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Archive for the ‘Healing with the Raw Diet’ Category

By Dr. Mark Stengler

It’s absolutely heartbreaking. All over America, nursing homes are filled with frail, feeble residents suffering from dementia. In many cases, these folks are so far gone they don’t even recognize their own children. But I’m going to let you in on a dark, dirty secret: Many of these patients do not have dementia at all. Their memory loss, confusion, and delirium are caused by prescription drugs! And so are many of their other problems.

This is not just speculation on my part. It’s fully documented in the medical journals. In fact, it’s so common that there are even medical terms for it. Like “polypharmacy,” which means giving a patient too many different drugs. And “iatrogenic illness,” which means any illness caused by doctors.

According to the medical journals, polypharmacy and iatrogenic illness are rampant around the globe.

• One study concluded that one of the major causes of falls in nursing homes is the side effects caused by medications.
• Another study found that 97% of nursing home patients take at least one drug, with 17% taking 5 or more!
• Yet another study found that many drugs can cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms and concluded that “drug-induced parkinsonism is frequent.”
• And still another study listed 22 different categories of drugs that can cause symptoms that mimic Alzheimer’s… plus 14 different over-the-counter drugs that can cause those symptoms!

Here’s a typical scenario. A healthy person goes to the doctor for a checkup and is told his cholesterol or blood pressure is high. So he starts taking medication, which causes side effects. This leads his doctor to give him a second drug to treat those side effects. But, of course, that second drug causes new side effects. So the doctor prescribes a third drug to treat the side effects of the second one! Before you know it, the person’s health is spiraling downward and he soon needs people to take care of him. And everyone just chalks it up to “old age.”

Recently, I spoke to a 72-year-old woman who was turned down by THREE different long-term care companies, even though she passed her physical with flying colors. The reason given? She was on too many prescription drugs. Yes, the insurance companies know that if this woman continues to take her meds, it’s only a matter of time before her health deteriorates. And they don’t want to be the ones footing the bill when that happens.

But you can fight back against this system of medicine run amok. First of all, make sure you always try natural remedies first. Pharmaceuticals should be a last resort, not a first option. Secondly, if you have a loved one in a nursing home, talk to a naturally minded physician about possibly weaning them off the drugs. This single step may make a huge difference in their health and well-being.

Source: www.care2.com or you can visit Dr Mark Stengler, ND at www.lajollawholehealth.com

by Jerome Burne, as featured in ‘Food Matters’

