Author Topic: Health  (Read 828 times)

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HEART ATTACK: STATINS
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2023, 09:13:10 pm »
Why statins and low cholesterol cause heart attacks and strokes; Cholesterol Myth
No studies have ever proven that high cholesterol causes heart disease since this simply is not true. Inflammation, not high cholesterol, leads to arteriosclerosis. Yet the pharmaceutical companies keep pushing the cholesterol myth to promote drug sales, while ignoring the fact that they are endangering lives.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed form of medicine for the treatment of “high” cholesterol. The drug companies have failed though to inform the public about the dangers of not only these drugs, but also of the dangers of low cholesterol, which among other things can cause heart attack and stroke.

I find it rather ironic that the drug companies are pushing statins claiming they help prevent heart disease when these drugs are well known to increase the risk of heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes! There are several reasons for this.

Other than liver damage, the best known side effect of statins is a condition known as rhabdomyolosis. This is a condition in which muscle tissue deteriorates. The deterioration occurs from declining levels of CoQ10 in the tissues, which is required for the proper function of cells and their energy production. What people often do not stop and think about is that the heart is also a muscle, and is prone to the same damaging effects from the use of statins. If taking statins I highly recommend taking at least 200mg of CoQ10 daily to help reduce the risk of statin induced heart failure.

The increased risk of heart attack and stroke actually occur for a totally different reason. If you read my blog articles on the dangers of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), you will see that the risk of heart attack and stroke are related. Several NSAIDs, such as Vioxx and Celebrex, have been either pulled off the market, or have required stronger warning labels, warning of the increased risk of heart attack and stroke from these drugs. Even though the drug companies tried to make it sound like a new discovery, the risk had been known prior to the drugs ever reaching the market. The problem stems from the way these drugs work. NSAIDs interfere with inflammatory prostaglandins. Inflammatory prostaglandins are hormones that dilate blood vessels. For example during injuries these hormones open up blood vessels to increase oxygen and nutrient levels to the area to promote healing. By inhibiting these hormones, the NSAIDs decrease blood flow to the organs, including the heart and brain. If the blood supply is sufficiently reduced to the heart and brain, heart attack or stroke can occur.

So what does all this have to do with statins and cholesterol levels? Prostaglandins, as with other hormones, are formed from cholesterol. Therefore, reduced cholesterol levels lead to decreased prostaglandin formation, and thus decreased blood flow to the organs. This explains why studies have consistently shown increased mortality with decreased cholesterol levels!
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The Cholesterol myth
One of the largest frauds perpetuated on the American public has been the false claim that high cholesterol causes heart disease. Even though this has been known for decades to be false, the myth keeps getting promoted by the drug companies to increase drug sales of drugs, such as statins. The whole idea of high cholesterol causing heart disease started with a faulty, outdated rabbit study from the 1920s. No solid evidence of high cholesterol causing heart disease in humans has ever been shown. In fact, evidence is to the contrary. Several studies have confirmed that as cholesterol levels go down that the mortality rate goes up, primarily from increased heart attacks and strokes.

What I really find interesting is how doctors, who should be reasonably intelligent, don’t seem to be questioning how it is that people can have low cholesterol and clogged arteries, or high cholesterol and clean arteries. In fact I just heard a commercial for Lipitor, where Dr. Jarvic is claiming that high cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke. I would love to ask him in person to explain this mechanism since there is absolutely no science whatsoever to back up his claim!

Cholesterol levels are actually totally irrelevant to the risk of arteriosclerosis. It is inflammation, not high cholesterol that leads to arteriosclerosis. Cholesterol is actually a healing agent for the body. Where there is an injury in the body, cholesterol will increase in that area to aid in the healing by acting as both a patchwork, and as a precursor for other substances, such as hormones that play a role in healing. Various things can cause trauma and inflammation to the arteries, and are well known for increasing the risk of heart disease. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and even bypass operations. Damage to the arterial lining leads to inflammation. In response, cholesterol floods the area and lays down as a “patchwork” over the injured area. The problem is that if the source of inflammation is not removed then the cholesterol will keep depositing in an attempt to heal the injured area.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2023, 09:15:55 pm by Admin »

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HEART DISEASE
« Reply #16 on: May 05, 2023, 09:17:23 pm »
Heart Disease
 Arterial plaque is an accumulation of calcified fatty acids on the arterial wall. Trauma to the arterial lining leads to an inflammatory condition on the artery wall. The body responds by laying down plaque as kind of a patchwork. Trauma to the artery may occur for various reasons, such as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and bypasses. Bypasses are performed by cutting out a vein from the leg. The vein is not only cut out, it is also handled, trimmed, and sewn in to its new position. This massive amount of trauma to the vein used for the bypass inflames the blood vessel, and quickly leads to plaque formation and failure of the bypass. This explains why the original blood vessel occlusion from plaque takes many decades to build up, but bypasses generally fail within 2 to 5 years.

The easiest way to clean plaque out of the arteries is with the fatty acid lecithin. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier. In other words the lecithin helps to dissolve the fats in the arterial plaque so these fats will not adhere to blood vessel walls, and will be flushed from the body. I recommend lecithin granules over the liquid or pills. The recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon of the granules 3 times a day with each meal. They can be sprinkled over food or blended in juice or a shake.

Magnesium helps reduce the risk of heart disease by helping to remove arterial plaque, and by lowering blood pressure. Magnesium helps to remove arterial plaque by displacing the calcium in the plaque. This softens the plaque and makes it easier for the body to remove the plaque. Magnesium lowers blood pressure by acting similar to a calcium channel blocker. By pushing calcium out of the nerve synapse, blood vessels relax lowering the blood pressure and increasing blood flow to the heart muscle allowing it to work more efficiently.

Magnesium may also help prevent diabetic related heart disease. This action is due to magnesium's role in helping to regulate blood sugar levels, and by helping prevent damage to blood vessels due to the strong blood vessel constricting effects of insulin. Most of the serious side effects of diabetes are due to rupturing of blood vessels, or blood vessel damage, due to elevated levels of insulin in the blood. These side effects include diabetic retinopathy (loss of vision), renal (kidney) failure, gangrene, and heart disease.

Silica assists in preventing plaque formation in the arteries by strengthening blood vessel walls to prevent damage, and by acting as a mild anti-inflammatory. Tissue levels of silica decline as we age due to decreases in stomach acid. Therefore to ensure proper silica absorption avoid the use of antacids and acid blockers. Taking silica with an acid source, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid from citrus fruits, or acetic acid (vinegar) will aid in the absorption of the silica. Silica is found in fibers, diatomaceous earth, and herbs including bamboo, couch grass, and horsetail grass.

Other herbs that help with removing arterial plaque are hawthorn and violets. The flowers of hawthorn are the strongest part of the plant, though the leaves and berries are also effective. A combination of all three is the best. Hawthorn also aids in lowering blood pressure, and strengthens the heart muscle. The berries contain bioflavonoids that help stabilize blood vessel walls. Violets, or pansies, are an old time favorite for treating heart disease, which is why they are also referred to as heart ease. The plants not only remove arterial plaque, but they also contain a natural form of aspirin to help thin the blood.

Vitamin C helps with the prevention of heart disease by strengthening blood vessel walls. There were reports that vitamin C increased the risk of heart disease, though this came about from a misinterpretation of the actual study. The study found that vitamin C increase the thickness of arterial walls, and therefore someone improperly concluded that this narrowing increased the risk of a heart attack. The fact is that vitamin C, along with other nutrients, such as silica and sulfur, help to maintain the integrity of the arterial wall through the production of the proteins collagen and elastin, which give tissues their strength and elasticity. Without sufficient levels of these compounds in the tissues the blood vessels become more prone to damage, inflammation, plaque formation, and aneurysm. The best source of vitamin C is amla berries (Indian gooseberry). The berries are stronger and more stable than synthetic vitamin C, and it contains bioflavonoids that make the vitamin C work more efficiently. In addition amla berries significantly raise levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which helps to reduce the inflammatory process that leads to arterial plaque formation.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when the heart muscle fails to contract efficiently enough to pump the blood through the body properly. Treatment of CHF is primarily directed towards strengthening the heart muscle. This is generally done with cardiac glycosides, derived from plants, such as digitalis derivatives from foxglove. Though cardiac glycosides can be very dangerous because they not only slow the heart muscle andd they may also lower blood pressure drastically. Cardiac glycosides can vary considerably in strength. For instance, digoxin from digitalis, and nerine and oleandrin from oleander are extremely dangerous to use. By contrast, the cardiac glycosides from lily of the valley and night blooming cereus (cactus grandiflorus) are much weaker and are generally safe when used properly. Even so, I highly recommend not using any cardiac glycosides without supervision by a doctor or herbalist knowledgeable on their use.

The herb coleus forskohlii, or forskohlii, has the same effect as cardiac glycosides, though it does not contain these compounds. Forskohlii contains an alkaloid, called forskohlin, which elevates levels of a cellular regulator, known as cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Like cardiac glycosides, cAMP slows the heart muscle and strengthens heart contractions. It also stimulates the production of another substance, known as nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels that in turn lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow to the heart. Forskohlii also helps to regulate the thyroid, which affects heart rate. And forskohlii has a stimulating effect on the pancreas, making it useful for some forms of diabetes, which can affect heart health.

Since blood clots can lead to heart attacks, it is often recommended that an aspirin be taken daily to thin the blood if a person is prone to heart disease, and is not already on blood thinners, such as coumadin. Herbs that thin the blood include white willow, ginger, vanilla, ginkgo biloba, dong quai, lomatium, sweet clover, and red clover. The herb dan shen (salvia root) is used in Chinese medicine to actually dissolve blood clots.

Elevated blood sugar can increase the risk of heart disease due to insulin increases and elevation of triglycerides, therefore it is important to maintain proper blood sugar levels. Increasing chromium, and vanadium (vanadyl sulfate) intake are the easiest ways to maintain proper sugar levels. I recommend 200mcg of chromium polynicotinate (not picolinate) 3 times a day with meals. Polynicotinate is a niacin bound chromium, so it also helps maintain proper cholesterol levels. It is also 300 times stronger than chromium picolinate. Vanadyl sulfate functions like a natural insulin taking sugar out of the blood stream. Insulin is dependant on insulin receptors to carry sugar out of the blood. Though nearly all diabetics are type 2 diabetics, who produce plenty, and often too much insulin because their insulin receptors are either closed or missing so the available insulin cannot remove the sugar from the blood. Since vanadyl sulfate is not dependant on these insulin receptors, it can still remove sugar from the blood of type 2 diabetics. Vanadyl sulfate also has the ability to open closed insulin receptors as it carries the sugar out of the blood. The recommended dose of vanadyl sulfate is 50mg 3 times daily with meals.

Cholesterol levels do not an indicate the risk of heart disease. A person can have low cholesterol and still develop heart disease, where a person with high cholesterol may have no plaque build up. As mentioned before the plaque starts from trauma to the artery, not from high levels of cholesterol in the blood. So even if a person has high cholesterol, if there is no trauma to the arterial lining plaque will not form on the artery. Even so, it is still a good idea to keep your cholesterol levels to a reasonable level since we cannot determine if we have arterial damage or not. My favorite method of reducing cholesterol is with digestive bitters and lecithin granules, as explained earlier. Digestive bitters are bitter tasting herbs that cleanse the liver and stimulate the secretion of digestive secretions. Bitters are put on the tongue and swallowed. When swallowed they stimulate the bitter receptors on the back of the tongue. This in turn stimulates a nerve, called the vagus nerve, which in turn stimulates flushing of the liver allowing the liver to work more efficiently. This is important because the liver not only produces cholesterol, for hormone and vitamin synthesis, but it also is responsible for breaking down excess cholesterol in the blood. This is one of the reasons I am so against pharmaceutical statin drugs, used to lower cholesterol. These drugs are well known for causing liver damage, which when damaged will raise cholesterol levels excessively high. Red yeast rice is a good alternative to statin drugs, to lower cholesterol.

Soluble fibers also lower cholesterol. These are found in fruits, especially apples, and vegetables. Oatmeal, rice bran, and guar gum are also sources for soluble fibers.

Elevated homocysteine levels are believed to play a role in heart disease, though it is not clear how it contributes to heart disease. Homocysteine can be reduced though with SAMe or trimethylglycine (TMG). Personally I prefer TMG, which is a stronger methyl donor than SAMe, and TMG is considerably less expensive.

