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by: Dorien Herremans

“Shut Down until Fish Stocks Recover,” was the leading slogan of the 200 Greenpeace activists who blocked the building of the Council of the European Union on the morning of December 17, 2007. The EU fisheries ministers were about to have their annual meeting there, to discuss fishing quotas.

For years on a row now, Europe’s Fisheries Ministers have ignored scientific advice and recommendations from the European Commission. The total allowable catches (TACs) adopted by the Council have been, on average, between 42% and 57% higher than those recommended by scientists. Only a mere three EU fish stocks out of 33 are managed in accordance to the maximum sustainable yield advised by the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.

“The Fisheries Council has been an utter disaster for fisheries,” said Greenpeace EU Marine Policy Advisor Saskia Richartz.

Incompetence on behalf of the Fisheries Ministers has caused an alarming decrease in European fish stocks ever since the early 1980s. Mostly due to the Ministers agreeing on “TACS that are higher than scientific and political recommendations”, an alarming destruction of biodiversity in European seas has occurred. A recent study commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, concludes that about 80% of fishing stocks remain “outside safe biological limits”, which creates a high-risk situation for both the stocks concerned and the fishing industry.

According to Greenpeace, future decisions concerning Europe’s sea population should be more visible to the public. They strongly emphasize the need to create a network of large-scale marine reserves, consisting of highly protected areas where nature can run its course. Research suggests that 20 to 50% of the sea area should be protected like this. Finally, the total allowed catches must be set according to a standard backed up by scientific research and not arbitrarily decided upon, so it falls within safe biological limits.

We should start protecting and respecting nature. Not constantly plundering and killing all creatures that live on earth. These are things most people don’t consider when buying meat or fish in the supermarket. If we want this planet to sustain us, we should start taking better care of it.

About the author

Dorien Herremans is a commercial engineer (MSc University of Antwerp) and is currently a lecturer at Gesthotel University. She is the founder of raw-vegan.org, a living food network in Europe and runs a raw vegan Bed and Breakfast and retreat center in a 100% natural loghome in the Swiss Alps. For more information about the center or staying in Naturalp, please visit http://www.naturalp.org

by: Rami Nagel

It is not true that conventional dental treatments and fluoride are the only ways to heal your teeth from cavities. When struck with the diagnoses of a dental cavity, most people feel totally helpless or powerless to do anything about it themselves. The common belief about tooth decay is that once you have a cavity, the tooth cavity cannot heal or reverse. The only solution seems to be to rush off to the dentist and have a synthetic material placed in your teeth to cover the breached tooth structure.

No longer should we continue to accept dental surgery or the dangerous chemical, fluoride, as our only hope and solution for tooth decay. There is now a book that describes another way to heal teeth. Cure Tooth Decay: Heal And Prevent Cavities With Nutrition by Ramiel Nagel – available for purchase at (www.curetoothdecay.com) – is a triumph in the face of the medical dogma that believes in disease and suffering. Let me tell you what really causes tooth decay so that you can be empowered to fight it, prevent it, and succeed at doing so.

People go to dentists for regular check-ups, or because they have tooth pain or gum swelling. The dentist takes x-rays and then, many times, informs you of the dreadful news – you have a cavity. But you need not worry. For a few hundred dollars, the newest “natural” filling material can be placed in your mouth and the problem is solved.

Or is it?

I began investigating tooth decay, and health in general, because my own daughter was afflicted with tooth decay at the age of one. Children’s tooth decay is commonly referred to as “Baby Bottle Mouth” because it is supposed to happen when children drink fruit juices from bottles. My daughter did not eat sweets frequently, never had fruit juice, was breastfed regularly, and has almost never eaten any type of processed foods (which are known to be harmful and decay promoting).

I knew that the current theory was wrong because it did not explain my daughter’s tooth decay. I had to find an answer because unlike with adults, young children cannot undergo conventional dental treatments — they cannot sit still, and do not usually like things being forced into their mouths. As a result, a typical dental treatment for a young child is surgery with full anesthesia, or other unpleasant things. As I now understand it, applying these treatments to young children is, from a scientific or medical standpoint, not the best treatment; it’s merely a convenient and haphazardly prescribed treatment that is costly in many ways.

To an important degree, my work is based on the research of the world’s greatest dentist, Weston A. Price, as well as another top dentist, Melvin Page, who also used his research and even took it further. To say that Weston Price was well respected in the peak of his career, from the early 1900’s to his death in 1948, is an understatement. He was the chairman of the Research Section of the National Dental Association (1914-1923), the forerunner to the American Dental Association.

Weston Price was widely respected in his time, and frequently published in many dental journals, including several articles in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Rather than seek to determine why modern society had unhealthy teeth, Weston Price traveled the world to find out why Indigenous people have healthy teeth. In observing the superb health of Indigenous groups in the 1930’s, Dr. Price made a poignant discovery. He realized that something fundamental was, and is, radically wrong with the way we live. And as a result, we have lost our pristine state of health. Dr. Price gave us an outline for a tooth decay healing protocol that, under precise and careful conditions, was over 95% percent effective at healing decay without dental surgery. In other words, cavities can be healed with a special type of nutrition.

What is Dental Surgery?