What’s the best way of telling if you are at a raised risk of heart disease? Most people would probably say their cholesterol level, because too much can block your arteries. That’s why the NHS spends more than £1/2 billion a year on statins to treat high cholesterol. Coronary heart disease is the UK’s biggest killer, responsible for more than 115,000 deaths every year. Preventing it is clearly a hugely important task. The heart of the matter: Preventing inflammation could be the key to avoiding heart disease. But this relentless focus on cholesterol could mean that we are missing out on the wider picture – and more effective, cheaper ways of protecting ourselves (without the risk of side-effects from drugs). We all know that old age, smoking, raised blood pressure, lack of exercise and poor diet are significant – but what’s not so familiar is that these factors are linked. And that link is inflammation. Inflammation in itself is not a bad thing – its associated swelling, redness and pain show that your body is working hard to ward off a threat – inflammation is why you don’t die from a cut finger or a bacterial infection. However, chronic inflammation makes heart disease more likely by damaging the lining of blood vessels. This, in turn, lowers production of the nitric oxide that keeps blood vessels flexible; when that happens there is a raised risk of high blood pressure. Damage to the vessel lining also makes it easier for fatty deposits to build up – these can later break away and cause strokes and heart attacks. Smoking, lack of exercise and a poor diet all keep inflammation going. Scientists have known for years that long-term inflammation is a feature of most chronic diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and Alzheimer’s; heart disease is no exception. There’s a simple blood test that tells you if you’ve got a high level of inflammation – it checks for CRP (c-reactive protein). So could a CRP test help you protect yourself more effectively against heart disease than knowing your cholesterol levels? ‘CRP is far from perfect as a biomarker, but I think it is probably a useful warning that you have early signs of disease,’ says Dr. Ian Graham, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Royal College of Surgeons, and a cardiologist at Trinity College, Dublin. ‘Knowing about it could encourage people to start taking better care of their health earlier. Having your levels tested certainly makes sense.’ This would mean you could treat inflammation before it allowed the furring up of your arteries. Being aware of inflammation also brings the focus of fighting heart disease back to lifestyle measures instead of drugs. ‘What worries me about statins is that they make people less likely to take responsibility for their own health,’ says Dr Graham. ‘They encourage the idea you can sit on the sofa, eating dreadful food but you’re safe because your cholesterol is coming down.’ So how do you go about beating inflammation? Losing weight helps because the extra fat you’re carrying around your belly isn’t just a storage depot; some of the chemicals it produces cause inflammation. Cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet also reduces inflammation because high levels of blood glucose and the extra insulin it triggers can inflame and damage arteries. Fish oils have been found to reduce the risk of heart failure patients dying or being hospitalised. Making sure you get a good daily intake of omega 3 fatty acids is a way of damping down the inflammatory response. One trial reported in the summer found that fish oils reduced the risk of patients with heart failure dying or being hospitalised by nine per cent. And then there are statins – the main drugs being tested as a way of tackling inflammation. That’s because as well as lowering cholesterol, statins also target a protein that’s involved in immune reactions. A major trial called Jupiter reported recently that giving a statin to people with high CRP levels but who are otherwise healthy improved their chances of surviving the next four to five years. But critics have pointed out that the benefits of statins were small – for those on the drug, the chances of surviving was 94.9 per cent and if you weren’t on this drug, it was 94.3 per cent. And then there are the potential side effects- – while doctors usually say that muscle pain (myopathy) from statins is rare, a new Canadian study suggests it can affect 10 per cent to 15 per cent of patients. Many of the ways inflammation and heart disease tie up are still controversial and more research is certainly needed. ‘Inflammation is a key player in events triggering a heart attack and also in setting the conditions that lead up to it,’ says Professor Peter Weissberg medical director of the British Heart Foundation. ‘When you use a drug such as a statin it is hard to separate out the effect it has on inflammation from its effect on cholesterol.’ But possibly one of the reasons that trials of lowering CRP haven’t proved very effective is because they have been targeting the wrong thing. ‘CRP just tells you that there is inflammation,’ says Dr Kilmer McCully, Chief of Pathology at the Veterans Hospital in Boston. ‘There is evidence going back a long way that bacteria and viruses are involved in heart disease. They certainly trigger an immune response that would raise CRP but if you don’t get rid of them you are not going to have much of an effect.’ So how do you get rid of these bacteria and viruses? ‘The best defense is an effective immune system and the best way to get that is a highly nutritious diet.’ And CRP is not the only sign of inflammation. An amino acid called homocysteine can contribute to inflammation in the blood vessel walls and research has linked high levels of it with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Homocysteine is produced when we eat meat and dairy products. Normally, the body quickly turns it into other useful chemicals, but sometimes that process goes wrong and levels start to rise. ‘There is no dispute that raised homocysteine is a good predictor of future disease events and death from cardiovascular problems,’ says David Smith, professor of pharmacology at Oxford. ‘If you are otherwise healthy, high homocysteine is a sign your system isn’t working as efficiently as it should be.’ Finally, there is another vitamin that is emerging as a leading player in the fight against inflammation. ‘We could all do with more vitamin D,’ says Dr Oliver Gillie, one of the leading authorities on it in the UK. ‘As many as 90 per cent of us are deficient by the end of winter because we can’t make any from exposure to the sun for about six months of the year this far north. We now know it’s not just used for building bones. ‘It’s involved in many processes, including boosting production of chemicals that calm down inflammation and cutting back on the pro-inflammatory ones.’ By: Jerome Burne, Medical Health Journalist Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. It allows our body to rejuvenate and restore itself. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest causes of aging. Tiredness can also affect your mood and how you feel. Chronic tiredness can increase your risk of depression and anxiety. It can also affect the way that you respond and react to the people around you.

