FUNDAY
General Category => Off Topic => Topic started by: Lol on December 19, 2021, 04:56:32 am
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ASTHMA: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=563
AUTOIMMUNITY: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=564
BREAST CANCER: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=565
BREAST IMPLANTS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=566
CALCIUM: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=567
CANCER: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=568
CANCER: OZONE THERAPY: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=569
CELLULITE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=570
CHAPARRAL: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=571
ENVIGA: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=572
FDA: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=573
GOOD FREE RADICALS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=574
HEART ATTACK: ASPIRIN: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=575
HEART ATTACK: CAYENNE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=576
HEART ATTACK: STATINS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=577
HEART DISEASE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=578
HEPATITIS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=579
HORMONE IMBALANCE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=580
HYPOGLYCEMIA: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=581
MSM: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=582
NSAID: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=583
POLYHEME: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=584
ROGAINE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=585
SILICA DEFICIENCY: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=586
SINUS INFECTION: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=587
SOY MYTHS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=588
STOMACH ACID ANTACIDS: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=589
VITAMIN C ISSUES: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=590
VITAMIN C INTERFERENCE: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=591
VITAMIN C MEGADOSING: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=592
VITAMIN C SYNTHETIC: http://funday.createaforum.com/improve/covid-shots/?message=593
Ozone therapy
https://www.facebook.com/groups/560297341529556/posts/740452140180741
Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion
https://pharmacysolutionsonline.com/drug-induced-nutrient-depletion.php
Detroit TV Gets Loads of Comments on Vaccine Injuries
https://luis46pr.wordpress.com/2021/09/17/local-detroit-tv-asks-for-stories-of-unvaxxed-dying-from-covid-gets-over-180k-responses-of-vaccine-injured-and-dead-instead/
For Covid & Morgellon's, take 1/5 teaspoon Organic laundry soap along with alfalfa pellets or hay in a tub of hot water; soak, immerse head, shower, with gloves remove alfalfa & gloves & discard.
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Asthma
Asthma is a form of allergy, actually an inflammatory allergy. And allergies are a symptom of adrenal gland dysfunction. When the adrenal glands are working properly they put out sufficient levels of immune modulating corticosteroids, and antihistamine epinephrine to counter allergic responses. Therefore, if the adrenal glands fail to put out sufficient levels of these compounds, we can develop allergic responses.
When asthmatics go to the doctor, the doctor will give the patient steroids and epinephrine, which substitute for what the adrenals are failing to put out in sufficient quantities. This brings us to the topic of the immune system. The immune system is not a single thing. It consists of many factors including the bone marrow, thymus, spleen, white blood cells, cytokines, enzymes like SOD, the adrenal glands, etc. Therefore, parts of the immune system can be suppressed, while other areas are working fine. Allergies are a good example. Most parts of the immune system is working fine. The adrenal glands though are not putting out sufficient levels of antihistamine and anti-leukotriene epinephrine and immune modulating corticosteroids.
This also helps explain why children can outgrow allergies, as I did. Children can outgrow many allergies, including asthma, generally around the age of 5 because in some cases it takes a little longer for the adrenals to fully mature.
The adrenal glands use more vitamin C than any other part of the body. Therefore, this would be the first thing to focus on. Although I do not care for synthetic vitamin C. Natural C is generally stronger, more stable and provides more benefits than synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Excellent herbal sources of vitamin C are acerola cherry, amla, rosehips, watercress and nettle leaf. Food sources include kiwis, papaya and berries.
The second most important nutrient for the adrenal glands is pantothenic acid. The highest plant source of pantothenic acid is found in bee pollen. When starting with bee pollen start out with small doses because of the risk of allergic reaction. The same applies to any time you change pollen sources since you can be allergic to one pollen source and not another.
Herbs that support the adrenal glands include schisandra berry, astragalus, nettle leaf, Siberian ginseng, suma, ashwagandha, jiaogulan (Gynostemma), and licorice root. Herbs are best taken several times daily rather than once a day. Most herbs should also be taken on an empty stomach at least 1/2 hour before meals since fats and proteins can block absorption. Although, herbal powders they can be mixed in a little unsweetened applesauce since this does not interfere with absorption.
I like making adrenal supportive candies by mixing astragalus, schisandra, pollen, amla and a little licorice root. Then I mix in vegetable glycerin until it forms a paste. I take a pinch and roll it in to a ball about the size of a pea. The candies taste like Sweet and Sour Tarts.
Remember to avoid all stimulants since these depress immune function by weakening adrenal gland function. Stimulants include caffeine, ephedrine, and nicotine, and herbs including ephedra, guarana, black tea, country mallow and bitter orange.
This can confuse some people because an old time remedy to stop an asthma attack is a strong cup of coffee. It is true that coffee, more specifically the alkaloids in coffee, will stop an asthma attack. These alkaloids; caffeine, theophylline and theobromine block the breakdown of a chemical messenger for the body known as cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Production of cAMP counters the leukotrienes and histamine that can trigger asthma attacks. A problem though is that cAMP is very short lived in the body as is quickly broken down by a liver enzyme known as cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cAMPPDE). Caffeine, theophylline and theobromine are cAMPPDE inhibitors and therefore extend the life and actions of cAMP. This is the same reason that theophylline has been used in hospital settings to control asthma. The problem is that the consistent use stimulants deplete adrenal function and therefore levels of epinephrine and corticosteroids. In short, caffeine and related compounds can help if used occasionally when necessary, but continual use can increase the risk of asthma attacks.
Along the same line, the reason epinephrine and ephedrine stop allergic reactions such as asthma is because they elevate levels of cAMP. This counters histamine and inflammatory leukotrienes, which are about 1,000 times more stimulatory to the formation of asthma attacks that histamine.
There are herbs that can replace epinephrine and ephedrine without the stimulant effects. My favorites are zizyphus seed (suan zao ren), coleus forskohlii and nettle leaf. Zizyphus seed and coleus forskohlii both elevate cAMP levels without raising the pulse or blood pressure. Nettle leaf is a natural antihistamine by blocking cAMP breakdown and it helps support adrenal gland function.
Keep stress levels down to a minimum since stress overworks the adrenals. When it comes to stress the adrenals are designed for short term use. The adrenals are not designed for long term stimulation as occurs with the use of stimulants and chronic stress. There are various methods that can be used to control stress. For example, meditation, exercise, pets or a relaxing bath. The best choice will depend on the individual.
Steroids, such as Prednisone and steroidal inhalers, are best avoided or their use extremely limited. These drugs will help to control symptoms by reducing the inflammatory component of asthma, although they can aggravate the underlying cause. This is commonly seen as inhaler dependence. As the steroids atrophy the adrenal glands the adrenal glands produce decreased levels of steroids. When this occurs the body becomes more dependent on external sources of steroids. Therefore, as the steroidal medications atrophy the adrenal glands more of the steroidal medications are required to replace what the adrenals are failing to produce in sufficient levels.
Magnesium deficiencies are common in asthmatics, and magnesium is very useful in the treatment of asthma. Magnesium relaxes the smooth muscle of the lungs by displacing calcium, thereby helping to prevent the spasming of the lung muscles. Because magnesium works by displacing calcium, it is important that the magnesium be taken in the absence of calcium. It also helps to take the magnesium on an empty stomach at least 1/2 hour before meals. If you take a calcium-magnesium supplement it should be taken at a different time of day. Recommended dose of magnesium is 300mg twice daily on an empty stomach. Pre-acidified forms of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate or malate, are better absorbed and more effective.
A simple formula can be made to stop asthma attacks. Mix 1 ounce of coleus forskohlii tincture, ½ ounce of yerba mate’ tincture and a ¼ ounce of lobelia tincture. Mix well and put once ounce of the mixture back in to one of the tincture bottles. At the very first sign of an asthma attack I recommend squirting a dropper full or two of the tincture under the tongue and hold under the tongue. Forskohlii raises cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels like ephedra or epinephrine also do, but while lowering the pulse and blood pressure unlike ephedra and epinephrine. So it is much safer than ephedra, ephedrine, or epinephrine. Yerba mate’ blocks the breakdown of cAMP. Lobelia acts as a smooth muscle relaxant to prevent lung spasming.
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Autoimmunity
Autoimmune disorders are a symptom of adrenal dysfunction. The adrenal glands produce, among other things, steroids that modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation in the body. Though doctors tell us that autoimmune disorders are caused from an overactive immune system, this is obviously untrue.
The easiest piece of evidence to prove this is the fact that things that suppress the immune system make autoimmune disorders worse. Ever notice how stress makes autoimmune symptoms worse? So does caffeine, ephedrine, nicotine, and steroids. Yes, steroids make the underlying condition worse. Steroids do reduce the symptoms of autoimmune disorders, such as inflammation in RA and weakness in MS.
The reason they reduce the symptoms is because the steroids are anti-inflammatory and they suppress immune function to the point an immune response cannot be mounted. Though, this is a real stupid way to treat an autoimmune disorder since wiping out the immune system leaves a person open to many other illnesses, such as cancer. The steroid Prednisone also creates other adverse effects, such as osteoporosis. And what happens when you try to come off of the steroids? You will have a severe rebound reaction with increased autoimmune symptoms. Why? Because steroids DO NOT cure autoimmune disorders. And steroids, like stimulants, and stress atrophy the adrenal glands reducing the output of the body's own anti-inflammatories and immune modulators.
Although both are steroids, the real difference lies in the concentration. The body generates steroids in small amounts as needed. The long term substitute of high dose, stronger steroids, leads to a shut down of the production of corticosteroids by the adrenal glands, and a dependence on external sources of steroids as seen by the exacerbation of symptoms with Prednisone withdrawal. Immune modulation by the adrenals allows the body to produce normal high affinity antibodies. High affinity antibodies are specific to their target, allowing them to tag only foreign antigens for destruction by white blood cells. But this is where we run in to another common medical myth. We are taught in conventional medicine that all antibodies are specific to their target. This is obviously untrue since the body does not go out of its way to destroy its own tissues.
To understand this process we can look at the production of monoclonal antibodies for disease research. To manufacture monoclonals they start with a serum sample, in which an antigen target is added. Various antibodies, both specific and nonspecific, attach to these antigen targets. The antigen target is then removed and placed in a solution of weak sodium sulfate, which removes the nonspecific low affinity antibodies. These are the same types of antibodies involved in autoimmunity, and that make HIV and hepatitis virus antigen tests inaccurate. The target is then added to a slightly stronger solution to remove the slightly more specific antibodies. This is repeated several times until only the high affinity antibodies, which are specific to their target, are left.