When a dentist finds a small hole in your tooth, or you feel pain due to a hole in your tooth, the dentist’s job is to fix this hole. The methodology is to drill a bigger hole in your mouth, and then to fill the hole with a synthetic material. A dentist is a DDS, a doctor of dental surgery. Dental surgery only treats the symptoms of tooth decay, pain, and/or a hole in your tooth. It never addresses the cause, and because of this, people generally loose many of their teeth over time.

In an extensive study of over 15,000 people, the Centers for Disease Control published some statistics regarding tooth decay that should be cause for alarm for most people. Here is a summary: the older you get, more of your teeth become effected by decay. That’s why old people have dentures (fake teeth) and most young people do not…yet.

On average, people ages 16-19 have 11.6% of all teeth affected by decay at one time. This steadily increases, and by the time adults are over age 60, more than half of their teeth (62.36%) have been affected by decay and a total of 93.1% of all people over the age of 60 have had teeth affected by tooth decay.

If brushing, flossing, massive fluoridation campaigns, and dental surgery were effective in preventing tooth decay, it would not get worse over time. It would stay the same, or get better. This is what I refer to as an unscientifically sound practice. If we are to examine the effects of our dental care as a society, the statistics clearly show it is a failure, as tooth decay becomes worse and worse over time. Either Nature is fundamentally flawed and has doomed us to a life that includes decaying teeth, or humans are flawed in understanding and utilizing Nature.

The Current Tooth Decay Theory is Wrong

The current theory of tooth decay according to the American Dental Association:

“[Tooth decay] occurs when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches) such as milk, pop, raisins, cakes or candy are frequently left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on these foods, producing acids as a result. Over a period of time, these acids destroy tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay.”

There are several problems with this theory.

#1) No matter how much you brush, it is impossible to keep your mouth free of bacteria — supposedly we breathe in over 14,000 germs per hour.

#2) Some groups of Indigenous people who had fermentable carbohydrates stuck on their teeth all of the time, without any brushing or flossing, were mostly or entirely free of tooth decay.

#3) Bacteria do not eat processed sugars because of the lack of nutrients found in them. In fact, sugars are processed not only to prevent spoilage, but also to prevent consumption by bacteria. It does not make sense that these nutrient-void sugars miraculously become food for bacteria once in your mouth.

#4) Bacteria does not eat processed flour for the same reason. Processed flours are designed to prevent spoilage, and thus the minerals (bacteria food) are removed. Many times, flours are even further treated to prevent bacteria from eating them.

#5) Foods that bacteria like to eat include milk, vegetables, meat, fish, and fruit; these are not commonly attributed with being the causes of tooth decay.

#6) The large CDC survey described above shows that despite all of our prevention efforts, on average about 90% of our population has had tooth decay at least one time. This means that even in the best case, our preventative methods only work for 10% of the people. Of course, the typical answer to this is that those 90% of the people did not get regular dental visits, did not use fluoride, and did not brush their teeth often enough. Unfortunately, this is an example of blaming the victim, rather than looking at the larger problem. People have not been given an honest evaluation of what really causes tooth decay, and so have not been empowered to act to stop it.

What Really Causes Tooth Decay

After reading and studying the work of Weston Price, late Harvard Professor Earnest Hooten said we need to consider the habits and ways of the Indigenous people, because “It is store food that has given us store teeth.”

Time and time again, Dr. Price documented the tragic plight of Indigenous people coming into contact with modern industrialization. Many of these groups enjoyed generation after generation of life without significant tooth decay. But after the arrival of industry and commerce, and with them modern foods, their teeth began to degenerate very rapidly.

Published data from food surveys done by the United States Department of Agriculture show that a significant portion of the population is under nourished. It should not be surprising why.

We eat junk food, processed food, denatured food, and chemically-laden foods. These foods lack the special fat-soluble vitamins which Indigenous people would, at times, go great lengths to obtain.

That means if you want to be healthy, you need to take time and effort to pay attention to what you eat. You cannot just go to the local convenience store and expect that a packaged food product is designed to give you optimal health. It is important to reflect upon the long term consequences of each and every bite of processed and denatured food you eat.

Through blood tests, Dentist Melvin Page pinpointed the cause of tooth decay in modern people. When our blood chemistry is out of balance, primarily from the consumption of processed foods (especially sugars), the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in our blood deviates from normal. When this happens, minerals are pulled from the bones causing tooth and other bone loss. So, sugar causes tooth decay because it depletes nutrients from the body, not because bacteria eat it and produce acid. In order to restore the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in our blood, and to enable minerals to bond unto our teeth, it is usually not sufficient just to avoid eating too much sweet or processed foods. One must also eat health building foods, containing potent amounts of minerals and vitamins to create a chain reaction that will build glassy hard tooth structure in place of decayed tooth structure.

Freedom From Tooth Decay

This is just an introduction to how you can be free of tooth decay, and avoid those pesky root canals. Our teeth can rebuild themselves, and cover themselves over with a hard and glassy layer, provided we give ourselves the right kind of nutrition.

And what is the right kind of nutrition?

First, it is fat-soluble vitamins that are present in plant and animal foods raised only in pristine harmony with nature. Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K from whole food sources. Grass-fed animal foods, wild fish and shellfish (particularly the organs) are home to these vitamins. You may know from nature videos that the king of the jungle prefers the organs over the flesh meat. And that great powerful bears sometimes only eat the head, or just the brain of the salmon for nourishment, leaving the rest for other animals. This is because the organs contain the vitamins that make our bodies fit for life.

