New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects

James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists outlining the dangers of the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose).

In animals examined for the study, Splenda reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight and affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected.

The P-gp effect could result in medications used in chemotherapy, AIDS treatment and treatments for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines, rather than being absorbed by the body.

According to Turner, "The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label."

Sources:

  Globe Newswire September 28, 2008

  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 2008;71(21):1415-29

Walnuts Can Help Reduce Prostate Cancer Tumors

Walnut consumption slows the growth of prostate cancer in mice, and has beneficial effects on multiple genes related to the control of tumor growth and metabolism, researchers have found.

A study shows that when mice with prostate tumors consume the equivalent of an amount of walnuts that could easily be eaten by a man, tumor growth is controlled.

Prostate cancer affects one in six American men. It is one in which environmental factors, especially diet, play an important role.

Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that eating walnuts -- rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants and other plant chemicals -- decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sources:

  Science Daily March 22, 2010

 

What's More Important -- Your Cell Phone Or Your Brain?

By Enrico Grani (with Paul Doyon)
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” -- Arthur Schopenhauer

My name is Enrico Grani and I presently live in Australia. I used cell phones for ten-plus years extensively on-and-off, and because of this I developed a brain tumor!

In 2007, about one week before my birthday, I was diagnosed with a 3 cm by 4 cm brain tumor. I had a stroke (my first one) the previous year in late November 2006. An MRI examination revealed a brain tumor in the area of my brain next to my ear where I always used my cell phone -- in the exact position where the cell phone’s antenna was located.

My goal here is to try to make you and your loved ones aware of the extreme dangers posed by these microwave-emitting devices. Please read about my experience carefully and thoroughly, and please do not make the same mistakes that I have made.

Rationalizations Won’t Save You

My father told me constantly that cell phones were very dangerous and that I would get a brain tumor. We actually had many big arguments because of my cell phone use. I would say “Yeah, Yeah, Papa, what do you know about cell phones anyway?” It went in one ear and out the other.

I rationalized that I needed this cell phone for my business. What I didn’t understand was the terrible price I would pay. I thought that if I exercised and ate healthy food, that I would be able to reverse the negative effects -- if there were any at all! After all, we were ALL told that cell phones posed no risk to our health. Remember?

I was very wrong. Cell phones are much more dangerous than anyone can possibly imagine. By just owning one of these devices, you are paying the cell-phone industry -- you are giving them the power to destroy your life -- and to make an increasing number of people sick. To think that I have paid the cell-phone industry thousands of dollars over the years to get a brain tumor (which has completely destroyed my life) sickens me.
I would gladly trade in all my money (which isn’t much now) and every single material possession I have for the chance to have my brain function restored. I was foolish!

Please don’t make the same mistake. Your brain is much more precious than the device called a cell phone. If you don’t believe this after reading this completely then there is no hope for you, and you will find out the hard way just like I have.

There’s No Customer Service When You’re Dying

Remember one thing, when you get a brain tumor from cell-phone use and you nearly die as a result, ring up the cell-phone shop and you will see how quickly they hang up on you.

All the smiles you remember in the shop -- going through all the models with the sales people -- are gone, and now you are totally alone in a world of pain, torment, and humiliation.

“Brain Tumor Day”

After I had my first stroke, my left arm became paralyzed and I now have severe cognitive difficulties, and problems with fine-motor movement in my hand. The brain tumor was situated in the right parietal lobe -- exactly in the position where I used the cell phone.

I was diagnosed one week before my 40th birthday with a meningioma brain tumor. I was so shocked my legs went weak. This was a birthday present that I will never forget -- ever! My birthday will always be remembered as "Brain Tumor Day." I can no longer work as I am disabled, but this does not mean that I cannot make you aware, so that you or your loved ones never endure my fate.

All I can do now with my life is to try and increase awareness of this serious problem.

Nothing Left to Do But Spread the Word

Thanks to the help of some good friends, scientists, epidemiologists, and a few doctors, I have been able to learn so much about the severe dangers posed by cell phones, cell-phone base stations, and the increasing levels of ambient electromagnetic radiation (EMR) permeating our living environments.

If we don’t do something about this now, I believe firmly, as do many renowned scientists, that this is posing a severe threat to all life on this planet.

There is growing evidence that the drastic disappearance of frogs, insects, and birds -- and now food production -- is connected to the growing microwave radiation permeating our environment. What I am trying to say here is that we are seriously looking at extinction as a species if something isn’t done soon -- if people continue to remain complacent and in denial about this problem because of another related problem -- the selfishness, greed, and stupidity infecting our way of life.

If we remain ignorant and uneducated about the seriousness of this situation, then many people, children, animals, and all life forms will gradually become sick and die. It has already started to happen!

Who Do You Trust?

I now sincerely wish that I had seriously listened to my father -- but I was really stupid. Now that I know what I know, I know that I have made a big mistake in trusting the cell-phone industry and my government to protect me against this danger.

After all, everyone was using them and they seemed OK. If I had had a better understanding of two things -- (1) the effects of electromagnetic radiation, and (2) the blatant irresponsibility of a government bought and paid for by an industry blinded by senseless greed -- I would never have encountered this sad fate.
Being disabled is very hard for me to deal with, as it complicates every aspect of what is left of my life.

However, knowing now that my disability could have been prevented, knowing now that numerous scientific studies years ago had already shown cell-phone radiation causes DNA damage and brain tumor development, knowing now that these scientific studies were completely ignored because of industry greed many years ago prior to my tumor, and knowing now that it could have been prevented, is even harder for me to deal with emotionally.

Now I want to tell you all that I firmly believe that cell-phone use was the cause of my brain tumor. And I pray you don‘t think that you are the lucky, untouchable one!

I pray that you don‘t think you are immune to this either! Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) does not discriminate. If you use a cell phone, the chances of you also getting a brain tumor, not to mention all kinds of other serious health problems, are extremely high.

My goal here is not to scare you, but rather to give you the cold hard facts -- facts that you may not know about and facts that you need to be aware of.

Brain Tumors are On the Rise

In the past few years there has been a drastic increase in the number of people getting brain tumors (not to mention other cancers and disease states like Autism, ADHD, CFIDS and so on). Brain tumors are now the number-one cause of death in children in Australia and the United States (and I imagine many other countries also).

It is now being predicted by epidemiologists that within the next ten years we will see at least a 1,000 percent increase in this disease state. A major brain-tumor epidemic is just around the corner. It saddens my heart to watch all the children with their cell phones glued to their ears; they have no idea what they are in for in years to come. This should not be happening, but it is and it is a serious crime against humanity being committed by humanity itself. I seriously believe this now!

My life has been completely destroyed. I have seizures nearly all the time now and it is extremely painful to experience these; it feels as if I am being electrocuted over and over again, with the flesh peeling off my bones. It took me over two months to learn how to walk again. However, I am a fighter and I always will be!

Systemic Genocide Against Humanity

I have always tried to take good care of my health and I was always very conscious of the importance of my body and mental strength, as I am quite a fitness buff. I just wasn’t aware how seriously dangerous cell phones actually were. I really just wanted to quickly recover after having the tumor removed from my brain and I was exercising, lifting weights, and leg pressing twice my body weight, as soon as I could walk again. I just wanted my health back, and to be able to work again and regain the lifestyle I once had!

However, having said that, I am still suffering drastically because of this. What the phone companies did to me with their lies and their greed is a crime that should never have been allowed to happen.

What will happen to an increasing number of people can only be considered as "Systematic Genocide Against Humanity.”