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HEPATITIS
« Reply #17 on: May 05, 2023, 09:18:39 pm »
Hepatitis; Kava & Hepatitis
A common misconception about hepatitis is that it is a viral condition. This is true in some cases of hepatitis, though not all. Hepatitis, which literally means inflammation of the liver, may occur from viral, bacterial, or fungal infections, chemical damage, or from autoimmunity.

Symptoms of hepatitis generally appear from several weeks to a month and a half after exposure to the microbes that may cause hepatitis. Chemical induced hepatitis is more sudden in its onset of symptoms. An example of chemical induced hepatitis is ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, etc.), which caused two-dozen deaths from ibuprofen induced liver failure during clinical trials of the drug. Symptoms of hepatitis may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, light colored and loose stools, very dark urine, fatigue, loss of appetite, jaundice, abdominal pain, joint pain, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Diagnosis of hepatitis is made based on several criteria, including the presence of symptoms of hepatitis, elevation of certain liver enzymes (ALT and AST), presence of hepatitis virus RNA, reactive antibodies to hepatitis antibody tests, and liver biopsies. The antibody tests are supposed to determine the presence of specific virus antibodies, which are designated as hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E. Though these antibody tests do not prove the presence of the virus, or even previous exposure. We are taught that antibodies are specific to their intended targets, though this is not always true. The body normally produces high affinity antibodies as its primary antibody, with a smaller number of low affinity antibodies, which are less specific to antigens. In some cases, such as autoimmune conditions, the ratio of high affinity to low affinity antibodies is reversed. Since the low affinity antibodies cannot tell the difference between healthy tissues and antigens, such as microbes, these less specific antibodies tag healthy tissues for destruction by the body's immune system.

Another way to look at this is with the production of monoclonal antibodies for disease research. In this process a sample of blood serum is reacted with an antigen test target. After the antibodies have attached themselves to the target the target is immersed in a weak solution of sodium sulfate, which remove many of the weaker low affinity antibodies. The target is then immersed in a slightly stronger solution to remove the slightly more specific antibodies. This process is repeated until only the very specific high affinity antibodies are remaining. These are then used to produce the monoclonal antibodies.

All of this information is important because this is the same reason that antibody tests often yield false positive tests. When antibody tests are used to make a diagnosis, such as with HIV or hepatitis, we assume that the antibodies were produced in response to the particular virus that the test is trying to detect. This would work if antibodies were target specific, but as we have seen they are not. For instance HIV antibody tests have 65 known causes of false positives with these tests, primarily due to a process known as serological cross- reactivity. Basically this means that antibodies of like structure can cross react on antibody tests. For example antibodies produced from vaccinations for polio, typhoid, malaria, and influenza (flu) have all been shown to react false positive on HIV tests. Other antibodies that have been shown to cross react on HIV antibody tests include maternal antibodies from pregnancy or multiple pregnancies, BLV antibodies from beef or cow's milk, autoimmune conditions; especially lupus, and even hepatitis. Gamma globulin shots have also found to yield false positives on HIV test targets due to the high concentration of pooled antibodies present, some of which could be cross reacting or are specific to the virus being tested for. Furthermore, a true positive antibody test does not mean that the person is currently infected with that virus. If a person becomes infected with the influenza virus they develop antibodies to that virus. After a short period of time their body will fight off the virus successfully, though the antibodies remain. Therefore if they went and had an ELISA or Western blot antibody test a few weeks later to detect the presence of influenza virus antibodies, they would test positive even though they were no longer infected with the virus itself. The same principle applies to HIV and hepatitis antibody tests. If the body successfully defends itself from the virus antibodies to the virus will be present even though the virus itself is no longer present.

The point of all this is that since the cause of the disease cannot always be positively identified, hepatitis should be treated with broad range antimicrobials, that kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi, as well as anti-inflammatory and liver support herbs. A sample of herbs that address these factors include:

ANTIVIRALS, ANTIBIOTICS, ANTIFUNGALS chaparral, pau d' arco, amla, turmeric, myrrh, dulse, schisandra berry, poke root (small doses), licorice root (small doses), phyllanthus, picrorrhiza

ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES chaparral, pau d' arco, amla berry, turmeric, phyllanthus, picrorrhiza, bupleurum

LIVER PROTECTANTS AND REGENERATORS turmeric, milk thistle seed, schisandra berry, bupleurum, artichoke leaf

IMMUNE STIMULANTS chaparral, pau d' arco, bupleurum, astragalus, myrrh, picrorrhiza, poke root (small doses), licorice root (small doses), schisandra berry, dulse, maitake

People with hepatitis from any cause should avoid alcohol consumption. I also recommend that they avoid over the counter minoxidil (Rogaine), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen (Tylenol), since these drugs can damage the liver. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have ever been diagnosed with hepatitis since many prescription pharmaceutical drugs, such as statin drugs used to lower cholesterol, may cause severe damage to the liver.

Diet is another important consideration. I recommend that anyone with liver problems avoid high protein consumption since such diets can strain the liver. Protein sources, such as meats and dairy, often contain hormones and antibiotics as well that the liver must deal with. Sugars, including honey should also be limited since sugar suppresses immune function. This occurs because both sugar and vitamin C require insulin for transport. When sugar is consumed insulin is tied up making it unavailable for vitamin C transport. When vitamin C cannot reach the white blood cells, white blood cell activity is lowered decreasing immunity. If a sweetener is desired then I recommend the herb stevia, or stevia extract. The sugar molecules in stevia are too large to be absorbed and therefore they do not affect blood sugar or immunity. You only need a small amount of stevia due to the intense sweetness of the herb. The diet should consist primarily of vegetables. Carrots are especially good for the liver.

Water is very important since water is needed to flush toxins out from the body. Drinks containing caffeine should be avoided since caffeine is a diuretic, which stimulates the excretion of water from the body. Fruit juices should be limited because of their high sugar content. If you juice your own vegetables I recommend also juicing raw red potatoes and green tomatoes with the other vegetables. Raw red potatoes and green tomatoes are high in protease inhibitors, which inactivate viruses. Seeds, including nuts, are also good sources of protease inhibitors. Green tea is antiviral due to its high polyphenol content, though it should not be taken with other herbs. Polyphenols (tannins), also found in coffee, bind to alkaloids and other beneficial compounds found in herbs rendering them useless to the body. Rooibos tea is relatively unknown, though I highly recommend it. Rooibos has no caffeine, and is very low in tannins. Though it is rich in the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is anti-inflammatory, immune stimulatory, and antioxidant. The tea has a pleasant flavor.

Here is a general list of some medications that are known for causing liver damage: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, etc.), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and celecoxib (Celebrex), acetaminophen (Tylenol), minoxidil (Rogaine), and statin drugs used to lower cholesterol.
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Kava and Hepatitis
As we can see, herbs are often claimed to have dangerous adverse effects that do not really exist. The FDA commonly does this in an attempt to gain more control over herbs, which helps them to protect their illegal investments in pharmaceutical companies, and to protect their cozy relationship. As with chaparral, kava was also given a false reputation of causing cases of hepatitis.

Kava refers to the INNER ROOT of the kava plant. Kava has been used for centuries as both medicine and as a mind altering drug, when specially prepared. And for centuries it has had a reputation of being quite safe, except when abused. By this I mean extremely high doses over a period of time. Overuse by kava addicts can lead to thickening and peeling of the skin. This has never been seen in normal use of kava capsules. And no cases of hepatitis were ever reported from traditional preparation and use of kava.

A few years back though, there were actually cases of hepatitis appearing out of nowhere in people taking kava supplements. The medical journals, and news media jumped all over the story and reported repeatedly that kava was dangerous and caused hepatitis. Yet they never reported all the facts, or the truth, even when the problem was exposed. In fact, the problem stemmed from the greed of a pharmaceutical company looking to cash in on the herbal movement bandwagon. The company traveled to Fiji to obtain information on the use of the herb, and looking for kava sources.

During traditional preparation, the islanders would strip off the outer root bark and discard it. Only the inner root was being used for consumption. The pharmaceutical company decided that they could buy up all of the waste the islanders were discarding for next to nothing, dry it, grind it, capsule it and sell it. So this is exactly what they did. Though in the blinding glare of dollar signs, and in their rush to get in on the bandwagon, they overlooked an important rule of herbs. Not all parts of a plant have the same chemistry! Though a few plants will have basically the same alkaloids, glycosides, etc. throughout the plant in varying amounts, this is not common. It is more common to have totally different chemistries throughout the plant, including the same areas of the plant. For example, cocklebur root is a pain killer. The leaves are used to treat asthma, and the seeds used to stop diarrhea. And when using lapacho (pau d’ arco, taheebo, ipe roxo), the inner bark is used, not the outer bark, which does not have the medicinal properties. Kava is no different. The reason the islanders were discarding the outer bark of the kava was because they knew that the outer bark was toxic!

If the pharmaceutical company would have taken the time to ask questions on the preparation, and looked into the chemistry then the isolated cases of hepatitis could have been avoided, and kava would not have received an undeserved bad reputation. General use of the inner root of kava remains safe as it always has.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2023, 09:26:21 pm by Admin »

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HORMONE IMBALANCE
« Reply #18 on: May 05, 2023, 09:22:26 pm »
Hormone Balance; Bioidentical Hormones
Hormone imbalances can occur at nearly any age. Normal pathway for estrogen production starts with compounds, called acetates. Acetates convert to progesterone, which then forms in to estrogens. Though progesterone also antagonizes estrogens to help maintain proper hormone balance. Estrogen converts in to testosterone. When estrogen takes this pathway for production a woman is progesterone dominant, and the hormones are in proper balance. The alternate pathway for estrogen production is from acetates to the adrenal hormone DHEA, then in to estrogen. In this case the production of sufficient levels of progesterone is being bypassed creating a condition known as estrogen dominance. Symptoms of estrogen dominance include endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, weight gain, thyroid suppression, depression, lack of libido, insomnia, and an increase of facial hair from the excess testosterone formed from the unopposed estrogen. External hormone sources can aggravate these problems such as birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapy, estrogens found in farm raised meats, and xenoestrogens (dioxins, DDT, PCBs, etc). The best ways to balance the hormones is to limit exposure to estrogens, increase progesterone levels to regulate estrogen, and to antagonize estrogens produced by the body or external hormone sources. Here are some methods for maintaining proper hormone balance:

1. Progesterone is both a precursor and an antagonist to estrogens, and therefore balances estrogen levels. Progesterone also stimulates bone growth and has an antidepressant action. The best way to raise progesterone levels is with the herb chaste tree berry (vitex). Vitex stimulates the pituitary gland to form progesterone. Though vitex does take a minimum of 2 months to kick in. Recommended dosage is 1,000mg 3 times daily on an empty stomach. Progesterone creams can be used short term in conjunction with the vitex for faster results. Long term, or high dose, use of hormones will cause the glands that normally produce those hormones to atrophy (shrink). The body then becomes dependant on the external source of hormones. This is true of all hormone therapies (birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapy, DHEA, melatonin, etc.), and raw glandular therapy, since the glands must be forced to work to maintain their health and activity. By substituting for the glands the glands become lazy, and if hormone levels go too high the brain will atrophy the gland to try and return hormone levels to a proper level. Therefore I recommend that progesterone creams not be used for more than 2 weeks a month and for 2 months at a time. This allows sufficient levels of progesterone to build up in the fat tissues, which will meet the body's progesterone needs until the vitex can take effect allowing the body to generate its own progesterone. Progesterone creams are applied to the fatty areas of the body in a rotating manner. For instance: Day 1 apply 1/2 teaspoon of the progesterone cream to the right breast and rub it in. Day 2 apply the cream to the left breast. Day 3 apply the cream to the left upper arm. Day 4 rub the cream on to the stomach. Day 5 apply the cream to the left inner thigh. Day 6 apply the cream to the right inner thigh. Day 7 apply the cream to the right upper arm. For the next 7 days you should remain off of the cream. Then the same 7 day application cycle is repeated. Repeat for 2 months then it is recommended that women discontinue the cream. After several months off the cycle may be repeated if needed. Wild yam creams are a safer alternative to progesterone creams. Wild yam, and fenugreek seed, contain a substance, known as diosgenin, which exerts a weak progesterone-like effect. In fact diosgenin is the building block for the synthetic progesterone used in progesterone creams. Diosgenin does not convert in to progesterone in the body though. If wild yam or fenugreek are taken orally the diosgenin will go from the stomach through the liver where much of the diosgenin will be metabolized. By using extracts of these herbs topically the diosgenin will absorb through the skin and bypass the liver, yielding a stronger effect.