These specific antibodies are then used to manufacture monoclonal antibodies. So as we can see antibodies to the same target can differ in their specificity to their intended antigen. Another example to this would be the connective tissue disorders in women with silicone breast implants. The manufacturers claim that the silicone is inert in the body. Although this claim has been proven to be false. Anti-silicone antibodies have been found in response to both liquid silicone, and solid silicone. Solid silicone is used in the manufacture of silicone drainage tubes and the encapsulation bags for implants. Anyway low affinity antibodies developed in response to the silicone mistake collagen in human connective tissue for the intended target silicone because of the shared similar structure of silica in silicone and connective tissue.
Treatment of autoimmune disorders should start with building up the adrenal glands to properly regulate the immune response. Vitamin C is the most important nutrient for proper adrenal health, though I do not like synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid), sold in powders, crystals, capsules, tablets, and liquids. Synthetic C is very unstable, especially if in liquid form, or if exposed to heat or light. Synthetic C is also less active than natural vitamin C. Amla berries are the highest source of vitamin C, and the most stable. My next choice would be camu camu, followed by acerola cherry. The next most important nutrient for the adrenal glands is the vitamin pantothenic acid.
The highest herbal source for this vitamin is bee pollen. Be careful though if you are allergy prone. Herbs that support adrenal function include schisandra berries (my favorite), ashwaganda, nettle leaf, Siberian ginseng (cijuwa, eleuthro), seaweeds, suma, licorice root (also a natural steroid so use in small doses), Arctic root, and astragalus. Remember to avoid all stimulants, and try to keep your stress levels down as much as possible. And steroids cannot be cut off cold turkey. They must be gradually reduced. Licorice root actually increases the effects of Prednisone and reduces its excretion. Therefore, when using licorice root Prednisone dosage may need to be reduced. Discuss reducing your Prednisone dosage with your doctor if using licorice root while taking Prednisone. What triggers autoimmunity is not always certain. Although microbes have been implicated, or suspected, in many cases.
Examples
Autoimmune disorder & Suspected or known triggers
Juvenile diabetes: Coxsackie virus, rubella, Cytomegalovirus. Also linked to vaccines utilizing live viruses including DPT, MMR, rotavirus, and hepatitis vaccines.
Multiple sclerosis: Human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6)
Rheumatoid arthritis and reactive arthritis (Reiter's Syndrome): Chlamydia bacteria, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), gonorrheal bacteria, salmonella, Mycobacterium, enterobacteria, shigella bacteria, campylobacter bacteria
Crohn's disease: Mycobacterium
Ulcerative colitis: Mycobacterium.
Lupus: EBV
Sjorgren's syndrome: Hepatitis viruses, Coxsackie virus, and EBV
Hashimoto's thyroidosis: EBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1
Myasthenia gravis: HCV, and possibly other viruses Therefore, antimicrobials are recommended in the treatment of autoimmune disorders as well. Excellent antimicrobials that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi include andrographis, chaparral, pau d' arco, and amla.
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Breast Cancer
The incidence of breast cancer has declined 7% in the past few years. The big question is why?
The most likely explanation is declining use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) by women. Researchers have shown that the decline in breast cancer rates started as soon as it was publicly admitted that ERT had been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. When this long held knowledge was made public, many women immediately went off their hormone replacement therapies.
Even though this is strong evidence that ERT was directly increasing breast cancer rates, other researchers are trying to argue against the evidence. One claim was made that the decrease in breast cancer rates may be due to better mammography techniques. Actually, if better mammography techniques were being implemented, then the incidence of breast cancer would be going up, not down. Standard mammography systems can miss malignant tumors, especially if they are small. Utilizing more advanced mammography techniques would allow for the detection of smaller tumors that would otherwise be missed. Because more tumors would be detected, the incidence of breast cancer would actually go up.
The increased risk of breast cancer from ERT has been well known for decades by the medical community. It has only been in the past few years that this increased risk has been widely reported in the media though. Other adverse effects of ERT, including hypothyroidism, increased risk of heart attack and strokes from blood clots, weight gain, depression, and other adverse effects still do not get the media's attention.
Premarin is the most widely used drug for ERT. The name Premarin comes from its source, which is pregnant mare's urine (PREgnant MARe's urINe). Premarin is on average 3,000 times stronger than the estrogens produced by the human body. It is well known that human estrogens may cause or promote breast cancers in women, as well as other disorders. So why would the medical establishment try to convince women that something 3,000 times stronger than their own estrogens is essentially safe over the last three decades?
And why would the medical establishment tell women to take Premarin to reduce the risk of heart disease when estrogen is well known to cause blood clots? Blood clots are a common cause of heart attacks, and strokes.
The only real benefit of ERT that I see is the protective effect on bones. Estrogens do not promote bone growth. Instead they can help prevent bone loss after natural, or surgically induced, menopause. Although, it requires much more than estrogen to prevent osteoporosis, and there are safer alternatives. For example, the mineral boron has been shown in clinical studies to prevent bone loss in the absence of ERT at a daily dosage of 3mg.
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Breast Implants: Saline & Silicone
Saline Implants
Safety of breast implants has been debated for decades. This debate has brought to public attention to dangers of silicone breast implants. Unfortunately, not as much attention has been focused on the safety of saline implants.
The FDA has left the public with the impression that saline implants are safe since the FDA has not targeted them as well. Although, saline implants are safer than silicone implants, they still pose dangers to the body.
One problem with saline implants is that the bag that holds the saline is made of silicone. As explained in my blog on silicone implants, the immune system reacts to solid silicone in the same manner it reacts to liquid silicone. If the antibodies to the silicone are of the low affinity type, these antibodies could tag healthy connective tissue for destruction by the immune system.
Another problem is the often erroneous belief that the saline inside the implants is sterile. This is not necessarily true. If the implant bags are filled and sterilized prior to implantation, then the saline would be sterile. The majority of saline implants though are inserted empty, then filled once they are inserted. It is true that the bag is sterile before implantation, and the saline is sterile before being injected into the bag. The problem arises when the saline is injected into the bag. This is done by drawing the saline into a syringe, then injecting the saline into the bag. Once the tip of the syringe is uncapped, and exposed to air, it becomes contaminated. This is true of any injection. Although, during general injections the amount of contamination is minimal, in the immune system can deal with it. A different scenario occurs when saline implants are filled. Instead of the contamination being injected into the bloodstream where the immune system can deal with it, the contamination becomes safely contained within the silicone bag filled with saline. Since the immune system cannot detect, or destroy, the pathogens within the saline, the pathogens are free to grow in safety. Over time the level of pathogens reaches a dangerous level. If the implants begin to leak, or worse rupture, a highly pathogenic saline can overwhelm the immune system causing dangerous or deadly diseases.
I mentioned an example in my blog about silicone implants. My friend developed breast cancer in her right breast after her right silicone implant ruptured. She successfully fought her cancer with herbs and ozone therapy. When her saline implants, that she replaced the silicone implants with, started to leak, she developed malignant tumors from head to toe. She sold for ozone unit to help pay medical bills, and she died from cancer, which I truly believe developed from her saline implants.
Another friend had her implants removed, and gave them to me. I like to show them to people as an example of what I am referring to. Her implants were double lumen, silicone in a bag surrounded by a bag of saline. The saline is brown and black instead of clear. The color comes from the pathogens growing in the saline.
Human blood actually has a very similar chemistry to seawater. This makes saline an excellent medium for the growth pathogens. Add the warmth of the body, and you have a perfect breeding environment for pathogens.
This problem is well-known, though not often discussed. One possible solution being considered is the use of peanut oil as a substitute for saline. The advantage is that without the moisture microbial growth is limited or eliminated. And researchers say that if the implants rupture, that the oil will be safely eliminated from the body. Peanut oil may not be the best choice though considering the number of people with severe peanut allergies.
As a final note about saline implants, has been reported that women with saline implants often experience a sloshing sound when flying. This problem occurs from the small air pocket formed when the implants are filled. The lower atmospheric pressure, when flying, causes the air bubble to expand. With the larger airspace, the saline can easily slosh around inside the implant. The problem disappears as the plane lands, and air bubble is compressed back down to normal size.
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Silicone Implants
The FDA just lifted its ban on silicone implants. Instead of waiting for safety studies, they have decided to allow them back on the market with a “wait and see” attitude to see if any problems crop up. Supposedly, the FDA is supposed to hold off on the approval of drugs and medical devices until safety can be established. Although it seems more and more that they are allowing these drugs and devices to be put on the market and people being used as human guinea pigs. When the drugs are devices are found to be very dangerous or deadly the FDA often leaves them on the market, unless forced to remove them.
The safety of silicone implants has been in question for quite a long time. Back in the early 60s, both Dow Corning Wright (DCW), and the FDA, submitted interoffice memorandums admitting that the original breast implants could cause problems due to the polyurethane coating, which decomposed in the body in to the carcinogen TDA. Despite the danger, both DCW and the FDA did not remove these implants from the market, but rather stated that their use should be limited. The coated implants were eventually banned because of the danger of cancer from these type implants.
Though, the safety problems did not end there. Silicone implants have been suspected of causing a host of problems from autoimmunity to connective tissue disorders. Talking to women over the years with silicone implants, I have heard complaints suspected from the implants including skin disorders, chronic sinus infections, joint disorders, memory loss, etc. A personal friend of mine developed breast cancer in her right breast after her right silicone implant ruptured. She had the implants replaced with saline implants thinking they were safer. The cancer was eventually put in to remission with herbs and ozone therapy. When her saline implants started to leak she started developing malignant tumors all over her body. She sold her ozone unit to help cover her medical bills. I received a call one day from a mutual friend, and I was told that our friend was in hospice. She passed away shortly afterward. I have no doubt that the implants were a direct cause of her death.
Silicone manufacturers maintain that their products are safe, and there is no evidence that the implants cause any health problems. Research on the safety of silicone tells a different story. When researching the safety of silicone breast implants a while back, I ran across a very interesting article in a medical journal. The article did not have anything to with implants, but brought up an interesting fact. The article actually described a 12 year old girl with a silicone drainage tube in her brain. The patient developed antibodies to the silicone drainage tube. The reason this is so important is that it shows us too things. First, all the focus has been on the liquid silicone in the implants, which starts leaking from the implants right after they are implanted. They do not need to rupture to leak. This case shows us that not only does the body react to the foreign silicone, but also that the body reacts to solid silicone. The bags of silicone and saline implants are made of solid silicone. To understand why this is important, we must first understand a simple fact. Contrary to what we are taught in medicine, antibodies are not always specific to their target.
