacturers have stopped marketing the products

According to adverse reports submitted to the FDA from nine different manufacturers, more than 1,000 people have suffered severe complications from surgical mesh implants. The reports include infection, pain, urinary problems and bowel, bladder or blood-vessel perforations. The repaired prolapse may have recurred or incontinence increased. Additional surgeries to remove mesh have been required because of vaginal erosion.

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh to Treat SUI

Sudden Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is estimated to affect as many as 11 million women in the United States. It is generally defined as the sudden, involuntary loss of urine when a patient is laughing, sneezing, coughing or exercising. SUI is caused by anything that may have led to serious pelvic muscle strain or weakness such as vaginal childbirth. It can be exacerbated by estrogen and other hormonal imbalance accompanying menopause.

Nearly 40% of all adult American women will experience various degrees of SUI during their lifetime. Symptoms can range from occasional leakage of a few drops of urine to complete loss of urine under certain conditions of stress. Although nonsurgical methods such as dietary changes, bladder retraining, Kegel exercises, biofeedback, pessaries, electrostimulation, and drug therapies have been used successfully to treat these women, many patients eventually require surgical repair to relieve their symptoms.

Historically, and for many decades, the Kelley plication or the Marshall-Marchetti (Krantz) procedures have been the main hospital based surgical treatments for reinforcing the bladder neck in order to prevent unintentional urine loss.

Other surgical techniques have been used to correct pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a related condition.

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh to Treat POP

The problem of incontinence for women from various causes becomes more common after pregnancy and in menopause, when surgery can be recommended after other non-intrusive treatments are not found effective.

These conditions are referred to as Pelvic Organ Prolapse(POP).

POP is the term that describes a condition when a pelvic organ drops from its normal location and pushes against the walls of the vagina. This generally occurs when muscles that hold pelvic organs in place are weakened or stretched by childbirth or surgery. POP can lead to symptoms that include pain, discomfort, loss of bladder control and constipation.

Mentor Sling

One popular product, known as the transobturator vaginal sling, was made by Mentor Corporation. This product was more commonly called “OB Tape.”

Mentor manufactured an OB Tape vaginal sling that was not recalled, but the company stopped marketing it in the spring of 2006. The product used a nonwoven material which made it different in design than most other mesh devices. The nonwoven fabric is alleged to have blocked oxygen and nutrients, substantially increasing the risk of problems such as infection. This impedance potentially can cause serious problems with the device that may not appear for months, or even years following implantation surgery.

The complication rate could very easily reach 20% of all patients who used the Mentor sling.

At least 35,000 women may have been treated with the OB Tape vaginal sling between 2003 and 2006 to treat female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The bladder sling is designed to prevent involuntary leakage that occurs when pelvic muscles supporting the bladder and urethra are stressed or weakened. A number of women have filed Mentor sling lawsuits.

A study published in the Journal of Urology in October 2006 highlighted the risk of complications associated with the OB Tape sling. More than 13% of the women who received the Mentor Sling for incontinence allegedly have suffered vaginal extrusions. Many more cases reported women who suffered chronic vaginal discharge and abscesses.

Symptoms of OB Tape Sling injury may include but are not be limited to:

· High fever

· Vaginal Pain

· Pelvic Pain

· Pain During Sex

· Chronic Infections

· Perineal Cellulitis

· Severe Pain in the Back, Hips and Legs

If you have had this surgery and are experiencing any of these or other symptoms not listed here, immediately contact your health care provider.

If you have suffered an injury or Mentor sling side effects from surgery involving the use of a Mentor sling, and would like to learn about your legal rights and pursuing a Mentor sling lawsuit, you can find information at Consumer Injury Lawyers.

Other Transvaginal Surgical Meshes

Another product, Gynecare’s Prolift Sling, created serious problems that required additional surgery that has caused permanent injury. The Avaulta Bard surgical mesh, which is used to treat POP and SUI have also been the subject of Avaulta transvaginal mesh lawsuits. It has led some consumer advocates to call for an Avaulta transvaginal mesh recall.

If you have had a prolene mesh pelvic floor repair system and have suffered complications, you may have a viable product liability claim. In October 2008 the FDA transvaginal mesh alertwas issued for at least nine manufacturers of vaginal sling products.

Overall use of these surgical mesh products has been associated with severe and debilitating injuries including vaginal extrusions, urinary tract erosions, infection and nerve pain. Other known complications include, but are not limited to, mesh erosion, mesh shrinkage, granuloma from tissue injury or dyspareunia (pain with sexual relations).

Product and procedure failure with the tape sling products have required additional surgeries to remove the mesh, along with an increased risk of more injury.

If you have suffered an injury from any surgery involving the use of the surgical meshes referred to in the above article and would like to learn about your legal rights, you can find information from Consumer Injury Lawyers, a consumer advocacy legal website that provides helpful information to consumers about various drugs and medical devices, including for example information about the recent reports of zinc poisoning caused by denture cream, including information about denture cream lawsuits such as how to file a Fixodent lawsuit orPoligrip lawsuit.

This article is part of a consumer health education series written by Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, NP, ND, of Creating Health Institute, in collaboration with Bernstein Liebhard, LLP.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, Gayle Eversole.