It can also affect your cognitive ability and your ability to use your brain. This can cause you to be less constructive and creative. It can also decrease your ability to think quickly which may impair your ability to drive or do daily tasks. There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, since it varies from person to person. Studies indicate that people are generally most effective when they sleep an average of 7 hours, but people can find anywhere between 5 and 7 hours okay for them.

Insomnia and stress can be caused by deficiencies in certain nutrients. The foods that we eat can help us to gain those nutrients and help us sleep. These 7 simple foods can help us get a good night’s sleep at last so that we can feel refreshed and energized in our daily life.

Bananas
Bananas are a delicious sleepy time fruit. They balance melatonin and serotonin levels, which are the neurotransmitters necessary for deep sleep. They also contain magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a mild sedative that calms and relaxes, making it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.

Honey (preferably raw honey)
While sugar is stimulating, honey helps the brain to turn off because it contains orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

Potatoes
Potatoes contain tryptophan, which will ensure you get your ZZZZZZZZs.

Oatmeal
Oats are a rich source of sleep inducing melatonin.

Almonds
A handful of almonds can help one relax and unwind because they contain the snooze helping nutrients tryptophan and magnesium.

Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which make them a natural mood lifter. Many have found that switching from olive oil (low omega-3) to walnut oil (high omega-3) and flaxseed-oil capsules (very high omega-3) helped sleep, balance, and even moods to improve.

by Sheryl Walters, kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner.

Source – Natural News, www.naturalnews.com

Almost all foods that we eat, after being digested, absorbed, and metabolised, release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood. Grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt all produce acid. The mass consumption of these foods have caused our bodies to become overly acidic, which strips it of minerals. Over the long haul, those who do not balance their diet with alkaline foods (vegetables and fruits, primarily) become prone to weak bones, joints and muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems. In other words, long-term health and longevity have everything to do with acid-alkaline balance.

Consider the Inuit (a.k.a., Eskimos), who do not have access to many fruits and vegetables. Their diets consist largely of seal meat, fish and whale blubber. While they eat few grains, their diet is nevertheless highly acidic. Though a sturdy bunch, with healthy hearts, their bones start breaking down prematurely. Indeed, the Inuit people have the worst longevity statistics in North America.

In contrast is Okinawa, where more people live to 100 years of age, longer than anywhere in the world. While meat, rice, soy and seafood (highly acidic foods) are squarely in the diet, so are a vast range of different vegetables and fruits, rich in anti-oxidants, as well as minerals that counteract acidity. A wealth of fascinating anthropologic and scientific evidence exists that supports the acid-alkaline theory of health and longevity; there is much information to research this further.

The typical American diet is similar to that of the Inuit in that there is entirely too much meat and not enough alkaline vegetables to balance it. Factory farms in the US manufacture meat and animal products in unhealthy ways, leaving them loaded with toxins and inflammatory compounds. Furthermore, charring meat adds flavor, as well as cancer-causing substances.

To make matters worse, the acidity of the American diet is compounded by all the starches and sweets consumed. Many of these processed foods can be as acidic as meat, chicken, fish and seafood (colas are even more acidic), but are not nearly as full of nutrients. Acidic foods are also generally lacking in fiber, which helps control blood sugar and improves bowel health. The friendly bacteria in the gut need fiber to function. Without them, not only does the digestive system suffer, but also the immune defenses.

The problem is not so much any particular food, but rather the cumulative effect of a highly acidic diet over many decades that eats away at our health.

So, where does that leave us? What can we do to reduce the impact of an acidic diet? For one, reduce the serving sizes of the acidic foods, while increasing the amount of greens and other alkaline veggies during a meal. This markedly reduces the total number of calories consumed, while reducing the acid impact. Learning about what foods are highly acidic or alkaline can help one balance the diet better.

