HealthAndSurvival.com » Herbal Medicine

Health And Survival Blog — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:51:22 +0000

(NaturalNews) The herbal supplement St. John’s Wort has long been promoted as an effective alternative for treating depression. Unfortunately, St. John’s Wort has proven ineffective for people suffering severe clinical depression. In fact, the results of a recent study revealed that St. John’s Wort is completely ineffective at treating severe depression. There is another effective natural alternative, however, and it is called SAM-E (S-adenosylmethionine).

Symptoms of Depression:

•Feelings of sadness and emptiness
•Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness
•Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
•Excessive sleeping or insomnia
•Fatigue
•Lack of energy
•Difficulty concentrating and in decision-making
•Headaches or digestive disorders
•Crying and tearfulness
•Overeating or under eating

In the aforementioned study, St. John’s Wort was tested for eight weeks on 200 patients who were suffering a degree of depression that made daily functioning difficult. St. John’s Wort was no more effective than a placebo.

In a significant number of previous studies, however, St. John’s Wort was found effective for mild to moderate cases of depression. There is some evidence that points to the fact that St. John’s Wort can help with some symptoms of depression. In Germany, in fact, St. John’s Wort is available by prescription.

There have been questions about the quality of some of this research, though. One such criticism cites a lack of studies using a placebo and another drug such as Zoloft. Zoloft is classified as an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and these are commonly used drugs for treating depression. These newer drugs also have numerous side-effects, however, and while many claim to be “non-habit forming,” this does not seem to be the case.

To satisfy these criticisms about the St. John’s Wort studies, researchers gave participating patients either St. John’s Wort, Zoloft, or a placebo for up to 26 weeks. When the study concluded, researchers found that neither the prescription drug nor the St. John’s Wort was more effective than the placebo. Almost 33% of the placebo patients showed a large response to their treatment and this was compared to approximately 24% of both the Zoloft group and the St. John’s Wort group.….read more here…

Posted in Diseases, Drugs, Herbal Medicine, Wellness Tagged: depression, Drugs, Health & Fitness, healthcare, herbs, Life, medicines, news, prevention, st. john's wort, supplements, Vitamins, Wellness, zoloft

Benefits of Tunguska Mist Adaptogens

Health And Survival Blog — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:37:11 +0000

In June, 1908- there was a mysterious blast in the Tunguska region, in the Siberian plateau. Most Scientists believe this blast was from a meteor burning up in the earth’s atmosphere, just prior to hitting planet earth. One hundred years later, many are realizing the health benefits from this event. Plant life near the epicenter of Tunguska is prospering. Did these plants have some unique ability to adapt and survive after enormous environmental stressors? Are there other species of plant herbs which possess the same ability? The ability to adapt to stress? If so- how can they help human health?

Wikipedia states: “In 1947, Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to “adapt” to the stressful circumstances.

Human stress is a well known cause of disease. Adaptogens are believed to help your body adapt to the stresses faced throughout the day. Adaptation is a major way the body fights disease causing stress.

Herbal adaptogens have been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Diseases and conditions caused or made worse with stress include: Angina, asthma, cancer, heart disease, common cold, depression and anxiety, overweight, diabetes, tension headaches , hypertension , weakened immune suppression, Irritable bowel disease, heartburn and ulcer.

Most adaptogens fall into the following categories-

Ayurvedic Herbs:

Amla
Ashwagandha or Indian Winter Cherry (Withania somnifera)
Guduchi
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum),
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Shatavari
Shilajit

Chinese Herbs:

Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Korean Red Ginseng (Asian Red Ginseng)
Astragalus(Astragalus Membranaceus)
Codonopsis
Cordyceps
He Shou Wu (Fo-ti)
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza Uralensis)
Goji Wolfberry (Lycium Barbarum)
Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)
Chinese Magnolia Vine (Schizandra Chinensis)
Jiaogulan (Gynostemma Pentaphyllum)
Shilajit (Asphaltum)
Prince Seng
Schisandra