Doctors 'too reliant on prescribing drugs'

UPDATE: 2 July 2011

E-Prescribing Far from Error-Free By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
More than 10% of electronic prescriptions contain an error, according to a new study that determined that prescriptions sent electronically are just as likely to contain mistakes as handwritten ones.

E-prescribing has been heralded by health reform experts and policymakers as a way to reduce medication errors, and the federal government is devoting billions to foster it.

Although most evidence suggests enthusiasm for a more paperless medical system is well-founded, new technology can also introduce new potential for medication errors, Karen Nanji, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, wrote in a paper published in the Journal of American Medical Information Association. SOURCE

Posted 3/17/09
While doctors are medicalizing patients at a rapid rate, especially the elderly, new moves to force E-Prescribing may promote a downturn in the quality of health care as it moves more to rationed and tick box care (knee-jerk, cause/effect, lineal thinking).

Is this yet another call to you, my readers, to make stong efforts now to be more active in your own health care?

GPs are medicalising healthy elderly people, professor warns. Elderly people are being turned into patients by GPs blindly following guidelines to hand out pills for high blood pressure and cholesterol, a professor has said.

by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor, 03 Mar 2009
The ‘paternalistic society’ and medicine by ‘tick box’ has overtaken personal advice, Michael Oliver, emeritus professor of cardiology at Edinburgh University wrote in the British Medical Journal online.

He said many of the drugs including those for high blood pressure and statins for raised cholesterol have side effects which many elderly people find debilitating.

Prof Oilver wrote: “Nowadays few elderly people are allowed to enjoy being healthy. A bureaucratic demand for documentation can lead to overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and unnecessary anxiety. Preventive action may be irrelevant and even harmful in elderly people. More than 30 years ago, in his book Medical Nemesis, Ivan Illich called this trend “the medicalisation of health.”

He said the GP incentives to diagnose and treat patients, known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework, which means a proportion of the practice income is dependent upon hitting target, has meant many elderly people who considered themselves healthy are being put on pills.

Prof Oliver said: “Many older people, often retired, are summoned by their general practitioner for an annual health check. They may feel reasonably well, but the NHS does not always permit such euphoria. They may be told that they have hypertension or diabetes or high cholesterol concentrations; that they are obese; that they take too little exercise, eat unhealthily, and drink too much.”

He warned that the practice of medicalising the elderly can be harmful and many of the guidelines for treating high blood pressure and cholesterol are based on much younger people or on evidence that the drugs reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, but only by a small amount.

He added: “Are those people who have now been turned into patients warned sufficiently about side effects? Are minor side effects, which can be debilitating in this age group, reported to health authorities? More importantly, are doctors willing to discontinue treatment and permit these patients to return to their previously unencumbered and reasonably fit lives?”

David Stout, director of the Primary Care Trust Network at the NHS Confederation, said: “It is important to have procedures in place to ensure a high standard of healthcare for all patients, irrespective of their age. However there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to healthcare. All GPs treat elderly patients on an individual basis and this should remain the case. Guidelines are exactly that and should not be taken as a binding instruction.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4932032/GPs-are-medicalising-healthy-elderly-people-professor-warns.html

E-prescribing to soar with new spending By Will Dunham, Mon Mar 16, 2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As many as 75 percent of U.S. doctors will be writing electronic prescriptions within five years, thanks to new federal spending to encourage e-prescribing, according to a forecast released on Monday.

The economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama last month included about $19 billion to promote the use of healthcare information technology, including e-prescribing.

"Broader health IT (information technology) adoption will create a safety revolution in American healthcare," Pharmaceutical Care Management Association President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Merritt said in a telephone interview.

An estimated 13 percent of U.S. doctors prescribe drugs electronically, leaving the vast majority writing paper prescriptions, according to Surescripts, which operates the largest U.S. electronic prescribing network.

The report projected the figure would increase to 75 percent in five years and to about 90 percent by 2018.

The report, prepared by the healthcare research firm Visante for PCMA, projected that e-prescribing would save the U.S. government $22 billion over the next decade, more than covering the $19 billion in spending in the stimulus bill.

Among other things, the savings would come from increased use of cheaper generic drugs and the prevention of medical errors such as patients getting the wrong drug because a pharmacy misreads a doctor's handwriting, the report said.

Greater use of e-prescribing also will prevent 3.5 million medication errors and 585,000 hospitalizations by 2018, the report projected.

Seventy-six percent of U.S. retail pharmacies can handle prescriptions electronically.

The advantages of e-prescribing -- sending a prescription electronically to a pharmacy -- are widely recognized, but the costs of adopting it have dissuaded many doctors.

The drive toward greater use of e-prescribing and electronic medical records is part of Obama's plans for a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system.

In addition, Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, in January began to offer financial bonuses to doctors who use e-prescribing.

(Editing by Maggie Fox and Eric Walsh)
Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited

Doctors are too reliant on prescribing drugs for heart disease at the expense of helping their patients to lead healthier lives, a new study suggests.

by Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent, The Telegraph, UK, 12 Mar 2009

Some patients are receiving too little advice about cutting down on smoking or reducing their weight as doctors increasingly reach for pills to treat them, according to the study, published in the Lancet medical journal.