I know it and many other people know it too. Unfortunately, not enough people want to believe it -- until of course something like this happens to them. It is as if they are drug-addict zombies in a trance -- addicted to their cell phones. The only difference here being is that the cell phone is the new "Electromagnetic Drug." This is what the cell-phone industry wants and has seemingly planned and now totally achieved.

The First Hit is Free

Why would a cell-phone company make you sign a contract and then give you "free” minutes? Sounds to me like what a "drug pusher" would do.

As the saying goes "nothing is for nothing." Free minutes “equals” more time on the cell phone, “equals” addiction, “equals” a brain tumor, cancer, disability, allergies, feeling unwell, plus once you are addicted your "free minutes" are quickly all used up and then you will pay even more to your cell-phone company.
The cell-phone companies are killing us and no one seems to have a clue about what is really going on -- or they are so addicted to their cell phones that most don’t seem to care.

No one can deny that cell phones caused my brain tumor, except perhaps the unethical liars bought and paid for by the cell-phone industry. No matter how much proof you submit, they will deny it to no end, backed by their highly paid unethical lawyers, who have no soul! It’s totally disgusting. These people have sold their souls for money and gold, at the expense of the health of people worldwide!

It is time for me to go public with this and I suggest that if you (or someone that you know) are in the same or a similar situation that you go public as well. I am not scared of the cell-phone industry because I have a soul filled with love for humanity. They have no soul at all, or they would not be doing this to us!

Placing cell-phone towers next to people’s homes and nearby children‘s schools, and selling cell phones to young children when it is a known fact that a child‘s skull is thinner than an adult‘s, and a child‘s brain is not fully developed and is damaged greatly by cell phone use, is completely unethical and irresponsible.

The cell-phone industry, while completely aware of these facts, still -- blinded by greed, it seems -- engage in this ironically legal "Crime Against Humanity." I really don’t care if they try to kill me, harass me, or whatever else they may try to do to me. Sure, they have so much money, and I have none. So what? At least I am a human being with dignity and a conscience -- and that is much more than I can say about them.

I was in a coma for three days, I had three strokes, and I had a good portion of by brain cut out of my head. What more needs to be said? How could I possibly be scared of them?

My life is garbage and I know many other people that have been seriously affected from all walks of life. Once a person has cheated death as many times as I have, then one no longer holds any fear of anyone or anything. I just want to get this story out to the public and hopefully from reading about my experience some people’s lives can be spared from fates similar to mine. My only goal in life right now is to save life through educating people about my experience.

Mass Media Avoids the Truth Like the Plague

I have approached many TV stations here in Australia and none of them have wanted to touch my story. It seems to me that they are also bought and paid for by the cell-phone industry. This is not hard to believe either.

How many people must die before this situation with the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is taken seriously in my country and given the worldwide coverage that it deserves? I suppose many people are fearful of losing their jobs by speaking out. All I can say to these people is that when they are in a wheel chair and can no longer work it’s "You had the chance to speak out but chose to remain silent."

Should it be Considered Premeditated Murder?

It really makes me extremely angry because it is the children, with their lives still ahead of them, who are going to suffer the most because of this. The children‘s brains and immune systems are still in a process of development. The cell-phone industry, fully ignoring this fact, manipulates children into purchasing a cell phone by using Mickey Mouse designs on the phones to get the child‘s attention.

All I can say is that this is "premeditated murder." What else can it be called when they are fully aware from all the data, facts, and studies (except the ones they have manipulated) by an army of ethical scientists and researchers out there saying that these things are dangerous!

You May be Affected But Attribute it to Other Things

This microwave radiation is destroying people’s lives and most people do not even realize this because it seems that they are attributing their symptoms to other things.

It is difficult for people to realize that something they can‘t sense with their senses -- see, touch, taste, smell, or hear -- is harmful, and most don’t even imagine that this is indeed the cause of their symptoms.

Not even the doctors are aware of the problem it seems, and if they are, most are keeping their mouths shut (for fear of losing their jobs). The cell phone companies are making staggering amounts of money, the pharmaceutical companies are making money, and doctors and hospitals are making money. And as long as they are all making money, it seems as if everyone is happy -- until of course they also get sick!

I spent approximately $4,000 AUS dollars on my cell-phone bills in 1996. I still can’t believe that I gave those Criminals all that money and I don’t expect that they will ever pay me back any of it either.
In the initial stages of having a cell phone I started to notice a burning sensation above the ear (where the tumor was diagnosed), but at the time I didn’t give it much thought, like many of you out there I presume.

However, come to think of it, there were a few times when I had to end the phone call because the pain was unbearable and I would have to call the person back later after the pain had subsided. I would also get these chronic headaches and pain in my eyes, but then again, I just attributed this to the pressures of the work. I even started to lose my memory and get lost while driving, which is strange since before that I always had a decent sense of direction.

All these symptoms started with the business and the cell phone usage. I finally left that business after 17 months on the job.

I went to see about five doctors over a period of years because of the headaches. Not one of them told me to stop using my cell phone. They all just diagnosed me with having tension headaches and prescribed Panadol or Aspirin or some other drug, which I usually did not take since I never trusted pharmaceuticals. Had just one of these doctors ordered a MRI brain scan, or a CT brain scan, I probably would not be so disabled today. If my brain tumor had been diagnosed earlier, I most likely would be working now and enjoying life.

Conventional Medicine is Still Clueless About the Dangers of EMR

The brain rehabilitation team was utterly astounded with my progress after my brain tumor was removed. However, they seemed to be completely clueless about the dangers of EMR and often would take their cell phone calls directly in the immediate vicinity of my head. They really should be aware that one should not put one of these microwave-emitting devices next to one’s head and especially not close to the head of someone who has just had a brain tumor removed.

However, like most people out there they are completely and utterly clueless regarding the dangers posed by this EMR weapon. It’s a complete irony and utter contradiction, but the people in the medical profession -- the people who are supposed to be helping us -- do not have any clue about the harmful effects of EMR on living organisms.

Hopefully, in the future -- if we have one -- this will change! At this point, people really have to do the research on EMR themselves. I have personally had to do my own research regarding EMR and my condition. Doctors are just too happy to prescribe drugs without really thinking too deeply about the underlying causes.

Now, my only mission in life is to make people aware of the dangers posed by this wireless technology. What else can I do? I just hope people are smart enough to listen. My only desire is for people to have life -- not death!

To my father: I am sorry Papa that I failed you by not listening to you. Papa you were right just as usual, and I paid the price for not listening to your words of wisdom as usual. The only thing is, this time I cannot correct my mistake. I am disabled for life. Sorry Papa, please forgive me for my stupidity.

To read more about my experience, please visit the website below, where my experience since being diagnosed with a brain tumor has been documented.

"The Truth Shall Set You Free"

Sources:

  Fitness Saved My Life

Cell Phones are Dangerous, But This May Be Far Worse

An increasingly alarmed army of international scientists have reached a controversial conclusion:

The "electrosmog" that first began developing with the rollout of the electrical grid a century ago and now envelops every inhabitant of Earth is responsible for many of the diseases that impair or kill them.

During the past 100 years, we have methodically filled in the electromagnetic spectrum far beyond what occurs in nature.

Recently, several developments have highlighted the growing hazards of EMF pollution and the crucial need to address them.

In 2007, the Bioinitiative Working Group released a 650-page report citing more than 2,000 studies (many very recent) that detail the toxic effects of EMFs from all sources. Chronic exposure to even low-level radiation (like that from cell phones), can cause a variety of cancers, impair immunity, and contribute to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, heart disease, and many other ailments.