Yet, to make it easy, here are a few suggestions that can help you add more alkaline foods to your diet – Have a big salad at least once a day using green leafy vegetables (especially collard or mustard greens, endive and kale) and add sprouts, broccoli, parsely, asperagus and peppers. Grind black pepper on everything savory. Squeeze lemon or lime juice on fish, salads or in your beverage. Munch on pumpkin seeds or add them to salads. Use sea salt (Celtic, French or Himalayan preferred) rather than regular table salt. Use Apple cider vinegar rather than Balsamic vinegar. Drink ginger tea instead of coffee. If you like radishes, eat them like candy. If you want something sweet, eat cantaloupe, tangerines, mandarins and assorted berries. Let vegetable juices be your summer thirst quencher. Quell a hunger with celery smeared with nut butter. Smear half of an avocado on toast, rather than margarine.

Green leafy vegetables and the foods mentioned above can make a major difference in the balance of things and protect the bones, joints, muscles, heart, brain, liver and kidneys. Alkaline bodies are also much more resistant to infection and cancer.

As far as diets go, these are not boring foods by any means. Indeed, there is a great variety to choose from, and hundreds of simple recipes to play with. In addition, many other healthy and tasty foods are alkaline forming, though not with the same impact as the foods listed above. There are also alkaline mineral supplements, such as the citrates of potassium, magnesium and calcium, which can have profound effects on health and well-being.

Source: www.naturalnews.com

By Professor Ian Brighthope

Fat is probably the most misunderstood component of the human diet. The acquisition of scientific terminology as marketing jargon has certainly increased this misunderstanding. Most consumers are now aware of terms such as omega-3 and omega-6, and essential fatty acids, and know that there are such things as good fats and bad fats. Unfortunately this does not mean that people are making wiser food choices. 

A product endorsed by the heart foundation, for example, such are margarine, may be touted as being a source of omega-3, yet this product also contains trans fatty acids, which science has shown contribute to cardiovascular disease. This is a perfect example of a so-called ‘good fat’ turning renegade when subjected to industrialization and refinement.

A consensus is emerging among researchers that our bodies are designed to function using a whole food pre-agricultural diet high in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in cold-water deep-sea fish such as salmon and tuna. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in flax seeds, walnuts and dark green vegetables. The science that supports the use of omega-3 fats as health promoting agents also makes the important distinction: that the quality of these fats effects their function, as does the ratio to other fats in the diet such as omega-6 and the arachidonic acid derived from saturated fat.

Quality: the changing ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3

Omega-6 and Omega-9 are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFA’s are sometimes called essential fatty acids because they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be provided through the diet. Generally, our diets contain far too little omega-3 and an excess of omega-6 fat. Experts looking at the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early human history the ratio was about 1-4:1. Currently most Australians eat a dietary ratio that is around 20-50:1. The optimum ratio is most likely closer to the original ratio of 1-4:1. For most of us, this means not only increasing our omega-3 intake, but also greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we consume.

We should also bear in mind that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in these foods has changed with the use of factory farming techniques and growth enhancement practices in agribusiness. Researchers at the Weston Price Foundation have observed that organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 in the beneficial ratio of 1:1, but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3.

Why You’ll Never See Obese Fish: Marine oil for weight control

When we significantly reduce the omega-6 fatty acids in the diet and increase the Omega-3’s from marine oils, the metabolic rate is increased. Marine oils also reduce the insulin response to oral glucose. This means that the body utilises the energy from carbohydrates more efficiently, without storing it as fat.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s): A safer aspirin

The increased omega-6/omega-3 ratio in our diet most likely contributes to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and inflammatory disorders. If we correct this ratio and increase our intake of high quality omega-3 inflammation is reduced, as is the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Omega 3 fatty acids modulate prostaglandin metabolism. Put simply: the omega-3 fatty acids available in deep sea coldwater fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna have an anti-inflammatory action similar to aspirin. When aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) are used frequently to treat conditions such as arthritis, they can have serious long-term side effects. The omega-3’s in marine oil, on the other hand have an excellent safety profile. Scientists have also recently discovered a key anti-inflammatory fat in the human body, which they have named Resolvins. Resolvins are made from omega-3 fatty acids.