The report comes just a week after a leading expert warned that millions of elderly patients were being prescribed drugs that they did not need, for conditions ranging from high blood pressure to high cholesterol or diabetes.

Professor Michael Oliver warned that a "tick-box culture" was leading to overtreatment and unnecessary anxiety for many older people.

The latest study looked at the treatment of heart disease across 22 European countries.

It found that one in five people diagnosed with the condition continued to smoke, in spite of the well-known problems that smoking can cause for the heart.

Researchers also found that sufferers were twice as likely to have diabetes as 12 years ago, partly because of the growing problem of obesity.

Only around one in three patients surveyed were referred to programmes designed to prevent heart attacks by focusing on lifestyle changes.

At the same time researchers found that doctors were prescribing greater numbers of drugs.

"The results of the study should be a cause for concern for all health policy makers, physicians and other healthcare professionals," according to its authors, led by Professor David Wood from Imperial College London.

Heart disease is Britain's biggest killer and every six minutes someone dies from a heart attack in this country.

Fl - A Difficult Halogen for People to Understand

UPDATE: 28 March, 2011
As more people move to add sea vegetables to their diets to help aid protection from radioactive fall out, be aware that hijiki is very high in arsenic.

Seaweed and toxins

Title: Halogenated Compounds from Marine Algae
Authors: Maria Teresa Cabrita ¹, Carlos Vale ¹ and Amélia Pilar Rauter ²
Affiliations: ¹ IPIMAR, Av. de Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal E-Mails: cvale@ipimar.pt (C.V.); tcabrita@ipimar.pt (M.T.C.)
² Centro de Química e Bioquímica/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Ed C8, Piso 5, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; E-Mail: aprauter@fc.ul.pt (A. P. R.)
Abstract: Marine algae produce a cocktail of halogenated metabolites with potential commercial value. The structure exhibited by these compounds goes from acyclic entities with a linear chain to complex polycyclic molecules. Their medical and pharmaceutical application has been investigated for the past two decades, although other properties like antifouling are not to be discarded. Many compounds were discovered in the last years but the need for new drugs keeps this field open as many algae species are poorly screened. Apart from the biotechnological potential, the ecological role of marine algal halogenated metabolites has somehow been overlooked. This new research field will provide valuable and novel insight into the marine ecosystem dynamics as well as a new approach to understanding biodiversity. Furthermore, understanding interactions between halogenated compounds production by algae and the environment, including anthropogenic or global climate changes, is a challenging target for the coming years. Research has been more focused on macroalgae than on phytoplankton. However, phytoplankton is a very promising material as the bottom link of the marine food chain with very quickly adaptation to environmental changes, which undoubtedly has consequences on the secondary metabolism. This paper summarizes current knowledge and revises recent progress and presents trends on the role of marine algae as producers of halogenated compounds.
Keywords: marine algae; halogenated compounds; biotechnological applications; ecological role

From 3 March, 2009 -
In the periodic table of elements one finds the halogen family at an atomic weight of 9.

The halogens are five non-metallic elements found in group 17 of the periodic table. The Halogens are: Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Astatine. The term "halogen" means "salt-former" and compounds containing halogens are called "salts". All halogens have 7 electrons in their outer shells, giving them an oxidation number of -1. The halogens exist, at room temperature, in all three states of matter:

Solid- Iodine, Astatine
Liquid- Bromine
Gas- Fluorine, Chlorine

Fluorine is the most electronegative and reactive of all elements, and this property is one of the reasons why it easily displaces Iodine. Iodine is critically necessary for health.

The fluoride ion is highly toxic. Los Alamos National Laboratory recommends that no one be exposed to more than 1ppm Fl- in any 8-hour time period. Cumulative exposure to Fl- may result in the hardening of the Pineal Gland, is considered to be the electro-magnetic foci of the human body, and the gland that is directly involved with the production of melatonin. Vitamin B12 is also a substance that seems to be related to health of the Pineal gland.

Fluoride Excess is cumulative and there is a danger of ingesting fluoride in any so called "natural form" as is found in the current trend for Pink Himalayan Salt, which is known to contain many other heavy metals, some not at all necessary for human health.

People who live in areas where the drinking water has a naturally high fluoride level may consume too much fluoride—causing a condition called fluorosis. Fluoride accumulates in teeth, particularly permanent teeth. Chalky white, irregular patches appear on the surface of the tooth enamel. The patches become stained yellow or brown, causing the enamel to appear mottled. The teeth may also become pitted.

Fluoride also accumulates in bones. Rarely, consuming too much fluoride for a long time results in dense but weak bones, abnormal bone growths (spurs) on the spine, and crippling due to calcium accumulation (calcification) in ligaments.

(Some of the material found in this post on Fl- comes from the Merck Index and Merck Manual)

Fluoride in salt, water, pharmaceuticals, dental products, pesticides and herbicides, chemicals used in war and any other form continues to cause a myriad of health problems.

See also
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/01/salt-may-be-health-scam.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/02/melatonin-offers-protection-from.html
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/pregnancy-and-nutrition.html
and other posts related to Fluoride via the search window.