Antibodies have different levels of specificity. High affinity antibodies are more specific to their target, and are the primary form of antibodies produced by a healthy immune system. Low affinity antibodies are less specific to nonspecific, and are the primary antibody produced in autoimmune disorders. Low affinity antibodies mistake healthy tissues for antigens, and inadvertently tag healthy tissue for destruction by white blood cells.
Understanding the above concept helps us to understand how silicone creates connective tissue disorders. As the immune system tries to deal with the foreign substance, antibodies are generated against the silicone. When the antibodies being generated are low affinity, they can tag connective tissue for destruction due to the resemblance between silicone and the connective tissue protein collagen.
Not every woman with breast implants will develop connective tissue disorders, or other problems. The reason is that the production of low affinity antibodies is not regulated by the presence of an antigen, but rather is due to the level of adrenal function. The adrenal glands produce hormones known as corticosteroids, which modulate the immune response. When the adrenal glands are healthy, they can produce sufficient levels of the corticosteroids for the production of high affinity antibodies. If the adrenal glands become suppressed from conditions such as Prednisone use, chronic stress, or stimulant abuse, then lowered levels of corticosteroids can lead to a higher production of low affinity antibodies. This increases the risk of connective tissue disorders.
It is also possible that anti-silicone antibodies play a role in the failure of implants. The average lifespan of an implant is around 12 years. The implants are not being exposed to ultraviolet, or other things that can cause silicone deterioration. Therefore, it should be considered that the immune system’s assault on the silicone could play a role in the walls of the bag weakening and eventually rupturing.
Liquid silicone does pose more of a problem than solid silicone though. Once liquid silicone leaks in to the body, the silicone migrates in to various tissues, making it impossible to completely remove. There is even some concern that liquid silicone might be able to migrate in to the brain. Regardless, women with silicone poisoning from leakage of liquid silicone, risk a lifetime of health problems.
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Calcium Water; Coral Calcium; Chocolate Calcium
Calcium and Sports Water
With all the talk about the benefits of calcium, manufacturers are adding calcium to numerous products. Sometimes these combinations leave the calcium unavailable to the body, and in other cases it can create serious problems.
Recently I have seen commercials for a new sports water with added calcium. At first this may sound like a great idea. After all calcium does play a role in bone strength, and exercise is needed to get the calcium in to the bone. Although, the addition of calcium to sports waters actually pose an unintended problem for athletes. Calcium contracts muscles, which can lead to muscle cramping. In fact, the most common reason for muscle cramping in most people is excess calcium levels, not potassium deficiency as is often believed. In order to prevent muscle contraction, and potential muscle cramping, the calcium must be balanced out with sufficient levels of magnesium, which relaxes muscles.
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Calcium from Coral
I do not recommend calcium from coral. Actually it is not much different from oyster shell, which is a lot cheaper. Both extract minerals and trace minerals from the water, and both are composed of calcium carbonate, which is a terrible form of calcium to be taking.
Coral is a colony of living animals, called polyps. As fish respirate they release carbon dioxide into the water, which reacts with calcium to form calcium carbonate. The polyps extract the calcium carbonate from the water to cement themselves to a hard surface. New polyps then cement themselves to the old dead polyps and the cycle continues causing the coral to grow. In the process other minerals are extracted from the water, but the primary component of coral still remains calcium carbonate.
The big problem with calcium carbonate is that it is very alkaline, and neutralizes acids. With the big push to alkalinize, this may sound good at first, but parts of the body need to be acid, and being too alkaline in the blood is also a problem. The biggest concern here is the stomach, which definitely needs to be acid. The stomach needs to be acid actually for several reasons. For instance in order to digest proteins the body uses an enzyme called pepsin. But pepsin cannot work without sufficient stomach acid being present. And vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed from the gut either, unless there is sufficient stomach acid. But stomach acid levels naturally decline with age, which is why B12 deficiencies are common in the elderly. Another problem is that many minerals cannot be absorbed unless there is sufficient stomach acid present, or unless they are pre-acidified, such as citrates, or reacted with other acids in the stomach, such as fruit acids or vinegar added to foods. Carbonates actually interfere with the absorption of minerals, like calcium, and even more importantly silica.
Silica is the most important nutrient for bone health, and is also essential for healthy hair, nails, teeth, tendons, ligaments, arteries, etc. Silica deficiencies are also responsible for wrinkle formation since silica is essential for elastin formation, which helps keep the skin from sagging.
Another very important purpose of stomach acid is to control the growth of microbes, such as bacteria and yeast in the stomach since most cannot tolerate a high acid environment. Therefore, as stomach acid levels decline the risk of infection increases. For example, the most common cause of heartburn is a lack of stomach acid leading to an overgrowth of stomach yeast. Fermentation from the yeast leads to a carbon dioxide build up in the stomach. The resulting pressure tires out the sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach and it gives way allowing the gas to escape up the esophagus. When this happens, traces of acid go with the gas causing the heartburn. Unfortunately the medical community is still stuck on the long outdated idea that excessive stomach acid causes heartburn, and they do not bother to read their own medical texts. Excessive stomach acid, a condition known as hyperchlorrhydria, is considered extremely rare. Yet antacids and acid blockers, which cover up the symptoms while making the underlying problem worse, are the second largest selling drug class. One of these compounds commonly used to neutralize stomach acid is calcium carbonate, such as Tums, and coral. Stomach acid is the first thing the carbonate in the coral is going to come into contact with making it more effective in alkalinizing the stomach than the blood. This is a real bad idea! The best way to get around this problem is to get your minerals from food or herbs. Minerals in plants are naturally chelated, which means they are bound to proteins. Being bound to proteins the body will accept these sources like foods, and the proteins help chaperone the minerals into the body where they are separated and can do their job of helping to reduce acids in the blood, not the stomach.
There are actually different chemical compositions in the corals taken from above the water and below the water. The below water coral has more nutrients; this is in part due to what else is in it. The below water coral is actually coral sand dredged from the bottom. Therefore, it not only is the broken down coral being sucked up, but also any little plants and animals in the sand. The above water coral has been weathered and leached of many of its minerals.
In short, there are better choices for calcium than coral. For instance if you want a great source of calcium and trace minerals then you could use Atlantic kelp, which not only contains these minerals, but also vitamins, which are not found in coral. Seaweeds contain algins, which bind with heavy metals such as those found in the coral, and the seaweeds themselves. By binding with the heavy metals algins pull these heavy metals from the body. Coral and colloidal minerals from shale deposits being sold as “plant derived” cannot do this.
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Chocolate and Calcium Supplements
A new trend is the addition of calcium with chocolate for calcium supplements, such as chewable calcium supplements. From a marketing standpoint this may sound like a great idea. From a practical standpoint though, it is real stupidity. Cocoa, used to make chocolate, is a rich source of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid has a high affinity for calcium, binding with it, and rendering it unusable by the body. In addition, the formation of calcium oxalate crystals may increase the risk of kidney stones in some individuals.
Coffee and teas (black, oolong, and green), are also sources of oxalic acid. For this reason calcium supplements should not be taken with these beverages. Nor should green tea be added to supplements with calcium, or be taken with calcium supplements.
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Cancer
Cancer is an uncontrolled division of cells with specific genetic changes making them malignant. There are conditions where cells can develop uncontrolled growth without malignant changes such as benign tumors and psoriasis.
A common myth is that everyone has malignant cells. Though as stated above not all cellular overgrowths are malignant. If it were true that everyone had malignant cells then we would all be in serious trouble since the immune system has an extremely difficult time detecting and destroying malignant cells.
Another common myth is that malignant cells can survive in the absence of oxygen. In reality, malignant cells are highly reliant on oxygen for survival and die in the absence of oxygen. In fact, both healthy cells and malignant cells rely on both anaerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation for energy production. The main difference here is that malignant cells have a very irregular vascular development reducing their utilization of oxygen by oxidative phosphorylation somewhat.
It was long believed that malignant cells were completely anaerobic and that they produced lactic acid as a byproduct of fermentation. These hypotheses have since been disproven. As pointed out previously malignant cells rely on oxygen for survival. And in the process of energy production they produce the non-acidic salt of lactic acid known as lactate. The extracellular acidity of malignant tumors comes from the acidic protons exported by cancer cells to protect themselves from the acidity that would kill them.
The most common triggers for malignancies are microbes, especially viruses. Bacterial and fungal-based malignancies are less common. Other common causes of malignancies include carcinogens including chemotherapy drugs, radiation exposure including radiation therapy, and hormones, especially xenoestrogens (herbicides, pesticides, some plastics, dioxins from paper mills, etc.) and estrogen replacement therapy. Parasitical infections may cause some cancers though these forms of cancer are extremely rare. Human genetics are believed to play a role in the development of some cancers, though the evidence for this hypothesis is very weak. Many of the so-called oncogenes (cancer genes) have actually been discovered to be of viral, not human, origin. By inserting their DNA in to healthy cells the viruses change the chemistry of the cell, and stimulate the overproduction of cellular division hormones.
Many herbs have antitumor effects through different mechanisms.
Chaparral prevents the cellular division of malignant cells, and is a strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent. Chaparral boosts the immune system by raising vitamin C levels in the adrenal glands and is the strongest natural antioxidant known.
Pau d' arco (lapacho, ipe roxo, tabuei, taheebo) is another excellent anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal herb, though it is more suited for leukemias and lymphomas. Combining chaparral and pau d' arco together increases the antiviral effect of the pau d' arco.
Myrrh kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Myrrh also stimulates white blood cell activity due to the polysaccharides in the herb and blocks the spread of malignant cells by blocking the enzyme hyaluronidase.
Poke root is another very important herb for the treatment of cancer, though it should be used with caution since it can be toxic. Poke root contains a protein called PAF (poke activating factor) that is structurally similar to interferon. Though unlike interferons PAF is not tissue specific. In other words interferons only work for the same tissues they were derived from, which is why interferon therapy rarely works. Since PAF is not tissue specific it will have an interferon-like effect on all tissues. I like to combine amla berries with the poke root for a synergistic effect.
Amla berry is rich in stable vitamin C. Vitamin C supports the immune system through the adrenal glands and the thymus gland. Vitamin C is also required for the activation of white blood cells. Amla destroys viruses, bacteria, and fungi, all of which have been linked to the formation of cancers. The synergy between amla and poke occurs because amla increases the levels of an enzyme, known as superoxide dismutase (SOD) about 80%. SOD responds to the presence of interferons, or in this case PAF, by producing hydrogen peroxide, which activates white blood cells including natural killer (NK) cells that destroy detectable malignant cells and destroys some oncogenic microbes.