Fat-soluble vitamin E is stored in the germ of grains from wheat, rye, barley and oats. But when we process these grains, the vitamin quickly oxidizes and the grains become rancid. Because store food is improperly processed, it is nearly impossible to find any product made with these grains that contains the whole vitamin. Even in organic varieties, the most essential nutrients are lost because they are improperly prepared, and this results in great harm to our health and to that of our children.

We have tooth decay today because our food supply is so poor that many foods are lacking in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

So, to begin to obtain freedom from tooth decay, your food sources must include the fat-soluble vitamins. If you eat grains, like wheat and corn, they must be freshly ground. Grains usually need to be fermented to release trapped nutrients and make them digestible.

I used to eat what I thought was a healthy diet: organic fruits and vegetables, organic grains, and organic fish and chicken. Even still, I developed tooth decay because my diet did not contain enough fat-soluble vitamins, and it did not contain enough bio-available minerals.

For animal food eaters, we need to eat grass-fed raw milk, butter, cream and cheese made from cows that eat the rapidly-growing grass of the spring and summer. Also, we need to eat moderate amounts, with almost every meal, of at least some of the organs of land and/or sea animals, or truly free-ranging chicken eggs.

The second mistake that can contribute to tooth decay in many people is eating too many sweet foods. Yes, natural sweets do not affect the blood sugar level as adversely as processed sweets; because of this they can easily promote tooth decay. If you are prone to tooth decay, I suggest paying attention to the amount of sweet foods in your daily diet, including the use of carrots, bananas, dates, honey, maple syrup, and any other type of fruit. Any sweet food can produce a change in our blood sugar, which can contribute to minerals being pulled from our bones.

Living Without Tooth Decay

I wrote an entire book on how to live without tooth decay and how to heal your teeth with good nutrition. I cannot give you all the answers in an article, but I can let you know that there is a new way to promoting healthy teeth.

I was diagnosed with three cavities two and a half years ago. But through regulating my diet, and eating special foods, my teeth have become stronger and the cavities have halted. My daughter has lived with her tooth decay without the need for dental surgery for close to three years now. With enhanced nutrition her mood has improved, and her teeth have protected themselves internally from infection; this is called arrested decay. For me it is really priceless to be able to avoid Novocain shots, radiation exposure from x-rays and having holes drilled in my teeth. And for my daughter, the savings for me as a parent, are really beyond words and explanation; I feel eternally grateful.

In our society we have deep and unfelt beliefs in disease and suffering. We believe that “life is suffering.” Or some say that “to be human is to be in a state of sin.” Many of us are not totally conscious of these beliefs, or others like them, so we inadvertently look past answers staring us blatantly in the face. We promote systems such as dental surgery and water fluoridation, which are many times not necessary given the light of knowledge showing us that our teeth are not designed to decay.

You can minimize your tooth decay, prevent it entirely, and even heal tooth decay once a cavity has formed, if you make good choices for yourself based on the knowledge of the lifestyle led by decay-free Indigenous people.

We continue to fool ourselves, saying that diseases are not curable. But it is time to move away from these limiting beliefs. The cause of tooth decay is known, and knowable. From this knowledge, let us become empowered to take more responsibility for our dental health.

You can learn how to live without tooth decay. You can heal and prevent cavities. To purchase a digital or print copy of Cure Tooth Decay, visit (www.curetoothdecay.com)

About the author

Rami Nagel is the author of “Cure Tooth Decay: Heal And Prevent Cavities With Nutrition,” which teaches readers how to reclaim their dental health. Learn the real cause and cure for cavities and root canals at: www.curetoothdecay.com
Rami is a father who cares about the way we affect each other, our children, and our planet through our lifestyle choices. His health background is in hands-on energy healing, Hatha & Bhakti yoga and the Pathwork.
Rami is author of several health resources:
www.healingourchildren.net – Learn the Cause and Prevention of the Diseases of Pregnancy and Childhood
www.preconceptionhealth.org – A Program for Preconception Health based on Indigenous Wisdom
www.curetoothdecay.com – Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition!
www.yourreturn.org – The cause of disease and the end of suffering of humanity.

by: Leslee Dru Browning

Rhodiola rosea is now, according to recent research, becoming more widely accepted in the U.S. as a powerful anti-aging, anti-stress formula. In today’s culture with stress coming from every direction, this comes as good news and a possible natural stress-relief treatment.

The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant indigenous to the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea, an herbal supplement long used for its purported stress-relief effects, lived an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn’t eat the herb. Study results appear in the online education news release from the University of California, Irvine

“Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research,” said Mahtab Jafari, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and study leader. “Our results reveal that Rhodiola is worthy of continued study, and we are now investigating why this herb works to increase lifespan.”

In their study, the UC Irvine researchers fed adult fruit fly populations diets supplemented at different dose levels with four herbs known for their anti-aging properties. The herbs were mixed into a yeast paste, which adult flies ate for the duration of their lives. Three of the herbs – known by their Chinese names as Lu Duo Wei, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and San Zhi Pian – had no effect on fruit fly longevity, while Rhodiola was found to significantly reduce mortality. On average, Rhodiola increased survival for 3.5 days in males and 3.2 days in females.