Real Milk is Raw Milk

2011 UPDATE - March  Only 2 deaths from raw milk, that was really cheese.  Sounds like Big Dairy is in control of your food choices at CDC.

There's another related number that has been around much longer, and it's this: Between 1998 and 2008, there have been two deaths from raw milk. This number comes up repeatedly in media reporting about raw milk, courtesy of the CDC, even though I have reported that those illnesses appear to have come from queso fresco cheese, a soft fresh cheese that isn't legal under FDA regulations requiring a minimum 60 day aging period.http://www.thecompletepatient.com/journal/2011/2/18/the-power-of-numbers-in-the-war-over-raw-dairy-how-the-cdc-c.html

UPDATE: 21 July 2010  -  War Over Raw Milk
Raw Food Raid

2 June - Remember that when milk began to be homogenized in the 1950s the rate of atherosclerosis started to skyrocket.  What we need is a return to real food, not corporate-dictated processed products.

" Milk from dairy cows that graze on pasture land rather than in feedlots might be healthier for your heart, according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dairy products are the main source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an unsaturated fat that some studies show could protect the heart. Pasture-grazing dairy cows have more CLA in their milk than grain-fed cows, according to the report.

In a study of 3,600 people, the researchers found that people with the highest concentration of CLAs had a 36 percent lower risk of heart attack than people with the lowest CLAs."Read more...

Real Milk Nutrition
 
UPDATE: 24 April, 2010 -  While I am pleased to see this judge ruled with common sense and in keeping with the law I am baffled that the "health blogger" sourced in these articles failed to refer to Dr. Frank McCoy in regard to natural healing with food, especially raw milk.  But them we are in the superficial zone these days as far as source material, too bad.

Judge sides with activist in raw milk dispute

Feds Serve Warrant on Dairy Farmer

UPDATE: 18 April, 2010 - The Raw Milk Debate: Don't Have a Cow, Man
UPDATE 29 March -  FOOD POLICE AT IT AGAIN

FDA Alerts Consumers of Raw Milk Danger, By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today, 23 March 09
WASHINGTON -- An outbreak of campylobacteriosis has prompted the FDA and several Midwestern state health agencies to warn consumers against drinking unpasteurized, raw milk.
The Michigan Department of Community Health had received at least 12 confirmed reports of raw milk-related illness as of March, 24, the FDA reported in its announcement of the alert.
Unpasteurized milk may contain a variety of infectious bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. Coli, which can cause illness or death, the agency noted.
Adverse events related to drinking the raw milk include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body ache.
While most healthy patients recover quickly from milk-borne illnesses, the FDA cautioned that severe reactions may occur in some victims, particularly in pregnant women, older patients, infants, younger children, and patients with a weakened immune system.
Although the FDA has required pasteurization of almost all packaged milk products (excluding some aged cheeses) since 1987, dairy disease is still a threat, according to a Dec. 2008 report in Clinical Infectious Diseases that cited an annual average of 5.2 outbreaks per year between 1993 and 2006. (See Raw Milk Remains a Health Threat)
The FDA noted that from 1998 to 2008, 1,614 illnesses and two deaths related to raw milk were reported.
Proponents of unpasteurized milk claim it's more nutritious than treated milk and inherently antimicrobial.
Not so, the FDA asserted.
"There is no meaningful nutritional difference between pasteurized and raw milk, and raw milk does not contain compounds that will kill harmful bacteria," the agency said.
The FDA's investigation into the outbreak is aided by the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, and the Indiana State Health Department.© 2004-2010 MedPage Today, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

NB: High Doses of vitamin C have been shown effective in treating food borne illness.  
 

UPDATE: 28 March, 2010 

The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) that was first proposed in 1924 by the United States Public Health Service has been adopted, in its 2003 revision, by 46 out of 50 states. (The four non-adopting states have passed similar ordinances of their own.) The PMO calls for the pasteurization of milk as a way of killing any potentially disease-causing bacteria in the milk, including Campylobacter, Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. I would also like to note that in 32 states, it is legal to sell and distribute raw, non-pasteurized milk and that both forms of milk exist in the majority of states.
Today there are more pasteurization options in the marketplace than there were in 1924; these options include high-temperature, short-time methods as well as low-temperature, longer time methods. The goal of all methods is the same: to kill potentially pathogenic bacteria that may be present in the milk or milk product (like cheese or yogurt).

Temperature	Time	Pasteurization Type
63ºC (145ºF)*	30 minutes	Vat Pasteurization
72ºC (161ºF)*	15 seconds	High temperature short time Pasteurization (HTST)
89ºC (191ºF)	1.0 second	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
90ºC (194ºF)	0.5 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
94ºC (201ºF)	0.1 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
96ºC (204ºF)	0.05 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
100ºC (212ºF)	0.01 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
138ºC (280ºF)	2.0 seconds	Ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization

Note: * = These temperatures and times are appropriate if the milk does not contain added sweeteners, and if it has not been condensed. If either of those changes applies, then the temperature must be increased by 3ºC (5ºF). In addition, eggnog is an exception to these rules and must be pasteurized according to a different set of times and temperatures.
There's no debate about the effectiveness of pasteurization for killing unwanted bacteria. There's also no doubt that pasteurization gives dairy products a longer shelf life by lowering the presence of bacteria that cause spoilage. But pasteurization also kills desirable bacteria found in fresh milk, and it denatures milk enzymes that may be active in the human digestive tract when fresh milk is consumed.
There is little research, however, to determine what nutritional benefits are lost when milk is pasteurized. I've seen speculation about changes in protein structure, calcium, amino acid, and vitamin C bioavailability all being triggered by pasteurization, but I have not seen research that confirms or rejects these occurrences.
As I mentioned earlier, in the majority of states, dairy farms are free to produce raw (unpasteurized) milk as long as they adhere to the conditions and restrictions set out in state law. The safety of unpasteurized milk depends on the quality of the cow's life,
including the immediate environment and feeding. It also depends on the quality of handling facilities once the cow has been milked. For these reasons, I recommend a very careful look at any dairy farm's procedures, track record, and publicly available information before becoming a regular consumer of its unpasteurized milk. Producers of raw milk should be carefully monitoring the milk for the presence of microorganisms and will be able to certify that the milk meets all federal and state regulations in this regard.
Because freshness is at a premium, and the product shelf life is greatly shortened (which is not necessarily bad) the dairy should be within driving distance of your residence so you can visit it in person. In some states, like Indiana, where it is illegal for a local dairy to sell unpasteurized milk, cows from the dairy may be leased in order for consumers to obtain a regular supply of raw milk.
In the absence of a very high-quality dairy farm in driving distance from your residence, I recommend purchase of pasteurized milk. Even though it's one step further from natural milk (which I would prefer), the health risks-however small-don't seem like a worthwhile trade-off in exchange for the potential benefits. If a high quality dairy farm, producing certified organic milk in unpasteurized form is available in your area, I would recommend considering this option. Courtesy: WHFOODS.ORG

Original Post 23 March 2009 :
A few years ago I was able to get some delicious raw milk from a cow down the road. I loved it each time I received my big glass gallon jar of this liquid. It brought back memories when I saw the rich, uncooked, deep yellow cream floating on top.

Some years ago I drove down the big long hill from my home back then and stopped at the Wagon Wheel to buy raw milk.

Before that I drove out to Willapa Valley for fresh liquid delight from Verna Kuttle's cows.

Before Washington, when my children were quite young, I walked next door to the farm each afternoon at milking time and drew a gallon of freshly collected raw milk from the big stainless steel cooler.

And even before that, as a small child I recall in delight on a day out at the farm, getting fresh creamy milk, still warm from the cow.

I am happy to say that my children probably had more raw, uncooked and non-homogenized milk than I did. None of us are the worse for it.

Sadly over the years Washington has been under the Olympia gestapo for any effort to have access to raw milk.

For year's you had to find a farmer to sell it too you and even then it was only sold as "pet" milk. I'm glad I had pets.

It's just the insanity of lack of knowledge that government workers seem to fall into, lock step.

No one dare ask if it might be good for you.

Funny too because one of the very first books I had when I was studying naturopathy in the 1960s had pages of treatments based on consuming raw milk.

Maybe times are changing.

Got Raw Milk?By Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N.

Welcome to the largest underground food revolution—the raw milk movement. As a nutritionist I have been a part of this underground movement since 1999 and have been amazed at how this creamy-colored substance has brought together Republicans and Democrats, as well as liberals and fundamental Christians—all for a common cause. Who knew that milk, that stuff that you put on your cereal, could have such power?

Since ancient times, an exclusive raw-milk diet has been used to cure many diseases. In the early 1900s, the “Milk Cure” was used at the Mayo clinic to successfully treat cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems, chronic fatigue and many other chronic conditions. However, after 1947, raw milk became very difficult to obtain due to pasteurization laws.

Pasteurization, heating foods to a minimum of 161.5∝F and holding that temperature for at least fifteen seconds, is done to kill bacteria. Currently, many raw foods are viewed as dangerous and laws enacted in the name of public health and safety require more foods to be sterilized by pasteurization. Pasteurization was implemented in the 1920s to combat tuberculosis, infant diarrhea and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. However, refrigerated trucks, stainless steel tanks, milking machines and inspection methods make pasteurization unnecessary for today’s world. As Sally Fallon states in Nourishing Traditions, pasteurization destroys the enzymes needed to digest dairy and diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, and kills beneficial bacteria. Pasteurized milk can promote pathogens because the beneficial bacteria naturally found in milk provide protection against invading pathogens. When milk is pasteurized, the protective bacteria is destroyed.

What is happening locally?

In Washington, due in a large part to the efforts of local activist, Emmy McAllister, raw milk sales are legal on the farm, through home delivery and retail stores, if local health ordinances permit. So take advantage of being one of only eleven states that allow raw milk to be sold retail, taste the magic and feel the difference for yourself.

