Health & WellnessS


Bizarro Earth

Toxic Waters - Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering

Karl Russell
The New York Times
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:00 UTC
cavities from pollutants
© Charles DuhiggRyan Massey, 7, shows his caps. Dentists near Charleston, W.Va., say pollutants in drinking water have damaged residents’ teeth. Nationwide, polluters have violated the Clean Water Act more than 500,000 times.

Jennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink the tap water in her home near Charleston, W.Va.

In fact, her entire family tries to avoid any contact with the water. Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs and chest where the bathwater - polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals - caused painful rashes. Many of his brother's teeth were capped to replace enamel that was eaten away.

Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.

"How can we get digital cable and Internet in our homes, but not clean water?" said Mrs. Hall-Massey, a senior accountant at one of the state's largest banks.

She and her husband, Charles, do not live in some remote corner of Appalachia. Charleston, the state capital, is less than 17 miles from her home.

"How is this still happening today?" she asked.
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Health

Autoimmune Disease: How To Stop Your Body From Attacking Itself

Mark Hyman, M.D.
Huffington Post
Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:42 UTC
The incidence of autoimmune disease has tripled in the last few decades. 24 million Americans are now affected. In fact, it affects more women than heart disease and breast cancer combined.

But autoimmune disease isn't just one condition ...

You're probably familiar with the most common autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type-1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and psoriasis. But there are many more autoimmune diseases that affect the nervous system, joints and muscles, skin, endocrine gland, and heart.
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Magnify

Key Brain Receptors Linked to Learning and Memory Decrease with Age

Alan Garen
Medical News Today
Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:00 UTC
Scientists studying cognitive decline that accompanies aging have been interested in nicotinic receptors, part of a key neural pathway that not only enhances learning and memory skills but reinforces addictions as well. The loss of these receptors has been difficult to study in living subjects, but Yale University researchers using advanced imaging technology have successfully tracked the loss of receptors with age, according to a report in the September issue of the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

"Measurable decline in cognitive abilities is evident by age 50, but our knowledge of the changes in the brain associated with these deficits has been largely confined to post-mortem studies," said Christopher H. van Dyck, senior author of the study and Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology and Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit.

The Yale University researchers used SPECT imaging to track concentrations of nicotinic receptors in eight brain regions of 47 subjects aged 18 to 85. They observed an age-related loss of receptors in seven of eight brain regions, at a rate of about 5 percent per decade of life.
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Magic Wand

Fall Fashion and Beauty Trends May Be Hazardous to Your Health


PhysOrg
Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:42 UTC
As summer winds down and women prepare to trade in their beach ware for fall flair, they should be aware of fashion and beauty trends that may be harmful to their health.

"Women can pay a high price for fashion when it comes to their health," said Dr. Shazia Khan, co-medical director, Loyola Primary Care Center at Oakbrook Terrace, Loyola University Health System (LUHS). "Certain beauty and fashion trends can take their toll, if women do not take steps to correct them."

Among the dangerous fashion and beauty trends that Khan cites are large bags or purses, high-heeled shoes, nickel jewelry and acrylic nails.

Large purses or bags may be to blame for back and neck pain, because they place a strain on the shoulders and neck. Avoid bags that weigh more than 10 pounds. This may be difficult for busy moms who use their purses to carry everything from diapers to dogs to personal digital assistants (PDAs).
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Attention

Flashback Doctor's MMR Fears

Lucy Johnston
Jabs
Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:13 UTC
3,000 babies a year could have condition that puts them at risk from jab, says expert.

Fresh fears for the safety of MMR vaccinations will be raised this week with a claim that more than 3,000 British babies could be at risk of autism and even death each year.

The claim centers on a condition that affects one in 200 people.

In a new edition of his book, The Truth About Vaccines, Dr Richard Halvorsen collects the latest studies that suggest children with the condition have developed autism after jabs.
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Syringe

Two Thousand Schoolgirls Suffer Suspected Ill-Effects From Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Laura Donnelly
Telegraph.co.uk
Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:52 UTC
Thousands of schoolgirls have suffered suspected adverse reactions to a controversial cervical cancer vaccine introduced by the Government.

Doctors' reports show that girls of 12 and 13 have experienced convulsions, fever and paralysis after being given the vaccine, which is now administered in schools as part of efforts to prevent women developing cancer.