Fat: Brain food

Apart from water, the human brain is composed of 60% fat (lipid). Lipid is a general term for fatty biochemicals such as phospholipids, triglycerides, ceramides and free fatty acids. Unlike other body membranes, neurons (brain cells) contain a very high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are required for important functions such as signal transfer and data processing. The brain needs dietary fats (saturated and unsaturated) to function correctly. There is now very good evidence to link conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, senile dementia, clinical depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia with a deficiency of long chain PUFA in modern diets. The best sources are from cold-water deep-sea fish.

Recommended Supplements for Specific Health Issues:

Cardiovascular health

• Take a high quality Omega 3 Supplement in Fish, Hemp or Flax form
• Regular intake of dark green unrefined extra virgin olive oil
• Supplements: Vitamin E. Coenzyme Q10.

Depression

• Take a high quality Omega 3 Supplement in Fish, Hemp or Flax form
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is an essential cofactor for EFA metabolism as well as for the majority of pathways of amino acids, including decarboxylation pathways for dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin.
• SupplementS: Vitamin B12, Folate and SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine).

Learning and behavioral disorders

• Take a high quality Omega 3 Supplement in Fish, Hemp or Flax form and Evening Primrose oil.
• Supplements: Vitamin E, Zinc, Magnesium. Choline and Vitamin B1 & B6.

Obesity

• Moderate insulin by consuming foods with a low glycemic response (Low GI).
• Increase consumption of fish with high omega-3 content (or supplement).
• Regular intake of Green tea or mate’ tea.
• Supplement Minerals: Calcium, Chromium, Iodine, Magnesium and Manganese.
• Herbs: Gymnema sylvestre (reduces appetite and craving for carbohydrates.)

By the Institute for Responsible Technology , Your Consumer Safety Partner – May 20, 2009

This week, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.” They called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling. AAEM’s position paper stated, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. They conclude, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation,” as defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.”

More and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist, and board member of AAEM says, “I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods.” Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says “I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it.”

Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM, says, “Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions.” World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.

Pregnant women and babies at great risk

Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that “children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems” related to GM foods. He says without adequate studies, the children become “the experimental animals.”

The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.

When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller than normal.

Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investigations in the state of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.

In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.

Food designed to produce toxin

GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt—produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the plants do the killing.

The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.

Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room.
The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India, from handling Bt cotton.[xiii] In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, “Victims of itching have increased massively this year . . . related to BT cotton farming.”

GMOs provoke immune reactions

AAEM states, “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation,” including increase in cytokines, which are “associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation”—all on the rise in the US.

According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are “a consistent feature of all the studies.” Even Monsanto’s own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.

GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.

Animals dying in large numbers

In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence “strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin.” In a small follow-up feeding study by the Deccan Development Society, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.

In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.

Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.

In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto’s own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist G. E. Seralini.

Worst finding of all—GMOs remain inside of us

The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.

When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.

Warnings by government scientists ignored and denied

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests.[xxvii] But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists’ concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto’s vice president.

Dangerously few studies, untraceable diseases

AAEM states, “GM foods have not been properly tested” and “pose a serious health risk.” Not a single human clinical trial on GMOs has been published. A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the “potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants” revealed “that experimental data are very scarce.” The author concludes his review by asking, “Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?”

Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, “The experiments simply haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.” He adds, “Anyone that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying.”

Dr. Schubert points out, “If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop.” If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.

This is precisely what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.

If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the large scale introduction of GM crops in 1996, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.

To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their “members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health.”

Citizens need not wait for the results before taking the doctors advice to avoid GM foods. People can stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless it says organic or “non-GMO.” There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well as in natural food stores and in many doctors’ offices.

If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food industry will likely respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM ingredients. Thus, AAEM’s non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US food supply.