Nettle leaves remove lactate from the body so it is not converted back in to glucose through the Cori cycle.
Juniper berries contain an insulin-like compound that lowers the blood sugar. Therefore both nettle leaves and juniper berries help to starve the cancer cells.
Various mushrooms have shown strong antitumor properties including maitake, shiitake, reishi, oyster, agaricus, black fungus, enoki, and artist's conk. My personal favorites are the mushrooms turkey tails and chagas. Turkey tails contain two separate polysaccharides, polysaccharides K and P that stimulate white blood cell activity. Turkey tails contain the highest level of organic germanium of all the mushrooms. Organic germanium helps the cells to utilize oxygen and been demonstrated to be highly antitumor. Chagas are not well known, but in my opinion this black conk mushroom has the strongest antitumor properties of all the mushrooms. Chagas not only contain immune stimulating polysaccharides, but also contains high levels of betulinic acid, another compound shown to have extremely high antiviral and antitumor activity.
Suma is the highest herbal source of organic germanium. Suma also supports immunity through the adrenal glands.
Several other herbs that are not well known, thought that have shown strong antitumor activity, are andrographis and jiaogulan. I also highly recommend turmeric, which has been shown to stop cancer growth through various mechanisms.
Recommended minerals are 50mg zinc daily, 200mcg selenium three times daily, and 40mg organic germanium three times daily all with meals. When using germanium make sure that it is organic germanium (Bis betacarboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide), and not elemental germanium or germanium dioxide, both of which are highly toxic to the kidneys.
For supplemental vitamins I recommend 1,000mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids 3 times daily with meals. Amla berry is the preferred source of vitamin C since the vitamin C in amla is stabilized by the polyphenols in the berries, and it is 12 times stronger than synthetic vitamin C. Most of the vitamin C on the market is synthesized from sugar, and is not very stable and therefore breaks down fairly quickly.
Ozone therapy is the most effective, and one of the safest, therapies I have found for cancer. Ozone works through several mechanisms:
Direct destruction of malignant cells from peroxide overload. Unlike healthy cells cancerous tumors lack the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidases and superoxide dismutase) needed to break down peroxides. Since malignant cells cannot break down peroxides the high levels of hydrogen and lipid peroxides produced during ozone therapy swell the malignant cells until they burst apart. Healthy cells use their antioxidant enzymes to break these peroxides down in to water and oxygen and therefore are not harmed by therapeutic levels of ozone. In one German study malignant tumors directly injected with ozone were completely destroyed within 5 minutes with no damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
Destruction of malignancy forming microbes, xenoestrogens and many other carcinogens.
Removal of lactate.
Stimulation of the immune system by increasing levels of interferons, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), peroxides and superoxide dismutase. All of these stimulate white blood cell activity helping to support proper immunity.
For further information I recommend reading The Use of Ozone in Medicine (highly technical, written for doctors), or Oxygen Healing Therapies. Ozone can be harmful if administered improperly. Only minute concentrations can be used internally, and it must be produced with pure oxygen for internal use. In addition it is recommended that only cold corona ozone generators be used for internal use, and never a hot corona or ultraviolet (UV) unit. Hot corona and UV units are for external use only. I have seen some units being sold as cold corona units that were actually hot corona, so it is important to learn how to tell the difference and to buy from a reputable company.
Cancer patients should eliminate sugars from their diets as much as possible. Sugars suppress white blood cell activity and elevated blood sugar can promote malignant growth. Farm raised meats and dairy should be avoided because of hormones and antibiotics in these products and because of the formaldehyde found in homogenized milk. Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) should be avoided because aspartame breaks down quickly under body heat and other heat sources releasing highly toxic methanol. Methanol then metabolizes in to formic acid, an organ irritant, and strongly carcinogenic formaldehyde. Peanuts should be avoided since they tend to contain high levels of aflatoxins produced from a fungus known as Aspergillus niger. Aflatoxins are well known for causing liver malignancies in immunosuppressed people.
The diet should consist primarily of vegetables, especially those in the cabbage family, which contain antitumor compounds. Seeds are also beneficial because they contain antiviral protease inhibitors.
I recommend drinking plenty of spring water, not distilled or reverse osmosis (RO) water. Distilled and RO water are very solvent and therefore can pull beneficial minerals from the body. If you are going to use distilled or RO water I recommend adding trace mineral drops or silica to the water first so it loses some of its solvency. Spring water is less solvent and provides beneficial minerals. As an alternative to water I recommend rooibos (red tea, honey bush), which is rich in an immune stimulating compound similar to superoxide dismutase. Rooibos is also low in tannins and therefore will not interfere with the absorption of medications, herbs or nutrients like green tea and other high tannin sources can.
Sample Formula
3 parts Chaparral
2 parts Pau d' arco
2 parts Red clover blossom
2 parts Jiaogulan
2 parts Andrographis
2 parts Turmeric
2 parts Amla
2 parts Nettle leaf
2 parts Dulse
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Licorice root
1 part Poke root
1 part Juniper berry
All of these herbs should be blended together thoroughly to make the formula. The recommended dosage is 1/2 teaspoon taken 3 times daily on an empty stomach a minimum of 30 minutes before eating a meal. The formula can be mixed in a small amount of unsweetened cinnamon applesauce to make it more palatable.
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The Chemistry of Ozone Therapy on Cancer
Ozone therapy is the safest and most effective cancer therapy I have ever found. An interesting aspect of ozone therapy is that ozone has the ability to selectively destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.
See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7403859
Science. 1980 Aug 22;209(4459):931-3.
Ozone selectively inhibits growth of human cancer cells.
Sweet F, Kao MS, Lee SC, Hagar WL, Sweet WE.
Abstract
The growth of human cancer cells from lung, breast, and uterine tumors was selectively inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by ozone at 0.3 to 0.8 part per million of ozone in ambient air during 8 days of culture. Human lung diploid fibroblasts served as noncancerous control cells. The presence of ozone at 0.3 to 0.5 part per million inhibited cancer cell growth 40 and 60 percent, respectively. The noncancerous lung cells were unaffected at these levels. Exposure to ozone at 0.8 part per million inhibited cancer cell growth more than 90 percent and control cell growth less than 50 percent. Evidently, the mechanisms for defense against ozone damage are impaired in human cancer cells.
Another interesting aspect of ozone when dealing with cancer is that the ozone fights cancer through a variety of mechanisms. Some of the anticancer effects of ozone include:
Destruction of cancer producing pathogens.
Oxidative destruction of xenoestrogens and other carcinogens.
Increasing levels of immune stimulating and cancer fighting cytokines.
Increasing levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD converts the superoxide anion in to oxygen, and anti-cancer and immune stimulating hydrogen peroxide.
Increasing white blood cell activity.
Decreasing lactate levels preventing its conversion back in to glucose through gluconeogenesis.
Immediate and direct destruction of cancer cells through an overload of peroxide within the cancerous cells.
Advantages of ozone over allopathic treatments include:
Cancerous cells cannot build up a tolerance to ozone the way it can to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This is especially useful for destroying metastasized cells that can migrate in to the brain or bone where they are hard to treat with allopathic methods.
Ozone therapy is not inhibited by a poor vasculature within tumors as is the case with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which is why these therapies have such low success rates.
Ozone therapy does not cause metastases of cancer cells like biopsies and radiation therapy can.
Ozone therapy is not carcinogenic (cancer causing) or immune suppressing like radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Ozone stimulates the healing of damaged tissues in low concentrations.
Ozone treatments can be self administered at home.
Ozone therapy is cost efficient. Cold corona units needed for therapy can be purchased for between $500-1500, with an additional $200 for an oxygen tank and regulator. The cost of oxygen and electricity averages less than $0.10 per treatment.
To understand how ozone directly destroys cancer cells we first need to go over some basic chemistry. Ozone is generally accepted as being O3, although higher allotropes (O4 and up) do exist. If I write up the formula this way O:O·O we can see that two of the oxygen atoms are stable due to paired electrons, but the third oxygen atom is not. This makes the ozone molecule itself unstable and reactive. As the ozone molecule is broken down singlet oxygen (O1 or O·) is formed. Singlet oxygen is one of the strongest oxidizers known, with only fluorine exceeding it in oxidation power.
The oxygen we breath, O2, is stable because it has paired balancing electrons (O:O). Singlet oxygen (O·) on the other hand does not have a paired electron to stabilize it. This makes the singlet oxygen highly reactive since it is needs to seek out an electron it can steal so it can stabilize itself. For example, as ozone breaks down the singlet oxygen atoms released can react with each other to form a more stable O2.
Other sources for singlet oxygen to obtain electrons from to stabilize can include carcinogens, cancer microbes, water and lipids (fats). It is this reactivity that allows ozone to have so many anticancer properties.
These anticancer properties include:
Killing cancer pathogens by either reacting with the lipids in the membranes of the pathogen creating lipid peroxides destroying the pathogen directly, or by reacting with water to form hydrogen peroxide that in turn destroys the pathogen.
Destruction of carcinogens, such as xenoestrogens through oxidative destruction by ozone.
Peroxides formed by ozone increase production of immune supporting cytokines.
Peroxides created by the reaction of ozone on water lead to cellular apoptosis (self destruction) of low adenosine triphosphate (ATP) containing cells such as aged cells and cancerous tumor cells.
Both lipid peroxides and hydrogen peroxide created during ozone therapy increase white blood activity, which are a primary component of the immune system.
The formation of lipid and hydrogen peroxides lead to the selective destruction of cancerous tumor cells through an overload of peroxide within the cells.
Before I go any further though, I need to point out a key difference between cancerous tumor cells and healthy cells. This will help explain how ozone selectively kills cancer cells.
Healthy cells contain antioxidant enzymes known as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidases that break down peroxides to protect healthy cells from oxidative damage by these peroxides.
Peroxides though are required for a number of functions within the body. These functions include destruction of pathogens, activation of white blood cells, stimulating production of immune enhancing cytokines and destruction of cancerous cells by natural killer (NK) cells.
Cancerous cells are often hard for the immune system to detect since they can “shield” themselves from the immune system to avoid detection. When the immune system is able to detect cancerous tumor cells, NK cells attach to the cells. Once attached NK cells inject peroxide in to these cancerous cells. Unlike healthy cells though, cancerous cells lack sufficient levels of CAT and peroxidases. This is an Achilles’ heel for cancerous cells. Because cancerous cells are deficient in these enzymes peroxide entering the cancer cells will swell these cancer cells to the point of rupturing. This selectively kills the cancer cells without destroying healthy cells since healthy cells contain sufficient levels of these enzymes to break down the peroxides harmlessly in to water and oxygen.