Mark McAfee, owner of Organic Pastures, the largest raw dairy in the United States, boasts about his company’s safety record. McAfee has inoculated pathogenic contaminants such as E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria and Salmonella into his raw milk and pasteurized milk. In the raw milk, none of the pathogens survive because the natural bacteria protect the milk. In the pasteurized milk, in which the bacteria and enzymes have been destroyed, the pathogens take over. Even Louis Pasteur, the man credited with inventing pasteurization, in his later years stated that pasteurization was not the panacea once touted. In addition, raw milk never goes rancid, it just changes from milk to curds and whey and so on. Pasteurized milk goes dangerously rancid without refrigeration.

Is raw milk dangerous? It can be. Food can be the perfect vehicle for pathogens and disease. However, the reason pathogens in food are so prevalent may have more to do with factory farming and industrial food. Raw milk is not inherently dangerous. As Sandor Ellix Katz puts it in his book The Revolution will not be Microwaved, food is most often contaminated in the course of its processing, handling and storage, or as a result of diseased animals. Healthy plants and animals produce safe, healthy food worthy of a revolution.

Why has raw milk become such a huge health movement? The reasons range from culinary to health to political. On the health side, I have seen numerous incidences of people with dairy sensitivities finding themselves able to consume raw dairy without problems. Raw dairy contains the enzymes necessary for digestion; amazing how brilliant nature is. On the culinary side, raw milk tastes like real milk: delicious, creamy and satisfying on a core level. I have gone to great lengths over the years to procure raw dairy because once exposed the real stuff, I can’t go back. Politically, I along with many other activists, use my dollar to vote for the world I want to see. My vision is a land that promotes sustainable, small-scale farms with healthy, happy animals grazing freely on the grass they were meant to eat. Where I can go to a farmer I know by name to pick up my milk, along with other culinary delights. Where I can compare the milk from Iris to the milk that Lupita provides to see which suits my palate. Pasteurization laws conveniently put milk in the hands of large, industrialized, faceless, dairy operations that provide less than excellent living accommodations for their four-legged inhabitants.

Keep Your Liver Clean and You Won't Have Many Problems

UPDATE: January 2011

2011: Participate in our healthy detoxification program

Original post, January 2008

UPDATE: March 2009 - It is very sad that Professor Ernst is so ignorant about herbs, especially since he has the title of complementary medicine professor.

In a country that is the home of Culpeper and Maud Grieve it amazes me that there is such a lack of academic prowess. The information in regard to dandelion and artichoke for liver health is rather extensive. Both herbs are ones I often use for people who have liver related health concerns, including Hepatitis.

Now that spring is about to arrive in the northern hemisphere it is time to focus on detoxification and liver health. If you'd like a copy of our liver cleansing program, just send a donation to CHI and put detox in the note, and you'll receive it promptly in an email.

You most likely won't do anything better for improving your health than periodic detoxifying with foods and herbs.

In this case I've got to side with Charles.

Prince Charles detox 'quackery' Prince Charles has been accused of exploiting the public in times of hardship by launching what a leading scientist calls a "dodgy" detox mix.

Edzard Ernst, the UK's first professor of complementary medicine, said the Duchy Originals herbal detox tincture was based on "outright quackery".

There was no scientific evidence to show that detox products work, he said.

Launching the product in January, Duchy Originals' herbalist said each mix had been meticulously researched.

Michael McIntyre added they were "manufactured to the highest standards after exhaustive lab testing".

But Professor Ernst of Peninsula Medical School said Prince Charles and his advisers appeared to be deliberately ignoring science, preferring "to rely on 'make-believe' and superstition".

He added: "Prince Charles thus financially exploits a gullible public in a time of financial hardship."

Marketed as Duchy Herbals' Detox Tincture, the artichoke and dandelion mix is described as "a food supplement to help eliminate toxins and aid digestion".

It costs £10 (about $14 USD at current exchange rates) for a 50ml bottle.

Detox doubts

Professor Ernst said the suggestion that such products remove toxins from the body was "implausible, unproven and dangerous".

“ Prince Charles and his advisors seem to deliberately ignore science and prefer to rely on ‘make believe' and superstition ”
Professor Edzard Ernst

"Nothing would, of course, be easier than to demonstrate that detox products work. All one needed to do is to take a few blood samples from volunteers and test whether this or that toxin is eliminated from the body faster than normal," he said.

"But where are the studies that demonstrate efficacy? They do not exist, and the reason is simple: these products have no real detoxification effects."

Earlier this year the charitable trust Sense About Science produced a report seeking to debunk claims made about detox products.

Its researchers reviewed a series of products, from bottled water to face scrub, and found the detox assertions to be overwhelmingly meaningless.

It is not the first time Professor Ernst has criticised Prince Charles.

His 2008 book Trick or treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial is dedicated with irony to the prince, who has long been a supporter of complementary medicine - and particularly homeopathy.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7934568.stm
Published: 2009/03/10 © BBC MMIX

ORIGINAL POST, Jan 08 Dr. Russell Blaylock offers you Five Nutrients to Protect Your Liver
The liver is the largest organ in the body and one of the most important for survival. It has three major functions: metabolizing nutrients, generating bile acids, and detoxifying poisons from both within and outside the body.

Bile acids are produced by liver cells and stored in the gallbladder until needed. They are critical to the digestion and absorption of fats. When fats enter the upper small bowel (which is composed of two sections — the duodenum and jejunum), the gallbladder releases bile acids that mix with the fats. This reaction forms a special chemical structure that can be further broken down by enzymes (lipases) to allow for better absorption.