Source: http://www.opposingviews.com

Over a period of months or years, our food is shaped by the sun, wind and precipitation.  Then as soon as we eat a meal, our intestines go about the arduous task of breaking it down so everything in it can be absorbed by our bodies. They sort out which components are allowed to stay and which aren’t.  This determines how we feel  later, as well as what we accomplish and even what we think.

Our intestines’ essential allies in this process are millions of bacteria that help break down our food. We can help our intestines if we occasionally give them something that has already undergone a degree of bacterial conversion: fermented food. Or better yet, food that still contains live fermentation bacteria, such as pickles. A word of caution however; pickled foods from a jar or can like gherkins or sauerkraut, are usually pasteurized and no longer contain fermentation bacteria.

Thankfully sauerkraut and pickles are easy to make! Slice an organic cucumber and toss into a bowl with half a head of thinly sliced Chinese cabbage (wombok). Sprinkle with salt and mix until vegetables are damp. Add a dash of vinegar, then cover the bowl with a dish and place something heavy on top to seal. Allow to sit at room temperature for a day, out of direct sunlight. Rinse the mixture if the pickled vegetables are too salty. Enjoy.

Source: www.odemagazine.com

The popular herbal extract St. John’s wort is more effective at treating the symptoms of depression than any antidepressant drug, and has fewer side effects, researchers from the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich have concluded.

“Overall, the St John’s Wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebo, similarly effective as standard anti-depressants, and had fewer side effects than standard anti-depressants,” lead researcher Klaus Linde said.

In a study published by the Cochrane Library, the researchers compiled the results of 29 prior trials, involving a total of 5,489 participants who were randomly assigned either St. John’s wort, a placebo, tricylclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat mild to moderately severe depression. All studies were double-blind, meaning that neither patients nor researchers knew what kind of treatment each participant was receiving.

St. John’s wort was found to be more effective than a placebo and at least as effective as both tricylics and SSRIs, but with fewer side effects. Patients receiving the herbal treatment were significantly less likely to drop out of studies due to negative side effects than those assigned to take tricyclic antidepressants.

The researchers called their study the most thorough to date, and possibly the first to show that St. John’s wort is effective at treating not only mild, but also severe depression (also known as major depression). St. John’s wort, known officially as Hypericum perforatum, is a native European perennial herb with distinctive yellow flowers and now grows wild in many parts of the Americas as well. It derives its common name from the tradition of harvesting its flowers on St. John’s day (June 24). Also known as Klamath weed or Tipton’s weed, the plant has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for depression and sleeping problems.

In recent years, the popularity of the herbal antidepressant has soared as new concerns continue to emerge over pharmaceutical antidepressants, especially SSRIs. In Germany, doctors regularly prescribe it to children and teenagers. In the United Kingdom, it is currently used by two million people.

SSRIs have been shown to significantly increase the risk of suicide in those under the age of 18, and evidence suggests that they may have a similar effect on adults, as well. Recent evidence has also linked use of the drugs by pregnant women with an elevated risk of oral and heart-related birth defects.

With Western health care systems emphasizing drugs for the treatment of mental illness, however, many doctors feel they have no alternatives but to prescribe tricyclics or SSRIs, in spite of the risk. The new study may lead more doctors to prescribe St. John’s wort instead.

Another recent study, conducted by St. James’ University Hospital in Leeds, England, found that St. John’s wort was the only herbal supplement effective at treating depression, in contrast to cat’s claw, ginseng, gingko biloba, liquid tonic and royal jelly.

Researchers remain unsure precisely how St. John’s wort works, in part because the plant contains chemicals from at least seven different families. The most favored explanation is that the herb acts much like an SSRI, slowing the rate at which the neurotransmitter serotonin is removed from the brain. The chemical hyperforin is posited by some as the most active chemical agent in the herb, and has been linked to slowed uptake of not only serotonin but also the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline, GABA and glutamate. St. John’s wort extracts from which hyperforin has been removed, however, have still been shown to function as effective antidepressants.

Source: www.naturalnews.com