2. Phytoestrogens are estrogenic compounds found in plants. They exert a weak estrogenic effect, on average 200 to 400 times weaker than the estrogens produced by the body. They actually function as estrogen regulators in the body by exerting their weak estrogenic effects while also locking up estrogen receptors to prevent the adverse effects of stronger estrogens in the body. The highest herbal source of phytoestrogens is alfalfa. Other excellent sources are red clover, black cohosh, dong quai, fennel, fenugreek, licorice root, kudzu, and Japanese knotweed. There are some dietary sources of phytoestrogens. These include soy, sage yams, parsley, peas, and seaweeds.

3. Keeping the liver in proper working order is essential because one role of the liver is to break down excess estrogens. Poor diet, alcohol, and medications including pain relievers (ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, et.), cholesterol lowering drugs, Rogaine (minoxidil), and steroids can damage the liver. My favorite herbs for supporting the liver are bupleurum, turmeric, schisandra berry, artichoke leaf, and milk thistle. Bupleurum would be my first choice since it also cleanses the liver. Schisandra berry and artichoke leaf also cleanse the liver if they are allowed to come in contact with the tongue since they act as digestive bitters in this manner. Turmeric and milk thistle are more supportive to the liver, but not detoxifying. The best way to cleanse the liver is with digestive bitters. Bitters are bitter tasting herbs, which are best taken in liquid form since they must come in to contact with the tongue to work. When bitters are swallowed they come in to contact with the bitter receptors on the back of the tongue. When these receptors are stimulated the vagus nerve is in turn stimulated. This in turn stimulates a cleansing of the liver, which allows the liver to work more efficiently. The name digestive bitters is derived from the fact that digestive bitters stimulate the production of stomach acid, bile secretions, and pancreatic digestive enzymes, thereby improving digestion. They are sold in health food stores under names such as Swedish Bitters, Grape Bitters, and Ginger Bitters.

4. The intestines contain beneficial flora (bacteria) that also play a role in estrogen regulation. When the liver breaks down the excess estrogens in the body estrogen metabolites are formed. The intestinal flora break down these estrogen metabolites in to harmless substances that are passed in the feces. If these estrogen metabolites are not broken down and eliminated they can be reabsorbed through the intestinal wall back in to the bloodstream where they will add to the estrogen load. The flora feed on fibers and other long chain sugar molecules, known as fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Fruits and vegetables are the best sources for fibers and FOS. Elecampane is the highest herbal source for FOS. Yucca root and seaweeds also benefit the flora by holding moisture in the colon making a suitable environment for the flora to grow in. For the same reason drinking plenty of water throughout the day is recommended. Live culture yogurts and probiotic supplements can help replace some of the strains of intestinal flora, but not all of them. There are over 4,000 strains of beneficial flora that inhabit the colon, so they cannot be replaced in a probiotic supplement. Therefore, fibers and FOS should always be used in conjunction with probiotic supplements.

5. B vitamins, especially vitamin B6, are very important. B vitamins are required for the liver to break down excess estrogens. And high levels of estrogens, such as with the use of birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy interfere with the actions of B vitamins and deplete vitamin B6 from the body. In fact many of the side effects of taking estrogen-based birth control pills, such as depression, are believed to be due to the depletion of vitamin B6 and the interference with the utilization of other B vitamins.

6. Preventing bone loss is the only advantage of ERT, though the risk of cancer, heart attacks and stroke all increase with the use of ERT. Earlier studies claimed that ERT could help prevent heart disease, though it was later proven that these earlier studies were flawed.

7. The mineral boron helps to balance female hormones, and it helps maintain bone strength. As little as 3mg of boron daily has been shown to prevent bone loss even in the absence of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). Preventing bone loss is the only advantage of ERT, though the risk of cancer, heart attacks and stroke all increase with the use of ERT. Estrogens increase the risk of strokes and heart attack because estrogens can increase the risk of developing blood clots.

8. Avoid farm-raised meats, such as beef and chicken unless organically grown. Dairy products should be avoided as well. Farm animals are often given estrogens to fatten them up for market and to increase milk production. Some of this estrogen remains in the meats and milk, which will contribute to the estrogen load increasing the risk of cancer and aggravating hormone imbalances.

9. Finally, it is important to keep the adrenal glands healthy. Though the ovaries are the primary source for the production of progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone the adrenal glands also produce these hormones. The adrenals do this to help maintain hormone balance, and to help act as a cushion for when the ovaries start to shut down during menopause. Stimulants (caffeine, ephedrine, and nicotine), stress, and steroids are the biggest killers for the adrenal glands, and therefore should be avoided. The adrenal glands use more vitamin C than any other part of the body, and should be supplemented. Stimulants and stress increase the need for vitamin C. I prefer natural vitamin C to synthetic vitamin C, which is synthesized from sugar. Amla berries are the highest herbal source for vitamin C, followed by camu camu and acerola cherries. The second most important nutrient for the adrenals is pantothenic acid. The highest herbal source for pantothenic acid is bee pollen. Various herbs have a strengthening effect on the adrenal glands. Some of my favorites are schisandra berry, licorice root, suma, Siberian ginseng, astragalus, and nettle leaf.
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Bioidentical Hormones
There has been a lot of talk about bio-identical hormones lately. They are being promoted as a "natural" alternative to pharmaceutical hormones. Bio-identical hormones are not natural though. They are synthesized in a lab, from plant sterols, just like many pharmaceutical hormones.

The term bio-identical is rather misleading. This implies that they are identical in every way to natural hormones. Though, this may not be the case. More than one substance can share the same atoms, and the same number of atoms yet still not be the same. Location of the atoms, and bond angles can make a substance different. For example glucose, galactose, and fructose are all C6H12O6, yet they are all different sugars. Hormones are no different. When synthesizing a compound I don't see any way to prove that all atoms are in the same exact position, nor that all bond angles are exactly the same. This is like the claims that natural and synthetic vitamin Es are identical. If this were the case though, then why are natural vitamin Es considerably stronger than their synthetic counterparts? There is obviously some differences. Since they have identical types and number of atoms, the only difference that could explain the difference in activity would be different bond angles between these two substances that are supposed to be identical.

There is a false belief that bio-identical hormones are safe. Ever hear of problems like progesterone dominance? I find it interesting that people promoting progesterone creams never bring up this problem. Could it be because it would hurt their sales or investments? Especially considering that the side effects of progesterone dominance are almost identical to the side effects of estrogen dominance. This has always made me wonder how many women are increasing their use of progesterone creams trying to treat what they feel is estrogen dominance, when in fact they are actually suffering from progesterone dominance.

Another fact that the sales people and sites fail to mention is that these hormones store in the body. They are not flushed within a short period of time as they claim. The majority of the hormones absorbed through the skin do not go directly in to the bloodstream. Instead the hormones store in the fat cells of the body and gradually increase in levels as the hormones accumulate. Many women that have been on progesterone creams for a while often have years worth of progesterone stored up in their fat cells. Keep in mind that this can also lead to atrophy of the glands that produce the hormones causing a dependence on the external source of hormones.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2023, 09:24:22 pm by Admin »

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HYPOGLYCEMIA
« Reply #19 on: May 05, 2023, 09:27:45 pm »
Hypoglycemia
There are basically two forms of hypoglycemia, acute and chronic hypoglycemia. Acute hypoglycemia, also known as reactive hypoglycemia, occurs after eating a meal. In this case the blood sugar goes up and the pancreas overreacts by secreting too much insulin. This leads to a sudden and drastic drop in blood sugar.

This form of hypoglycemia is best treated with chromium polynicotinate (not picolinate). The recommended dose for chromium polynicotinate is 200mcg 3 times daily with meals. Green stevia leaf, and nettle leaf are also excellent sources of chromium. Chronic hypoglycemia stems from improperly working adrenal glands. When a person does not eat the blood sugar drops, which is normal. The adrenal glands will respond to the drop in blood sugar by releasing a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol stimulates the release of the stored sugar molecule glycogen from the liver, which in turn restores proper blood sugar levels. If the adrenal glands are not working properly a sufficient level of cortisol is not released to elevate blood sugar back to proper levels.

Treatment of this form of hypoglycemia involves building the adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys. Other symptoms that may indicate the adrenal glands are in a weakened state include allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, stress intolerance, hormone imbalances, and low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension (fainting feeling upon moving from a lying or sitting position to a standing position). The most important nutrient for the adrenal glands is vitamin C. The adrenal glands use more vitamin C than any part of the body followed by the eyes. My choice for vitamin C is amla berries, which are the highest herbal source for vitamin C. And unlike synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is very unstable, the vitamin C in amla berries is stabilized by antioxidant polyphenols also found in the berries. Therefore the vitamin C in amla berries does not deteriorate from heat, light, and oxidation like synthetic vitamin C. Amla also helps in the treatment of hypoglycemia because it helps with protein metabolism. The second most important nutrient for the adrenal glands is pantothenic acid.

The highest herbal source of this nutrient is bee pollen, which helps to explain its use in the treatment of allergies as well. Pollens can come from different sources, and a person can be allergic to some pollens and not others. Therefore it is very important that you start out with only small amounts of pollen any time you change your pollen source, even if you have not had allergic reactions to bee pollen previously. There is a group of herbs, known as adaptogens, which support adrenal function. My favorites are schisandra berry, licorice root, suma, Siberian ginseng, and ashwaganda. Finally I recommend avoiding steroidal medications such as prednisone, stimulants such as ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine all derived from ephedra, also known as ma huang, and sida cordifolia, caffeine, and nicotine, and reduce stress levels. Stress, stimulants and steroids all tear down the adrenal glands quickly. Sugars, including honey, should also be avoided because of their effects on the blood sugar and adrenal glands. Stevia is a good alternative to sugar since it has a more intense sweetness than sugar yet it is not absorbed by the body. Since it is not absorbed stevia does not increase blood sugar, or weight, and it does not interfere with the immune system the way regular dietary sugars do. Eating small, frequent, high protein snacks will also help maintain proper blood sugar levels.

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MSM
« Reply #20 on: May 05, 2023, 09:33:13 pm »
MSM
MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane) hit the market as a multi level marketing (MLM) product about 10 years ago. As with other MLM products, it was promoted with a lot of hype and misinformation. What are the facts behind MSM?

MSM contains 34% sulfur by weight. Elemental sulfur is produced as the MSM is metabolized.

Commercial MSM is not natural. I had an MLM saleslady actually tell me that MSM was natural because it was derived from trees. This is really stretching it. MSM is created by the heating of the industrial solvent DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide). When DMSO is heated an oxygen atom attaches forming DMSO2, which is also known as MSM. DMSO is actually a byproduct of the paper industry, but this does not make DMSO natural either. Many plastics are synthesized from natural compounds, but this does not make plastics natural. When a chemical is altered by man to make a new chemical then the new chemical is not natural, it is synthetic.

Sulfur is essential to the body, although deficiencies are almost unheard of. Sulfur is found in numerous foods we eat including garlic, onions, peppers, broccoli, beans, seaweeds, etc.

Sulfur is used in the production of proteins and hormones. For example, sulfur aids in the formation of the proteins collagen, elastin, and keratin. Collagen gives connective tissues strength, while elastin gives the tissues their elasticity. Keratin is the primary protein founding hair and nails. Therefore, sulfur aids in the growth of hair and nails. It is commonly thought that sulfur aids in strengthening the hair and nails, though silica, in the form of orthosilicic acid, is the primary compound that strengthens the hair and nails. The hormone Insulin requires sulfur for its production. Insulin is required for the regulation of blood sugar and the transport of vitamin C to immune cells. Sulfur compounds also aid in the detoxification of the body.

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NSAID
« Reply #21 on: May 05, 2023, 09:39:37 pm »
NSAIDs
The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Celebrex and Vioxx have recently come under fire when it was admitted that these drugs could significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Are these the only NSAIDs capable of increasing this risk though?

Many heart disturbances, including heart attack, result from decreased blood flow to the heart. Common causes of decreased blood flow include arterial plaque formation, blood clots, and narrowing of the arteries from muscular contraction of the blood vessels.