When bile stagnates in the gallbladder, gallstones can form, leading to possible bacteria growth. This situation often triggers gallbladder attacks that spur severe cramping and pain, particularly if the gallstones block the bile duct — the tube connecting the gallbladder to the small intestine.

You can effectively prevent such attacks by regularly using the herb curcumin, which stimulates the gallbladder to release its bile. Curcumin also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent infections and inflammation in the organ.

The liver itself can be damaged by a variety of medications, as well as alcohol and viruses. One of the most common medications known to destroy liver cells is acetaminophen (as found in Tylenol™). Even when taken in recommended amounts, this drug can do great harm to the liver. In fact, acetaminophen damage is the underlying cause of many liver transplants.

Alcoholics are notorious for having bad livers because alcohol is a powerful liver toxin. Over time, heavy drinkers can develop severe scarring of the liver and loss of cells in that vital organ. Chronic heavy drinkers with damaged, poorly functioning alcoholic livers are also at high risk of liver cancer. This is a result of the chronic scarring, inflammation and exposure to toxins.

But several powerful nutrients have been shown to help protect liver cells from damage inflicted by toxins and toxic medications: grapefruit, quercetin, curcumin, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), and methionine.

Grapefruit, quercetin and curcumin all reduce the toxicity of acetaminophen as well as a number of other toxins. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and methionine are also both effective in treating acetaminophen poisoning.

TVA Coal Sludge and Health Risks

14 July 2011

House committee limits EPA ability to regulate coal ash

16 December, 2010 - Now, a problem with US manufactured dry wall in homes

UPDATE: 15 December, 2010 Federal failure on Chinese drywall

By Aaron Kessler and JOAQUIN SAPIEN, ProPublica

Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010

( page of 11 )

For the thousands of U.S. homeowners who are grappling with the financial and emotional trauma caused by defective Chinese drywall, one thing is now clear: The federal government is woefully unequipped to help them with a product defect as expensive and widespread as this one.

June 11, 2010: US drywall now contains toxic coal ash 

From 2007 Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste: Burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation

See also: Mold problems and flooding: Lessons to be learned from Katrina

UPDATE: 9 April, 2010 - Judge Awards Families $2.6M Over Chinese Drywall

UPDATE: 3 April, 2010 - Feds: Homes with Chinese drywall must be gutted

UPDATE: 24 June, 2009 -

Public Not Allowed to Know Location of Hazardous Coal Ash Sites
by Environmental News Service (ENS)
EPA Withholds Locations of 'High Hazard' Coal Ash Sites

WASHINGTON, DC - There are 44 coal combustion waste sites nationwide that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as "high hazard," but the agency cannot make the locations of these hazardous sites public, Senator Barbara Boxer told reporters today. The California senator chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the federal environmental agency.
Complete Article...

This item was originally posted in December, 2008. It is re-posted now because of the dry wall issue.
UPDATE: 8 May

'Stinky' Drywall Imported From China Raises Health And Safety Concerns

ScienceDaily (2009-05-07) -- Homeowners throughout the United States are complaining of stinky odors, copper pipe and wire corrosion, and respiratory problems in an ongoing crisis that officials say is linked to drywall imported from China. ... > read full article

UPDATE: 18 April -
Fla. to test air in homes with Chinese drywall
UPDATE: 14 April -
Coal sludge and health risks apply to dry wall from China.
Thank you to Scott Patterson for letting me post his comments. He is in the business of home inspection.

Toxic Chinese Drywall might be in your home!

Over the past few months, owners of newer homes nationwide have been complaining of drywall that smells like rotten eggs. In several cases, they have had to leave their home because the smell was so bad. In addition to the putrid smell, many homeowners have reported problems with air conditioning and other systems that are likely related to the defective Chinese drywall. This is being called the next EIFS like disaster in the real estate market!

Many have spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars - to have air conditioning, pipes and wiring repaired. Usually, drywall is manufactured in the United States, but a shortage between 2004 and 2006 prompted many builders to buy drywall from China.

Most of the reported problems stem from drywall imported from China during the construction boom years of 2004-2005. Florida and the Gulf Coast states have been the first to report and have issue with this drywall showing up but it also showing up in non-coastal areas.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. of China, a subsidiary of German-based manufacturer Knauf, is the company at the focus of these drywall problems. If your newer home smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, you may have defective Chinese drywall. The problem is coming from coal ash that was mixed into the gypsum drywall compound. It appears that China was attempting to get rid of their coal ash problems by mixing it with the drywall compound. When the drywall is exposed to moisture, such as high humidity a chemical reaction starts. The result of this reaction is the production of Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfuric acid gas. This is the rotten egg smell that is present with the drywall.

This drywall is responsible for the destruction of the copper coils in HVAC units in the homes that it has been installed in. The corrosive off gassing is also responsible for damaging many other components in the homes from the copper electrical to the nails and screws that are holding everything together in the home.

If you think that you might have Chinese Drywall, you should contact a reputable home inspector who is familiar with this problem. If you need help locating an inspector just give me a call and I might know of a person in your area. As this new discovery is just starting to rear its ugly head, many are not aware of this problem. Call Scott Patterson at 615-302-113 if you have a problem or question.