Rhodiola rosea, also known as the golden root, grows in cold climates at high altitudes and has been used by Scandinavians and Russians for centuries for its anti-stress qualities. The herb is thought to have anti-oxidative properties and has been widely studied.

Soviet researchers have been studying Rhodiola since the 1940s on athletes and cosmonauts, finding that the herb boosts the body’s response to stress. And earlier this year, a Nordic Journal of Psychiatry study on people with mild-to-moderate depression showed that patients taking a Rhodiola extract called SHR-5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than did those who took a placebo.

Jafari said she is evaluating the molecular mechanism of Rhodiola by measuring its impact on energy metabolism, oxidative stress and anti-oxidant defenses in fruit flies. She is also beginning studies in mice and in mouse and human cell cultures. These latter studies should help understand the benefits of Rhodiola seen in human trials.

Past Herbal Uses of Rhodiola Rosea as a Treatment for Depression by Herbalist

Rhodiola rosea is classified as an adaptogen herb, which means it increase the body’s ability to cope with internal and external stress factors, and normalize the functions of the organism. Adaptogen herbs help maintain the stable internal environment inside the organism known as homeostasis.

Russia has used Rhodiola rosea for years to enhance mental and physical performance. It has been widely used by Russian athletes and cosmonauts to increase energy. In addition, Russian medicine has also traditionally given Rhodiola rosea to its soldiers, sportsmen and aging political leaders as an effective anti-aging medicine. Rhodiola rosea helped them to improve cognitive functions and physical performance.

Rhodiola rosea also has extraordinary pharmacological properties as an anti-depressive agent. The anti-depressive and anti-stress activity of Rhodiola rosea is higher than that of St. John’s Wort, Ginkgo biloba and Panax Ginseng.

In another clinical trial, 150 individuals suffering from depression took Rhodiola rosea extracts for a period of one month. At the end of that period, two-thirds of them had full remission of clinical manifestations of depression, and had become more active and more sociable. Daytime weakness and general weakness disappeared.

Rhodiola rosea has also been recommended for fatigue, catarrhal seasonal diseases, along with mental performance and to improve endurance. It increases bodily resistance to physical and mental overloads, and negative environmental effects.

Rhodiola is cardio-protective, normalizing the heart rate immediately after intense exercise. It improves the nervous system and mental functions such as memory, by increasing blood-supply to the muscles and brain, and it also increases protein synthesis.

Russian research has emphasized that Rhodiola rosea extracts have rejuvenative properties due to their ability to raise the efficiency of the intra-cell DNA repair mechanisms.

Sources:

University of California – Irvine
(http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1701)
Jeffrey Felgner, Irvin Bussel, Anthony Hutchili, Behnood Khodayari, Michael Rose and Laurence Mueller of UC Irvine participated in the study. Sun Ten Inc. provided the herbs.

RHODIOLA ROSEA (Russian Rhodiola, Golden root)
Anti-Aging Medicine of 21st Century
(http://www.anti-aging-guide.com/RhodiolaRosea.html)

About the author

Leslee Dru Browning is a 6th generation Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist from the ancestral line of Patty Bartlett Sessions; Pioneer Mid-Wife & Herbalist. Leslee practiced Medical Herbalism and Nutritional Healing for over 25 years and specialized in Cancer Wellness along with Chronic Illness. She now devotes her career to teaching people, through her writing, about Natural Healing from An Herbal Perspective.

by: Stephanie Whited

McDonald’s paid the $1,700 tab for Seminole County, Florida’s report card jackets in exchange for a coupon, featuring Ronald McDonald, on the card’s cover (1, 2). With good grades and attendance, the coupon can be redeemed for a free Happy Meal.

This appears to violate the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which McDonald’s joined last year (3). Created by the Better Business Bureau, the initiative “provide(s) companies that advertise foods and beverages to children with a transparent and accountable advertising self-regulation mechanism.” Members are not allowed to advertise at schools and cannot place materials in editorial or entertainment content.

Did McDonald’s find a loophole? The report cards are sent straight to the home and may not be easily classifiable as editorial or entertainment. The first compliance review will be in three years. We might have to wait until then for the verdict.

The coupons put parents in a tough spot; a mother in the Seminole school district resented ‘being the bad guy’ that had to deny her daughter the meal (4). The mother made the right decision; pairing rewards from doing well at school with unhealthy food is a dangerous combination. The child may only want to do well at school if this same reward is granted, a reward that probably jeopardizes her wellbeing in the long run. It is a safe assumption to believe that the unhealthier a child is, the worse he or she will do in school.

The type of food eaten definitely makes a difference in school performance. A study shows that eating a breakfast with whole grains, like oatmeal, beats eating cold cereal or no breakfast at all (5). This is probably due to its high protein and fiber, and its gradual rise of glucose levels.

McDonald’s is scarce on nutritional qualities. McDonald’s still bleaches all of its grains used, eliminating any good components of its breads. Bleaching most bread creates a poison called alloxon, which has produced diabetes in lab animals, a pretty good sign it is not safe for humans (6).

McDonald’s has added “healthy” choices to its menu, but these choices are only deceptively healthy, and contain colors and preservatives that have been determined to be detrimental to a human’s health (7).

