Health & WellnessS


Alarm Clock

If Dr. Offit had his way, Vitamins would be treated as drugs


Alliance for Natural Health
Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:38 UTC
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The New York Times has published another shameful op-ed bashing nutritional supplements. Here's our response.

This week, Dr. Paul A. Offit, chief of the infectious diseases division of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (and author of a forthcoming book called, hilariously enough, Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine), wrote a piece for the New York Times called "Don't Take Your Vitamins."

In his article, Dr. Offit states, "Nutrition experts argue that people need only the recommended daily allowance - the amount of vitamins found in a routine diet. Vitamin manufacturers argue that a regular diet doesn't contain enough vitamins, and that more is better."
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Magnify

Why are foods and supplements made for children packed with hazardous chemicals, hidden Aspartame and GMOs?

Dr. Mercola
Mercola.com
Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:56 UTC
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As a parent, one of the best gifts you can give your child is a strong nutritional start. The first years of life represent a time of rapid development, during which your child's language, cognitive, social and motor skills are developed.

During the first three years of life, the brain also grows at its fastest rate, and this represents a crucial window of development during which proper nutrition is essential.

If your child does not get healthy foods (and ideally breast milk) during this time, his future intelligence could be impacted.

A 2010 study1 revealed just how big an impact a poor nutritional start can have on your kids. Those who ate a predominantly processed food diet at age 3 had lower IQ scores at age 8.5. For each measured increase in processed foods, participants had a nearly two point decrease in IQ.

As you might suspect, the opposite also held true, with those eating healthier diets experiencing higher IQ levels.
As a parent, it is important to carefully consider the types of foods you give your child at home and in restaurants, as research has shown that repeated exposure builds taste preferences very quickly.
Potentially reduced IQ is not the only health risk your child faces if he eats a diet consisting mainly of processed foods and snacks.

A junk food diet can also set the stage for obesity, asthma, eczema, and a variety of allergies, behavioral problems - from hyperactivity to aggression - as well as inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases. In fact, many of the top diseases plaguing the United States are diet-related, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The National Institutes of Health even states that four of the six leading causes of death in the US are linked to unhealthy diets.
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Syringe

Japan's health ministry withdraws recommendation for cervical cancer vaccine


The Asahi Shimbun
Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:34 UTC
Cervical Vaccine
© The Asahi ShimbunMika Matsufuji, second from right, and other members of the “Zenkoku Shikyukeigan Vaccine Higaisha Renrakukai” hold a news conference to explain possible side effects of a vaccination against cervical cancer in Tokyo on March 25.
The health ministry decided June 14 to withdraw its recommendation for a vaccination to protect girls against cervical cancer after hundreds complained about possible side effects, including long-term pain and numbness.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is not suspending the use of the vaccination, but it has instructed local governments not to promote the use of the medicine while studies are conducted on the matter.

"The decision (not to recommend the vaccination) does not mean that the vaccine itself is problematic from the viewpoint of safety," said Mariko Momoi, vice president of the International University of Health and Welfare, who headed a ministry task force looking into the matter.

"By implementing investigations, we want to offer information that can make the people feel more at ease."

It is rare for the ministry to withdraw a recommendation for a vaccine that is used regularly by local governments and is spelled out in a law.

Girls can still receive the vaccination for free, although medical institutions must now inform them beforehand that the ministry does not recommend it.
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Magic Wand

Health benefits of Basil


Mercola.com
Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:51 UTC
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Basics on Basil

Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum

If a kitchen has only a few herbs in its possession, basil will likely be one of them. Its fragrant essence combines well with rosemary and thyme in meat dishes, fish, vegetables, cheese, soup and eggs, and is one of the main ingredients in pesto, along with pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

Although more than 60 varieties of basil have been identified, they all fall into three main types: sweet, purple, and bush. Each offers a subtle difference in taste; varieties such as lemon, anise, and cinnamon basil give you an idea of how one might modify and enhance a recipe. It only takes a few leaves to transform a simple dish.