Ozone has a very similar effect on cancer cells as NK cells. When ozone reacts with the lipids (fats) of cancer cell membranes lipid peroxides are formed. Singlet oxygen formed from the breakdown of ozone will also form some hydrogen peroxide by reaction with extracellular water. These peroxides enter cancer cells causing the cancer cells to swell until they burst. During the process more singlet oxygen is generated, which in turn creates more peroxides leading to a chain reaction. Therefore, very small amounts of ozone are capable of destroying extensive amounts of cancer cells upon contact.
One study performed in Germany found that when ozone was injected in to mammary carcinomas of mice that the tumors were completely destroyed within 5 minutes of injection. There was no damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Ozone therapy must be properly administrated with the proper dosage for the therapy to be safe and effective. Therefore, ozone therapy should not be applied without proper knowledge and training.
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Cellulite
Cellulite is caused from a breakdown of connective tissue. In the under layer of skin is an area formed from collagenous fibers known as septae. In men this layer is crossed like a net giving it a great deal of strength. In women this layer is not crossed, but rather layered, which makes it more prone to tears, and loss of elasticity. When tears, or loss of elasticity, occur in the septae, the underlying fat pushes up creating the dimpled look, known as cellulite. This is why cellulite is rarely seen in men.
The most important factor in treating cellulite therefore is addressing the connective tissue strength. The best supplements for strengthening connective tissue are silica, vitamin C and sulfur. Zinc and copper are needed in trace amounts as catalysts for the production of collagen. Nettle leaf is a good source of all of these nutrients. Gotu kola is another herb commonly used to strengthen connective tissues.
Circulation to the area is also very important. Blood helps to carry toxins out of the body, which can otherwise convert to fat so they can be stored safely. The problem is that increased fat deposits will put more stress on the connective tissue increasing the risk of damage. An easy way to help increase circulation and to remove toxins is to use a loofah sponge in the shower to briskly rub the area. This will turn the area red by dilating capillaries and increasing blood flow. After blood flow has been increased in the area push lightly from below the area upward towards the heart. The same goes when you go to towel off. The reason for this is there are one way valves in veins. If you try to push the blood away from the heart you will just back up the blood against the valves and stretch out and damage the veins. Therefore, your movements should always be back towards the heart.
I also recommend the herb butcher’s broom since it is a good silica source, and it helps to improve circulation.
Remember to stay away from stimulants such as cigarettes and caffeine as these decrease vitamin C levels in the body further weakening the connective tissue.
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Medicinal Properties of Chaparral
If I made a list of my top 10 favorite herbs, chaparral (Larrea tridentata) would definitely be on that list. This hardy plant, comprising over 20 species, cannot only survive the extremes of desert life, but can also live to be well over 10,000 years old. In fact, I have read that one of the oldest living plants on earth is a massive chaparral plant in California believed to be over 25,000 years old. Natural habitats for chaparral include the Southwestern US, Mexico, South America, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean.
Medicinally, chaparral is hard to beat. The plant has strong antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-tumor properties. Chaparral is also a great anti-inflammatory, and raises vitamin C levels in the adrenal glands. By strengthening the adrenals, inflammatory conditions are reduced in the body, stress responses are improved, immune function is strengthened, depression can be alleviated, blood sugar can be stabilized, allergies/asthma reduced, etc. Chaparral is an extremely strong blood purifier, which is probably in part due to its high sulfur content. Its sulfur content could also help explain its historical use as a hair growth agent.
In addition, chaparral is the strongest antioxidant I have seen. Many antioxidant manufacturers claim that their antioxidant is the strongest known, but they are misleading. For example, manufacturers of Pycnogenol claimed that they had the strongest antioxidant known. They even went as far to compare the strength of their product to vitamin E. The problem is that Pycnogenols, or PCOs, are water soluble. Natural vitamin E on the other hand is lipid (fat) soluble. This is like comparing a car to a bicycle. They are both a source of transportation, but with big differences. And if I were to compare Pycnogenols with vitamin E, I would say the vitamin E is the car, which is more powerful, and the Pycnogenols are the bicycle. This is because I feel the cell membrane, which is composed of lipids, is more prone to free radical damage than the components within the water portion of the cell. Chaparral is different because it is not limited to the water or lipid portions of the cell. The antioxidants in chaparral work in both parts of the cell.
The antioxidants in chaparral include flavonoids, and a very powerful antioxidant known as nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). NDGA is such a strong and effective antioxidant that it was actually used for decades as an antioxidant preserservative for oils and foods, with full approval of the USDA.
Chaparral is best known for its ability to treat cancer effectively. The antitumor effects of chaparral have been verified in studies conducted by the universities of both Nevada and Utah. One of the things that makes chaparral unique in its ability to treat cancer is the fact that it “attacks” the cancer through multiple mechanisms. Since the majority of cancers have a microbial origin, the first mechanism is through the destruction of viruses, bacteria and fungi. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to the formation of cancers, meaning that chaparral’s anti-inflammatory properties can inhibit some cancers. Chaparral can inhibit cancers triggered, or aggravated, by free radicals and toxins due to its antioxidant and cleansing properties. Chaparral’s liver cleansing properties makes it helpful for hormonal induced cancers since the liver is responsible for the breakdown of excess hormones. And finally, chaparral inhibits mitochondrial enzymes, which in turn inhibits the cellular division of cancer cells. In short, this means it inhibits cancer growth.
Chaparral’s ability to kill microbes makes it useful for a number of diseases linked to microbial infections. These include cancers (viral, bacterial, and fungal forms), heart disease (chlamydia bacteria), hepatitis (viral, bacterial, and fungal forms), rheumatoid (chlamydia bacteria) and other forms of infectious arthritis, multiple sclerosis (human herpes virus type 6), ulcerative colitis (mycoavian complex bacterium), Crohn’s disease (mycoavian complex bacterium), type 1 diabetes (viral), pneumonia (viral, bacterial, and fungal forms), bronchitis (viral, bacterial, and fungal forms), etc. One of the most interesting areas of study for the use of chaparral is in the treatment of herpes infections, where studies are looking very promising.
Chaparral is very resinous, and so is not easy to prepare as a tea. Resins and water do not mix, and the resin will separate out and stick to the pan wall when trying to make the tea. Therefore, I recommend not using this herb as a tea. I personally prefer the powder mixed with other herbs. By combining the powder with other powdered herbs, the other powdered herbs will help prevent the resins in the chaparral from clumping the powder in to a big “gumball” when it comes in to contact with water. This helps maintain a larger surface area, thereby increasing the absorption and effectiveness of the herb. In addition, the addition of other herbs can increase the effectiveness of each herb. For instance, chaparral combined with red clover blossom increases the antitumor activity of both herbs. Combining chaparral with pau d’ arco (lapacho, taheebo, ipe roxo) increases the antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of both herbs.
Again, the FDA tried to claim that chaparral was linked to 13 cases of hepatitis, though medical reviews subsequently found no evidence that the chaparral was linked to the cases. In fact, it was shown that many of the patients were found to have pre-existing liver failure, or were taking pharmaceutical drugs well known for causing liver damage. On the other hand, fresh chaparral does contain unstable alkaloids that may damage the liver if ingested for a length of time. Therefore, chaparral should be dried and aged for at least a month before use to destroy these alkaloids.
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Enviga
The Coca Cola Corporation has begun a joint venture with the Nestle Corporation to produce a new drink called Enviga. This green tea based beverage is claimed to be a “negative calorie” drink that will help burn calories. Enviga does have calories, actually 5 per can. The “negative calorie” claim must therefore be the belief that the drinks will burn more calories than it provides. Will the drink really help you lose weight though, and at what cost?
The manufacturers of Enviga claim that drinking 3 cans of Enviga a day will burn 60 to 100 calories per day. This is the equivalent number of calories of the average éclair, one cup of fat free ice cream, or 4 to 6 level teaspoons of sugar. In terms of fat, this equates to the loss of about of about 5 pounds over a year. Each can of Enviga costs an average of $1.40. Therefore, to lose that 5 pounds, if the drink really causes weight loss, would cost $1,533.00.
On the other hand, drinking a cold glass of water burns around 17 calories as the body burns calories to warm the water. Therefore, drinking 8 sixteen ounce glasses of cold water daily will burn 136 calories daily. In addition, drinking water not only helps to cleanse the system, but also suppresses the appetite. Both help reduce weight. A brisk walk burns 7 calories per minute. If it took 10 minutes to walk to the store to buy the Enviga, you would burn 70 calories, and another 70 calories on the way back. That is more calories burnt than by drinking 3 cans of Enviga. In addition, regular exercise helps to build muscle, which burns fat even when in a resting state.
Calories are not the only cause of weight gain though. So the real question is will Enviga help people lose weight. In my opinion, no it will not help people lose weight. In fact, it is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. To understand why, we must first look at the ingredients:
Carbonated water, calcium lactate, concentrated green tea from tea leaves, citric acid, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and potassium benzoate, natural flavors, Aspartame, caffeine, Acesulfame-K.
The only ingredient in Enviga that will have any real effect on weight loss is the green tea concentrate, and the added caffeine. Catechins in green tea have been found to help boost the metabolism, as does the added caffeine, and the caffeine from the tea extract. On the other hand, Enviga uses two artificial sweeteners, Aspartame, and Acesulfame-K. Not getting in to the other dangerous adverse effects of these two artificial sweeteners, both Aspartame and Acesulfame-K cause insulin spikes. Insulin in turn promotes fat production. In addition, Aspartame is also well known for causing weight gain because it promotes appetite. To further compound the problem, Aspartame can cause dry mouth syndrome increasing the likelihood that the person would drink even more Aspartame containing beverages, which can lead to further weight gain.
If you are really interested in losing weight, I recommend staying away from diet sodas and other diet drinks. Water is your best choice for a beverage, especially if you are diabetic.
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FDA Regulating Herbs
Once again the FDA is tying to overturn the Proxmire Vitamin Bill from 1962, which prohibits the FDA from regulating supplements as drugs. The FDA has tried numerous times though direct and manipulative methods. Several attempts were even made to hide their legislation within unrelated legislation, which would have given them the power to regulate supplements if the unrelated legislation had passed. Basically a Trojan horse method of trying to gain control.