McDonald’s defended its happy meals, citing that a child could choose a low calorie Happy Meal of Chicken McNuggets, apple dippers, and low fat milk (8). The combination may be low calorie, but it contains MSG, food coloring, and sodium benzoate (9, 10). Check here for McDonald’s ingredients (http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.ingredients.index.html) . Most children would probably want the even unhealthier choices, anyway.

McDonald’s is not the only party to blame in this recent event. According to the OrlandoSentinel.com, school board officials call the report card promotions a “business partnership” (11). The school must refrain from calling the promotion an advertisement, because the Seminole School Board has rules against advertising in its schools.

For schools to find these kinds of “partnerships” beneficial, there must be a lack of funds. If schools were properly paid for and funded, they would not be turning to corporations to print report card jackets.

For more information on the effect of marketing & advertising to children:

* Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (http://www.commercialexploitation.org/)

* Common Sense Media (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources/childhood_obesity.php?)

* Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children’s Preferences (http://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources/childhood_obesity.php?id=42)

* ChildrenNow.org (www.childrennow.org)

* Media & Obesity (http://www.childrennow.org/issues/media/media_obesity.html)

References:

1. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-mcgrades0607dec06,0,5067134.story?page=1&coll=orl_tab01_layout)

2. (http://www.prwatch.org/node/6807)

3. (http://www.us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=b712b7a7-fcd5-479c-af49-8649107a4b02)

4. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-mcgrades0607dec06,0,5067134.story?page=1&coll=orl_tab01_layout)

5. (http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/chat/chat168.shtml)

6. (http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/347999.html)

7. (http://toremember.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/food-additives-linked-to-behavior-problems-in-children/)

8. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-mcgrades0607dec06,0,5067134.story?page=1&coll=orl_tab01_layout)

9. (http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm)

10. (http://toremember.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/food-additives-linked-to-behavior-problems-in-children/)

11. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-mcgrades0607dec06,0,5067134.story?page=1&coll=orl_tab01_layout)

About the author

Stephanie Whited is an independent researcher dedicated to spreading awareness about health news, proven alternative treatments, and unsafe mainstream products. She maintains her own blog at http://torememeber.wordpress.com .

by: John Koshuta

For decades, the federal government and chemical-makers have assured the public that the hormone-mimicking compound Bisphenol-A is safe. This chemical is found in baby bottles, aluminum cans and hundreds of other household products.

But a recent investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found that studies and research are heavily funded by the same companies that produce the chemical. The article states that 80% of academically and government-funded research found that bisphenol-A is harmful in laboratory animals. Most of the industry-funded studies found there was no harm.

Last week, a panel commissioned by the National Toxicology Program released a report finding bisphenol-A to be of some concern for fetuses and small children. The report stated that adults have almost nothing to worry about.

Recommendations from the report could be used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other regulators to assess federal policies on how much bisphenol-A is safe and may have huge ramifications for the multibillion-dollar chemical industry.

The panel said it considered more than 700 studies by university scientists, government researchers and industry-funded chemists. It picked the work it felt was best and threw out the rest. The Journal Sentinel found that panel members gave more weight to industry-funded studies and more leeway to industry-funded researchers.

What Is Bisphenol-A?

Bisphenol-A is a chemical compound containing two phenol functional groups, belonging to the phenol class of aromatic organic compounds. It is widely prepared and sold, and various important polymers/plastics are made from it. Bisphenol-A was detected in the urine of 93% of participants in a recent study.

Harmful side-effects to bisphenol-A exposure:

* Breast cancer

* Testicular cancer

* Diabetes

* Hyperactivity

* Obesity

* Low sperm counts

* Miscarriages

* Other reproductive failures

Bisphenol-A was first synthesized by A.P. Dianin in 1891. It was investigated in the 1930s during the search for synthetic estrogens. At that time, another synthetic compound called diethylstilbestrol was determined to be more powerful than estrogen itself, so bisphenol-A was not used as a synthetic estrogen. In the 1950s scientists discovered the chemical could be used to make polycarbonate plastic and some epoxy resins to line food and beverage cans.

Its current uses are as a primary monomer in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Bisphenol-A is also used as an antioxidant in plasticizers and as a polymerization inhibitor in PVC. Polycarbonates are widely used in many consumer products, including sunglasses, CDs, water and food containers, and shatter-resistant baby bottles. Some polymers used in dental fillings also contain bisphenol-A, while epoxy resins containing the chemical are popular coatings for the inside of food cans.

Why Does Bisphenol-A Cause So Many Problems?

Bisphenol-A mimics naturally occurring estrogen, a hormone that is part of the endocrine system, the body’s finely tuned messaging service. “These hormones control the development of the brain, the reproductive system and many other systems in the developing fetus,” says Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., a developmental biologist at the University of Missouri. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can duplicate, block or exaggerate hormonal responses. “The most harm is to the unborn or newborn child,” vom Saal says.

The first evidence of the estrogenicity of bisphenol-A came from experiments in the 1930s in which it was fed to ovariectomized rats. Some hormone disrupting effects in studies on animals and human cancer cells have been shown to occur at levels as low as 2-5 ppb (parts per billion). It has been claimed that these effects lead to health problems such as, in men, lowered sperm count and infertile sperm. Recent studies have confirmed that bisphenol-A exposure during development has carcinogenic effects and produce precursors of breast cancer. Bisphenol-A has been shown to have developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity. Recent studies suggest it may also be linked to obesity by triggering fat-cell activity.