Additionally, every single study of brain tumors that looks at 10 or more years of use shows an increased risk of brain cancer.

A recent study from Sweden is particularly frightening, suggesting that if you started using a cell phone as a teen, you have a 5 times greater risk of brain cancer than those who started as an adult.

A recent study showed that exposure to very-low-frequency voltage signals (1-100kHz), or "dirty electricity,” can greatly increase your risk of melanoma, thyroid cancer, and uterine cancer. These signals are largely by-products of electronics, such as modern energy-efficient appliances, televisions, stereos and other entertainment devices.

These electronic devices use a lower voltage than other appliances, and this manipulation of current creates a complex electromagnetic field. This field not only radiates into the immediate environment but also can travel along home or office wiring throughout the neighborhood.

"For the first time in our evolutionary history, we have generated an entire secondary, virtual, densely complex environment — an electromagnetic soup — that essentially overlaps the human nervous system," says Michael Persinger, PhD, a neuroscientist at Laurentian University who has studied the effects of EMFs on cancer cells.
And it appears that, more than a century after Thomas Edison switched on his first light bulb, the health consequences of that continual overlap are just now beginning to be documented.

Sources:
  MSNBC January 18, 2010

New scientific evidence is continually emerging that nearly all the twentieth century human plagues can be tied to some aspect of our use of electricity, including:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children
• Brain tumors
• Malignant melanoma
• Asthma
• Cardiovascular disease
• Immune system dysfunction
• Hormone disturbance
• Brittle diabetes
• Sleep disorders, headaches, Alzheimer’s disease and ADHD

And this is just a partial list.

EMFs and Your DNA

Cells in your body can react to EMFs as a harmful invader, just like they do to other environmental toxins.

Remember that you are an electrical being.

Your body is a complex communication device where cells “talk”, tissues “talk,” organs “talk,” and organisms “talk[1].” At each of these levels, the communication includes finely tuned bio-electrical transmitters and receivers, which are tuned like tuning into a radio station. What happens when you expose a radio antenna to a significant amount of external noise? You get static from the noise – and that is what is happening to your body in today’s electrosmog environment.

Two of the more well-known biologicals impacts from electrosmog are the interruption of the brain wave pattern[2] leading to behavior issues[3] and the interference to your body’s entire communication system (cytoskeleton)[4] leading to abnormal neurological function, such as dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia.

At a cellular level, your cell membrane receptors (the brain of the cell) recognize electromagnetic fields at very low levels of exposure producing a stress response similar to that produced by exposure to heavy metals or toxic chemicals.[5]

This can cause the cell membrane to go from an “active” or permeable state where it allows nutrients in and toxins out, to an “inactive” state where the cell membrane is impermeable. During a normal day, your cells will change states thousands of time, but when under constant environmental stress, the membranes can be locked in the inactive state. This is often referred to as “oxidative stress” as nutrients are able to enter into the cell, while toxins (free radicals) are not allowed to leave.

There is also real evidence that this inactive state can even have geno-toxic effects, meaning electrosmog is toxic by both damaging DNA and preventing your body from repairing DNA, which can be the first step to cancer.

We are not really sure what the “trigger” is that causes health problems, but we know that the electrosmog is definitely a contributing factor. For health, your body must be able to communicate within itself, that is, to be in harmony with the natural rhythm of the earth and all life.

The chaotic and unpredictable patterns from electrosmog can create noise in your body and force your body out of harmony. These damaging biological effects have been found at levels far below the so-called industrial and governmental safety limits—1,000,000 times lower than those limits, in some cases.

Why do things such as MTT, acupuncture, TENS units, pacemakers, and many other bioelectrical treatments work? Most likely a major reason why they work is because they focus on getting your body back into its natural rhythm or resonance. Just as you breathe in oxygen from an atmosphere you can’t see, your cells are suspended in a sea of vibrational energy that you can’t see or feel—that is, until it makes you sick.

As the MSNBC article states:

“Remember, these positive-negative shifts are occurring many thousands of times per second, so the electrons in your body are oscillating to that tune. Your body becomes charged up because you're basically coupled to the transient's electric field."
Keep in mind that all the cells in your body, whether islets in the pancreas awaiting a signal to manufacture insulin or white blood cells speeding to the site of an injury, use electricity—or "electron change”— to communicate with each other.
By overlapping the body's signaling mechanisms, could transients [electrosmog] interfere with the secretion of insulin, drown out the call-and-response of the immune system, and cause other physical havoc?”

Yes, absolutely.
And the really frightening aspect about electrosmog is how little control you have over it.

How You Can Protect Yourself

Fortunately, you are not completely helpless. There are strategies that can help reduce your exposure and protect you from the constant onslaught of radiation.

For over 20 years, Building Biologists (www.buildingbiology.net) have been studying and educating the general public regarding the negative impact of electromagnetic fields (EMF). On their website are multiple videos and information on the why, what and how for dealing with EMFs.

First and foremost, you’ll want to reduce your exposure to as many sources as you can.


In addition to these recommendations, Camilla Rees mentions a few more in her video, including:

1. Intestinal care: Make sure you’re getting plenty of healthy probiotics. The Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland discovered that symptoms of electrosensitivity can be reduced by providing gut barrier support. For more information, listen to the interview with Dr. Rau, medical director of the Paracelsus Clinic, available at this link.
2. Regular detoxification programs: Not only are you dealing with increasing amounts of toxic chemicals in your environment, your body is full of microorganisms that respond to EMFs by generating increased levels of their own toxins, according to a course for physicians on this subject, taught by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD.
3. Beware of mold: Mold, just like other microorganisms, can also react in high EMF environments. One study showed 600 times more neurotoxins generated from mold in a high EMF environment. According to Rees, there are also mold legal cases being reviewed, questioning whether problems in buildings infested with mold may have actually been related to nearby antenna infrastructure.

Controlling the environment in which you sleep is especially important, given you spend a third of your life there. Review how to create a sleep sanctuary in five easy steps.

More Electrical Pollution Solutions

Electrical Pollution Solution has an extensive list of steps you can take to combat electrosmog in your home and work environments. Their suggestions include the following:

• Remove your microwave oven. Besides dangerous EMF radiation, microwave ovens have other negatives impacts on your health. 
• Avoid using electric blankets and electric heating pads.
• Use rubber gloves when washing dishes or working at the sink, and stand on a non-conductive mat. Both increase the resistance of the path through your body.

Be a Live Wire for Change

The last thing that you can do, and perhaps the most important, is to help spread awareness about this ever-increasing problem.

If you believe that one or more transmitting products is making you ill, please report it/them to the following agencies (be prepared with the manufacturer, model and/or serial number, and a list of your symptoms):

1. FDA 1-800-FDA-1088 The same FDA program that regulates medical devices also regulates consumer products that emit radiation.
2. Consumer Product Safety Commission 1-800-638-2772
3. EMR Policy Institute

It’s unfortunate, but the government is not likely to step up and do the right thing to protect your health without a lot of pressure from the public.

Power companies have successfully beaten back attempts to modify exposure standards. The cell phone industry, which has funded at least 87% of the research on the subject, has effectively resisted regulation.

Please get involved at any level you can, to help increase the pressure on industry and industry regulators, which is the only way to create a safer future for everyone.