Arterial plaque formation starts with damage to the blood vessel walls. This leads to depositing of cholesterol and calcium on the arterial walls. One of the most common causes of the arterial damage is high blood pressure caused from constriction of blood vessels. Various factors may lead to blood vessel constriction. These include elevated serum calcium, elevated insulin levels in type 2 diabetes, and epinephrine (adrenaline) induced constriction. NSAIDs constrict blood vessels as well, which leads to an elevation of blood pressure. Increased blood pressure may result in narrowing of the arteries from plaque due to resulting arterial damage. This narrowing of the arteries not only increases the risk of heart attack, but also of thrombic and embolytic stroke.

Because NSAIDs constrict blood vessels, these drugs increase the risk of angina, heart arrhythmias, and heart attack in people with already impaired perfusion to the heart. These include individuals with previous angina, or heart attacks, history of congestive heart failure, diabetics, and individuals who tend to put out too much epinephrine, etc.

Further risk comes from the fact that NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandins, including prostacyclin, also known as prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). PGI2 is produced by healthy endothelial cells of blood vessels. The roles of PGI2 are to dilate blood vessels, to increase blood flow, and to inhibit platelet formation and blood clot formation. By dilating blood vessels, blood pressure is reduced, and more blood reaches critical areas, such as the brain and heart. This also lowers the risk of heart disease by reducing arterial damage, which would otherwise lead to plaque formation. By reducing blood clot formation, the risk of heart attack and thrombic stroke are reduced. Both damage to endothelial cells and the use of NSAIDs inhibit PGI2 production, which increases blood clot formation and reduces blood flow. Production of blood clots and reduction of blood flow increase the risk of angina, arrhythmias, and heart attack, as well as transient ishemic attacks, and thrombic stroke.

As we can see, the increased risk of heart attack and stroke are not limited to certain NSAIDs, but rather can occur with all pharmaceutical NSAIDs. And the problem is not a new finding. The blood vessel constricting effects of NSAIDs have been known for decades. Part of the drug approval process includes knowing how the drug works. NSAIDs are known, and have been known, to work by consticting blood vessels. When blood vessels are overdilated by inflamamtory prostaglandins, they become permeable, which leads to leakage of fluids in to the surounding tissues, and resulting inflammation. By consticting blood vessels, NSAIDs prevent blood vessels from leaking. It is well known that the adverse effects of liver and kidney failure by NSAIDs is due to impeded blood flow to these organs due to this constiction of the blood vessels. Other organs, such as the heart, as well as glands are adversely affected by the impeded blood flow in the same manner. Therefore, the only explanation for the increased risk of heart attack and stroke being "discovered" recently would be that the drug companies and FDA knew about the problem all along and just recently decided to make this known fact public.

Part 2

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used as pain relievers for inflammatory conditions. These drugs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), naproxen, (Aleve), aspirin, rofecoxib (Vioxx), and celecoxib (Celebrex). Although, the pain relieving effects come with some potentially dangerous, and possibly deadly side effects.

NSAIDs work by inhibiting hormones, known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins serve numerous functions within the body including regulating blood pressure, antidepressant, protecting the stomach from acid, etc. Inflammatory prostaglandins are essential for increasing blood flow to injured areas, which promotes healing by increasing oxygen and nutrient levels to the injured site. Prostaglandins do this by dilating the blood vessels. The inflammation occurs when the blood vessels are dilated, which causes the blood vessels to become permeable. This permeability causes the small blood vessels to leak fluid in to the surrounding tissues, which leads to the swelling. NSAIDs decrease the pain and swelling by countering these inflammatory prostaglandins. This causes the blood vessels to constrict, thereby reducing leakage of capillaries.

By reducing blood flow, NSAIDs actually inhibit the healing process. Although this is one of the more mild side effects of these drugs. Other side effects of NSAIDs include, but are not limited to, liver failure, kidney failure, aseptic meningitis, loss of vision, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), high blood pressure, depression, and bleeding ulcers.

The most common side effect is bleeding ulcers, which leads to the majority of the over 16,000 deaths annually from these drugs. These ulcerations occur from the inhibition of another prostaglandin required to form the protective mucous lining of the stomach. This mucous coating protects the stomach wall from stomach acid. By inhibiting the formation of the protective stomach lining, the stomach wall is prone to direct attack from the stomach acid, leading to ulceration of the stomach wall and internal bleeding.

Constriction of blood flow leads to elevation of blood pressure. Loss of vision and tinnitus occur from reduced blood flow to the eye and in the area of the neck, due to the blood vessel constriction.

Prostaglandins play a major role in mood. By countering prostaglandins, the use of NSAIDs will cause depression.

Kidney and liver failure occur from a lack of blood flow to these organs. In fact, 2 dozen people died from ibuprofen induced hepatitis during clinical trials. People with poor perfusion to the organs, such as those with congestive heart failure, diabetes, Raynaud's, etc. are at a higher risk for the damage or organ failure since blood flow is already reduced in these individuals. Further constriction of the blood vessels by NSAIDs may completely cut off the blood supply to organs and glands leading to damage or complete failure.

Contrary to popular belief, it does not take long term use or overdose to cause organ failure. In fact a single, recommended, dose can cause sufficient constriction of the blood vessels to cause damage. I know of 4 people that developed kidney failure after taking a single recommended dose of ibuprofen. And the number of cases is most likely heavily underreported since adverse effects of drugs are commonly attributed to other disorders.

The NSAID Bextra, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, was approved by the FDA in November of 2001. Bextra was later recalled after it was revealed that the drug could cause potentially deadly allergic reactions, and the disorders Steven's-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

The new proposals for warning labels on these drugs need to include the risk of adverse effects from recommended use as well. Not only long term use and overdose as is currently being recommended.

A few other recommendations that I feel should be implemented include:

Pulling NSAIDs off the market as was done with Bextra since the safety studies were either never done, or were suppressed by the drug companies, or ignored by the FDA, to get approval.
Requiring more evidence of safety before approving these drugs.
Charging pharmaceutical drug company executives, and FDA officials, with manslaughter when it is shown that side effects were hidden to gain approval, and it has resulted in deaths. Right now only pharmaceutical companies are held liable. Although only by civil liability, not criminal. Fines are sometimes imposed against pharmaceutical companies, although they are hardly punishment. Fines are generally around a million dollars, or slightly higher when the drug companies have made hundreds of millions or even billons of dollars in profits. This is hardly punishment, and encourages the drug companies to hide adverse effects since profits will far outweigh any liabilities.
Heavier civil penalties against the drug companies to actually punish them for deliberately hiding known side effects, and for manipulating research to make their drugs appear safe and effective
Civil lawsuits should not only include the drug companies, but also the FDA officials who receive gifts, payoffs, and jobs to push the drugs through the approval process.
Cracking down on illegal investments by FDA officials in to the drug companies they regulate. This is a violation of insider trading laws. Despite this, nothing has been done to correct this illegal activity within the FDA despite the illegal investments being reported for nearly 3 decades.
Faster action on pulling drugs from the market suspected of causing harm until safety of the drugs can be established.
Testing of drugs by independent testing agencies. Currently the FDA requires the drug companies to provide their own safety data to obtain approval. If the drug company has already invested millions of dollars in to the drug, and a safety issue appears the drug company is not going to reveal the safety issue and risk approval being denied. This is a major reason drugs are being approved, then being pulled several years later, after the drug companies have not only paid for the cost of approval, but have also paid stockholders and made millions of dollars or more in profits.
Drugs requiring a prescription when they are originally approved should remain only available by prescription. They should not be made available over the counter when the drug's patent expires. The chemistry, or dangers, of the drug do not change just because the patent has expired on the drug.

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POLYHEME
« Reply #22 on: May 05, 2023, 09:43:00 pm »
PolyHeme
Is it ethical to test people with experimental treatments without their knowledge or permission? This is what is in question after the FDA approved the testing of an artificial blood substitute, known as PolyHeme.

PolyHeme is a synthetic blood substitute derived from outdated, donated, human blood. Unlike human blood though, PolyHeme does not require blood typing or refrigeration. Another advantage of PolyHeme is that it can carry oxygen to the tissues, unlike blood volume expanders like normal saline. Shelf life is another advantage of the blood substitute. PolyHeme has a shelf life of 12 months, compared to real blood, which has a shelf life of about 42 days.

There are some serious safety issues with PolyHeme though. The first study of PolyHeme was started in 1998 and continued to the year 2000. In this study consent was obtained from patients as is required by law. The patients all had aneurysm surgery of the heart arteries. Ten of the 81 patients receiving the blood substitute died within a week, while none of the 71 patients receiving real blood suffered any heart attacks. This study was not only halted early because of the deaths, but the company who manufactures PolyHeme withheld the fact that people died during the study from the public.

In their most current study, Northfield Laboratories, the maker of PolyHeme, conducted a second study on over 700 patients, without their consent. Some patients receive PolyHeme alone, others received PolyHeme then saline, and the remainder received saline and blood. The study was conducted in various cities throughout the U.S. The FDA approved the testing without consent based on the 1996 Federal regulation CFR 50.24 waiver of informed consent.

The study started with a total of 722 patients. A total of 126 patients were dropped from the study due to what they called “protocol violations”. This includes patients that were too young, or they were excluded for other reasons. Other parameters that excluded patients included patients who have sustained unsurvivable injuries, have severe head injury, are pregnant, have cardiac arrest, or have objected to the study. Out of the remaining 586 patients, 279 were in the group receiving PolyHeme and 307 patients were controls. Incidences of death were higher in each of the groups receiving PolyHeme, compared to each of the control groups. Although, Northfield Laboratories claims that the difference in the number of deaths was not significant.

Northfield Laboratories tried to get FDA approval based on previous studies of trauma patients. The other patients they were comparing had not had blood though. They were trauma patients that had not received blood because of religious beliefs.

In August of 2006, Northfield Laboratories tried to get accelerated approval for PolyHeme. The request was declined by the FDA until further study results come in. I guess they were in a rush since they signed a $6.7 million agreement on June 16th, 2006 to purchase a 106,000 square foot property that they intend to use to manufacture their product. This is really putting the cart before the horse since they don’t have approval for their blood substitute, nor is there any guarantee of approval.

This brings up the question of how far will Northfield Laboratories go to get their blood substitute approved to avoid losing their investment, and the money of their investors? After all, this has been a costly venture. Not only have they spent $6.7 million for the building they intend to manufacture their product in, but they are also paying the hospitals $10,000 for each patient they test the blood substitute on. Tack on to that other research and development costs, manufacturing equipment costs, and other expenses.

Pursuant to CFR 50.24 certain criteria must be met in order for testing to be performed on patients without their consent. For example, section (2) (ii) states “Appropriate animal and other preclinical studies have been conducted, and the information derived from those studies and related evidence support the potential for the intervention to provide a direct benefit to the individual subjects”. So where are these previous animal or preclinical studies? The only study was halted early after a significant increase in deaths in patients receiving PolyHeme. Section (2) (iii) states “Risks associated with the investigation are reasonable in relation to what is known about the medical condition of the potential class of subjects, the risks and benefits of standard therapy, if any, and what is known about the risks and benefits of the proposed intervention or activity.” Again, the only clinical study was halted early because of a disproportionate death rate between those receiving PolyHeme, and those that did not. This is hardly reasonable, when standard therapy has been shown to be considerably safer and effective.

The regulation also requires that they try to gain consent prior to, or as soon as possible from a legal representative, such as a relative. From what I have seen, I don’t think this is being done. For instance, if a married couple is in an accident, and only one has sufficient trauma to require blood, are they obtaining consent from the spouse? It does not appear that they are. Instead, saline or PolyHeme were not chosen for the patient until the patient was on the way to the hospital. And according to news reports, the decision was based on sealed envelopes the paramedics opened in route to determine what treatment the patient would be given. Such a practice would prohibit the paramedics from explaining the risks and benefits to the spouse to allow them to make an informed decision, or give time to obtain consent even if the spouse was aware of the risks. If no legal representative can be found, then the company must provide proof of attempts to contact a legal representative.

Section (7) (ii) states “ Public disclosure to the communities in which the clinical investigation will be conducted and from which the subjects will be drawn, prior to initiation of the clinical investigation, of plans for the investigation and its risks and expected benefits”.