European Herbs:

Russian Mountain Ash (Sorbus Aucuparia)
Chaga Mushroom (Inonotus Obliquus)

Western Herbs

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
Rhaponticum
Manchurian Thorn Tree (Aralia Mandchurica)
Golden Root (Rhodiola Rosea)

All Adaptogens are herbs, but not all herbs are adaptogens. Adaptogens have the following qualities-

1. It must be non-toxic

2. It must have an overall normalizing effect, improving all kinds of conditions and aggravating none.

3. It must increase the body’s resistance to adverse influences, not by a specific action but by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors.

There are many ways to increase the amount of adaptogens in your life. From the chart below, we see that pills have the least absorption while sprays have the most. TunguskaMist, an oral spray with adaptogens, has maximal absorption. There are spray specifically formulated for various needs. TunguskaMist has formulated adaptogens for insomonia, immune strengthening, virility and more.

If you have any questions regarding adaptogens, email dremadrid@gmail.com

Absorption of Medicines

Posted in Health & Fitness, Herbal Medicine Tagged: adaptogens, cardio, cyber wiz, cyberwiz, Health & Fitness, health news, herbalist, herbs, holistic, ignite, immune, immunity, juice x, Medicine, mochablast, news, pure, relieve, slim, stress, tunguska, tunguska mist, tunguskamist, zest

Vitamin C and Other Vitamins to Become Illegal in Canada?

Health And Survival Blog — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:27:22 +0000

So you want to take Vitamin C, how about if it was illegal to take that vitamin C, what if it was so illegal that you could be thrown in jail for up to 2 years and fined up to $5,000,000! Sounds like fiction doesn’t it?
Well it’s about to become reality unless people become aware of what is going on. The Canadian Government is trying to pass a bill known as Bill C51. This bill has already passed its second reading and it is flying under the radar, it is very close to becoming law and some powers that be DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW!

This bill would give entire control of supplements over to drug companies by only allowing MDs to “Prescribe” them as they see fit. Of course we know here in this country the government controls the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies tell the government what laws they want inorder to make more profit.

What this means is that if you want to take a multivitamin or some Omega-3, you have to book an appointment with your doctor, go in and try to convince your doctor that you are in need of these supplements. If you doctor doesn’t approve or better yet decides a certain drug would be better off for you then you unfortunately won’t have access to your supplements anymore.

On top of this the entire natural supplement industry will collapse on itself, thousands of jobs will be lost and even more stress will be placed on our already crumbing over-stressed medical system. Imagine waiting over a month to get in to see your MD just to request if you can take some oregano oil for a cold that has now come and past, only to have your request denied anyway.

The irony of all this is that MDs who are NOT trained in the use of herbs and supplements for the most part will have full control over what you can and CANNOT TAKE. To summarize:
….read more here….

FDA Warns Companies to Stop Selling Fake Cancer Cures

Health And Survival Blog — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:59:49 +0000

FDA Warns Companies to Stop Selling Fake Cancer Cures
Fraudulent products present a safety hazard to the public, agency says

Posted June 17, 2008

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent letters warning more than two dozen companies to stop selling fraudulent products that claim to prevent or cure cancer.

The agency is also cautioning consumers not to buy or use these products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams, and are sold under various names on the Internet.

“Health fraud has been around for years, and it is a cruel form of greed,” David Elder, director of FDA’s Office of Enforcement in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, said during a morning teleconference Tuesday. “Fraud involving cancer treatments can be especially heartbreaking.”

The warning letters, sent to 23 U.S. companies and one Canadian and one Australian company, cover 125 unapproved products with labeling claims to cure, treat or prevent cancer. “These claims are unproven, unreliable, and they are unkind to the patient who is seeking help,” Elder said.

Elder said the FDA is concerned that some of the products present a safety hazard to consumers. “Others can interfere with medicines that a patient has already taken. And they could be used to forgo medically acceptable treatment plans,” he said.

