Over dependence and use of medication today

It is quite good to see an MD willing to educate patients to be more self reliant and less dependent on drugs.  Thinking that you need a doctor to prescribe a pill for every little twinge is a sure indication you have turned over your health to some one who might not really offer you the best remedy.

This belief also undermines your right to be in charge of your health.

My advice: Get more education.  And don't be afraid to ask question, demand answers.

All of this is becoming very true too with natural remedies.  Sadly it is true of the new hybrid practice called "naturopathic medicine".

Doctor draws our attention to the uncertainty of medical practice: We are scientists. But the Big Book of Medical Facts is in fact just a pamphlet printed at home, with two paragraphs in a very large font. The only certainty of science is uncertainty. Medicine is often little more than an opinion, a faith system: we believe that what we do is right. This is despite history telling us that what we do now is almost certainly wrong. Our faith has invented words, rituals, elaborate costumes, and a culture of reverence and deference. SOURCE

The over dependence and use of medication in today's society

 

by Nicole Evans M.D.

Everybody over the age of 55 should be on a pill to lower their blood pressure. Oh, and we might as well just go ahead and put statins in the water. Well, at least that's what the latest research suggests.

An impressive study was recently published that analyzed data from over 100 studies on the use of blood pressure medications. This study came to the conclusion that we don't need to measure blood pressure anymore because any decrease in blood pressure is beneficial, whether you have hypertension or not.

These authors suggest we should put everyone on a daily blood pressure pill. Their study came out riding close on the heels of another "landmark" study that was done on statins. The statin study came to a similar conclusion, namely that a daily dose of statin is good for everyone, whether you have high cholesterol or not.

Armed with these study results, a pharmaceutical company is poised and ready to market a break through polypill. A pill that contains a couple blood pressure lowering meds, a statin, and, of course, don't forget the daily baby aspirin. Imagine, all these meds in one little pill for our daily lifetime use. This sounds like a bad sci fi movie about some flawed futuristic society.

Is the human body really so flawed that we all require medications? Have we lost our ability to heal ourselves, to care for ourselves, to prevent disease and illness in ourselves? What in the world is going on?

Our society uses medications to prevent disease, to treat the cause of disease, to treat the symptoms of disease, and to even to treat the side effects caused by all the medications.

Pharmaceutical companies are massively lucrative businesses. Primary care physicians are pharmacists who happen to know how to diagnose and refer patients to surgeons. Natural medicine companies are popping up like wildflowers in response to the consumer's intuitive distrust of prescription meds, allowing individuals to trade one pill for another and feel good about it.

The over dependence and over use of medication is a rampant problem in today's society. Many individual's turn to a pill and away from proactive involvement in their own health. They relinquish power without a second thought but scowl at prescription costs and whine to their doctors about the side effects.

Pills are promising, shiny, colorful little monsters. An easy fix in the palm of your hand. Is there a solution to this problem? Can we empower individuals with alternatives to medications, to means and methods of improving health that could provide benefits far beyond the quick fix?

Some of us would like to think so. The other day a colleague asked if I had any Tylenol for her throbbing headache. Instead I showed her how to rub a few acupressure spots while doing some deep breathing. Problem fixed, no pills involved.

Can we let our food be medicine, our physical activity be medicine, our thoughts be medicine? Can we begin to listen to our bodies and respond to our needs instead of ignoring or repressing them? Can we learn when a pill is necessary and when other medication-free options are the clear answer?

The answer is a brilliant, hopeful YES. But this will require a paradigm shift. Patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, the healthcare system at large will have to change. Seems like a daunting task, but have hope. Too bad we don't have a pill for that.

Vaccines Ultimately Not Effective

“There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza. The producers of these vaccines know that they are worthless, but they go on selling them anyway.”-

J. Anthony Morris, MD (former FDA Chief Vaccine Control Officer)

PLEASE remember this when you are listening to Bill Gates' current PR spots for vaccines.  Gates has publicly stated that vaccines are good for population control.