---

[1] Oschman, James L. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Churchill Livingstone, 2006. P. 189.
[2] Oschman, James L. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Churchill Livingstone, 2006. P. 96
[3] Becker, Robert. MD. Cross Current. Penguin Group. 1990. P. 215.
[4] Oschman, James L. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Churchill Livingstone, 2006. P. 131.
[5] Lipton, Bruce, PhD. "The Biology of Belief." Mountain of Love/Elite Books, Santa Rosa, CA. 2005. P. 83

Eight Foods that Could be Disastrous for Your Health

A genetically modified (GM) crop has been found thriving in the wild for the first time in the United States. At the recent Ecological Society of America conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, researchers broke the news that transgenic canola is growing freely in parts of North Dakota.
GM crops have spread from cultivated land to the wild in several countries, but they have not previously been found in uncultivated land in the United States.

The scientists behind the discovery say this highlights a lack of proper monitoring and control of GM crops in the United States.

"The extent of the escape is unprecedented," says Cynthia Sagers, an ecologist at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, who led the research team that found the canola (Brassica napus, also known as rapeseed).
Sagers says the discovery of plants that are resistant to two major herbicides shows that "these feral populations of canola have been part of the landscape for several generations."

Sources:

  Nature News August 6, 2010

Health Effects of GM Foods

I strongly believe that one of the most obvious clues about the danger of GMO foods is that animals virtually never opt to eat a GM food if conventional food is available. Many times they will avoid GM food to the point of starvation – a clear indication that they have an intuitive sense of the danger inherent with this food.
Many people are unaware of the fact that no safety study has ever proved that GM foods are safe for consumption. Studies have, however, linked GM foods to:

• Cancer
• Food allergies
• Damage to your immune system
• Super-viruses

In a 2007 article published on the Institute for Responsible Technology’s web site, Jeffrey Smith also points out several animal studies that show a number of different GM foods appear to cause liver damage.

Your liver is a main detoxifier in your body, so liver damage can indicate that your toxic load is simply too great. In his article Smith includes the following study results (for full references, please see the original article):

• The livers of rats fed Roundup Ready canola were 12–16 percent heavier, possibly due to liver disease or inflammation
• Rats fed GNA lectin potatoes had smaller and partially atrophied livers
• Rats fed Monsanto’s Mon 863 corn, engineered to produce Bt-toxin, had liver lesions and other indications of toxicity
• Rabbits fed GM soy showed altered enzyme production in their livers as well as higher metabolic activity
• Microscopic analysis of the livers of mice fed Roundup Ready soybeans revealed altered gene expression and structural and functional changes. Many of these changes reversed after the mice diet was switched to non-GM soy, indicating that GM soy was the culprit. The findings, according to molecular geneticist Michael Antoniou, PhD, “are not random and must reflect some ‘insult’ on the liver by the GM soy”

With all the evidence against them, why are these products still on the market?
Because there’s big money to be made – these seeds are all patented and must be purchased anew each season -- and because it’s difficult to link health problems directly to them, in large part because many of the side effects happen over time – it may even take generations before certain health outcomes become apparent. So there’s plenty of room for denial.
Only time will reveal, as Jeffrey Smith points out in this excellent video, the extent of the unforeseen and surprising illnesses caused by GM foods.

The question is, are you willing to ‘wait and see,’ which equates to playing Russian Roulette with your grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s, health?

If you’re still unconvinced, I highly recommend you read through Smith’s ten-part Huffington Post series on GM foods. It’s a great read, loaded with valuable information.

How to Avoid GM Food

There are currently eight major GM food crops on the market, so memorizing this list will help you avoid any and all food products that might contain GMO’s:

1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
4. Canola (canola oil)
5. Sugar from sugar beets
6. Hawaiian papaya
7. Some varieties of zucchini
8. Crookneck squash

You’ll also want to avoid any kind of derivative of these, such as high fructose corn syrup, for example.

Depending on where you live within the European Union, you may also have to contend with the recently approved AmFlora potato, designed by BASF, which contains a gene that produces an enzyme which can confer resistance to several antibiotics. The European Commission approved the commercial growing of the GM potato in early March of this year, despite widespread protests, and concerns raised by the EU’s pharmaceutical regulator.

Part of the potato is also allowed to be used in cattle feed, and the meat will not need to be labeled as GM.

Your best bet to avoid genetically modified foods is to take advantage of local sources of organic foods as often as you can. Remember, some 75 percent of processed foods contain GM ingredients, so you’ll want to avoid as many processed foods as possible.

Related Links:

  Genetically Modified Foods -- What to Know Before You Eat Them

  Why Grow GM Crops That Need Pesticides Anyway?

  The Dangers of Genetic Engineering 

If You Choose to Take Oral Vitamin D, How Much Should You Take?

New research has once again placed optimum vitamin D intake at much higher than the current recommended amount.

The study of 138 subjects suggested a daily dose of 3800 IU for those with adequate blood vitamin D levels, and 5000 IU each day for those who are vitamin D deficient.

The current recommended intakes for vitamin D are as low as 200 IU daily for those aged 19-50, and go only as high as 600 IU daily for those over the age of 70.

Sources:

  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2008; 87(6):1952-1958

Some Cancers May Just Go Away

A group of researchers who track breast cancer rates have proposed the controversial notion that some tumors found with mammograms might naturally disappear on their own if left undetected.

Dr. Per-Henrik Zahl and his colleagues examined invasive breast cancer rates among nearly 120,000 women age 50 to 64 who had a mammogram over a six-year period. They compared the number of breast cancers detected with another group of about 110,000 women of the same age who were screened just once at the end of the six-year period.

The researchers said they expected to find no differences in breast cancer rates -- but instead, they found 22 percent more invasive breast tumors in the group who had mammograms every two years. This raises the possibility that some cancers somehow disappear naturally.

Mammography and breast self-examination for tumors are standard methods used for early detection of breast cancer.

Sources:

  Archives of Internal Medicine November 24, 2008;168(21):2311-2316.

  New York Times November 24, 2008

Kill Your Stress ... Before Your Stress Kills You!

Just about every illness is either directly caused, or made worse, by stress. That includes heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, along with:

• Back pain and headaches
• Stomach and digestive problems
• Tooth grinding
• Sleep loss and fatigue
• Skin problems
• Weight gain or loss
• Depression
• Confusion, irritability, forgetfulness and more

Since stress is something that you encounter every day, you simply must have tools to deal with it if you want to be happy and healthy. One of my personal favorites, as many of you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which involves simple tapping with your fingertips to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on your head and chest while you think about your specific problem and voice positive affirmations.

But there are many others out there and, really, the more stress management tools you learn, and use regularly, the better of you’ll be.

The following tips from Lifehack will help you develop practices and a mindset that dissipate and reduce the inevitable stress of life itself.

1. Make quiet time: Whether you meditate daily or just spend an hour a night with a book, you need to create a space where you can clear your mind.

2. Eat better: A good diet can help your body better deal with the effects of stress.

3. Make family time: Try to eat at least one meal a day with your family (or with friends if you’re single).

4. Talk it out: Bottling up your frustrations, even the little ones, leads to stress.

5. Prioritize: Figure out what in your life actually needs attention and what doesn’t.

6. Accept interruptions gracefully: Leave enough wiggle room so you can adapt to changes in your day.

7. Pay attention to yourself: Notice when you feel stressed, and determine the cause.

8. Love: Build relationships. Share yourself. Feel human warmth.

9. Learn How to Relax and Center: Try this free download created by Dr. Neil Fiore that will guide you through proven breathing and relaxation exercises.