Who Manufactures Bisphenol A?

* Bayer Material Science

* Dow Chemical Co.

* General Electric Co.

* Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc.

* Sunoco Chemicals

The website (www.bisphenol-a.org) is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association. This statement appears on the website:

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently published biomonitoring data on bisphenol-A from a large-scale study that is representative of the U.S. population. That data indicates that typical human daily intake of bisphenol-A is approximately 50 nanograms/kg bodyweight/day. These levels are about 1 million times below the levels where no adverse effects on reproduction and development were observed in comprehensive multi-generation animal studies. Likewise, these levels are about 1 thousand times below lifetime daily intake levels conservatively set by government bodies in the U.S. and Europe. Exposures below the lifetime daily intake levels are expected to have no adverse effect on health.

The website also states that bisphenol-A is completely safe unless you ingest 1,300 pounds of canned and bottled food daily. In other words, even a canned-food addict will likely ingest 500 times less BPA than the danger level set by the EPA and 100 times less than the standard set by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Food.

Why Aren’t There Bisphenol-A Labels?

Numerous government agencies around the world have agreed with industry trade groups such as the American Chemistry Council that bisphenol-A is safe and restrictions and labeling aren’t needed.
They include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the European Union and the European Food Safety Authority. “It is apparent that there is no need for additional legislation or regulation for bisphenol-A,” said the chemistry council in a statement. “Existing regulatory processes are adequate to protect human health.”

But many researchers disagree, saying the federal government should be safe rather than sorry – that chemicals whose safety is in question shouldn’t be used unless they can be proven safe. One is Laura Vandenburg, who worked on six BPA studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts. She said it’s almost impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that BPA can harm people because we can’t ethically do experiments on human beings with it, and it’s hard to isolate a group of people who aren’t exposed to it. But she believes it is dangerous to people.

How Can I Minimize My Exposure to Bisphenol-A?

* Purchase products that state they are Bisphenol-A free.

* Use plastics that have the recycling numbers 1, 2, or 5. Avoid the recycling numbers 3 `(polycarbonate) or 7 (PVC).

* Use glass baby bottles or those labeled “bisphenol A free.” One company that makes plastic baby bottles with Bisphenol-A is Born Free.

* Wait until food cools before placing it in plastic containers.

* Put filters on taps to prevent PVC from pipes from leaking into the water you and others consume.

* Use wooden toys for children and avoid soft plastic toys that small children may put in their mouths.

* Avoid vinyl shower curtains.

* Purchase deodorants and soaps that are fragrance free.

* Go to (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) for more specific information on cosmetics.

References:

(http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=692145)

(www.wikipedia.org)

(www.bisphenol-a.org)

(http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa)

(http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/214210)

About the author

John is an experienced professional in the field of wellness. Along with a BS degree in Exercise Science & Health Promotion, the author also has a BA in Journalism and is in progress on a MA in Health Studies. Among the author’s many forthcoming projects are an independent wellness consulting business and a health-related website, along with many articles and books.

by: Byron Richards

The Wall Street Journal now calls it Vytoringate – one of the biggest drug frauds in history. Merck and Schering-Plough sat on bad drug trial results of their cholesterol drug and raked in close to 10 billion dollars selling snake oil. The drug in question, Vytorin, was supposed to prove it could reduce heart disease risk by lessening the thickness in the carotid artery, thus showing the ability to reduce plaque formation. It failed miserably. As I have reported, the statin industry is one big scam (http://www.wellnessresources.com/newsroom/index.php/content/articles/the_statin_scam_marches_on/) .

The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is looking into the matter. The fry pan is getting hot. Congressmen Bart Stupak and John Dingell have written a letter to the companies (http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110-ltr.012208.ScheringPloughMerck.ENHANCE.pdf) asking questions and stating “We have … discovered that a Schering-Plough officer, Carrie Smith Cox, sold significant numbers of shares of Schering-Plough in the time between the end of the ENHANCE study and the release of the results on January 14, 2008.”

Now the Senate is getting involved. The Wall Street Journal reports that Senator Chuck Grassley has sent a batch of letters to the SEC (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2008-01-24_Letter_to_Chairman_Cox_sec.pdf) , the American Heart Association (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2008-01-24_Letter_to_Mr_Wheeler_aha.pdf) (AHA), the American College of Cardiology (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2008-01-24_Letter_to_Dr_Dove_acc.pdf) (ACC) and the CEOs (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2008-01-24_Letter_to_Mr_Clark_Merck.pdf) of Merck and Schering-Plough. Yes, the same folks who have fraudulently attacked vitamin E and cost many elderly their health (http://www.wellnessresources.com/newsroom/index.php/health/articles/low_levels_of_vitamin_e_linked_to_declining_health_of_seniors/) were most likely in on the hoax – promoting the sale of bogus cholesterol drugs under the fraudulent shield of “impartial science.”

Not to be outdone by the Senate, Dingell and Stupak chimed in: “Given the AHA’s and ACC’s recent statements on Vytorin and the ENHANCE study, our Committee is interested to learn what financial arrangements exist between the marketers of Vytorin and these two organizations,” Dingell said in a statement. “The public places great trust in the official views of the AHA and the ACC, so it is important to verify that these views have not been compromised by a financial relationship with the pharmaceutical industry.”