The first problem with this is that Northfield Laboratories did not disclose the adverse effects of their product found in the 1998 study. In fact they threatened to sue the group that made the fact public claiming that the adverse effects, which included death, were part of their trade secret. I also see a problem with this regulation by the fact that everyone will not be aware of the study since not everyone follows, or has access, to the media. For example, the homeless would not likely know about the study, and therefore there will be no disclosure, as is required, to certain groups. Even though people in these groups may be subjected to the study. The law does allow life saving measures in people unable to give consent, such as unconscious patients. This is called implied consent. For instance, if a person tries to overdose on drugs to commit suicide and they refuse treatment, the paramedics cannot touch the patient. Once they pass out they can claim implied consent and start treatment. The basis is that the person, if they were conscious and able to give consent, would give consent to save their life. Does this apply to unapproved and untested drugs like PolyHeme though? I doubt if such an argument would hold up. A person would probably give consent if they knew, or had reason to believe, that the drug or treatment had been thoroughly tested and was an approved treatment. A reasonable person is not likely going to consent to an unproven, and potentially dangerous unapproved drug or treatment. Especially when safer and proven therapies exist. Northfield Laboratories claims to have followed CFR 50.24 explicitly. I disagree, based on the facts that they never completed previous trials, their product has a higher death rate than controls and those receiving blood, they have not informed the public of their testing, or the possible dangers of the therapy, and I don’t see any evidence that they are really trying to obtain consent as is required by law.

Patients were allowed to opt out of the test in case they suffered a severe trauma that would leave them unable to give consent. To do so though they had to obtain a blue plastic bracelet from the company that they had to be wearing at the time paramedics arrived. In order to get the bracelet the person would first have to be aware of the test. Many people were not aware that the test was going on until testing had almost been completed. And as previously pointed out, people that did not follow the media, or who had no access to the media, would have still been uninformed about the testing. The same could apply to those who do not speak English. Even if the story came on the TV news, it does not mean they would understand what the test was about, or how to opt out.

So what are the potential side effects of PolyHeme? Previous hemoglobin products have all been shown to cause kidney damage, liver damage, high blood pressure, and inflammation of the arteries. There is also concern that allergic reactions may occur. Northfield Laboratories claims that these adverse effects are not possible, and their product is safe. Other researchers disagree. And Northfield Laboratories has not had the greatest track record of being honest to the public about the safety record of their product. For instance when they tried to suppress the fact that 10 patients died within one week of receiving their product, and no patients receiving real blood died. And this study was halted early. Would more deaths have occurred if the study had continued its full duration? Other adverse affects reported by the use of PolyHeme were significant increases in the rate of heart attacks, arrhythmias, and pneumonia.

A list of hospitals that used it is at http://web.archive.org/web/20210505125624/http://medcapsules.com/info/PolyHeme.htm

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ROGAINE
« Reply #23 on: May 05, 2023, 09:44:26 pm »
Rogaine
Male pattern baldness (MPB) is characterized by the loss of hair primarily in the areas of the temples, and the top of the head. A more radical form of testosterone, known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the trigger for MPB. DHT kills the hair follicles, which causes the hair to fall out. The temples and the top of the head are the primary targets for DHT because DHT receptors are concentrated in these areas.

The drug minoxidil, sold under the name Rogaine, was originally being tested as a treatment for high blood pressure. The drug works by dilating blood vessels. A noted side effect of the drug was increased hair growth in some of the test subjects. Therefore, minoxidil was then marketed as a hair loss remedy for both men and women.

Minoxidil works by increasing blood flow to the hair follicles. It does have some serious side effects though, including liver damage.

Increasing blood flow to the scalp to assist hair growth is hardly a new idea. People have long used irritating herbs, such as cayenne pepper, to stimulate circulation to the hair follicles. Brushing the hair, preferably with a boar bristle, or wood, brush also does a good job of stimulating scalp circulation. Scalp massage is probably the easiest method to stimulate blood flow to the follicles. Not only does it feel great, but it is free, and it does not damage the liver.

Keep in mind though that if the hair follicle is dead that increasing blood flow to the scalp will not bring it back to life. If there are still fine, living hairs present, then there is a chance to regrow the hair.

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SILICA DEFICIENCY
« Reply #24 on: May 05, 2023, 09:46:58 pm »
The Importance of Silica In the Human Body; Diatomaceous Earth
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), commonly known as silica, is one of the most common compounds on earth. The best known forms of silica are sand, quartz, and glass.

Silica is essential to both plants and animals for integrity of their tissues. Although, silica must first be converted in to another compound, known as orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4), before it can be utilized in humans.

Orthosilicic acid is formed in nature as silica is dissolved by water. Though, silica is poorly dissolved by water generally. The presence of acid increases the conversion of silica in to orthosilicic acid. In the human body, this acid is provided by the stomach. When silica is ingested from water or plant sources, stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) aids in the conversion of the silica in to orthosilicic acid. As we age though, stomach acid levels decline, leading to declining silica levels in the tissues. Antacids and acid blockers also decrease tissue silica levels for the same reason.

Silica is essential for the formation of the proteins collagen and elastin. Collagen gives tissues strength, while elastin gives tissues elasticity. As levels of collagen and elastin decline, various disorders may occur. These include:

Osteoporosis- Silica is a piezoelectric material that generates electricity under pressure. When the collagen matrix is stressed, which applies pressure on the silica molecules, an electrical current is generated that electrodeposits minerals in to the collagen matrix. This allows bone to gain density. As a component of collagen and elastin, silica also aids in giving bone its flexibility, and therefore much of bone's strength and shock absorption. Without silica, the bones would be unable to mineralize, and even if the bone could mineralize it would easily fracture like a piece of chalk. Silica aids in the absorption of calcium, and displaces the heavy metal lead, which is detrimental to bone. Although calcium is better known as an important nutrient for bones, silica is actually the most important nutrient for proper bone health and strength. Decreased silica levels leads to poor bone mineral deposition in bones, and loss of flexibility and shock absorption, increasing the risk of fracture.

Osteoarthritis (joint inflammation)- Silica is essential for the formation of cartilage, and its strength. Declining levels of silica lead to softening of cartilage, and increased risk of damage or deterioration to spinal discs and joint cartilage. In addition, silica has mild natural anti-inflammatory properties, which further helps prevent cartilage degradation.

Emphysema- Loss of elastin in the lung alveoli prevents normal expansion and contraction of the alveoli.

Diverticulitis (inflammation of the diverticuli)- Loss of elastin in the intestinal diverticuli prevents these pouches from contracting back to their normal state. The anti-inflammatory effects of silica help reduce pain of diverticulitis.

Tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons)- Loss of collagen and elastin in tendons increases the risk of damage to tendons from overstretching and tearing. Silica can help reduce inflammation of the tendons.
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Silica: Diatomaceous Earth vs Horsetail Grass
Silica is essential to the body, especially for the production of structural proteins including collagen and elastin. Structural proteins help give strength and elasticity to the hair, nails, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, blood vessel walls, etc.

The body does not absorb and utilize silica in the form of silicon dioxide. Instead, silica reacts with water to form small amounts of orthosilicic acid (OA), which is absorbed by both plants and animals for the formation of tissues. Although OA is not “silica” (silicon dioxide) in the scientific sense it is still referred to as silica. Especially when referring to OA in plants.

The presence of acid increases the conversion of silica in to OA. In the body the primary acid source is stomach acid. Stomach acid declines with age though. This decreases the body’s ability to produce and absorb OA leading to loss of tissue integrity and elasticity frequently associated with “aging disorders”. The use of acid blockers or antacids such as acid heartburn medications, coral, dolomite, oyster shell or alkaline waters can further inhibit the production and absorption of OA.

Primary dietary sources in animals for OA include mineralized water and fibers. OA is formed in natural water sources as water dissolves small amounts of silica in soils and rocks forming OA. OA in water is also taken up by plants where OA helps to give plants strength by incorporating as part of their fibers. When these fibers are ingested the OA in the fibers can be extracted for use by the body.

Horsetail grass (shavegrass) is often incorrectly referred to as the highest herbal source of “silica”, as OA. The fact is that bamboo stalk is 7 times higher in silica than horsetail grass.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is another excellent source of silica, and also contains much higher levels of silica than horsetail. DE is the skeletal remains of phytoplankton and consists of 80% silica compared to the average 4% silica content for horsetail grass.

As an herbalist I really do not recommend the use of horsetail grass as a silica source for several reasons:

Some species of horsetail are very toxic
Even the less toxic forms of horsetail grass can cause problems with long term use including nervous system disorders, headaches, loss of appetite and premature labor. In moderately high doses, or as a concentrate, horsetail grass can cause strong contractions of the blood vessels inhibiting blood flow to tissues.
Horsetail grass contains the enzyme thiaminase and the toxic alkaloid equisitine, both of which deplete thiamin from the body. Symptoms of thiamine deficiency include depression, lack of appetite, diarrhea, loss of muscle control, arrhythmias and tachycardia. Tinctures of horsetail pose even a greater risk as fresh plants are frequently used to make tinctures. Fresh horsetail contains higher level of toxic thiaminase and alkaloids. Thiaminase in particular is suspected in the poisoning of livestock ingesting horsetail grass. Although these poisonings are more likely due to toxic alkaloids, such as palustrine in horsetail grass, since ruminants can produce thiamine in the rumen.
Thiaminase has also been shown to be toxic to the liver.
Even though the amount of nicotine in horsetail is small, it does not take much nicotine to cause harm. Nicotine is one of the strongest central nervous system poisons known to man. It only takes 5mg to kill an adult human. To understand how small the amount really is needed to kill an adult consider the average single ‘O’ capsule normally used for capsuling herbs holds an average of 500mg. Because nicotine is also a powerful constrictor of blood vessels much lower levels can still be especially dangerous for some individuals. People with poor circulation to begin with such as diabetics, people with heart disease/failure, people with hypothyroidism and people with Raynaud’s disease or Raynaud’s phenomena are all more prone to the dangerous blood vessel constricting effects of horsetail grass.
Horsetail grass is contradicted with the use of diuretics to prevent abnormally low potassium levels and stimulants like caffeine to prevent over stimulation of the nervous system.
It is not clear if nicotine is the only component in horsetail grass that constricts the blood vessels. Other alkaloids present in horsetail may also contribute to this effect.

As an example of this effect a friend of mine was a fitness trainer in excellent shape. After drinking 2 cups of horsetail tea she went to bed. She woke up shortly afterward ice cold because the horsetail grass tea had constricted her blood vessels decreasing her blood flow.
If a herbal source of silica is desired the best choice is bamboo stalk, which unlike horsetail grass dilates blood vessels. This makes bamboo a much safer choice for people with high blood pressure, conditions that reduce circulation or that are on contradicted medications.

Other safe sources of silica include nettle leaf, oat straw and seaweeds.

A better choice though is food grade DE. DE is higher in silica than herbs and does not contain any toxic enzymes or alkaloids as in the case of horsetail grass.

Silica is poorly absorbed, but there are ways to increase levels in the body, even when stomach acid is low. A simple method is to add a spoon full of food grade DE to a gallon of water and allow the DE to settle to the bottom. This may take a few days initially. Pour the water you intend to drink from the top of the container, but be careful not to disturb the DE on the bottom of the container. Refill the container with water and allow it to settle out again. Keep repeating this process. A spoon full of DE should last several years if it is not poured off in the water.

There are several advantages to this method. First of all, small amounts of the silica in the DE are dissolved in to the water every time new water is added forming OA. Secondly, because silica is poorly absorbed only a fraction of the silica from silica supplements will be absorbed. In addition, people will not take silica supplements as often as they will drink water each day. Adding the silica to water results in the formation of OA of which small amounts are absorbed each time a drink of the water is taken. This leads to significantly higher levels of OA absorption from drinking the water throughout the day compared to taking an occasional silica supplement.

Is DE Toxic?

Anything can be toxic is sufficient quantities or if used improperly. DE is only toxic though if inhaled repeatedly over long periods of time, which can lead to silicosis. This is actually a potential problem with other silica sources as well such as clays, which are formed from the weathering of silica containing rocks. Ingested DE has not been shown to be harmful though. In fact, DE has a long history of use in silica supplements and being ingested to eliminate intestinal worms in animals and people with no adverse effects.

The reason DE kills intestinal worms without harming the intestinal wall is simple. Intestinal worms have much thinner and delicate tissues than the human digestive system. Worms therefore are prone to the abrasive effects of DE, unlike the human gastrointestinal tract. In fact, DE is considerably less abrasive than the fibers we ingest in our diets, which are less abrasive than horsetail grass. Horsetail grass is so abrasive that it is also known as scouring rush for its use in the pioneer days to clean pots and pans.

DE is only slightly abrasive being more like ultrafine sandpaper used for polishing. For this reason it is commonly used in toothpaste to safely clean teeth.