Sources:

  Lifehack.org April 11, 2008

Studies Prove that These Drugs Make Your Brain Stop Working

Drugs commonly taken for a variety of common medical conditions negatively affect your brain, causing long term cognitive impairment. These drugs, called anticholinergics, block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter.

They include such common over-the-counter brands as Benadryl, Dramamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM, and Unisom.

Other anticholinergic drugs, such as Paxil, Detrol, Demerol and Elavil are available only by prescription.
Physorg reports:

"Researchers ... conducted a six-year observational study, evaluating 1,652 Indianapolis area African-Americans over the age of 70 who had normal cognitive function when the study began ... '[T]aking one anticholinergic significantly increased an individual's risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and taking two of these drugs doubled this risk.'"

What are Anticholinergic Drugs?

Anticholinergic drugs block a nervous system neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Those suffering from Alzheimer's disease typically have a marked shortage of acetylcholine.
Anticholinergic drugs are available both over-the-counter and by prescription, as medications used for a variety of symptoms can have this effect. Examples include night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, and other sleep aids, such as:

• Excedrin PM
• Tylenol PM
• Nytol
• Sominex
• Unisom
• Benadryl
• Dramamine

Prescription drugs with anticholinergic effects include certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
Examples of prescription meds in these categories include:

• Paxil
• Detrol
• Demerol
• Elavil

A Special Note for Aspartame 'Reactors'

Many of the drugs listed here, as well as a long list of additional ones, contain diphenhydramine. As an important side note, you need to beware that chewable tablets and rapidly disintegrating tablets that contain diphenhydramine may be sweetened with aspartame.
If you have the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), you must be particularly careful to avoid these types of drugs and all other types of aspartame-sweetened foods and beverages in order to prevent mental retardation.
But many other people also suffer detrimental health effects from aspartame, so you should know that this is yet another potential source of this toxic sweetener.

Anticholinergic Drugs Increases Dementia in the Elderly

I've previously written about the health dangers of many of these individual drugs. Paxil, for example, is an addictive antidepressant that is well known to increase the risk of suicide in children and teens. It is also known to increase violent behavior.
Benadryl and Sominex have previously been found to cause hallucinations in the elderly, and a number of the drugs on the list also promote dental decay.
The results of this study indicate that drugs with anticholinergic effects may be yet another piece of the puzzle that might explain the sharp rise in dementia and cognitive decline.
According to the University of Michigan, dementia strikes about 50 percent of people who reach the age of 85. Of those, about 60 percent go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
In this study, the researchers tracked the intake of anticholinergic drugs and monitored the cognitive abilities of 1,652 African-American seniors, aged 70 and older, for six years. All of the participants had normal cognitive function at the outset of the study.
Fifty-three percent of the participants used a 'possible anticholinergic,' and 11 percent used a 'definitive anticholinergic' drug.
They found that those who took drugs classified as 'definite anticholinergics' had a four times higher incidence of cognitive impairment.
In those who were not carriers of the specific gene, APOE ε4 allele, the risk was over seven times higher. (The APOE ε4 gene is known to influence many neurological diseases, and is considered a high risk factor for Alzheimer's.)
Taking two of these drugs further increased the risk of cognitive impairment.
PhysOrg reports:

"Simply put, we have confirmed that anticholinergics, something as seemingly benign as a medication for inability to get a good night's sleep or for motion sickness, can cause or worsen cognitive impairment, specifically long-term mild cognitive impairment which involves gradual memory loss.
As a geriatrician I tell my Wishard Healthy Aging Brain Center patients not to take these drugs and I encourage all older adults to talk with their physicians about each and every one of the medications they take," said Malaz Boustani, M.D., IU School of Medicine associate professor of medicine, Regenstrief Institute investigator and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist."

Even More Reasons to Ditch the Sleep Meds

In 2008, Americans filled more than 56 million prescriptions for sleeping pills and spent more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep aids. But anticholinergic sleep medications in particular may be causing far more harm than good, especially long term, without providing any benefit at all.
In a recent article, CBC News reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has had data for 15 years which shows that over-the-counter sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Excedrin PM do not offer any significant benefit to patients.
There's no explanation for why the FDA took 15 years to evaluate the industry's research, but upon final analysis "the data suggests the combination products are statistically better than a placebo but not by much," CBC News reported.
I guess it can be chalked up as yet another vibrant example of how industry research frequently amounts to little more than corporate wishes and good PR fodder.
Another analysis of sleeping pill studies from 2007 (financed by the National Institutes of Health) found that sleeping pills like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata reduced the average time to go to sleep by just under 13 minutes compared with fake pills -- hardly a major improvement.
Yet, the participants believed they had slept longer, by up to one hour, when taking the pills.
This may actually be a sign of a condition called anterograde amnesia, which causes trouble with forming memories. When people wake up after taking sleeping pills, they may, in fact, simply forget that they had been unable to sleep!
You would be far better off putting your money toward authentic solutions to help you sleep than on sleeping pills, as it's now clear that they do next to nothing to help you sleep – in fact, they may actually make it more difficult for you to get a good night's rest naturally – and may significantly increase your risk of dementia.

Sleeping Pills are NOT a Safe Solution for Sleepless Nights

Please understand that resorting to sleep medications is risky business, and that these pills do not address the underlying reasons why you're having trouble sleeping in the first place.
In addition to the long-term problems already discussed, there are other serious, not to mention bizarre, risks involved.
For starters, these pills are notorious for being addictive, which means that once you want to stop taking them, you'll likely suffer withdrawal symptoms that could be worse than your initial insomnia. Some, such as Ambien, may also become less effective when taken for longer than two weeks, which means you may find yourself needing ever higher dosages.
Ambien may also make you want to eat while you're asleep -- and I don't mean sneaking down to grab a piece of fruit. The sleep eating can include bizarre foods such as buttered cigarettes, salt sandwiches, and raw bacon.
Sleeping pills, and again Ambien in particular, are also known to increase your risk of getting into a traffic accident. Ambien actually ranks among the top 10 drugs found in the bloodstreams of impaired drivers, according to some state toxicology labs.
Among the elderly, using sleeping pills may increase the risk of nighttime falls and injuries, and anyone who takes them may find they wake up feeling drowsy if the effects of the drug have not worn off yet.
You're far better of finding safe and natural solutions that will actually address the underlying causes of your sleepless nights instead of just cover up the resulting symptoms.

How to Get a Good Night's Sleep Without Dangerous Drugs

If you are having trouble sleeping, please do not ignore the problem or simply wait for it to go away. Quality sleep just as important as your need for food, water, and pure air -- and there are very simple methods to help you get yours.
Please read my comprehensive sleep guide 33 Secret's to a Good Night's Sleep for my full set of recommendations, but to start, make certain you are exercising regularly.
A Stanford University Medical School study found that after 16 weeks in a moderate-intensity exercise program, subjects were able to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer at night. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.
Stress is another major reason why people have trouble sleeping, which is why I suggest you start to wind down from your day at least an hour before your bedtime (but preferably two or more).
Calming activities such as journaling, meditating, sipping herbal tea, washing your face, using the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or reading a book may soothe your mind and help you unwind. Be sure your phone, email, and television are all off during this time.
Make sure your sleeping environment is comfortable and conducive to sleep.
This includes keeping the temperature cool, adding in some white noise if you need it and making sure your room is pitch-black. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. For this reason, I highly recommend adding room-darkening drapes to your bedroom, or if this is not possible wearing an eye mask to block out any stray light.

H1N1 Swine Flu Even Milder than Seasonal Strains

The H1N1 flu was actually no more serious than most seasonal strains, according to a new study. H1N1 virus disproportionately affected children and young adults, but the symptoms and risk of complications were similar to those of seasonal influenza viruses.