This brings up some interesting questions. For instance, if the FDA considers herbs and supplements to be quackery, then why do they want to regulate these substances as drugs? Is it policy for the FDA to make prescription substances that they consider quackery? Of course it is not FDA policy, though it is done all the time. Take for instance the drug dextromethorphan (DM), which was shown in several studies dating back to the 1960s, to be no better than placebo. In fact, DM is only one of 710 drugs the FDA was ordered to remove from the market under court order in 1969. All 710 drugs were ordered to be removed because they were found to be either totally ineffective, or too dangerous for human use. Instead of removing these drugs as ordered to do by the court, the FDA instead found a loophole, and left all of these drugs on the market.
A large part of the problem is that numerous FDA officials own stock in the same pharmaceutical companies they oversee. In fact it has been reported for decades that over 150 FDA officials illegally own stock in these companies. Ownership of stock, by FDA officials, in pharmaceutical companies FDA officials oversee is a clear violation of insider trading laws. Furthermore, many FDA officials have gone to work, in high level positions, with these drug companies after helping to push the drug company's drugs through the approval process. In other cases it was reported that drug companies gave FDA officials payoffs or gifts after the FDA officials pushed their drugs through the approval process, and when these FDA officials blocked the drug company's competition. An excellent example is the generic drug scandal in which FDA officials were caught approving untested drugs in exchange for payoffs. Then the FDA harassed the drug company that tipped off the officials to the illegal activity of the FDA. More recently was the FDA's approval of the drug Ketek. The FDA was fully aware that the drug company falsified the safety data of the drug before the drug was approved by the FDA. The FDA has refused to remove Ketek from the market despite 4 deaths and 12 reported dangerous reactions.
At the same time the FDA has tried to remove several herbs from the market that have not been proven to be dangerous or deadly, such as ephedra and chaparral. The FDA lied about deaths they claim were from ephedra, when in fact they were due to the pharmaceutical drug ephedrine HCl. The company Nutraceuticals took the FDA to court claiming the ban was illegal, and the FDA was court ordered to lift their ban. The FDA has remained in violation of this court order. Claims that chaparral could cause hepatitis lead the FDA to try and ban the sale of this herb as well. Although the FDA failed to disclose that the 13 isolated cases of hepatitis, attributed to chaparral ingestion, were in patients known to have pre-existing liver failure, and/or were taking pharmaceutical drugs well known to cause liver damage.
It is clear that the FDA is not there to protect the public, but rather to protect the profits of large corporations. Especially corporations in which the FDA officials have financial connections to, or are compensated from with gifts, jobs or payoffs. And this is not limited to drugs. Take for instance the sweetener aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet). This highly toxic substance failed to pass the FDA approval process the first 4 times it was submitted. The fifth time it was pushed through by an FDA official who then went to work for the manufacturer in a high level position.
The FDA is supposed to regulate any drug on the market. Drugs are defined as any substance which treats, or mitigates a disease, or alters a body process. By definition this makes tobacco a drug. In fact, the tobacco industry deliberately manipulates nicotine levels within cigarettes to elicit a particular effect on the body. Additives are put in the tobacco to further increase these effects, by potentiating the effects of the nicotine, or by increasing its absorption. This clearly makes tobacco a drug, yet the FDA is not regulating it as a drug as they are supposed to.
So the question remains, can the FDA be trusted to regulate herbs and supplements when they cannot even properly regulate drug
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Herbs as Foods
I wonder what herbs, and foods, will be become prescription if the FDA gets its way to make all herbs and supplements prescription. The FDA claims that anything, in which a medical claim is made for, or that treats or mitigates a disease, or alters a function of the body is a drug, and therefore under FDA regulation. So what foods can be considered drugs, and may be subject to prescription?:
Cinnamon- Shown to lower blood sugar. Antiseptic. Aids in digestion.
Oats- Lower cholesterol. As a fiber it helps regulate bowel movements, and supplies silica to help in the formation of connective tissues.
Rice- Treats diarrhea.
Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts- Contain antitumor agents. Raw broccoli can slow down an overactive thyroid.
Peanuts- Raw peanuts will slow an overactive thyroid.
Soy- Regulates hormones. Raw, unfermented, soy treats overactive thyroid.
Watermelon- All parts of the watermelon are diuretic, and helps treat constipation.
Garlic- Lowers blood pressure.
Onions- Lower blood sugar. The skins of yellow onions contain quercetin, a natural antihistamine.
Rosemary- Antioxidant and antiseptic.
Oregano- Antiseptic.
Nopales- Lowers blood sugar. Treats enlarged prostate, and lowers cholesterol.
Grapes and raisins- Contain antiviral and antitumor polyphenols.
Green, oolong, and black teas- Contain antiviral and antitumor polyphenols.
Thyme- Antibacterial, antifungal. Thyme oil can be used to treat thrush and toenail infections.
Basil- Strongly antiviral. Basil oil kills the herpes virus and can be applied to cold sores to treat the outbreak.
Ginger- Shown in studies to be more effective than the pharmaceutical drug Dramamine in controlling motion sickness. Ginger also treats inflammations and pain, improves digestion, and is antiseptic.
Turmeric- Shown in studies to be highly antitumor, and antiseptic.
Apples- Help to control blood sugar and suppress the appetite.
Kiwi- Treats scurvy.
Citrus- Treats scurvy. Contains the natural antihistamine quercetin.
Strawberries- Treats scurvy. Contains antiviral polyphenols. Mashed strawberries can be applied to cold sores to help kill the localized virus.
Blueberries- Treats scurvy. Contains antiviral polyphenols. Mashed blueberries can be applied to cold sores to help kill the localized virus. Blueberries improve vision in cases of night blindness, and can help prevent macular degeneration.
Brans- Treat constipation.
Olive oil- Lowers cholesterol.
Wheat germ oil- Can help prevent cataracts, and improves energy.
Cocoa- Muscle relaxant due to high magnesium content. Magnesium in cocoa can help lower blood pressure and reduces menstrual cramps. Phenylethylamine (PEA) in cocoa is a psychoactive compound and antidepressant. Cocoa butter added to make chocolate is a laxative, and treats constipation.
Carrots- Helps improve vision, and fight cancer. Supports liver function, and treats constipation.
Beets- The root improves liver function, and treats iron deficiency anemia. The leaves are a methyl donor that treats inflammations, heart disease, and depression.
Yogurt- Treats irritable bowel syndrome and yeast infections.
It appears that if the FDA gets its way that we will have to carry a prescription pad with us just to eat.
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Benefits of Free Radicals
Unfortunately there is a lot of hype on the dangers of free radicals, but you never hear of the benefits. The body generates some free radicals to benefit the body in different ways. The most important of these free radicals is hydrogen peroxide, which is generated by superoxide dismutase, in many cells, to activate white blood cells. Some flora produce peroxide to kill bacteria and fungi. White blood cells, such as NK cells, generate peroxide to destroy pathogens and cancer cells.
Healthy cells use antioxidants, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, selenium methionine peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) to protect themselves from the damaging effects of free radicals. Diseased cells, such as cancer cells, and microbes often do not have these same defenses making them more vulnerable to attack by the free radicals produced by the body. There is a limited supply of antioxidants available to cells. Therefore, if the amount of free radicals present exceeds the body's ability to neutralize the unnecessary free radicals, then damage can occur.
On the flip side, taking excess levels of antioxidants can actually suppress the immune system by locking up beneficial free radicals, like hydrogen peroxide.
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Aspirin and Heart Attacks; NSAID
With all of the talk about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, it seems like there is a lot of advertising going on claiming that aspirin can reduce your risk of heart attack. Are these claims really credible, or just more pharmaceutical sales hype?
One of the most misleading commercials was from an aspirin manufacturer that was claiming that their product had been shown to reduce the risk of a second heart attack by 50%. Sounds really impressive until you look at how they came to their conclusion. It was revealed on news program that the company had started with around 100 test subjects. After being given the aspirin therapy for a length of time, the drug company chose only 6 participants to base their conclusion on. Out of the 6 participants, 3 had not had a second heart attack by that time. Thus the drug company came to the conclusion that their product reduced the risk of a second heart attack by 50%.
Numerous other companies have been making similar claims. And aspirin therapy is even being recommended to take during a heart attack. This is a widely accepted concept, and is even being recommended by some doctors. Though, this practice has never been proven safe, or beneficial in any way. In fact, the practice is being questioned by other doctors because evidence is contrary to this common belief.
Generally NSAIDs contract blood vessels and promote the formation of blood clots by inhibiting the hormone prostacyclin. Aspirin inhibits prostacyclin as well, leading to blood vessel constriction. Unlike other NSAIDs though, aspirin actually helps to prevent blood clots though by interfering with platelet clumping. Blood clots are well known for causing heart attacks and thrombic stroke. This is where the notion that aspirin would help prevent a heart attack, or reduce risk of death from a heart attack, got started. Aspirin does not dissolve existing blood clots though. If a person takes an aspirin after a heart attack from a blood clot (thrombus), the aspirin will not dissolve the blood clot to restore blood flow. Although, as with all NSAIDs, aspirin will cause the blood vessels to contract, further reducing blood flow. This is the last thing that a person having a heart attack or angina should do. It is a decreased blood flow to the heart that leads to angina, and an obstruction of blood flow that causes heart attacks in the first place.
Medical studies dating back to 1971 have consistently shown that aspirin does not benefit people during heart attacks. This claim is nothing more than sales propaganda. And some studies had to be stopped before results could be obtained due to the increased risk gastric hemorrhage and hemorrhagic stroke.
One aspirin study did appear at first to reduce the risk of death from heart attack. This study was conducted by two groups of doctors, one in England, and the other in the United States. The group of doctors in England took plain aspirin, and concluded no reduced risk of death from aspirin therapy. The U.S. group of doctors used aspirin buffered with magnesium. This group found a slight benefit from the therapy. The benefit was not from the aspirin though. Instead, the benefit resulted from the magnesium added to the aspirin. Magnesium is a well known for relaxing blood vessels. By relaxing the blood vessels, magnesium actually increases blood flow to the heart, opposite of aspirin's effect.
Hemorrhage is the most dangerous side effect of aspirin therapy. If a bleed starts due to a ruptured blood vessel, the inability to clot can have devastating consequences. For example, NSAIDs kill over 16,000 people a year. Nearly all of these deaths are due to internal bleeding disorders. These bleeding disorders are primarily gastric bleeds and hemorrhagic strokes. This increased risk of bleeds is not only due to the blood thinning effects of the aspirin, but also from the blood vessel weakening effects of the drug, which increases the likelihood that a blood vessels will rupture.