The bogus cures include ingredients such as bloodroot, shark cartilage, coral calcium, cesium, ellagic acid, Cat’s Claw, an herbal tea called Essiac, and mushrooms such as Agaricus Blazeii, Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi, the FDA said.

“These products pose either a direct health risk to consumers because the products themselves can cause harm, or a serious indirect health risk because the products are marketed for a serious disease, in this case cancer,” Michael Levy, director of FDA’s Division of New Drugs and Labeling Compliance in the Office of Compliance, said during the teleconference.

For example, so-called black salve products, touted to treat skin cancer, can be particularly hazardous, Levy said. “Black salve products essentially burn off layers of the skin and are supposed to also burn away skin cancer,” he said. “But what we have seen is that it actually burns away healthy skin. There is documented evidence of black salve products destroying large parts of people’s skin and the underlying tissue.”

Levy also said the FDA is concerned that consumers will purchase these products instead of products that are proven to be safe and effective.

Elder said: “As a result of these warning letters, FDA expects prompt and complete corrective action. Firms that don’t heed the warnings we have delivered, and other firms marketing similar unapproved products, may face further regulatory action from the agency.”

According to the FDA, the fraudulent claims found on the products include:

“Treats all forms of cancer.”
“Causes cancer cells to commit suicide!”
“80% more effective than the world’s number one cancer drug.”
“Skin cancers disappear.”
“Target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.”
“Shrinks malignant tumors.”
“Avoid painful surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or other conventional treatments.”

Companies that don’t stop these violations can have their products seized or injunctions placed upon them and also are liable for criminal charges, according to the agency.

More information

For more on fake cancer cures, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Vitamin D may help curb breast cancer, study finds-

Health And Survival Blog — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:55:16 +0000

HEALTH ALERT- This article should be sent to every women you know, it may help save their life. To Purchase vitamin D for $0.21 cents per day- please visit here

The evidence keeps mounting! I have published several posts in the past regarding the benefits of Vitamin D. I have been checking patient levels for about a year and a half and have convinced many of my colleagues to do the same. About 90% of my patients in Southern California, are D-ficient.

This is one of many studies to show that Vitamin D supplementation (or increased sunlight) can help prevent cancer. Although my experience has taught me that most people will need between 2000 IU- 6000 IU daily of Vitamin D3. I have several patients on doses as high as 10,000 units/day. There are no studies to suggest toxicity of at these levels.

I personally used to take 800 IU daily with my multivitamin only to discover that my levels were deficient ( I live in Southern California too and don’t use sunscreen). I now take Vitamin D3 4000 IU daily. The article also states that the test cost about $25- in reality, it will cost between $75 to $150 depending on the lab.

I would recommend that everyone reading this article ask their doctor to check their Vitamin D 25-OH levels (Not Vitamin D 1-25 OH). If they are below 32 ng/dl, then supplementation should be considered. As with any disease, prevention is the key.

To Purchase vitamin D for $0.21 cents per day- please visit here

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By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer-

Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of the disease or have it spread than patients getting enough of the nutrient, a study found — adding to evidence the “sunshine vitamin” has anti-cancer benefits. The results are sure to renew arguments about whether a little more sunshine is a good thing.

The skin makes vitamin D from ultraviolet light. Too much sunlight can raise the risk of skin cancer, but small amounts — 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen — may be beneficial, many doctors believe.

While the vitamin is found in certain foods and supplements, most don’t contain the best form, D-3, and have only a modest effect on blood levels of the nutrient. That’s what matters, the Canadian study found.

Only 24 percent of women in the study had sufficient blood levels of D at the time they were first diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who were deficient were nearly twice as likely to have their cancer recur or spread over the next 10 years, and 73 percent more likely to die of the disease.

“These are pretty big differences,” said study leader Dr. Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. “It’s the first time that vitamin D has been linked to breast cancer progression.”