For the study, researchers compared the H1N1 pandemic flu with the seasonal
H1N1 flu, as well as the H3N2 seasonal flu. H1N1 pandemic flu was not linked to substantially more hospitalization or pneumonia compared with either H1N1 seasonal flu or H3N2 seasonal flu.
Reuters reports:

“This year, it is doubtful H1N1 pandemic flu will be noticed ... most people are now immune to this strain, because it spread so far and wide.”

Swine Flu is a Mild Virus, and the Pandemic was a Fake

Now we have even more evidence of swine flu’s mild nature, as a new report in JAMA found that serious complications were no more likely in adults and kids with swine flu than they were in those with regular seasonal flu.
This is an important finding to further solidify that the 2009 swine flu pandemic will likely go down as one of the most massive cover-ups in American history … but it is really not new information.

Within a week of Australia reporting that the swine flu virus appeared to be 40 times less lethal than originally feared, the World Health Organization (WHO) instructed countries to simply stop lab confirming suspected H1N1 cases, which meant that any and all flu-like symptoms were reported as pandemic influenza, padding the statistics.

 It was only June 11, 2009 when WHO raised its swine flu pandemic alert from a 5 to a 6. By this time the swine flu virus was already showing itself to have mild symptoms, quick recovery time, and low incidence of death among the vast majority of H1N1 patients throughout the world.

Yet all the drug companies needed to begin shipping out their profitable new H1N1 vaccine across the world was for the swine flu to be kicked up one notch, from a phase 5 to a phase 6 pandemic … and that is exactly what they got.
Suspicious?

 That’s putting it mildly considering the very same "scientists," and I use that term lightly, who advised the WHO on their decisions were paid consultants with the drug industry.

Even before this revelation, the Council of Europe, European Parliament, and even the WHO itself had launched investigations to determine exactly what role the drug companies played in the swine flu debacle, and how deeply Big Pharma's tentacles reach into the World Health Organization.

In a motion asking the council to investigate the declaration of H1N1 as a pandemic, these members accused pharmaceutical companies of faking the pandemic and farming it out to the world, so they could fill their pockets with the proceeds.
As I have said from the very beginning, this so-called pandemic was never a pandemic in the true sense. Despite rampant misrepresentation of the facts, last year's flu season turned out to be one of the mildest in recent years!

The Swine Flu May be a Memory … but the Vaccine is Still Here

The flu vaccine that’s being widely promoted in the United States this year is a combination vaccine that contains a type A and type B seasonal flu strain as well as the pandemic H1N1 type A swine flu strain of influenza. This is despite the fact that many Americans have now been exposed to H1N1 swine flu and have some natural immunity to it.
But while the swine flu is mild for most people, the vaccine has been causing a host of reactions in both children and adults.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center, a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent H1N1 swine flu vaccine for signs that it may be associated with a higher rate of certain kinds of reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is that there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.
In a recent NVIC video update, Fisher explained:

"One was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which we know has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976 when the first swine flu vaccine was used.

There is [also] a sign of a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is when your blood cannot produce enough platelets. It's an autoimmune type reaction.

The other is Bell's palsy. That's a facial paralysis. It's a neuroimmune reaction.
The government is saying they don't know if these are true signals or not, but there were some red flags that were raised."

Sweden and Finland also recently sounded the alarm because young patients suddenly developed narcolepsy after being vaccinated with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. France, Germany and Norway have also started counting cases, and the EU has launched an investigation.
Earlier this year, Australia suspended use of its seasonal flu vaccine for children under the age of 5 back in April after detecting an abnormal number of side effects within 12 hours of vaccination, compared to previous years. The vaccine contained three strains of influenza, including the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Side effects included high fevers and seizures.

Despite outstanding questions about the safety of this year’s seasonal influenza vaccine containing the reactive H1N1 swine flu component, including warning signs from Australia and Europe about seizures and other neurological complications, the United States is now moving into the 2010-2011 flu season using a flu vaccine that may be very reactive.
"I am concerned," Fisher says. "We have over 300 million people [in the US] who… are supposed to get this influenza vaccine. And we have a very aggressive push by the media and others who are following the lead of the government, so we could have a bad situation."

A Saner Option: Vitamin D

While the flu vaccine continues to be plagued with side effects and often misses the boat entirely on effectiveness, vitamin D continues to ward off the flu time and time again. And what many people do not know is that only about 20 percent of all “flu-like” illness in any given flu season is actually due to type A or type B influenza.

In fact, the CDC admits that only about 5 percent to 20 percent of Americans get seasonal influenza every year.

Most flu-like illness that causes chills, fever, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, cough and other “flu” symptoms is actually illness caused by other viruses and bacteria -- not the influenza virus.

Typically, influenza is not a deadly disease for healthy people. Dying as a result of influenza is rare and most often occurs when elderly or immune compromised individuals suffer complications. A typical case of influenza in a healthy person often lasts about a week and improves with plenty of bed rest, fluids to remain hydrated and proper nutrition.

The vast majority of so-called “influenza deaths” are in fact due to bacterial pneumonia -- a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is too weak. Other complications can include ear- or sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic health conditions.

The annual flu shot will not protect you against coming down with flu-like illness caused by other viruses or bacteria (remember, 80 percent of all flu-like illness in any flu season is NOT caused by the influenza virus). And for many people the flu shot will not protect against coming down with influenza as studies have shown the flu shot is often ineffective at preventing influenza.
And the influenza vaccine could, in some instances, lower your resistance to infections, which could spell serious trouble, especially if your vitamin D levels are also low.

A Japanese study from last year showed that a group of children taking vitamin D3 was 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A. That's a higher effectiveness than any flu vaccine can claim, and doesn't come with a barrage of potentially devastating side effects!

More and more studies about the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing infections, disease, and flu are coming out all the time, but most adults, children and teenagers and the elderly are vitamin D-deficient.

Flawed Study, Bad Science, Outrageous Conclusion

You may have seen a story in the news claiming a study found that consuming more omega-3 fats doesn’t help heart patients. How did the researchers come to this conclusion? They fed their human guinea pigs margarine -- otherwise known as the extremely heart unhealthy form of fat called trans fat.
Essentially, the researchers gave heart attack survivors margarine enhanced with omega-3s. Unsurprisingly, it did little to offset the heart-damaging hydrogenated oil already present in the margarine.
There were additional problems with the study as well. According to the Alliance for Natural Health:

“Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic said it may have been a matter of too little, too late — the dose was so tiny and the patients were enrolled many years after their initial heart attack — on average four years.”

In a separate study, researchers have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fats effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.
The scientists identified a key receptor on macrophages found in obese body fat. Omega-3 fats activate this macrophage receptor, resulting in anti-inflammatory effects and improved insulin sensitivity.
Eurekalert reports:

“Macrophages are specialized white blood cells that engulf and digest cellular debris and pathogens. Part of this immune system response involves the macrophages secreting cytokines and other proteins that cause inflammation ... Obese fat tissue contains lots of these macrophages producing lots of cytokines. The result can be chronic inflammation and rising insulin resistance.”

Sources:

  Alliance for Natural Health August 31, 2010

  Eurekalert September 2, 2010

  New England Journal of Medicine August 29, 2010

  Cell September 3, 2010;142(5):687-98

12 Medical Myths Even Most Doctors Believe

CNN has published a list of the “truth about twelve “health myths”. Among the myths this article busts? “If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way.” “Eat the crust of your bread because it’s full of antioxidants,” and, “to get rid of hiccups, have someone startle you.”