My grandfather actually lost his eyesight completely in one eye from taking aspirin. He developed a bleed in the eye from a ruptured blood vessel, which was likely weakened by the aspirin therapy. Because the aspirin had also thinned out his blood so much, the bleed could not clot as it would normally do, and he went blind in that eye.
There is also a problem with the constant claims of aspirin reducing the risk of a second heart attack or stroke by a certain percentage, which is often done by these drug companies. Both heart attacks and strokes are unpredictable. So how can they claim that aspirin prevented a second heart attack, or stroke, when it is impossible to tell if the person would have had a second heart attack or stroke if they had not taken the aspirin? And what if all the people in the study were to have a second heart attack or stroke the day after the study is completed? The percentage would still remain the same since the heart attacks or strokes occurred outside the study timeframe. These are just a few examples of how drug studies are manipulated to make drugs appear safe or effective.
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NSAIDs and the Heart
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 constricting blood vessels. When blood vessels are overdilated by inflammatory prostaglandins, they become permeable, which leads to leakage of fluids in to the surrounding tissues, and resulting inflammation. By constricting 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 constriction 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.
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The Dangers of Cayenne for Heart Attacks and Strokes
I have recently seen several dangerous recommendations given concerning recommendations for cayenne pepper for people on Coumadin (Warfarin) and for people having a stroke. I want to address these statements since they do consist of dangerous advice.
The first claim was that because cayenne pepper is a blood coagulant that it would be safe to take with the powerful blood thinner Coumadin.
To start with it is not really true that cayenne is a blood coagulant if taken internally. This myth stems from the fact that cayenne pepper can stop bleeding of minor wounds if applied topically. Does this mean that cayenne is a blood coagulant? Not really. The fact is that basically any herbal powder, even blood thinning herbs, applied topically will stop bleeding of minor wounds. The reason has nothing to do with the phytochemicals in the plant, but rather has to do with their cellulose content. Cellulose in many plant fibers makes an excellent substrate for blood to coagulate on. I worked with a guy many years ago who was working on a patent for cellulose bandages because of this simple principle. By using bandages made of pure cellulose this would provide a substrate for blood from wounds to immediately coagulate on to stop the bleeding.
This DOES NOT mean that cayenne will work in the same manner within the body. To begin with, cellulose is not even absorbed by the body. Instead the cellulose is fermented in the colon by the flora to generate beneficial acids, peroxides, bactericides and vitamins. What is absorbed from the cayenne in to the bloodstream are the natural blood thinning salicylate (aspirin) compounds, which are present in very high levels in cayenne.
Coumadin is an extremely dangerous drug on its own to begin with. And it interacts with many foods and other medications. Foods and food additives that Coumadin interacts adversely with include coagulating and blood thinning compounds. Foods high in vitamin K, such as dark green leafy vegetables, are contradicted with Coumadin because they interfere with the effects of Coumadin. Foods and additives that thin the blood present even more of a problem. These include cayenne, ginger, sweet woodruff, vanilla, etc. There are some other herbs and supplements that also need to avoided when on Coumadin such as clovers, lomatium, dong quai (angelica root), willow bark, pansies, fish oil, etc.
To really understand why blood thinning compounds are so dangerous to use while taking Coumadin, it is important to first understand a few things about Coumadin. Coumadin was originally discovered by the Wisconsin Agricultural Research Foundation (WARF) leading to the original name for Coumadin of Warfarin. The drug was discovered after cows feeding on hay that had been rained on started dropping dead suddenly. When the cows were autopsied it was found that the cows had died from internal hemorrhaging. It was later discovered that what lead to the internal hemorrhaging were the ingestion of powerful blood thinning dicoumarins. The hay itself contained some sweet clover that normally contains mild blood thinning coumarins. As the hay got wet from the rain though, the hay started to ferment. This changed the milder coumarins in to very strong blood thinning dicoumarins. Coumadin is an example of these dicoumarins.
We know that dicoumarins are potent blood thinners, which makes them extremely dangerous for use to begin with due to the potential for death from uncontrolled hemorrhage. But there is more to the dangers of Coumadin though. Coumadin not only thins the blood, but it also thins out tissues including blood vessels. If you ever knew anyone on Coumadin you may have noticed that even the slightest bump in to something generally results in tearing of the skin and major bruising. This is from the thinning effects of Coumadin on tissues such as the skin and blood vessels. The thinning effect on blood vessels is of the most concern since this increases the risk of blood vessels rupturing leading to uncontrolled hemorrhage.
I have always found it interesting that when researching the side effects of Coumadin in the Physician’s Desk Reference that there is no mention of hemorrhagic stroke listed as a side effect. Instead, the closest they get to mentioning this fact is the statement that Coumadin can cause uncontrolled hemorrhage from any organ in the body. Of course “any organ” includes the brain.
Because Coumadin is frequently prescribed to prevent stroke though the drug manufacturers do not want any mention of Coumadin causing strokes. There are various forms of stroke though. Strokes can come from thrombus, embolus, hemorrhage or hypotension. Coumadin only helps prevent thrombic strokes, but not other forms. In addition, as mentioned previously Coumadin significantly increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The reason for this is two fold. First of all, Coumadin can thin arteries in the brain making them more prone to rupturing. Secondly, if an artery in the brain does rupture from Coumadin thinning then hemorrhagic stroke can occur as the Coumadin interferes with the normal clotting process leading to the uncontrolled bleeding within the brain. Even a small hole or tear in the artery will lead to uncontrolled bleeding in to the skull. Since there is no natural way for the increasing pressure to be relieved from the bleed the increasing pressure starts compressing the brain leading to a stroke.
This is one of the reasons that patients must be tested frequently for their ability to clot when on Coumadin. In some cases the blood needs to be thinned to prevent blood clots from forming. At the same time though it is important that the blood is not thinned out too much since this can possibly lead to a hemorrhagic stroke or death from uncontrolled bleeding.
Maintaining proper Coumadin levels is difficult though since as mentioned previously Coumadin reacts adversely to so many foods, additives and other drugs. One food that can adversely interact with Coumadin is cayenne pepper since ingesting cayenne provides blood thinning salicylates that increase the blood thinning effects of Coumadin. Thus cayenne pepper can also increase the dangerous side effects of Coumadin.
This leads to my first point of contention to people recommending cayenne pepper for someone having a stroke. A person having a stroke may have a previous history of strokes. Since Coumadin is frequently given to people who have a history of stroke it is important to know if someone is taking Coumadin to begin with before telling them to take cayenne pepper at all, and especially when they are having a potential stroke.
The reason I said “potential stroke” is because aneurysms can also mimic a stroke. Why is it so important to differentiate between the two? Because a ruptured aneurysm can cause someone to bleed to death quickly if not operated on right away. Taking a blood thinner such as cayenne can not only increase the rate of bleeding from a ruptured aneurysm, but it can also increase the risk of hemorrhage during surgery.
Another issue is that as I pointed out earlier there are different forms of stroke. There is no way though to simply look at a person and tell what kind of a stroke they are having. If the person has a hemorrhagic stroke then thinning the blood by taking cayenne will only make things worse. Not only from the initial bleeding, but it can again also increase the risk of hemorrhage during the required surgery.
Another issue with taking cayenne pepper during a stroke is the reason it is recommended, which is to dilate blood vessels. Actually this poses two problems. But I want to clear up a major misconception about cayenne pepper first.
It is often claimed that cayenne pepper helps to increase circulation. Although this is true it is still misleading. Cayenne pepper is effective in dilating the smaller superficial blood vessels in the body, but is not very effective in dilating the larger primary blood vessels in the body. Herbs such as prickly ash bark or butcher’s broom are much more effective in dilating the larger primary blood vessels and have longer lasting effects than cayenne pepper. The primary dilation of the smaller superficial blood vessels by cayenne actually has a positive and a negative aspect when it comes to strokes.
The positive is that it does not have much of an effect on dilating the primary blood vessels in the event of a rupture of a major blood vessel. This is important since clotting of blood is not the only way in which the body controls bleeding. Another method by which bleeding is controlled is by constriction of blood vessels that reduces blood flow. Therefore, if cayenne were to dilate a major blood vessel significantly when it develops a bleed the dilating effect would further increase the rate of bleeding.
The negative is that the dilation of the smaller blood vessels could still lead to uncontrolled hemorrhage if the person is on other blood thinners.
If the person is not used to ingesting cayenne or the cayenne has a very high heat unit value then this can also pose a problem. The pain of suddenly ingesting hot pepper can further aggravate the issue as this would increase anxiety and lead to an increased release of epinephrine (adrenaline) speeding up the heart while actually reducing flow to the heart and brain. During a heart attack or stroke this would increase the death of tissues.
If continuing to take cayenne during and right after a heart attack or stroke then there is an increased risk of another problem, known as reperfusion injuries. When the blood supply is cut off from tissues long enough tissue death occurs from a lack of oxygen. Examples of this are seen with heart attacks and strokes. When the blood supply is then restored this sets off a series of events that lead to inflammation and tissue destruction in part from oxidative damage from the increase of blood and oxygen back to the tissues. People recommending taking cayenne pepper during a heart attack or stroke recommend doing this to increase circulation to the heart or brain. This can in theory increase the risk of damage from reperfusion injuries by increasing blood flow to the dead tissues.
Due to the various risks that cayenne pepper poses during a heart attack or stroke I have to strongly recommend AGAINST this practice.
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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.
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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; 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.
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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.
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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
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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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
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
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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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 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 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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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 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.
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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.
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Safety of Megadosing Vitamin C
It is the common belief that if a little is good, then more must be better. Although, many substances that provide beneficial effects to the body can be harmful, or even deadly, in large amounts. Even water or oxygen can be harmful or deadly in high amounts, or in the right circumstances.
Megadosing of vitamin C was made famous by the Linus Pauling Institute, especially among cancer patients. The belief is that large amounts of vitamin C can boost the immune system, destroy pathogens, and protect the body from free radical damage safely because the excess vitamin C will be eliminated from the body. Although, the use of massive doses of vitamin C for therapy by the Linus Pauling Institute is done for very short periods of time, up to a week. Even though short term megadosing of vitamin C may cause problems in some people, the risk of adverse effects greatly increases with long term use of excessive amounts of the vitamin.
Vitamin C does boost the immune system, and in does protect the body from some free radical damage. And it is true that excess vitamin C can be eliminated from the body. The practice of vitamin C megadosing does present some safety issues.
A severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a disease known as scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy include connective tissue breakdown, causing bleeding, muscle weakness, impaired wound healing, and nervous system disorders. It is believed that megadosing of vitamin C for extended periods of time, then drastically reducing the dose or going off cold turkey may lead to a condition known as rebound scurvy. Rebound scurvy is believed to occur when the body continues to excrete large amounts of vitamin C when megadoses are no longer being supplemented. Although, very few cases of rebound scurvy have been reported, and information about the cases have not been well-documented.