Basil plants are easy to maintain indoors and out. Snip off budding heads whenever they appear and underneath the base of a leaf near the bottom on spindly stems to keep your plant full, and a new branch will appear.

To dry basil leaves, warm your oven to 140 degrees while placing a single layer of basil leaves on a baking sheet. Turn off the oven and pop in your pan for 20 minutes (you don't want them to actually bake). Remove the pan, cool the leaves, and store immediately in airtight bottles or zip-lock bags, away from sunlight.
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Bad Guys

GMO Crops: Scientists agree it's bio-warfare on our food supply

Summer Tierney
Undergroundhealth.com
Wed, 22 May 2013 21:32 UTC
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You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand why genetically modified foods are dangerous, but if you look closely, you may just find the name of one listed among the names of more than 800 scientists from around the globe who have joined forces in an open letter to all world governments, outlining their detailed concerns over the alarming potential threat of biotech's unauthorized, worldwide GMO foods experiment.

In a country whose government and media appear only too eager to conjure up fear of "bioterrorism" and "biological weapons," it's shocking (albeit obviously deliberate) to what extent the GMO issue remains omitted from mainstream discussion. Consider that the message from these scientists seems to be that the whole planet is already under attack by the persistent and largely unchecked, reckless behavior of greedy, unruly U.S. corporations - corporations whose activities appear to be sponsored by the federal government. And whether you know it yet or not, your body is the battleground.
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Red Flag

Splenda® Sucra-Highs and Sucralose: Miracle sweetener or cause of Leukemia?

Tania Melkonian
Greenmedinfo.com
Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:16 UTC
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While millions around the world consume foods and beverages sweetened with Splenda (sucralose) with abandon, an accumulating body of research indicates that this synthetic chemical is far from safe, may contribute to obesity and blood sugar disorders, and more recently has even been linked to leukemia in animal experiments.

For several years now, Greenmedinfo (GMI) has consolidated scientific study abstracts from the National Library of Medicine about Splenda (sucralose) and its potential health related effects. Two articles citing the most compelling research are The Bitter Truth about Splenda and Splenda (Sucralose) Found to have Diabetes Promoting Effects, both by GMI's founder, Sayer Ji. The former refers to its xenobiotic nature, i.e. its metabolically foreign chemical properties, 1 and provides evidence that when the sensation of sweetness is disassociated from 'food,' i.e. a source of calories or nutrition, it is either unrecognizable by the body, or disrupts the body neuroendocrine system in an adverse manner. 2

The latter article focuses on the potential sucralose has to promote diabetic and /or pre-diabetic disease processes within the human body. The results delineated in the study point to just a single dose of sucralose resulting in increases in blood sugar concentration, increases in insulin levels and decreases in insulin sensitivity, all of which are possible pre-cursors to diabetes. 3

The study came to the attention of a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson, who submitted a rebuttal letter to our founder. View it here.
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Hearts

Want to lower your blood pressure? Try helping others!


Sciencedaily.com
Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00 UTC
Taking blood pressure
© GETTY
It turns out that helping others can also help you protect yourself from high blood pressure.

New research from Carnegie Mellon University shows that older adults who volunteer for at least 200 hours per year decrease their risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure, by 40 percent. The study, published by the American Psychological Association's Psychology and Aging journal, suggests that volunteer work may be an effective non-pharmaceutical option to help prevent the condition. Hypertension affects an estimated 65 million Americans and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.

"Everyday, we are learning more about how negative lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of exercise increase hypertension risk," said Rodlescia S. Sneed, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and lead author of the study. "Here, we wanted to determine if a positive lifestyle factor like volunteer work could actually reduce disease risk. And, the results give older adults an example of something that they can actively do to remain healthy and age successfully."
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Pills

Whistleblower at heart of Ranbaxy drugs scandal says all warnings to UK officials ignored

Dean Nelson, New Delhi, Raf Sanchez in Washington, Richard Gray and Alex Spillius
The Telegraph
Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:00 UTC
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© BloombergA Ranbaxy technician displays anti-anthrax Cipro tablets

Dinesh Thakur, formerly a senior executive at Ranbaxy, repeatedly contacted officials at the UK Medicines and Heath Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) with concerns about at least 16 drugs the company was supplying or seeking to supply to the National Health Service.