Seriously?

There is massive amount of medical misinformation circulating right now, which is causing an epidemic of chronic disease, unprecedented in human history, and their big concern is whether or not if you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way?

CNN is beyond clueless.

The primary purpose of their article is entertainment, as it has absolutely nothing to do with the top health myths. With articles such as this one, CNN is part of the problem of perpetuating misinformation and leading you astray with nonsense.

Below I will review 12 REAL health myths that CNN didn’t bother to mention, even though these are the cause of a lot of unnecessary suffering and premature death.

Sources:

  CNN August 31, 2010 

Here is the real take on that:

With all the medical misinformation we’re currently exposed to on a daily basis, it’s disappointing to see CNN waste time and space on yet another entertainment-style fluff piece, discussing “health myths” that have no real bearing on your health whatsoever.

Because, believe me, there is no shortage of real health myths that can, and do, have a massive impact on tens of thousands if not millions of people.

Here is my list of the top 12 health myths, none of which CNN bothered to mention:

1: Cardio is One of the Best Types of Exercise

In recent years, researchers have begun to realize that conventional cardio, such as jogging, is not all it’s been cracked up to be, and that you can actually improve your health and increase fat burning by making slight modifications to your cardio routine.

The problem is that traditional cardio only works on the slow twitch muscle fibers in your red muscle, completely ignoring your white muscle super-fast twitch fibers.

“Peak 8” refers to peak exercises done once or twice a week, in which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.

To perform these properly you will want to get very close to, if not exceed, your maximum heart rate by the last interval. Your maximum heart rate is calculated as 220 minus your age. You will need a heart rate monitor to measure this as it is nearly impossible to accurately measure your heart rate manually when it is above 150.

Researchers have found that interval cardio produces a unique metabolic response that is in large part responsible for its superior benefits. Intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your skin and within your muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation is thought to drive the increased weight loss.

It is also the only type of exercise that will increase growth hormone levels. This becomes especially important after the age of 30, when growth hormones steadily decline. It is much safer and far less expensive to have your body make growth hormone naturally thoughPeak 8 type exercises than inject it like many athletes do to the tune of $1500 per month.

2: Vaccines are Safe and Effective and Prevent Disease

I completely understand that for many this issue is not debatable as they believe that vaccines are one of the greatest gifts to public health in the history of civilization.

If you believe that, then let me encourage you to open your mind and explore other views held by many well respected physicians, scientists, clinicians and pro-vaccine safety educators.

You might want to review the article Read This Before Vaccinating for Anything, to help you start your exploration process.

When it comes to vaccines, there are three primary questions that need to be considered.

·         First, is the vaccine in question safe?

·         Secondly, does it effectively prevent disease?

·         And third, which vaccines can safely and effectively be given together or in close succession?

Unfortunately, these issues have not been sufficiently studied for most vaccines, and those vaccines that have been studied frequently show that they are either unsafe or ineffective, or both!

Pro-vaccine-safety educators have long been saying that vaccines can over-stimulate your child’s immune system, sometimes causing the very disease it’s designed to protect against, or worse. And, when several vaccines are administered together, or in close succession, their interaction may completely overwhelm your child’s developing immune system.

This is one of the primary problems with vaccines in general – their detrimental impact on your body’s primary, natural defense against ALL disease.

Now consider that if your child is vaccinated according to the CDC's recommended schedule, by the time your child starts kindergarten he or she will have received 48 doses of 14 vaccines. Of these, 36 doses will be given during the first 18 months of life – a time when your child’s body and brain is undergoing massive development!

Public health officials have NEVER proven that it is indeed safe to inject this volume of vaccines into infants. What's more, they cannot explain why, concurrent with an increasing number of vaccinations, there has been an explosion of neurological and immune system disorders in American children.

This issue covers so much ground, it’s impossible to even try to summarize the many hazards and the lack of efficiency data for all the vaccines currently being given, in this article.

For more information please visit our vaccine section at http://vaccines.mercola.com/

3: Fluoride in Your Water Lowers Your Risk of Cavities

The theory behind the introduction of fluoride in your water supply initially seems beneficial – to reduce the incidence of dental caries in children. However, the health dangers of fluoride are so numerous; they far outweigh any benefit to your teeth, and that’s IF water fluoridation actually did what its claimed to do.

Today, even promoters of fluoridation concede that the major benefits are only from topical applications; fluoride works from the outside of the tooth, not from inside of your body, so why swallow it?

Statistics tell us that water fluoridation is ineffective for preventing caries. There is practically no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated countries, and no difference between states that have a high- or low percentage of their water fluoridated.

Meanwhile, fluoride can cause significant harm, from dental fluorosis to thyroid damage to reduced IQ... and much more.

I’ve joined forces with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) to help end water fluoridation poisoning in Canada and the United States.

For more about the dangers of fluoride, and information about how to get involved in this campaign, please see this recent article, which also includes an excellent interview with Dr. Paul Connett, who created FAN and is one of the foremost experts on this topic.

4: GMOs Crops are Safe, Well Tested and Economically Beneficial

GMOs may be the greatest health disaster in the American diet. Within 9 years of their introduction in 1996, multiple chronic illnesses jumped from 7 percent to 13 percent of the population, food allergies doubled in less time, and many other ailments have exponentially increased with the introduction of GM foods.

Millions may already be suffering health problems caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their diet. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has already urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients, citing studies that show how GMOs cause disorders such as vital organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system problems, accelerated aging, infertility, and dysfunctional regulation of insulin and cholesterol.

But not only are GM foods a health disaster, they also pose a significant environmental threat, and industry promises of financial benefits have turned out to be false as well.

For a quick introduction, I recommend reading the article 10 Reasons to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods, which delves into everything from the health problems associated with eating GM foods to the evidence against GM crops as a sustainable, economically and environmentally viable alternative to traditional farming.

5: Sun Causes Skin Cancer

There are many misconceptions about melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer that accounts for more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. But despite all the bad press linking sun exposure to skin cancer, there’s almost no evidence at all to support that stance. There is, however, plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Over the years, several studies have already confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens.

In my interview with vitamin D expert Dr. Robert Heaney, he explains how the conventional recommendations are in fact causing the very health problem they claim to prevent.

How does sunlight prevent, rather than cause, skin cancer?

In short, it’s the vitamin D formed in your skin from exposure to sunlight that provides this built in cancer protection.

The vitamin D goes directly to genes in your skin that help prevent the types of abnormalities that ultraviolet light causes. Unfortunately, if you follow the conventional recommendation to avoid sun exposure or always use sunscreen, your skin will not make any vitamin D, leaving you without this built-in cancer protection.

Statistics confirm the truth of these findings, as melanoma rates have increased right along with sun avoidance and increased use of sunscreens. If avoiding the sun actually was the answer, then melanoma rates should have decreased exponentially over the past couple of decades...

Instead, sun avoidance and the excessive use of sun screen are actually the two primary reasons for the rise in melanoma.

6: Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease

As recently as 2002, the "expert" Food & Nutrition Board issued the following misguided statement, which epitomizes this myth:

"Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol have no known beneficial role in preventing chronic disease and are not required at any level in the diet."

This dangerous recommendation, which arose from an unproven hypothesis from the mid-1950s, has been harming your health and that of your loved ones for about 40 years now.

The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances, without which your body cannot function optimally.

They also act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.

In fact, saturated is the preferred fuel for your heart!