In 1926 the AMA announced it was aware of neurological damage caused by vaccines, especially the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (DPT today).

Polio vaccine can cause cancer and other illnesses, including polio. 


Iodine was successfully used in Canada in the 1940s and 50s to cure polio.

Low Levels of Vitamin D Increase Melanoma Risk

I do quite a lot of reading and repeatedly I see numerous health problems connected with low levels of FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS and at the same time the push for non-fat food continues.

Again I have to repeat:  If you do not have adequate fat, 2% dairy products at a minimum, you cannot efficiently absorb fat soluble vitamins.

I have been studying nutrition for more than 4 decades and I am pretty sure I know what I am talking about. My best advice is to follow the 2% rule, avoid (especially soy and canola) most vegetable oils except for olive oil and coconut oil, make sure to have some hormone free butter each day, and don't be a fat-a-phobic.  

Purchase Vitamin D and Help Support Natural Health News

Healthy Skin 

   Tanning: Vitamins B1 and C can be used to protect your skin, but Suma and DMG can help if skin cancer is an issue for you. 

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland—Results from a recent Polish study found a reduction or absence of vitamin D receptor is linked to progression of melanocytic lesions, and its lack affects survival of melanoma patients, and melanogenesis can attenuate receptor expression (Hum Pathol. 2011 Feb 1). 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 affects proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and protects DNA against oxidative damage with a net tumorostatic and anti-carcinogenic effect. It acts through a specific nuclear receptor that is widely distributed through the body. Although a beneficial role of vitamin D in melanoma patients has been suggested, there is lack of information on the changes in the expression pattern of vitamin D receptor during progression of pigmented lesions. Using immunohistochemistry, researchers analyzed the expression of vitamin D receptor in 140 samples obtained form 82 patients, including 25 benign nevi, 70 primary cutaneous melanomas, 35 metastases, 5 re-excisions and 5 normal skin biopsies.

The strongest expression was observed in normal skin that significantly decreased in melanocytic proliferations with the following order of expression: normal skin > melanocytic nevi > melanomas = metastases. The vitamin D receptor expression in skin surrounding nevi and melanoma was also significantly reduced as compared to normal skin. Tumor-infiltrating and lymph node lymphocytes retained high levels of vitamin D receptor. There was negative correlation between tumor progression and vitamin D receptor expression with a remarkable decrease of the immunoreactivity in nuclei of melanoma cells at vertical versus radial growth phases and with metastatic melanomas showing the lowest cytoplasmic receptor staining. Furthermore, lack of the receptor expression in primary melanomas and metastases was related to shorter overall patients' survival. In addition, the receptor expression decreased in melanized melanoma cells in comparison to amelanotic or poorly pigmented cells. The researchers concluded changes in vitamin D receptor expression pattern can serve as important variables for diagnosis, predicting clinical outcome of melanogenesis and/or as a guidance for novel therapy of melanomas based on use of vitamin D or its derivatives. Source: Inside Cosmeceuticals.com

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Choosing fresh fruit in the supermarket

There is an art to buying fresh fruit. You just need to know what to look for, what it should smell like and how it should feel

by Aliona Avduhova

Modern supermarkets sell fruit from all over the world. In countries like the UK consumers are able to source fruit whatever the season imported from anywhere on the planet. Unfortunately, with this ever increasing variety and abundance of produce does not come an increase in quality. Often fruit sold in the shopping aisles is passed its best or picked before it has even had chance to ripen. How many times have you got home ready to tuck into the juicy piece of fruit only to find it is dry and tasteless?

There is an art to buying fresh fruit. You just need to know what to look for, what it should smell like and how it should feel. It’s time to start using those senses!

Sight
The first thing you should use when buying fruit is your eyes. Just looking out for some of these simple warning signs will help you identify fruit to steer clear of.