The author of this informative notice is Scott Patterson. Scott is a nationally recognized home inspector who works out of the Nashville TN area and holds multiple state home inspector licenses. This may not be reproduced with out written permission from the author. Copyright 2009

See also -
Dusts From Drywall
Tainted Chinese Drywall
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UPDATE: 2 January, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor has a very good article on this situation that points out the lax requirements dating back the the corporate influence in the Clinton Administration. Lax EPA regulations continued during the outgoing Bush regime. One issue similar to the Cataldo Mission toxic site is a waste repository being built with no liner. Obviously this is a major issue needing to be addressed by the newly elected administration.
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The coal sludge ponds that failed, as reported in media reports recently, raise health issues. It is good to see that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is planning to test the water in the area hit by this flood of waste. And certainly it seems as if the damage done to peoples homes and lives is being addressed.

I work with a group that is in community that has been the victim of mine waste for over 100 years. The information I develop for them on health is shared with other groups who are dealing with the impact of mining waste.

In the news stories there has been mention that the coal waste is radioactive. Coal waste also leaves arsenic in the water as well as the possibility for other heavy metal leaching.

TVA would be well advised to supply all those harmed in this tragedy with high quality vitamin C and iodine products. Additionally, a very specific product containing both vitamin C and specialized essences of garlic (equal to 35 cloves of the full spectrum of garlic's benefits) is appropriate.

Vitamin C is an excellent chelator and will help remove heavy metal waste from the body. Garlic is a heavy metal chelator as well and it offers other protective support for health. Iodine, such as Iosol or professional products like Prolamine Iodine, even adding the sea vegetables to one's diet, works to reduce the impact of radioactivity.

For more information on clean-up concerns please see Silver Valley Action.

Spill may have permanently altered Tenn. communityBy KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Writer Tue Dec 30, 3:17 am ET

KINGSTON, Tenn. – A week after more than a billion gallons of coal ash broke through a retention pond dike and roared into a small river cove, the landscape has turned into a muddy pit that's little like the scenic spot that attracted people to live here.

The Emory River is clogged with giant chunks of gray ash sticking out of the water and trees ripped out by their roots and washed downstream during the Dec. 22 disaster. Ducks float in a film of sand-like residue on the surface. Dozens of pieces of heavy equipment are digging along the river to try to clean it of coal ash.

The Kingston Steam Plant, a coal-fired power plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, sits on the confluence of two rivers, about 35 miles west of Knoxville.

The deluge destroyed three houses, displaced a dozen families and damaged 42 parcels of land, but there were no serious injuries.

There are 62 pieces of heavy machinery slowly gathering up the spilled ash from residential roads, railroad tracks and the river, plant manager Ron Hall said Monday.

But no one at TVA can say how long the cleanup will take and how thorough the restoration can be.

"It's almost like someone dying, because it's so permanent," said Crystell Flinn, whose home was swept away.

Hall said workers will pull the sludge out of the river using barges and skimmers, and dump trucks will carry it to a different site at the plant. But the material won't return to the large riverside retention ponds still there.

"We will not likely put in wet ash ponds again, even though they have shown to be structurally integral," TVA environmental executive Anda Ray said Monday. "We are looking at options for what to do long term for that ash disposal, but there are dry ash pond technologies."

In the days after the spill, officials are finding more reasons to be concerned about the possible harmful long-term effects. Federal officials on Monday cautioned residents who use private wells or springs to stop drinking the water.

But the area isn't densely populated, and TVA said that no more than four wells are in the spill area.

Samples taken near the spill slightly exceed drinking water standards for toxic substances, and arsenic in one sample was higher than the maximum level allowed for drinking water, according to a press release from TVA, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies.

Federal officials should have tests on the affected wells sometime this week.

"I think they (the wells) were beyond the actual slide point of the material," EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles said. "There shouldn't be direct impact, but that's why they are sampling."

Authorities have said the municipal water supply is safe to drink.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment, but elevated levels can cause ailments ranging from nausea to partial paralysis, and long-term exposure has been linked to several types of cancer, according to the EPA.

Ray said arsenic levels were high because of the type of measurement that the EPA used, which included soil mixed in with water.

"Those samples were not dissolved arsenic," Ray said. "The dissolved arsenic, which is what you look at for drinking water samples, are undetectable in all the cases. The elevated arsenic that the EPA is referring to is the data that we collected when it was stirred up. It is routinely filtered out through all water treatment plants."

Environmental concerns could shift when the sludge containing the fly ash, a fine powdery material, dries out. The EPA and TVA have begun air monitoring and on Monday advised people to avoid activities that could stir up dust, such as children or pets playing outside.

The dust can contain metals, including arsenic, that irritate the skin and can aggravate pre-existing conditions like asthma, Niles said.

The EPA recommends that anyone exposed to the dust should wash thoroughly with soap and water and wash the affected clothes separately from other garments.

Ray said TVA will start installing sprinkler systems in areas where the ash has dried out to keep it moist.

Knoxville-based TVA supplies electricity to Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press