Manufactured in India, the medicines were "generic" versions of branded drugs, which are made for a fraction of the cost and save the NHS billions of pounds a year. They included common antibiotics and anti-cholesterol drugs prescribed millions of times to Britons annually, as well as treatments for serious conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and epilepsy.

In a series of emails from 2004 onwards to the MHRA seen by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Thakur listed the drugs that he said were available or soon to be on sale in Britain on what he alleged was suspect or unreliable clinical data. He suggested that British patients may have been put at risk by Ranbaxy's "spurious, untested medicines".

An investigation by The Daily Telegraph has revealed that the MHRA's reaction to Mr Thakur's overtures contrasted sharply with that of the US Food and Drugs Administration.

Comment: For more information on the Ranbaxy scandal read: Dirty medicine

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2 + 2 = 4

Scan predicts whether therapy or meds will best lift depression


Sciencedaily.com
Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:34 UTC
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© Helen Mayberg, M.D., Emory UniversityIf a patient’s pre-treatment resting brain activity was low in the front part of the insula, on the right side of the brain (red area where green lines converge), it signaled a significantly higher likelihood of remission with CBT and a poor response to escitalopram. Conversely, hyperactivity in the insula predicted remission with escitalopram and a poor response to CBT. Picture shows PET data superimposed on anatomic MRI scan data.

Pre-treatment scans of brain activity predicted whether depressed patients would best achieve remission with an antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

"Our goal is to develop reliable biomarkers that match an individual patient to the treatment option most likely to be successful, while also avoiding those that will be ineffective," explained Helen Mayberg, M.D., of Emory University, Atlanta, a grantee of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health.

Mayberg and colleagues report on their findings in JAMA Psychiatry, June 12, 2013.

"For the treatment of mental disorders, brain imaging remains primarily a research tool, yet these results demonstrate how it may be on the cusp of aiding in clinical decision-making," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

Currently, determining whether a particular patient with depression would best respond to psychotherapy or medication is based on trial and error. In the absence of any objective guidance that could predict improvement, clinicians typically try a treatment that they, or the patient, prefer for a month or two to see if it works. Consequently, only about 40 percent of patients achieve remission following initial treatment. This is costly in terms of human suffering as well as health care spending.
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Heart

The amazing health benefits of bone broth

David Jockers, DC
Primal Docs
Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:49 UTC
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Bone broth provides the nutritional synergy to calm an overactive immune system while supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells.
Many cultures have used bone broth to make healing elixirs, soups and stews for many centuries. The Jewish community made chicken soup the popular remedy for the common cold without fully understanding the unique health benefits in this dish. Science has revealed the amazing health benefits that come with bone broth.

Bone broth can be made from any animal with bones and the most popular soup bones include those of fish, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and venison. The bones house a variety of powerful nutrients that become released when they are slowly simmered in water for a few hours. These nutrients include bone marrow which helps provide the raw materials for healthy blood cells and immune development.

Key nutrients that enhance healing

Other valuable nutrients include collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glycosamino glycans, proline, glycine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. These all help with the development of healthy joints, bones, ligaments and tendons as well as hair and skin. These nutrients are considered beauty foods because they help the body with proper structural alignment and beautiful skin and hair.

Glycine and proline are essential for connective tissue function which is the biological glue that holds are bodies together. Without them we would literally fall apart. These two amino acids are essential for healing microscopic wounds throughout the body and they also suppress inflammatory activity. This is especially important for individuals with chronic inflammation or auto-immune conditions.

Bone broth provides the nutritional synergy to calm an overactive immune system while supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells. This is why it is such a great healing food to have when the body is encountering stress from bacterial or viral infections as well as digestive disorders and leaky gut syndrome.
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