Meanwhile, nobody seems to be mentioning that folic acid has already been proven to do what Vytorin was supposed to be doing. A study published in April of 2007 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17403173&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum) showed that “ultrasonography of the common carotid arteries performed at entry and 24 months later showed a significant decrease in intima-media thickness [of the carotid artery] with folate supplementation.” Then, in June of 2007 the Lancet (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17544768&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum) published a startling study showing that folic acid could reduce the risk of a first stroke by 18%. These are the results Vytorin was trying to produce but couldn’t as toxic poisons don’t ever produce health. Folic acid is the hero. Vytorin belongs in the trash with the rest of the statin garbage.

by: Mike Adams

In a surprising turn of events, the mainstream media has begun to ask the question, “What killed Heath Ledger?” According to the Associated Press, authorities have now stated they found six different prescription drugs in Ledger’s apartment. Those drugs reportedly include Zoloft (a mind-altering antidepressant drug) and Ambien (a sleep drug with bizarre side effects) as well as an antihistamine drug that has not yet been named. Reports also state there were over-the-counter prescription drugs found at the scene, and that three of the pharmaceuticals found in Ledger’s apartment were prescribed in Europe (the others were prescribed in the United States).

Rumors have been circling that a $20 bill found in Ledger’s apartment contained cocaine residue, but this has been proven false, according to the Associated Press. The $20 bill in question was tested by law enforcement authorities and no cocaine residue was found. (This seems strange, given that ALL dollar bills contain trace levels of cocaine, by the way…) There are conflicting reports from various celebrities commenting on Ledger’s history of drug addiction. While it’s clear that Ledger had previously sought treatment for a drug addiction, there is not yet any reliable evidence that Ledger was using such drugs in combination with the pharmaceuticals that may have killed him.

The Drudge Report is asking tonight, “What Killed Heath?” It’s the first sensible headline we’ve seen on the topic, and of course it comes from an online, alternative media source (the mainstream media has yet to seriously question the safety of the FDA-approved pharmaceuticals that appear to be involved in Ledger’s death).

NaturalNews earlier published a story questioning the journalistic integrity of the mainstream media and asking whether a conflict of interest (mainstream media companies are largely funded by pharmaceutical advertising money) was preventing them from making serious inquiry into the health hazards of pharmaceuticals. Had Ledger’s body been found next to a bottle of herbal medicine, there’s no doubt the media (and the FDA) would be screaming about the dangers of herbs, but since the drugs that apparently killed Ledger are “approved” by the FDA, there seems to be an astonishing lack of inquisition about those drugs in the mainstream media.

The current media reports are blaming Ledger for his own death and not even asking sensible questions about whether the powerful chemicals found beside his body may have been the cause.

Why cover this celebrity story?

In the past, I’ve railed against excessive media coverage of celebrities like Michael Jackson, and today, NaturalNews readers are asking why we’re spending so much time reporting on Heath Ledger. The answer is not that Ledger’s death is any more tragic than the deaths of all the other people killed by pharmaceuticals — all human beings have equal value, and no drug-induced fatality is unimportant — it’s just that the celebrity status of Ledger is bringing so much media attention to this news that we feel compelled to demand that the facts about the dangers of pharmaceuticals be accurately and honestly investigated.

Let’s face it: The public pays attention when celebrities marry, divorce or pass away. And unlike the deaths of so many other celebrities who overdosed on cocaine or illegal drugs, the current evidence appears to support the notion that Ledger was killed by the chemical toxicity of FDA-approved drugs. If the final toxicology report supports this, it could bring a tremendous amount of attention to the dangers of medications currently being pushed onto young people by drug companies, doctors, psychiatrists and health authorities.

I truly believe Ledger would be alive, healthy and happy today if he had turned to natural medicine instead of relying on chemical pharmaceuticals. And while his death is a tragic loss of a widely-loved human being, it is hugely important that society pay attention to what might have killed Ledger and take precautions to protect our children, teens and young adults from similar fates in the future. What Ledger’s death demonstrates, I believe, is the cost in human lives of the mass-medication of our population.

So we cover the Heath Ledger story not simply because of one individual’s celebrity status, but rather because the implications for the welfare of so many other people paying attention to this issue are very large. Ledger’s death may, in fact, may be among his most powerful statements to the world: Beware the consequences of pharmaceuticals.

It is a message that Ledger’s celebrity status allows him to send even from beyond the grave.

NaturalNews shall continue to bring you updates on this story as new information emerges.

###

About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies’ products. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He’s also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, Pilates and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the ‘Health Ranger,’ Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org

by: Teri Lee Gruss

On January 7th, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations sent a letter to Pfizer, Inc. CEO Jeffrey Kindler regarding the direct to consumer (DTC) advertising Lipitor campaign featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik.

Anyone that watches TV or reads newspapers has seen Dr. Jarvik’s ads, promoting Lipitor directly to consumers. Did you think that Dr. Jarvik was licensed in the US to practice and prescribe medications? If so, you aren’t alone.

According to a Wall Street Journal Health Blog, posted on the website Pharma Marketing Network Forums, NBC Science editor Robert Bazell questioned Jarvik’s credentials a year ago.