Others suffered nausea, muscle weakness, dizziness and blurred vision, according to a special report drawn up by drug safety watchdogs.
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Magnify

How Moms and Minorities are Deceived About Dangers of Plastic

Dr. Mercola
Mercola.com
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:41 UTC
Image
In June, food and chemical lobbyists met in Washington, DC to save the toxic plastic chemical BPA. Their internal meeting memos revealed a dangerous and unethical strategy to keep your family eating and drinking from BPA-laden containers, despite the mounting scientific evidence that exposure to even extremely low levels of BPA can impact health, particularly during early infancy.

Notes from the meeting included a statement that, "Attendees believe a balance of legislative and grassroots outreach (to young mothers ages 21-35 and students) is imperative to the stability of their industry." The notetaker added that, "Their 'holy grail' spokesperson would be a pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA."

The notes went on to suggest that fear tactics regarding access to baby food would be a good ploy to use.
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Syringe

Study Reveals Serious HPV Vaccine Problems: Fainting, Blood Clots, Death Among Risks

S. L. Baker
NaturalNews
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:16 UTC
At first glance, a study just published in the August 19th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is yet another whitewash job about the safety of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus recombinant vaccine --better known as Gardasil, the genital human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Licensed in June of 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for girls and young women between the ages of nine and 26, the enormously hyped and advertised vaccine is designed to prevent infection with four types of HPV: types 16 and 18 can cause cervical cancer and types 6 and 11 are the most common types of genital warts.

The JAMA report says that the Gardasil adverse events reported have been mostly consistent with data gathered before the vaccine was considered safe enough to be widely administered to young girls. But a close reading shows some disturbing additional facts.

Just as NaturalNews has consistently reported, the vaccine has caused an extraordinary number of adverse side effects. And now comes word from the JAMA report that the HPV vaccine has unexpectedly caused episodes of fainting and life-threatening blood clots. In fact, in a statement to the media, these events were called "disproportional" -- meaning these side effects are anything but rare. What's more, among the 12,424 adverse reaction reports about the HPV vaccine, 772 (6.2 percent) were serious and included 32 reports of death.
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Magnify

Moving Out of Emotional Captivity: Are You the Driver or the Driven?

Therese J. Borchard
Psych Central
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:00 UTC
In his book Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds, Victor M. Parachin tells a Japanese tale about how powerful our emotions can be, and how we must manage them, not vice versa. He writes:
A Japanese samurai warrior visited a Zen master, seeking answers to questions that had plagued him for some time.

"What is it you want to know?" asked the Zen master.

"Tell me, sir, do heaven and hell exist?"

"Ha!" laughed the Zen master in a contemptuous tone. "What makes you think you could understand such things? You are only an educated, brutish soldier. Don't waste my time with your ridiculous questions."

The samurai warrior froze in shock. No one spoke to a samurai that way. It meant instant death. Increasing the tension, the Zen master went on, "Are you too stupid to understand what I just said? Stop wasting my time and get out of here!" he shouted.

The samurai exploded with rage. As quick as lightening, his hand grabbed the sword, sweeping it over his head to get ready for the kill. In the split second before the sword descended to cut off the Zen master's head, the samurai heard him say, "This is the gate to hell."

Again, the samurai froze in astonishment. He got the message. It was his own rage that brought hell to him. The Zen master - as is customary among the greatest of Zen teachers - risked his life to make that fact inescapably clear. Pausing and then breathing deeply, the samurai replaced his sword. He bowed humbly, filled with respect and even awe.

"And this," smiled the Zen master, "is the gate to heaven."
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Bulb

Sharing your bed can lead to poor health or divorce

Richard Alleyne
Independent.ie
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:12 UTC
Sleeping with your partner can be bad for your health and your relationship, scientists have warned.

Researchers found that sharing a bed often led to poor quality sleep because people were regularly disturbed by their loved ones. They found that, on average, couples suffered 50 per cent more disturbances when sleeping with their partners than they did on their own.

This often led to "tension" in the relationship as well as health problems associated with lack of sleep, including heart disease and depression.

Yet the researchers found that people tolerated it because sleeping together is considered a sign of intimacy and to sleep separately is considered "culturally wrong".
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