What to look for - fruit to avoid:

- Bruises
- Cracks
- Holes
- wrinkles

Bruised or cracked fruit may have been damaged in transit, wrinkles can be a sign of loss of water, and holes could indicate an insect has entered the fruit at some point.

It is a mistake to just judge a fruit by colour – there are many different varieties of fruit and lots of different colours. For example many oranges are green and simply only choosing oranges that look the brightest orange will not help you pick the best fruit.

Touch
Next is your sense is touch. Here are a few things to feel for when shopping for your five a day.

What to feel for – fruit to avoid:

- Fruit that is light for its size
- Too soft
- Too firm

It is not size per say that is the chief indicator of quality here, but more weight compared to size. The best fruit is juicy and heavy for its size. Avoid that big colourful orange that feels really light for its size. Give the fruit a squeeze. Avoid over ripe soft fruit that feels like it could be easily squashed. Likewise avoid fruit that is too firm and fells like you could use it to tile your kitchen floor with.

Smell

The much underused of all your supermarket organs! Your olfactory system is actually one of the best senses you have to recognise fruit at its best.

What to smell for:

- Doesn’t smell of anything - not ripe yet
- Smells too sweet or smells off then it – passed its best

Watch out for that malodorous mango or pongy plumb. Fruit that doesn’t smell of anything is as equally unappetising, if it doesn’t smell of anything it generally doesn’t taste of anything.

Waxing

One thing to look out for when inspected your potential purchase is waxing. Waxing is often used by supermarkets to make fruit appear fresher than it actually is. Avoid waxed fruit if you are planning to use them for cooking or baking as it can adversely affect flavour.

There are some specific things to remember for specific fruits, so here is a handy checklist of some of the most popular fruits and what to look out for:

- Apples – Firm to touch, avoid soft apples. Look for bright colour for variety.
- Bananas – Fairly firm, avoid bruised fruit, should be slightly green turning yellow for longer shelf life.
- Cantaloupe Melons – Light aroma, slightly yellow skin.
- Oranges – Heavy for size are juicier. Choose oranges with a smooth skin.
- Pears – Softly press at stem end. Ripe pears will give slightly to pressure.
- Plums – Avoid hard or wrinkled plums. Ripe plums will give slightly to pressure.

by Aliona Avduhova
07 February 2011 Teatro Naturale International n. 2 Year 3

Vegans may be at risk for Cardiovascular Events

Sadly today the in-depth knowledge about veganism (and vegetarianism, seems to be ignored in favor or following trends,  Nutritional status and health may, as a consequence, suffer. In addition to Zinc, Iron, B12, vitamin D, and EFAs, thyroid nutrients may be depleted in vegan and vegetarian diets.

Vegans risk blood clots and atherosclerosis, so also heart attack
Meat eaters are known for having a significantly higher combination of cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians. Lower-risk vegans, however, may not be immune

by Ernesto Vania

People who follow a vegan lifestyle, strict vegetarians who try to eat no meat or animal products of any kind, may increase their risk of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis or “hardening of the arteries,” which are conditions that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. That’s the conclusion of a review of dozens of articles published on the biochemistry of vegetarianism during the past 30 years.

Vegan diets tend to be lacking several key nutrients, including iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. 

While a balanced vegetarian diet can provide enough protein, this isn't always the case when it comes to fat and fatty acids. As a result, vegans tend to have elevated blood levels of homocysteine and decreased levels of HDL, the "good" form of cholesterol. Both are risk factors for heart disease.

In general, compared with an omnivorous diet, vegetarian diets are rich in fiber, magnesium, Fe3+, folic acid, vitamins C and E, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), phytochemicals, and antioxidants but low in total fat, saturated fatty acid (SFA), cholesterol, sodium, zinc, Fe2+, vitamins A, B12, and D, and especially n-3 PUFA (Table 2). Low intake of total fat, SFA, and sodium and increased intake of fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in vegetarians is associated with decreased blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). These factors are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there is concern over whether vegetarians, and particularly vegans, have an adequate intake of several important nutrients, particularly Fe, Zn, vitamin B12, and n-3 PUFA.

Iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are currently the micronutrients of greatest concern when considering the nutritional value of vegetarian diets.

Iron is an essential trace element for blood formation. Most iron in the human body is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin or occurs as part of enzymes in the energy-yielding pathway. Iron deficiency is the most common mineral nutritional deficiency globally, although vegetarians are not more likely to be iron-deficient than omnivores.

Studies reported that vegetarians have iron intakes that are significantly higher than or similar to those of omnivores in different populations. However, vegetarians have a significantly lower serum ferritin concentration than omnivores.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace mineral that is a constituent of more than 50 different enzymes involved in most metabolic pathways and is important for protein metabolism, cell growth and repair, and immune function.

Zinc is found in a wide range of foods, including protein foods and plant foods such as legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Zn from animal sources is more bioavailable than Zn from plant foods. Because there is low zinc bioavailability in vegetarian diets, vegetarians have lower status compared with omnivores.

Vitamin B12 is essential for new cell synthesis, blood formation, maintenance of the nervous system, etc. Of the vitamins, B12 is the only one containing a mineral (cobalt); it also known as the red vitamin. Seafood, animal meats, eggs, and liver are good sources for vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is not found in plant foods. Vegetarians have a lower vitamin B12 status compared with omnivores. 

Vitamin D is rare in vegetarian diets; however, it does not seem that ovo-lactovegetarians or vegans are more likely to be deficient than omnivores because human beings can synthesize it. The body’s cholesterol can be converted into vitamin D by ultraviolet irradiation from the sun.

There is no difference in carbohydrate sources between vegetarian and omnivorous diets. Despite the protein sources being different between the two groups, dietary protein cannot be incorporated into human tissues. When we eat proteins from plant or animal sources, the body must first alter them by breaking them down via denaturation and hydrolysis into amino acids; only then can it rearrange them into specific human body proteins. A balanced vegetarian diet could provide sufficient protein to meet physiological needs. However, this is not the case when it comes to fat and fatty acids.

The predominant PUFA in the Western diet is linoleic acid (18:2n-6), which is commonly found in vegetable seed oils. This is the parent fatty acid of the n-6 series PUFA, which can be converted in vivo to C20 and C22 n-6 long chain (LC) PUFA. α-Linolenic acid (18:3n-3) is less abundant than 18:2n-6; however, it is also present in vegetable oils and is the precursor of C20 and C22 n-3 LC PUFA. Omnivores can obtain their C20 and C22 n-3 LC PUFA either from dietary 18:3n-3 or directly from the consumption of fish, eggs, or animal products. Ovo-lactovegetarians can gain a limited amount of C20 and C22 n-3 LC PUFA from milk, dairy products, and eggs. In contrast, vegans must rely totally on endogenous synthesis from 18:3n-3 by desaturation and elongation.

On the basis of the present data, it is suggested that vegetarians, especially vegans, could benefit from increased dietary intake of n-3 PUFA and vitamin B12 and thus improve the balance ratio of n-3 to n-6 PUFA and vitamin B12 status, which may reduce any thrombotic tendency that might increase their generally low risk of cardiovascular disease.

Good sources of omega-3s include salmon and other oily fish, walnuts and certain other nuts. Good sources of vitamin B12 include seafood, eggs, and fortified milk. Dietary supplements also can supply these nutrients.

References: Duo Li; Chemistry behind Vegetarianism; J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (3), pp 777–784 Ernesto Vania 07 February 2011 Teatro Naturale International n. 2 Year 3

Selections from Natural Health News
Vegan Diet Cures Everything, or so they say...