Excessive vitamin C intake is also known to displace vitamin B12 from the body. Vitamin B12 is essential for the maturation of blood cells. Deficiencies of B12 lead to a problem known as macrocytic anemia. This condition leads to the formation of abnormally large red blood cells, with impaired ability to carry oxygen. Decreased oxygen levels may cause fatigue, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and possibly heart arrhythmias.
Macrocytic anemia also leads to the formation of abnormally large white blood cells with altered nuclei. White blood cells are an important component of the immune system. Therefore, macrocytic anemia from B12 deficiency may impair immune function.
B12 deficiencies may cause nerve damage leading to nerve pain and numbness, or loss of some senses. Mental disturbances may also develop including depression, dementia, paranoia, irritability, and delirium.
Vitamin C is a water soluble compound, which can be easily flushed from the body. Although, vitamin C is a relatively unstable compound, and a portion of excess ingested vitamin C breaks down into oxalic acid in the body.
Oxalic acid is beneficial to the body as well as detrimental. As vitamin C breaks down in to oxalic acid, the oxalic acid actually serves as an antioxidant to the vitamin C helping to prevent oxidative destruction of the vitamin C. On the other hand, oxalic acid can bind with minerals forming insoluble oxalates. Of particular importance is calcium oxalate, which can form kidney stones. Studies have shown that oxalic stones, which make up 80% of kidney stones, only formed in people with kidney diseases, but not in healthy individuals at doses of 200mg daily. At 1,500mg daily intake there was only a tiny rise in the incidence of oxalic stone formation. It is believed that the insignificant rise is due to the fact that vitamin C is poorly absorbed by the body. Therefore, the higher levels of vitamin C are not being absorbed, and therefore are not converted in to oxalic acid.
Oxalic acid also binds with the electrolytes sodium and potassium, and the mineral magnesium. Among other functions of sodium and potassium is the regulation of heart rate. Magnesium serves a multitude of important functions including maintaining normal blood pressure, proper muscle function; including the heart, preventing muscle cramping, and insulin production.
Oxalic acid is an irritant to the urinary tract. Irritation of the urinary tract from oxalic acid can lead to urinary tract infections in sensitive individuals.
There is also concern that vitamin C may cause uric acid stones to form from excess excretion of uric acid. Acidification of the urine with vitamin C increases the ratio of uric acid to the more soluble sodium urate. For this reason, treatment of uric acid stones includes alkalinizing the urine with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or calcium citrate to increase sodium urate formation.
Excessive levels of vitamin C are contradicted in people suffering from kidney stones, gout, cirrhosis, kidney diseases, and certain other disorders.
Safety studies at doses of 200 to 1,500mg daily are conflicting. Safety studies of extremely high doses, up to 20,000 have not been done. Therefore I recommend not exceeding 2,000mg daily for healthy individuals. Normally, I recommend 500mg 3 times daily for most individuals. Slightly higher levels are recommended for smokers, individuals under a lot of stress, stimulant users; including caffeine (coffee, tea, guarana, kola nut, etc.), and those taking medications known to deplete vitamin C, such as Prednisone.
A major concern of taking excessive doses of vitamin C is the fact that large amounts of vitamin C can block copper absorption. Copper serves various functions in the body including production of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulating enzyme copper superoxide dismutase. Copper is essential for the formation of collagen and elastin, which give strength and elasticity to the tissues. Copper also plays a role in the formation of neurotransmitters for proper nerve function. As a factor in the production of melanin, copper helps to prevent graying of the hair. In addition, copper helps to maintain proper levels of blood lipids (fats), including cholesterol.
Decreased copper levels can lead to decreased collagen and elastin synthesis. This in turn leads to bone loss, blood vessel weakness, poor wound healing, gum disorders, tendon and ligament weakness, cartilage disorders, bruising, and wrinkles. Disorders such as emphysema and diverticulitis also involve loss of elastin in tissues.
The risk of heart disease increases with copper deficiencies. This is most likely due to weaker arterial walls, combined with increased inflammation, increased oxidative damage, and elevated cholesterol levels.
Vitamin C is often touted as an immune stimulant, although excessive levels may have the opposite effect. The enzyme copper superoxide dismutase (cu-SOD) produces hydrogen peroxide in response to infections. Hydrogen peroxide serves various functions, including activation of the immune system's white blood cells. White blood cells fight infections, and cancer cells within the body. Therefore, declining levels of cu-SOD can have an adverse effect on the immune system.
Inflammation has been shown to be a major contributor to the formation of cancers. Another primary function of cu-SOD is to reduce inflammation. Copper therefore may play a crucial role in other inflammatory diseases as well, such as colitis, and arthritis.
As an antioxidant, cu-SOD helps protect cells from free radical damage. The body requires free radicals, such as hydrogen peroxide. Excessive levels of free radicals have been implicated in various diseases though, including cancer.
Hemoglobin requires copper for its production. Therefore, copper deficiencies can lead to anemia.
Copper is essential for the formation of thyroid hormones. Copper deficiencies lead to hypothyroidism, although excessive levels suppress thyroid function. This is especially true if zinc deficiencies are present since zinc promotes thyroid function. Note that excessive levels of zinc can over stimulate the thyroid.
As a cofactor in neurotransmitter production, copper deficiencies can lead to depression. High copper levels though have also been linked to depression, as well as schizophrenia, ADHD symptoms, and other neurological disorders.
The brain and spinal cord contain some of the highest levels of copper in the body. Copper is not only essential for the formation of neurotransmitters, but also for myelin, which insulates nerves so they do not "short circuit".
Interestingly, the brain contains about 10 times the level of vitamin C as found in the blood. Vitamin C actually has to be oxidized to cross the blood-brain barrier. Oxidation converts the vitamin C in to dehydroascorbic acid, which allows it to be transported in to the brain through sugar receptors. There the dehydroascorbic acid is converted back in to ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C. Here the vitamin C helps prevent damage to the myelin from free radicals, and aids in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine.
Copper is essential for the proper regulation of histamine throughout the body. High levels of histamine can lead to allergic responses, including asthma. In the brain, histamine plays roles in mood, behavior, libido, addictions, and sleep and wake cycles.
Despite all the benefits of copper, excess levels of copper can be dangerous. Copper supplementation is not recommended in most cases, although it should be combined with zinc if supplementing zinc. The common ratio of zinc to copper in supplements is 50mg zinc to 2mg copper. Women with excessive levels of estrogen would probably benefit more by taking zinc, but not copper. Estrogen increases copper levels, and zinc antagonizes copper helping to reduce the risk of copper toxicity.
Copper, which is displaced by excess vitamin C, is essential for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the tissues, and removes carbon dioxide. Iron is also essential for the formation of hemoglobin, and iron absorption is increased by vitamin C. This all brings up an interesting problem. If iron levels are increased by improved absorption from vitamin C, but hemoglobin cannot be formed due to lack of copper, what happens to all the iron being absorbed?
As with copper, and vitamin C, iron is essential for the body and serves various purposes. Although, as with copper and vitamin C, excess levels of iron can be dangerous. And since the body has no efficient way of ridding itself of excess iron, iron levels may easily build up to toxic levels.
As iron accumulates in the body it is primarily stored in organs and glands, where it can lead to organ failure and glandular damage. The heart, liver, and pancreas are at the greatest risk of damage and failure from iron overload.
Side effects of iron overload include heart disorders, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, parathyroid damage resulting in low blood calcium, pituitary gland dysfunction, atrophy of the testes and ovaries, nervous system damage and disorders, arthritic disorders, graying or bronzing of the skin, and decreased energy levels. Numerous microbes, and protozoa, thrive with high iron levels. These include Candida, Listeria, Chlamydia, Salmonella, Plasmodium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Cryptococcus, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas, Helicobacter pylori Escherichia coli, and numerous others.
Iron overload is also known to increase the risk of various cancers including liver cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast cancer, melanoma, and colon cancer. The increased risk of cancer is probably due to the increased activity of cancer pathogens. For example, human papilloma virus has been linked to several cancers including breast cancer. Human herpes virus type 8 has been linked to the viral form of Kaposi's sarcoma. Liver cancer has been linked to hepatitis viruses, and aflatoxins from the fungus Aspergillus niger.
Arthritis may occur from iron overload due to two factors. Oxidative destruction can lead to join damage. In addition, certain forms of arthritis are triggered from pathogens. For example, rheumatoid arthritis has been linked to an infection with a form of Chlamydia bacteria.
Heart disease, due to iron overload, is generally believed to result from oxidative damage to the arterial lining, and to the heart muscle itself. There may be a secondary factor though. Scientists have found a link between Chlamydia bacteria and arterial sclerosis, which may lead to arrhythmias, angina, and heart attack.
Excess of levels of iron have also been found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. As with the excessive aluminum levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, that excessive iron levels have not been proven to be a cause of Alzheimer's. Although, it is hypothesized that the excessive level of iron may be causing oxidative damage to the brain, leading to Alzheimer's disease.
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Synthetic Vitamin C
Many people assume that any product sold in a health food store is natural. Actually, most of the vitamins and minerals, as well as hormone products, and other items are synthesized in a lab. This includes the majority of vitamin C products sold in health food stores.
Natural vitamin C is too costly to extract, therefore the majority of vitamin C is synthesized from sugars, most often from corn. This includes products, such as palm C, which sounds natural. Palm C is synthesized from palm sugar though.
Synthetic vitamin C’s will be listed on the bottle as ascorbic acid. Natural bioflavonoids are frequently added because they aid in the function of vitamin C. Bioflavonoids occur naturally in natural sources of vitamin C, such as berries.
Some companies buffer the acidity of the ascorbic acid with minerals. Examples are calcium, sodium, and magnesium ascorbates. These are beneficial for people who cannot tolerate the acidity of the ascorbic acid. Although, I generally prefer non buffered forms of vitamin C. The majority of people have insufficient levels of stomach acid to digest and absorb nutrients. Non buffered vitamin C increases stomach acidity, aiding in digestion and absorption, when taken with meals.
Synthetic vitamin C is extremely unstable, and quickly decomposes when exposed to light, heat, or moisture. Therefore, synthetic vitamin C should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. I do not recommend storing bottles of vitamin C in a refrigerator though. Doing so can cause moist air to condense inside the bottle, making a wet mess, and destroying the vitamin C. Storing the vitamin C in a pantry would be a better choice