Other common uses of DE are:

• Insect control in foods we consume.
• As an anti-caking agent in foods.
• An addition to animal feeds to keep livestock worm free without toxicity.
• In cosmetics as a filler, opacifier and scrub agent since DE is not toxic and it will not harm the skin.
• As an additive to some soaps.
• As a flow agent and filler for the manufacturing of capsules and pills since it does not harm the digestive tract.

Myths About DE

Myth: DE is “agatized” silica and has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs hardness scale making it hard on the tissues.

Fact: This false claim is based on the hardness of pure silica, which has a hardness of 7. DE is not pure silica though. It is comprised of 80% silica, 10% metal oxides and 10% moisture. The actual hardness of DE is actually quite low, 1 to 1.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, which runs from 1 (the softest) for talc to 10 (the hardest) for diamond. This can be verified on this link showing the hardness for various materials on the scale:

http://www.tedpella.com/company_html/hardness.htm.

Another way to look at this is bentonite clay is a weathering byproduct of rocks, and like DE contains silica and smaller quantities of other minerals. Despite the content of silica, bentonite has nowhere near a hardness of 7.

As for the claim that DE is agatized silica, again this is not true. Agate is formed from extremely hot water supersaturated with silica, and possibly some magmatically dissolved silica. This dissolved silica deposits in to crevices or vugs within rocks or replaces organic matter in items such as shells or wood creating layers of hard silica.

Again, DE is the skeletal remains of phytoplankton that have died and settled to the bottom of ancient oceans and lakes. These phytoplankton, nor their remains, were ever subjected to extremely hot water or magma to dissolve the silica and redeposit it as a quartz such as agate.

Food grade DE is extremely soft having a hardness of 1-1.5, as pointed out earlier, far below the hardness of pure silica that has a hardness of 7. In addition, food grade DE consists of amorphous, not crystalline, silica. Amorphous silica is not as hard and sharp like crystalline silica and does not pose the same health risks as crystalline silica.

Clumps of DE are also sold as kitty litter. If DE was so sharp and hard as claimed, cat’s paws would be shredded from scratching in the litter box. Of course this is not the case since the claims about DE being hard and sharp to the point of damaging tissues are simply untrue.

Myth: Consuming silica causes kidney damage.

Fact: I have heard people claim that they got kidney pain within minutes of ingesting DE. It is hard to say why they experienced this problem, but it was not from the silica in the DE as I have seen claimed. A simple fact of anatomy and physiology can prove this. Once ingested, the silicon dioxide in the DE has to convert in the stomach in to OA in order to be absorbed. When the stomach finally empties its contents in to the in intestines the OA can be absorbed. Next the OA circulates through the blood where most of the OA is utilized in the formation of tissues. Finally traces of OA can reach the kidneys for safe excretion. No damage occurs to the kidneys since the OA is not in a solid crystalline form that can cut thinner tissues of the kidneys. The whole process for the traces of OA to be absorbed and even smaller traces to reach the kidneys takes considerably longer than the few minutes people are claiming to get pain within.

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SINUS INFECTION
« Reply #25 on: May 05, 2023, 09:48:25 pm »
Sinus Infections
One of the most common mistakes I see doctors make is the prescribing of antibiotics without first performing a culture. This is especially true for sinus infections. Time and time again I have seen people given antibiotics for sinus infections without a culture. The majority of the time antibiotic therapy fails. The problem is that antibiotics work against bacteria, though the majority of sinus infections are fungal in origin. If a fungal infection is present in the sinuses, antibiotic therapy will not only fail, but the therapy will make the condition worse. The sinuses, like various other parts of the body, contain beneficial bacteria. These bacteria, among other functions, help to control fungal overgrowth. As antibiotics kill off the beneficial bacteria, the fungal infection becomes free to grow uncontrolled.

Fungal infections of the sinus cavity are actually extremely difficult to eradicate. My former business partner suffered with a fungal sinus infection for seven years when I met him. He was prescribed antibiotics over and over without any success. A few doctors did run cultures, though the cultures failed to show infection. I made him a concoction of osha’ root, cayenne pepper, and licorice root. The next day a large fungus ball came out of his sinuses. Analysis by a medical lab determined that the infection was a very aggressive black fungus. The constant antibiotic therapy just increased the hold the fungus had in his sinus cavity.

Further complicating the problem is the fact that the sinus cavity is a warm, moist environment. This is the perfect growing environment for fungus. When trying to fight fungal infections, two problems arise. First, any fungus being killed can become food for the surviving fungus. Second, if even one fungal spore remains the infection may rebound.

Many feel the best way to address sinus infections is to first get a culture so the type of infection is known. If the infections are proven to be bacterial, pharmaceutical or herbal antibiotics, such as pau d’ arco, are recommended. Fungal infections are best addressed by trying to restore the flora in the sinus cavity. Probiotic supplements, or probiotic foods, such as yogurt or kefir, can help. A probiotic powder, such as acidophilus powder, may be made into a liquid, with the addition of distilled water, for nasal irrigation, or snuffing. This will help elevate levels of beneficial bacteria in the sinus cavity. Eating horseradish may also help. Horseradish root contains a volatile oil, with extremely strong antiseptic properties. When ingested, the oil is absorbed into the bloodstream, and excreted through the respiratory passages. By trying to breathe through the nose, the oil is forced up into the sinus cavity where it can help fight infection.

Limiting the intake of simple sugars, high glycemic foods, and yeast products may also help. Consumption of alcohol and caffeine should also be eliminated.

Maintaining a healthy immune system is also essential. A few suggestions are the herbs amla berry, schisandra berry, astragalus, jiaogulan, and myrrh. Other recommended supplements include 50 mg of zinc daily, 200 micrograms of selenium three times a day, and 10,000IU daily of vitamin A. Vitamin C is important, though excessive doses are not recommended. Natural sources of vitamin C are more effective than synthetic forms. This is why I recommend amla berry, which is my favorite source of natural vitamin C.

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SOY MYTHS
« Reply #26 on: May 05, 2023, 09:49:42 pm »
Soy Fact and Fiction
The internet has been such as savior and such a curse for people seeking factual information on health.  On one hand the internet has made access to information so much easier than in the past.  On the other hand though it has also made it considerably easier for people to post bogus information to fit whatever their whim is at the moment, or to aid in the sales of products.

Unfortunately, more and more the internet has been cluttered up with bogus claims about diet and medicine.  For example, the various claims about canola oil such as the myth that it was used to make mustard gas during World War II.  Problem with this bogus claim is that mustard gas is not derived from any plant.  It is a completely synthesized chemical compound.

I have never seen anything dealing with diet or medicine that has had more false information posted about it than soy.  Often there are claims made that some study said……   But of course these studies are never presented making one wonder if they even exist.   And when studies are presented they often do not show what is claimed or the test subject was given megadoses of an isolate, which is not even close to normal use.  Therefore, I have put together this article to address some of the most common myths that have been circulating on the internet about soy.

Fiction:  Soy has only recently been used as a human food source.

Fact:  Soy has been cultivated and used for human food for over 5,000 years.  The earliest preserved cultivated soybeans were found in Korea and were carbon dated to 1000–900 BC.

Fiction:  Soy is not a complete protein.

Fact:  The definition of “complete protein” is containing sufficient levels of all nine essential amino acids to meet dietary needs.  Soybeans contain sufficient levels of all these essential amino acids and therefore is classified as a complete protein.  If someone wants to change the definition of “complete protein” to mean containing all known amino acids then most foods would not be classified as complete proteins including milk (raw or pasteurized), beef, poultry and fish.  The only food source I have seen containing all the amino acids is pollen.

Even if soy was not a complete protein it would not matter unless your diet was strictly soy.  But foods, including soy, are often eaten with other protein sources providing other amino acids that may not be found in an individual source.

It has also been claimed that soy is deficient in the sulfur bearing amino acids methionine and cystine.  Again this is not true.  Soybeans contain 18 amino acids including methionine and cystine.

Fiction:  Soy is high in aluminum because they wash the soybeans in aluminum vats with sulfuric acid.

Fact: I really got a kick out of reading this one.  If anyone has ever really worked with sulfuric acid, then they know how nasty this acid can be!!!  The acid is very hygroscopic and likes to turn organic materials, such as skin, in to carbon by stripping hydrogen and oxygen from the material to form water, leaving behind the carbon.  If the soybeans were washed in sulfuric acid you would not have soybeans, you would have carbon balls.

Secondly the acid would eat away the aluminum of the vats creating very dangerous amounts of free hydrogen gas.  Not to mention the fact that they would have to be constantly replacing the vats that are being eaten away, which would be prohibitively costly in both replacement costs and downtime.

Occasionally highly alkaline substances are used in the processing of soy that can interact with the aluminum drawing it in to the product.  But again the cost of machining and changing out the aluminum parts is not cost effective so it is not a widespread practice.

Fiction:  Soy causes cancer.

Fact: Phytoestrogens are plant based estrogenic substances.  On average phytoestrogens are about 200 to 400 times weaker than the body’s own estrogen.  So they have a duel effect by both acting as very weak estrogens and by locking up estrogen receptors to block the action of stronger and more dangerous estrogens.  For instance Premarin (PREgnant MARes urINe), which is 3,000 times stronger than human estrogen, and xenoestrogens, such as dioxin and PCBs, which can be as high as 30,000 times stronger than human estrogens.  By locking up estrogen receptors phytoestrogens prevent these stronger estrogens from causing cancer and other hormonally induced problems.
 
I find it very interesting that there are people bashing soy for its phytoestrogen content, while promoting flax seed as a health food.  Flax seed actually contains 2.5 times higher of a level of phytoestrogens than soy.  And unlike soy, which is generally cooked and/or fermented reducing the phytoestrogen content, flax seed is eaten raw retaining the full content of phytoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are also widely present in our diets.  A partial list of dietary phytoestrogens include sage, parsley, yams, peas, kudzu, beans, peanuts, seaweeds, carrots, bananas, oranges, millet, corn, barley, grapes, berries, baker's yeast, beets, pomegranates, cherries, garlic, oats, olives, peppers, wheat, sunflower seeds, flax seed, rye, spinach, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, rhubarb, tomatoes, rice, plums, potatoes, papaya, dates, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, anise, fennel, cucumber, peanuts, and onions. 
Alcohols can also contain high levels of phytoestrogens.  Especially beer, wine, gin, ouzo and whiskey.

Other sources include red clover, licorice root, and numerous other herbs.  In fact phytoestrogens have been isolated from over 350 different plants.
Phytoestrogen sources have a long history of being to treat cancer.  For example, red clover blossom that contains the same phytoestrogens found in soy plus two others.  Cruciferous vegetables and seaweeds that contain phytoestrogens and resveratrol, another phytoestrogen, have also been used in cancer treatment.

There are also numerous studies backing the anti-cancer effects of soy.  Here are links to just some of these studies:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19996398?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=4

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19800779?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=16

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789363?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=19

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789300?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=20

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17200150?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cbr.1997.12.405

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14628433

"There are growing body of experimental evidence that show the inhibition of human cancer cells by genistein through the modulation of genes that are related to the control of cell cycle and apoptosis. Moreover, it has been shown that genistein inhibits the activation of NF-kappa B and Akt signaling pathways, both of which are known to maintain a homeostatic balance between cell survival and apoptosis. Genistein is commonly known as phytoestrogen, which targets estrogen- and androgen-mediated signaling pathways in the processes of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, genistein has been found to have antioxidant property, and shown to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and metastasis. Taken together, both in vivo and in vitro studies have clearly shown that genistein, one of the major soy isoflavones, is a promising reagent for cancer chemoprevention and/or treatment. "
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12813174

"CONCLUSION: In a population-based, prospective cohort study in Japan, frequent miso soup and isoflavone consumption was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer."
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/16/3/538.full

"In conclusion, we found that isoflavone intake was associated with a decreased risk of localized prostate cancer."

It is not just the phytoestrogens that give soy anti-cancer properties.  There are other compounds including antiviral protease inhibitors.  Numerous forms of human cancer have been linked to various viruses.  Inactivating these viruses with protease inhibitors therefore could help find cancer.  Same reason protease inhibitors are being used to treat suspected human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, which is also a cancer virus.  HIV was formerly known as human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type 3 (HTLV-3).

Fiction:  The phytoestrogens in soy products have lead to the premature development of girls and impeded or delayed sexual development in boys.