Jul 30, 2006

Vegan diet is good as a cleansing diet to help reduce some health risks. I do not think it is healthy in the long term, except in cultures where vegetarianism has been acculturated over centuries, such as with the Hindu people. ...

Another OPRAH marketing monster

Feb 04, 2010

There isn't inclusion of the natural things that you can do to prevent and reverse diabetes, and no discussion about why some people just cannot follow a vegan diet to get healthy. So, yes, do exercise, use a better selection of food,

Barley and Health

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Getting the Better of Monsanto

There is now hope in the was against Monsanto and damaging RoundUp !

Non-food wheat used as natural herbicide

Japanese researchers announce that they have developed a kind of wheat which can inhibit the growth of weeds

Japanese researchers announce that they have developed a kind of wheat which can inhibit the growth of weed. Although this wheat is not suitable for human consumption, it can be used as a natural herbicide when cultivated with soybeans.

According to the report on Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun Web site, Geng Murai, professor of Heredity and Breeding from Fukui Prefectural University and other researchers have cultivated a wheat species "LM12" which can grow with soybeans by doing Selection-Breeding experiment on about 100 wheat species repeatedly for over two years.

"LM12" is sowed with soybean together in mid-June. It can inhibit the growth of weeds, because it can germinate ahead of weeds. On the other hand, "LM12" is a plant of slow growth which can only grow to about 20 cm because of its slow growth, while soybean plants are about 60 cm high. Therefore, "LM12" won't fight for nutrients with the soybeans and won't block sunlight soybean need.

"LM12" will wither at the end of September before soybean harvest, so it is unnecessary to cut the wheat.

The researchers are going to sum up and sort out the detail data influencing soybean's quality next year. They will start large-scale cultivation experiments in cooperation with relevant departments of Fukui Prefecture.

Geng Murai said some wheat varieties grow slowly, which are not suitable for food crops. Therefore, they consider how to change its weakness into usefulness. By cultivating the "LM12" wheat, they hope to develop safe cultivation method of soybean without using herbicides.

by S. C. ,07 February 2011 Teatro Naturale International n. 2 Year 3

Is Chocolate the New Superfruit?

Just one thing to remember: best to select dark chocolate and also make sure it is from fair trade, organic sources, as well as the related ingredients like sugar to avoid exposure to GMO, as Hershey seems to be using these days. 