Apparently Jarvik was unable to get into medical school in the U.S., went to school in Italy and returned to the U.S. to graduate from the University Of Utah School Of Medicine. He did not complete an internship or practice medicine after graduation according to Mr. Bazell.

The House of Representatives letter, signed by committee chairman John Dingell and subcommittee chairman Bart Stupak states “We are concerned that Dr. Jarvik’s qualifications may be misinterpreted in this advertisement campaign given that he may not be a practicing physician with a valid license in any state”.

The committees have requested all information pertaining to Dr. Jarvik’s Lipitor ads including contracts, emails, correspondence, scripts, his financial records, his medical records including diagnosis and his use of Lipitor, his professional qualifications and why Pfizer chose him as a spokesperson for Lipitor.

Pfizer has been given two weeks to submit the requested information.

Sourcewatch.org notes that only two developed countries allow direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs, the U.S. and New Zealand.

In the Sourcewatch.org article on DTC advertising they say that critics of the practice are concerned that “potentially serious adverse side effects are understated and buried in the fine print” that we see at the bottom of ads and in the fast talk at the end of TV commercials.

Sourcewatch.org also reports that in 2006 the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the practice of DTC and found that “of 64 drugs (reviewed) there was a median increase in sales of $2.20 for every $1 spent on DTC advertising”.

DTC is a lucrative practice for the pharmaceutical industry but does it provide more of a public health risk than health benefit?

The House of Representatives’ investigation of Pfizer spokesman Dr. Jarvik will hopefully initiate an end to the practice of direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising in the US.

Sources:

(http://www.fdanews.com/newsletter/article?issueId=11196&articleId=102941)

(http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110-ltr.010708.Pfizer.Jarvik.pdf)

(http://www.forums.pharma-mkting.com/showthread.php?t=1661)

(http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Direct-to-consumer_advertising)

About the author

Teri Lee Gruss, MS Human Nutrition

by: David Gutierrez

The rates of recurrence or death from colon cancer were nearly 3.5 times higher among patients who ate a typical Western diet than among those who followed it least closely, in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers collected data on 1,009 people who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer in the two years between April 1999 and May 2001. In all cases, the cancer had metastasized to the lymph nodes but had not spread to other organs. The participants filled out standardized surveys about their dietary preferences and habits during chemotherapy and the six months following. They were then tracked for five years.

Of the 1,009 patients who began the study, 324 experienced cancer recurrence during those five years, and 223 of those died. Only 28 of the people who did not experienced recurrence died in the same period.

The dietary habits of the cancer patients fell into two basic patterns: The “Western” diet was characterized by the consumption of large amounts of red and processed meats, refined grains and sugars; the “prudent” diet was characterized by consumption of large amounts of fruits, vegetables and relatively higher amounts of poultry and fish relative to red meat.

The researchers found that cancer recurrence and death were almost 3.5 times more common among people who adhered most closely to the Western diet than among those who ate the lowest amounts of red and processed meats, refined grains and sugars.

“Doctors who treat colon cancer patients need to have the conversation about diet,” said researcher Jeffrey Meyerhardt. “From my own experience I know that patients ask about this a lot. They want to know what they should be eating and whether they should be exercising.”

The researchers warned that the study only demonstrates a correlation, and not causality between diet and colon cancer. According to Michael Thun, a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, however, there are already many other health reasons for eating higher amounts of fruits and vegetables and avoiding the foods associated with the “Western” diet.

But consumer health advocate Mike Adams has no doubt about the causes of colorectal cancer. “There’s no question that eating dead, processed and chemically-treated foods promotes the development of colon cancer,” he said. “Preventing colon cancer is as simple as adopting a diet primarily based on raw plants and living foods. Colon cancer simply disappears, and cancer risk throughout the body plummets on a raw foods diet.”

by: David Gutierrez

Alzheimer’s patients who eat a Mediterranean diet have a higher survival rate than patients who eat a more traditional Western diet, according to new research published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by large quantities of vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, monounsaturated fatty acids and fish; low amounts of saturated fats, dairy, poultry and red meat; and a low to moderate alcohol intake. In contrast, the Western diet is typically high in saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, meat and dairy, and is low in fruits and vegetables.

Researchers studied 192 New York Alzheimer’s patients for an average of four and a half years, monitoring their diet and the progression of the disease. Those who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a 76 percent lower risk of death over the course of the study than those who deviated from it.

“The more closely people followed the Mediterranean diet, the more they reduced their mortality,” said lead researcher Nikos Scarmeas of the Columbia University Medical Center. “For example, Alzheimer’s patients who adhered to the diet to a moderate degree lived an average 1.3 years longer than those people who least adhered to the diet. And those Alzheimer’s patients who followed the diet very religiously lived an average [of] four years longer.”

Prior studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to lowered risk of heart disease, longer life and improvement in the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. A previous study by Scarmeas and colleagues showed that healthy people eating a Mediterranean diet are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those on a Western diet.

According to Scarmeas, the next step is to see if the Mediterranean diet actually slows the progress of Alzheimer’s.

“We need to do more research to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet also helps Alzheimer’s patients have slower rates of cognitive decline, maintain their daily living skills, and have a better quality of life,” he said.

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