Fact:  There is no evidence whatsoever to back this claim.  The only studies that can be found that show any of these effects from foods are of meats and dairy that are often loaded with hormones that are hundreds or even thousands of times stronger than phytoestrogens.  One news story had reported on this problem in Puerto Rico.  Here girls as young as 8 were developing breasts, as well as many of the boys in the area.  The source?  The massive levels of estrogens in the chickens they were eating.

Estrogens are given to farm animals to fatten them up and increase milk production.  When we consume these meats and dairy we ingest these hormones. These estrogens in turn cause problems such as cancers, weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, blood clots, etc.  These are all well known side effects of estrogens.

Current research is also pointing to environmental xenoestrogens, which can be 30,000 to 100,000 times stronger than human estrogens, which themselves can be hundreds of times stronger than phytoestrogens. These xenoestrogens enter the environment from chemical sprays and industrial wastes and are found in plastics and shampoos to name a few.

Fiction:  Infants receiving soy milk receive the equivalent of five birth control pills a day.

Fact:  This is one of the most ludicrous claims I have heard yet, and of course the claim is never backed by any evidence.  This is because you cannot present what does not exist.

The estrogens found in birth control pills are 100 times stronger than human estrogen.  And as pointed out previously, phytoestrogens such as those found in soy are 200-400 times weaker than human estrogens.  Therefore, unless they feeding babies soy formula by the tanker load there is no possible to get the equivalent of five birth control pills per day.

Fiction:  Soy causes hypothyroidism.

Fact: Soy does contain goitrogens, as do broccoli, peanuts, and various other foods.  Goitrogens though are greatly reduced or destroyed by fermentation or as little as 10 minutes of cooking.  Soy products, including soy milk, are generally either cooked and/or fermented.

The goitrogenic activity from raw, unfermented soy is actually from the phytoestrogens found in the soy.  Flax seed is considerably more goitrogenic than soy due to flax seed’s high phytoestrogen content.  Especially considering that flax seed is not fermented and/or cooked like soybeans to reduce the phytoestrogen content.

The effects of these goitrogens can be easily countered though by the addition of iodine containing foods to the diet such as seaweeds.

Fiction:  One study found that children with autoimmune thyroid disease are more likely to have been fed soy-based infant formula.

Fact:  I ran several searches looking for any human studies showing a link between soy intake and Hashimoto's and there were NONE!!!  Probably because soy has nothing to do with autoimmune thyroid conditions.

Fiction:  Soy stunts growth and the high consumption is why Orientals are so short.  I actually heard this from a naturopathic doctor.

Fact: Height is dependent on genetics, and soy does not stunt growth.  In fact I was allergic to both mother's milk and cow's milk as an infant, and was raised on soy milk.  I am 6' 2", the same height as my father.

Fiction:  Because of the estrogens in soy, consuming soy makes people gay. Another ridiculous claim I actually read from posts on the internet.

Fact: Again this has genetic factors, and has nothing to do with soy consumption. By the way, I am not gay either.

Fiction:  Soy causes kidney stones since it is high in oxalic acid.

Fact: Soybeans are actually low in oxalic acid.  Some of the common foods that contain more oxalic acid that soybeans include spinach, beans, asparagus, parsley, onions, broccoli, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, radishes, garlic, lettuce, eggplant, greens, carrots, celery and eggplant.

Dietary oxalic acid though actually plays very little of a role in the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones.  The reason for this is simple.  Oxalic acid in plants is generally already bound blocking its absorption.  And any oxalic acid binding with calcium in the diet will not absorb in to the bloodstream, so it cannot even reach the kidneys.  Instead the bound oxalic acid will simply be eliminated through the feces.

Fiction: The enzyme inhibitors are not destroyed by cooking.

Fact:  Enzyme inhibitors, which are found in various seeds, such as grains, legumes and nuts, have been shown to be readily destroyed by moisture, especially when heat is applied as in cooking.  Enzyme inhibitors are also found in many “healthy foods” such as flax seed and sweet potatoes that contain trypsin inhibitors.

Fiction: Phytic acid found in soy is an anti-nutrient.

Fact:  Phytic acid, also known as inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is another compound found commonly in seeds.

Phytic acid has a higher affinity for heavy metals and dangerous free iron than it does for beneficial minerals.  Therefore, even pure phytic acid would be highly unlikely to “rob” the body of any beneficial minerals.  I state “pure phytic acid” because in order for phytates to take minerals from the body they must first give up the minerals they are already bound to within the plant.  In other words the phytates can only bind to a specific amount of minerals.  Since the phytates have a high affinity for metals and minerals they will already be completely bound to minerals picked up from the soil.  Since the phytates are already completely bound there is no way from them to bind any metals or minerals in the body unless they give up what they are already bound to.  Therefore, there would be an exchange in the body rather than the phytates simply taking minerals from the body.

The fact that phytic acid has such a high affinity for iron is why plant iron is harder to absorb than heme iron and why phytic acid functions so well as an antioxidant.  Phytic acid is Nature’s way of preventing iron overload.

These properties and the high affinity of phytic acid for heavy metals make phytic acid an excellent choice for the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, some infections and cancers.

Fiction: Hemagglutinin in soy causes the blood to clot.

Fact:  Soy does contain hemagglutinin, but it is readily destroyed by cooking and/or fermentation.

Furthermore, the fermentation of soy yields the blood thinner nattokinase.

Fiction:  The B12 analogues in soy increase the requirement for true B12 by the body.

Fact:  True B12 is not found in most if any plants.  Therefore, if the claim that B12 analogues increased the need for true B12 then virtually any plant we consumed would increase our requirement for true B12.  There is no evidence though that the consumption of B12 analogues increase the need for true B12.

Furthermore, soybeans provide fiber that help feed the intestinal flora.  The intestinal flora in turn produce some vitamins for the body including true B12.

Fiction:  Soy increases the body’s requirement for vitamin D.

Fact:  There is absolutely no evidence to this claim.  Although, plants do not contain active vitamin D3, so as with cow’s milk some soy products are fortified with vitamin D.

Fiction:  Soy leads to weak bones by decreasing vitamin D and calcium.

Fact:  The decreasing vitamin D myth is covered above.  As with the false vitamin D claim though, there is also no evidence that soy depletes calcium either.  In fact, soy contains calcium and magnesium.

More importantly soy provides silica, which is the most important nutrient required for proper bone health.  Silica not only aids in calcium absorption, but it is also what allows calcium to go where it is needed and is responsible for the mineralization of bone.  Silica is also a component of the collagen matrix, which gives bones the majority of their strength.

In addition, soy contains isoflavones that have been proven to INCREASE bone density and strength and/or decrease bone loss:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19877511?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=12

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17392695?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18063230?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19759166?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=19

As for diet, some of the primary foods that lead to loss of bone density are red meats and dairy.  This is in large part due to the high phosphorus content, which displaces calcium from bones.  In addition, high protein such as in dairy products interferes with calcium absorption.  This is why the highest milk consuming nations in the world also have the highest osteoporosis rates.
Furthermore, animal proteins have been shown to induce bone loss though metabolic acids:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/35211uv240638198/

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/3/553

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/120/1/134.pdf

https://www.msu.edu/~corcora5/food/vegan/calcium+protein.html

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/75/4/609

Fiction:  Soy is damaging to the brain and the rest of the nervous system because it does not contain cholesterol.

Fact:  It is true that soy does not contain cholesterol, and it even lowers cholesterol due to the presence of cholesterol lowering sterols and lecithin.

The lack of cholesterol in soy though does not lead to neurological damage.  In fact, dietary cholesterol plays an insignificant role in blood cholesterol levels as much of it is bound by dietary sterols and lecithin.  The majority of cholesterol utilized by the body is synthesized by the liver.

Furthermore, soy is also a good source of lecithin.  Lecithin contains compounds that help with building both brain tissue and acetylcholine associated with improved memory.

Fiction:  Soy does not protect from heart disease.

Fact:  Soy does more for heart disease than simply lower cholesterol.  Soy can lower inflammation and blood pressure due to its sterols.  Strengthen arterial walls and reduce arterial inflammation due to its silica content.  Prevent oxidative damage to arterial walls by binding free iron by its phytic acid.  And remove arterial plaque due to its lecithin content.

Fiction:  Soy consumption causes infertility and reduces virility.

Fact:  As with most of the anti-soy claims circulating on the internet there is absolutely no evidence to these claims.  Actual studies in fact actually show just the opposite:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19919579?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1

Soy, phyto-oestrogens and male reproductive function: a review.
Cederroth CR, Auger J, Zimmermann C, Eustache F, Nef S.
Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
There is growing interest in the possible health threat posed by the effects of endocrine disruptors on reproduction. Soy and soy-derived products contain isoflavones that mimic the actions of oestrogens and may exert adverse effects on male fertility. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence regarding the potential detrimental effects of soy and phyto-oestrogens on male reproductive function and fertility in humans and animals. Overall, there are some indications that phyto-oestrogens, alone or in combination with other endocrine disruptors, may alter reproductive hormones, spermatogenesis, sperm capacitation and fertility. However, these results must be interpreted with care, as a result of the paucity of human studies and as numerous reports did not reveal any adverse effects on male reproductive physiology. Further investigation is needed before a firm conclusion can be drawn. In the meantime, caution would suggest that perinatal phyto-oestrogen exposure, such as that found in infants feeding on soy-based formula, should be avoided.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19819436?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=2

Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content do not adversely affect semen quality in healthy young men.
Beaton LK, McVeigh BL, Dillingham BL, Lampe JW, Duncan AM.
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of consumption of soy protein of varying isoflavone content on parameters of semen quality in healthy young men. DESIGN: Randomized crossover intervention. SETTING: University campus. PATIENT(S): Healthy adult men (age 27.5+/-5.67 years, body mass index 25.4+/-3.14 kg/m(2)). INTERVENTION(S): Milk protein isolate (MPI), low-isoflavone soy protein isolate (low-iso SPI; 1.64+/-0.19 mg isoflavones/day, expressed as aglycone equivalents), and high-isoflavone soy protein isolate (high-iso SPI; 61.7+/-7.35 mg isoflavones/day, expressed as aglycone equivalents) for 57 days each separated by 28-day washout periods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Urinary isoflavones were measured from 24-hour urine samples collected on days 54-56 of each treatment period. Semen quality parameters (semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm percent motility, total motile sperm count, sperm morphology) were measured from semen samples collected on days 1 and 57 of each treatment period. RESULT(S): Urinary isoflavones were significantly higher after consumption of high-iso SPI compared with the low-iso SPI and MPI. Semen parameters, including semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm percent motility, total motile sperm count, and sperm morphology, were not significantly affected by consumption of either low- or high-iso SPI compared with MPI. CONCLUSION(S): Consumption of soy protein of low or high isoflavone content does not adversely affect semen quality in a sample of healthy adult men.

Even common sense should cause anyone to question the ultra-high population of people in China where soy products are a major component of the diet if soy reduces virility and fertility?

The only studies that can be found that suggest there may be a link were conducted on obese men that had higher than normal estrogen levels.  Many people do not realize that fat cells actually produce estrogen.  So the higher the level of fat cells the more estrogen that can be produced by the body.  High levels of estrogen in men reduce fertility.

Similar circulating claims state that soy is highly estrogenic and therefore soy was used to dampen the sexual desire of monks due to the estrogen.  There are several flaws with this claim.

First of all soy is not “highly estrogenic”.  As mentioned earlier phytoestrogens are 200-400 times weaker than the body’s own estrogen.   The most estrogenic foods on the market are beef, poultry and dairy.

Furthermore, these phytoestrogens lock up estrogen receptors blocking the effects of excess stronger estrogens such as those generated by the body and xenoestrogens.

In addition, estrogen does not necessarily decrease sex drive.  In women estrogen actually promotes sex drive by strengthening oxytocin activity, acting as an antidepressant and by promoting attraction (pheromone perception), receptivity, sensation and vaginal lubrication.  Other than the increased vaginal lubrication men can experience the same benefits of estrogen, though to a lesser extent since they produce less estrogen and higher testosterone, which is an estrogen antagonist.  And yes, estrogen antagonizes testosterone, which also increases sex drive.  The difference between the increased sex drive by estrogen and testosterone is that estrogen is more calming and promotes more bonding between the partners as where testosterone creates more aggression and a wanting to be alone after the orgasm.  This is why people with very high testosterone levels frequently masturbate.  It allows them the gratification of orgasm while allowing them to be alone since testosterone antagonizes the bonding effects of estrogen.