For more information about saturated fats and the essential role they play in maintaining your health, please read my previous articleThe Truth About Saturated Fat.

7: Artificial Sweeteners are Safe, Well Tested and Help Promote Weight Loss

Most people use artificial sweeteners to lose weight. The amazing irony is that nearly all the studies that have carefully analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who consume caloric sweeteners.

In 2005, data gathered from the 25-year long San Antonio Heart Study showed that drinking diet soft drinks increased the likelihood of serious weight gain – far more so than regular soda. On average, each diet soft drink the participants consumed per day increased their risk of becoming overweight by 65 percent within the next seven to eight years, and made them 41 percent more likely to become obese.

The reasons for this ironic reality are still being investigated, but there are several potential causes, including:

·         Sweet taste alone appears to increase hunger, regardless of caloric content.

·         Artificial sweeteners appear to simply perpetuate a craving for sweets, and overall sugar consumption is therefore not reduced—leading to further problems controlling your weight.

·         Artificial sweeteners may disrupt your body’s natural ability to “count calories,” as evidenced in studies such as this 2004 study at Purdue University, which found that rats fed artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids.

In the end, the research tells us that artificial sweeteners are NOT a dieter’s best friend, because contrary to what the marketing campaigns claim, low- or no-calorie artificial sweeteners are more likely to help you pack on the pounds than shed them.

There are also a large number of health dangers associated with artificial sweeteners and aspartame in particular. I’ve started compiling a growing list of studies pertaining to health problems associated with aspartame, which you can find here. If you’re still on the fence, I highly recommend reviewing these studies for yourself so that you can make an educated decision.

For more information on aspartame, the worst artificial sweetener, please see my aspartame video.

8: Soy is a Health Food

The meteoric rise of soy as a “health food” is a perfect example of how a brilliant marketing strategy can fool millions. But make no mistake about it, unfermented soy products are NOT healthful additions to your diet.

If you find this recommendation startling then I would encourage you to review my Why Soy Can Damage Your Health, which contains links to dozens of articles on the topic, and a video I recently did.

On the contrary, thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.

Not only that, but more than 90 percent of American soy crops are genetically modified, which carries its own set of health risks.

Here is a sampling of the detrimental health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

·         Breast cancer

·         Brain damage

·         Infant abnormalities

·         Thyroid disorders

·         Kidney stones

·         Immune system impairment

·         Severe, potentially fatal food allergies

·         Impaired fertility

·         Danger during pregnancy and nursing

I am not opposed to all soy, however. Organic and, most importantly, properly fermented soy does have great health benefits. Examples of such healthful fermented soy products include tempeh, miso and natto.

9: Whole Grains are Good for Everyone

The use of whole-grains is an easy subject to get confused on especially for those who have a passion for nutrition, as for the longest time we were told the fiber in whole grains is highly beneficial.

Unfortunately ALL grains, including whole-grain and organic varieties, can elevate your insulin levels, which can increase your risk of disease.

It has been my experience that more than 85 percent of Americans have trouble controlling their insulin levels -- especially those who have the following conditions:

·         Overweight

·         Diabetes

·         High blood pressure

·         High cholesterol

·         Protein metabolic types

In addition, sub-clinical gluten intolerance is far more common than you might think, which can also wreak havoc with your health.

As a general rule, I strongly recommend eliminating grains as well as sugars from your diet, especially if you have any of the above conditions that are related to insulin resistance. The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination needs to be.

If you are one of the fortunate ones without insulin resistance and of normal body weight, then grains are fine, especially whole grains. It is wise to continue to monitor your grain consumption and your health as life is dynamic and constantly changing. What might be fine when you are 25 or 30 could become a major problem at 40 when your growth hormone and level of exercise is different.

10: All Plant Based Supplements are as Good as Animal Supplements

The primary example here is that of omega-3’s. It’s very important to realize that not all omega-3 fats are the same, and that the type and source of your omega-3 will make a big difference in the health benefits it provides.

There are three types of omega-3 fats:

·         DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

·         EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)

·         ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid)

Many people do not realize that most of the well-known health benefits associated with omega-3 fats – such as mental health, stronger bones and heart health -- are linked to the animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), not the plant-based omega-3 fat (ALA).

ALA, which is the type of omega-3 found in flaxseed and nuts, is converted into EPA and DHA in your body, but only at a very low ratio.

So even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert a relatively small amount into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present.

This does not mean plant-based omega-3 fats are intrinsically harmful or that they should be avoided, only that you ideally want to include an animal-based form as well. Personally, I regularly include omega-3 (ALA) plant-based foods, like flax and hemp, in my diet, but these are always combined with animal-based omega-3 fats.

But in order to reap its most important health benefits, your omega-3 needs to be from an animal source. For more information on this topic, please read through my previous article, Are You Getting the Right Type of Omega-3 Fats?

11: Milk Does Your Body Good

Can milk do your body good?

Yes, if it’s RAW.

Unfortunately, this myth insists that conventional pasteurized milk has health benefits, which is far from true. Conventional health agencies also refuse to address the real dangers of the growth hormones and antibiotics found in conventional milk.

Please understand that I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind, including organic, because once milk has been pasteurized its physical structure is changed in a way that can actually cause allergies and immune problems.

Important enzymes like lactase are destroyed, which causes many people to not be able to digest milk. Additionally, vitamins (such as A, C, B6 and B12) are diminished and fragile milk proteins are radically transformed from health nurturing to unnatural amino acid configurations that can actually worsen your health.

The eradication of beneficial bacteria through the pasteurization process also ends up promoting pathogens rather than protecting you from them.

The healthy alternative to pasteurized milk is raw milk, which is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, one of the finest sources of calcium available.

For more details please watch the interview I did with Mark McAfee, who is the owner of Organic Pastures, the largest organic dairy in the US.

12: Low-Fat Diets are Healthy

The low-fat myth may have done more harm to the health of millions than any other dietary recommendation. Again, just as the recommendations to avoid sunshine has increased melanoma rates, the low-fat craze led to increased consumption of trans-fats, which we now know increases your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

To end the confusion, it’s very important to realize that eating fat will not make you fat!

The primary cause of excess weight and all the chronic diseases associated with it, is actually the consumption of too much sugar -- especially fructose, but also all sorts of grains, which rapidly convert to sugar in your body.

If only the low-fat craze had been a low-sugar craze... then we wouldn’t have nearly as much chronic disease as we have today.

For an explanation of why and how a low-fat diet can create the very health problems it’s claimed to prevent, please see this previous article.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there’s no shortage of health myths out there, and it only seems to be getting worse... The 12 myths reviewed above are but a sampling, because there are still many more.

If you want to review a number of additional health topics that are fraught with misinformation, please see the three-part series listed below in Related Articles.

As opposed to the nonsense offered in the CNN article above, these health topics are all essential to get “right” if you want to protect your health, and the health of your loved ones.

Related Links:

  From Deceptive Boardrooms to Closed-Minded Thinking... How The Fatally Flawed Medical System Killed More Americans with Just One Drug than the Entire Vietnam War, Part 1 of 4 

  From Deceptive Boardrooms to Closed-Mind Thinking, How The Fatally Flawed Medical System Killed More Americans with Just One Drug than the Entire Vietnam War, Part 2 of 4 

  From Deceptive Boardrooms to Closed-Mind Thinking, How The Fatally Flawed Medical System Killed More Americans with Just One Drug than the Entire Vietnam War, Part 3 of 4 

  Expert Pediatrician Exposes Vaccine Myths