Chocolate is the new super fruit, claim Hershey scientists
By Jane Byrne, 07-Feb-2011
Cocoa powder and dark chocolate has equivalent polyphenol content and greater antioxidant and flavanol content than various super fruits, claims a new study by research scientists based at the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition.The authors, who published their findings in the Chemistry Central Journal said that their results indicate that cacao seeds thus provide nutritive value beyond that derived from their macronutrient composition and thus should be termed ‘super fruit’.
The fruit pulp of the Theobroma cacao pod that surrounds its seeds can be consumed; however the vast majority of people have only consumed the seed-derived portion of cacao in the form of cocoa powder or chocolate. So the goal of the study, said the Hershey scientists, was to compare cocoa powder and chocolate, products representing the commonly eaten portion of the cacao fruit, with powders and juices from so-called “Super Fruits”.
Cocoa powder and chocolate were compared with powders derived from acai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate, continued the authors, on measures of antioxidant activity, as measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC (μM TE/g)), total polyphenol content (TP (mg/g)), and total flavanol content (TF (mg/g)).
MethodTo limit sampling error with each analysis method, each brand of fruit powder and product was prepared and analyzed in triplicate using chemical assays, said the team.
The materials selected, they explained, included commercially available fruit powders, natural (non-alkalized) cocoa, 100 per cent non blended fruit juices, natural cocoa beverage, solid dark chocolate (60-63 per cent cacao), and hot cocoa mix.
All powders were obtained via food ingredient suppliers, while the juices, solid dark chocolate, and hot cocoa mix were obtained at retail and analyzed in the form sold to consumers.
They said that a cocoa beverage was produced by combining 240 ml water, 25 g sugar, 1 g salt, and 12 g of natural cocoa powder and was designed to have a composition similar to that of the other fruit juices. 240 ml was considered a typical single serving of fruit juice or cocoa beverage, 40 g was considered a typical single serving of dark chocolate, and 28 g was considered a typical single serving of hot cocoa mix.
ResultsThe authors’ findings demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity of cocoa powder (634 ± 33 μMTE/g) was significantly greater than blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate powder on a per gram basis.
They said that the total polyphenol content of cocoa powder (48.2 ± 2.1 mg/g) appeared to be greater than acai, blueberry, and cranberry powder; however these differences did not reach statistical significance, added the researchers.
And the Hershey team found that the total flavanol content (of cocoa powder (30.1 ± 2.8 mg/g) was significantly greater than all of the other fruit powders tested.
Analysis of fruit products demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity of dark chocolate (9911 ± 1079 μMTE/serving) was not significantly greater, on a per serving basis, than pomegranate juice but was greater than that of all other products tested. In contrast, hot cocoa mix had significantly less antioxidant capacity (1232 ± 159 μMTE/serving) than all of the other products tested, noted the team.
“The results of the current study demonstrate that cocoa powder has equivalent or significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity, as measured by ORAC values, compared to the tested fruit powders.Similarly, the TP content of cocoa powder was equivalent to that of the fruit powders and its TF content was significantly higher than that of all the fruit powders tested,” reported the Hershey scientists.
They also stress that the cocoa powders, cocoa beverages, and dark chocolate used in the study all contained natural (or non-alkalized) cocoa but that the hot cocoa mixes were made with alkalized cocoa.
The extent of polyphenol destruction, continue the researchers, is proportional to the degree of alkalization and change in the water extractable pH of the resulting powder antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content may be severely diminished in alkalized cocoa powder and products made with alkalized cocoa.
“Alkalinization is used to mellow the flavor of cocoa, however the process has been shown to destroy polyphenolic compounds and is likely responsible for the significant differences in ORAC, TP, and TC values observed between hot cocoa mix and the other cocoa products,” commented the team.
Source: Chemistry Central Journal

Selections from Natural Health News

Chocolate Works Better

Sep 13, 2006

Chocolate, in its natural powder form has been known to be an herb/food or great anti-oxidant value for centuries. Of course it is the Western maintream crowd that thiks they just discovered the benfits of these wonderful natural things ...

Dark and Good

Dec 03, 2007

Of course the chocolate was plain cocoa powder or raw chocolate. While we love it in its marketed form we should consider the downside of too much of sweetened and fat added treat. Organic and non-GMO chocolate is the best kind for ...

Arrogance Does Not A Good Researcher Make

Aug 11, 2008

Adding on to the thread regarding studies I can't overlook something that struck me as exemplifying mediocrity while reading an abstract about the anti-inflammatory benefits of chocolate. One star-struck doctor seems to take the prize ...

and 

Cocoa For Better Brain Blood FlowSubstances in cocoa protects your health from stroke, myocardial infarction, cancer and diabetes.
Flavanoli from cocoa improve blood flow to the brain, shows study published in the magazine “Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.”
Experts have found a beneficial cocoa effect to the flow of blood in brief and long-term tests to the brain and, and they believe that is responsible for the positive effect of antioxidant flavanoli activity.
The authors suggest that better long-term flow

of blood has a positive impact on cognitive abilities, but also provides protection against dementia.

Science research have confirmed what was known from the Aztec’s time – cocoa encourage brain to create enorfina (brain sedative and anesthetics), which leads to relaxation, and eliminate stress and pain.
Cocoa stimulates dopamine and serotonin secretion (carriers of brain information), which increase mood level- the effect is the reason why depressed people eat huge quantities of chocolate.
Cocoa is the source of mental health and good mood, rather than synthetic drugs has no adverse effects.