The hormone that decreases the sex drive in both men and women is not estrogen, it is progesterone.  This is why the herb vitex (chaste tree berry, monk’s pepper) was used by the monk’s to suppress their sex drive.  Vitex increases progesterone levels reducing the sex drive.  Progesterone is also used to “chemically castrate” men for the same reason.

The sexual suppressing effects of progesterone come from its ability to cause depression, increase irritability, reduce brain opioids, reduce pheromone perception, decrease testosterone and reduce oxytocin sensitivity and thus reduce genital sensitivity.

Fiction:  Soy consumption increases hair growth in middle-aged men indicating decreased testosterone levels.

Fact:  Low testosterone does not increase hair growth.  Facial and chest hair are increased by higher levels of testosterone, not lower testosterone levels.  Same reason the growth of these hairs as well as arm, leg and pubic hair growth increases during puberty as testosterone levels rise.

Scalp hair is not increased either by testosterone levels.  Hair follicles in the scalp though can be damaged by an elevated level of a more radical form of testosterone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  This can lead to hair loss as the hair falls out from the follicular damage.  This is referred to as male pattern baldness as the hair falls out along the temples and top rear of the head.  Hair loss may progress later to the remainder of the top of the head.  The reason hair is lost in these areas and not the sides or back is these areas have higher levels of DHT receptors and therefore are more prone to the effects of DHT.

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STOMACH ACID - ANTACIDS
« Reply #27 on: May 05, 2023, 09:52:03 pm »
The Benefits of Stomach Acid
Stomach acid is present to:

1. Help protect the body from pathogens that would otherwise enter through the digestive system.  Many pathogenic bacteria, such as E.  coli and H. pylori THRIVE in an alkaline environment.  This is why E. coli lives in the alkaline environment of the intestines and H.  pylori secretes ammonia to neutralize stomach acid to protect itself.  Reducing stomach acid just makes it that much easier for these pathogens to set up shop in the body where they DO NOT belong.

 2. To allow for the absorption of minerals as non-chelated minerals are reacted with the acid to convert them in to absorbable salts. 

3. Reduction of acid reflux, which results from the lack of stomach acid.  A lack of stomach acid leads to fermentation by yeast overgrowth in the stomach and by fermentation of foods not being digested properly.  The resultant gas formation builds up in the stomach and is eventually rapidly released up the esophagus carrying traces of acid with it. 

4. To allow for the proper digestion of proteins.  The digestive enzyme pepsin cannot work without sufficient levels of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid).  When  proteins are not broken down properly the intact proteins can enter the bloodstream forming antigens.  This in turn can lead to serious and even life threatening allergic reactions.

 5. Absorption of vitamins.  The B vitamins B6, B12 and folate in particular are dependent on sufficient stomach acid for absorption.  Stomach acid levels decline though with age naturally.  This is why deficiencies of B6, B12 and folate are so common in the elderly.

 6. Conversion of silica to orthosilicic acid for use by the body.  Silica is essential for the formation of collagen, elastin, and chondroitin.  Without sufficient silica we develop numerous conditions including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, heart disease, emphysema, diverticulitis, etc.  Even wrinkles and cellulite can result from a loss of silica leading to a reduction of the structural proteins collagen and elastin.  In order for silica to be absorbed and utilized it must first be converted in to orthosilicic acid.  This occurs from a reaction between silica and water, but the process is greatly enhanced by the presence of an acid.  The primary acid for this conversion is stomach acid.
As I mentioned before stomach acid DECLINES with age.  This leads to a drop in the conversion of silica in to orthosilicic acid, and therefore a loss of collagen, elastin, and chondroitin production as we age.  Now go back and look at the symptoms that develop from the loss of these structural proteins.  Notice how t

hese are not seen in younger people but are common in the elderly?  So why do we see this in the elderly?  Because the lack of stomach acid interferes with the absorption of nutrients needed for the production of structural proteins.  These nutrients include silica, zinc, copper and amino acids.
As we can see if you want to speed up the production of "age-related disorders" a simple way is to do this is to neutralize your stomach acid.

It should be noted that most of the nutrients needed to form stomach acid are acid dependant for absorption.  Therefore the lack of stomach acid leads to further declines in stomach acid, leading to less absorption of stomach acid forming nutrients, leading to less stomach acid formation.........   It is a vicious cycle downhill once started.  Therefore I recommend avoiding antacids, acid blockers also known as proton pump inhibitors, alkaline waters, calcium carbonate (coral, oyster shell, dolomite), calcium oxide/hydroxide (lime) and magnesium oxide/hydroxide.

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VITAMIN C ISSUES
« Reply #28 on: May 05, 2023, 09:53:43 pm »
Vitamin C Functions
The most popular supplement ever is obviously vitamin C. This antioxidant serves the body in so many ways.
As a water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin C helps protect the inside of cells from free radical damage. A synthetic, oil soluble form, a vitamin C is also available. The oil soluble form can help protect the cell membrane.

Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen and elastin. These proteins give strength and elasticity to the skin, hair, nails, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, arterial walls, and other tissues. Deficiencies of these proteins lead to wrinkles, emphysema, diverticulitis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other disorders.

The immune system is dependent on vitamin C for the production of antibodies, interferons, immune enzymes, and immune cells. The thymus gland, considered the master gland of immunity, and the adrenal glands, which also play a major role in the immune system, are both highly dependent on vitamin C for proper function. In fact, the adrenal glands receive priority of vitamin C over the rest of the body.

The primary cause for vitamin C deficiencies is stress, including pain. Stress causes the adrenal glands to work overtime, increasing the requirement for vitamin C by the adrenal glands. Because the adrenal glands receive priority of vitamin C over the rest the body, this reduces available levels to other parts of the body. Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, also overwork the adrenal glands reducing vitamin C levels in the body.
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Natural Vitamin C
I really prefer natural products whenever possible. Nature knows how to maintain a balance that we don’t see with synthetics. For example, the blood thinning coumarins and alfalfa are balanced by the blood clotting vitamin K. The coffee bean, which contains the stimulant caffeine, is coated with a fleshy coating before processing that contains a sedative. The upper portion of the ephedra plant is a stimulant, while the roots are a sedative. Green tea contains a small amount of the stimulant caffeine, and the sedative amino acid theanine.

Vitamin C is another example. Natural vitamin C sources have several advantages over synthetic sources. For example, natural sources of vitamin C also contain synergistic bioflavonoids that must be added to synthetic C. Natural sources of vitamin C also contain compounds that help prevent deterioration of the vitamin C, which again is not true of synthetic vitamin C.

My favorite source of vitamin C is actually amla berry, also known as Indian gooseberry. The vitamin C in amla berry is actually 12 times stronger than synthetic vitamin C. Polyphenols in amla protect the vitamin C from oxidation, making it extremely stable. Additional advantages of amla include antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects. Amla protect the DNA from heavy metal damage, and significantly raises intracellular levels super oxide dismutase (SOD). SOD is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulatory enzyme.

My second choice for a natural vitamin C source is camu camu. Camu camu is native to South America. It is considered the highest plant source of vitamin C in the world. Camu camu does have one disadvantage though. Camu camu does not have the stability of amla, or acerola cherry.

My third choice is acerola cherry. This plant is thought to have originated from the Yucatan. Studies have shown widely varying rates of vitamin C, from lower than amla to higher than camu camu. As with amla berry, the vitamin C in acerola cherry is stabilized by polyphenols.

Other advantages of natural vitamin C sources are the fact that they are also sources of other vitamins. They also provide amino acids, minerals, and other nutrients that synthetic vitamin C does not offer.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2023, 09:55:21 pm by Admin »

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VITAMIN C INTERFERENCE
« Reply #29 on: May 05, 2023, 09:56:40 pm »
Vitamin C Interactions/Interference
Pharmaceutical drugs often react with foods and supplements, including vitamin C. And as we have seen, excessive vitamin C intake can interact with some nutritional compounds. Sometimes these interactions are beneficial, such as increasing the absorption of minerals. And sometimes it leads to problems such as iron overload or copper and B12 deficiencies.
Another area that is often overlooked is the interference of laboratory tests by excessive intake of vitamin C. For example, excessive vitamin C intake may lead to false high or low bilirubin levels, depending on the assay test being used. Lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels will read erroneously low. Aspartate aminotransferase levels may read erroneously high. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reported on a case in which a woman with unexplained anemia was taking 2,000mg of vitamin C daily. When tested for occult blood in the stool, repeated tests showed negative results. The woman discontinued taking the vitamin C for 4 days, and when retested stool samples tested positive for blood. It was also found that taking 750mg of vitamin C daily can interfere with detecting blood in the urine.

Vitamin C interferes with several glucose tests, including tests diabetics use at home. Urinary glucose test strips will test false positive with as little as 2,000mg of vitamin C daily. Home test strips can show normal blood glucose readings, even when glucose levels are elevated, also at 2g of vitamin c daily. Laboratory glucose tests may show erroneously low glucose levels with excessive vitamin C intake.

To decrease the risk of false laboratory readings it is recommended that all supplements be stopped at least 48 hours before having any lab work done.

Below is a link from the NIH and a portion of the article that discusses the interactions of vitamin c with drugs and supplements, and interference with laboratory tests.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-vitaminc.html

Interactions with Drugs

Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Vitamin C may increase adverse effects associated with acetaminophen.

Antacids: Vitamin C may increase adverse effects associated with aluminum-containing antacids such as aluminum hydroxide (Maalox, Gaviscon).

Aspirin: Vitamin C may increase blood levels and adverse effects of aspirin, whereas aspirin may decrease blood levels of vitamin C.

Barbiturates: The effects of vitamin C may be decreased by barbiturates including phenobarbital (Luminal, Donnatal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), or secobarbital (Seconal).

Fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin): Vitamin C supplementation may decrease levels of the drug fluphenazine in the body.

HIV medications (protease inhibitors): Concomitant administration of high doses of vitamin C can reduce steady-state indinavir plasma concentrations.

Levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa): There is limited case report evidence that high dose vitamin C may reduce side effects of levodopa therapy such as nausea or malcoordination.

Nicotine: Nicotine products such as cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, or nicotine patches may decrease the effects of vitamin C.

Oral contraceptives/estrogens: Oral estrogens may decrease the effects of vitamin C in the body. When taken together, vitamin C may increase blood levels of ethinyl estradiol.

Tetracyclines: The effects of vitamin C may be decreased by tetracycline antibiotics such as doxycycline (Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin), or tetracycline (Sumycin).

Warfarin (Coumadin): Vitamin C in high doses appears to interfere with the blood thinning effects of warfarin by lowering prothrombin time (PT), as noted in case reports in the 1970s. Complications have not been reported (such as increased blood clots).

Interactions with Herbs and Dietary Supplements

Iron: When taken together, vitamin C may increase the absorption of iron in the gastrointestinal tract, although this effect appears to be variable and may not be clinically significant.

Lutein: Vitamin C may increase absorption of lutein vitamin supplements.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin, cyanocobalamin): Large doses of vitamin C may interfere with the absorption and metabolism of vitamin B12.

Interactions with Laboratory Tests

Bilirubin: Vitamin C supplements may cause false increases in tests of blood bilirubin levels.

Carbamazepine levels: Vitamin C supplements may cause false increases in blood carbamazepine levels.

Creatinine: Vitamin C supplements may cause false increases in blood creatinine levels.

Glucose: Vitamin C supplements may interfere with the accuracy of blood glucose tests.

LDH (lactose dehydrogenase): Vitamin C may cause a false decrease in blood LDH levels.

Prothrombin time (PT): Vitamin C in high doses appears to interfere with the blood thinning effects of warfarin by lowering prothrombin time (PT), as noted in case reports in the 1970s. Complications have not been reported (such as increased blood clots).

SGOT (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase): Vitamin C supplements may cause false increases in blood SGOT levels.

Stool occult blood (guaiac): Vitamin C supplements can cause false-negative stool occult blood tests, within 48-72 hours after vitamin C ingestion.

Theophylline levels: Vitamin C supplements may cause false decreases in blood theophylline levels.

Uric acid levels: Vitamin C supplements may cause false increases in blood uric acid levels.

Urinary acetaminophen (Tylenol): Vitamin C supplements can cause false-negative urine acetaminophen tests.

Urinary glucose: Vitamin C supplements can cause false-positive urinary glucose results with the cupric sulfate reagent test and false-negative urinary glucose results with the glucose oxidase test, within 48-72 hours after vitamin C ingestion.