But people shouldn’t start downing supplements, she warned. Experts don’t agree on how much vitamin D people need or the best way to get it, and too much can be harmful. They also don’t know whether getting more vitamin D can help when someone already has cancer.

“We have no idea whether correcting a vitamin D deficiency will in any way alter these outcomes,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, a cancer specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The study was released Thursday by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and will be presented at the group’s annual meeting later this month.

Lots of earlier research suggests vitamin D may help prevent prostate, breast and especially colon cancer. In lab and animal tests, vitamin D stifles abnormal cell growth, curbs formation of blood vessels that feed tumors and has many other anti-cancer effects.

Other evidence: People who live in northern regions of the world have higher cancer rates than those living closer to the equator, possibly because of less sunshine and vitamin D.

The Canadian researchers wanted to see whether it made a difference in survival. They took blood from 512 women at three University of Toronto hospitals between 1989 and 1995, when the women were first diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

A decade later, 83 percent of those who had had adequate vitamin D blood levels were alive without extensive spread of their cancer, versus 79 percent of those whose vitamin D levels were insufficient and 69 percent of those who were deficient, as defined by widely used medical standards for measuring intake.

One red flag: The few women with the very highest levels of vitamin D seemed to have worse survival.

Though the study was too small and those results were not conclusive, “there may be an optimal level of vitamin D in women with breast cancer and it may be possible to take too much,” Goodwin said.

The federal government says up to 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day seems OK. Taking 800 units per day will, on average, raise blood levels to the middle of the range that seems best for bone and general health, Goodwin said.

Vitamin D is in salmon and other oily fish, and milk is routinely fortified with it, but dietary sources account for little of the amount of D circulating in the blood, experts say.

“It’s very hard to make a recommendation” because how much difference a supplement makes depends on someone’s baseline level, which also can be affected by sunlight, skin type and time of year, she explained.

Doctors do suggest breast cancer patients get their vitamin D levels checked to see whether they are deficient. The simple blood test is available in many hospitals and labs for about $25, Goodwin said.

Dr. Nancy Davidson, a Johns Hopkins University cancer specialist who is president of the oncology society, said those tests are growing in popularity, even in ordinary medical care.

“Rightly or wrongly, I’m increasingly seeing physicians who are measuring this,” she said.

The Canadian study was paid for by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in New York, established by cosmetics magnate Evelyn Lauder.

“It’s a very provocative paper. It’s confirmatory of a tremendous amount of evidence that vitamin D is an important component of health,” said Dr. Larry Norton, chief of breast cancer programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and a medical adviser to the foundation.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. About 184,450 cases and 40,930 deaths from the disease are expected in the United States this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080516/ap_on_he_me/vitamin_d_breast_cancer

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On the Net:

Government vitamin information:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

Cancer conference: http://www.asco.org

Gray Hair Go Away! Can Vitamins Help?

Health And Survival Blog — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:26:42 +0000

What Makes Hair Go Gray?

The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

02-29-08

BILOXI, Miss. – So, why does hair turn gray?

“It’s kind of a straightforward answer because there is a genetic predisposition to gray hair, when it will happen and whether it is gray, silver or white,” said Dr. Thomas Garrott, an Ocean Springs dermatologist. “I explain our appearance this way: Because of our genetics there is a picture of you when you are 100 years old and you just work your way there.”

In this era of hair color products that do minimal damage, gray hair is not such a big deal. You can wear it proudly, like an age badge, or you can return your hair to the color of your youth. Still, it’s unpleasing for most people when they discover their first single gray hair. For some, that can come as early as the teens; for others, they may still have distinguishable natural color into their 70s.

Blame these discrepancies on genes. We’ve heard that for years, although aging mechanisms are not totally understood. For example, there’s a strong theory now that premature graying is not caused by fright or trauma as much as gene mutations.

“Graying hair is linked to skin aging when there is less pigment in hair follicles,” Garrott said. “With white hair you have no pigment left, with gray hair you have a little pigment. It’s part of the aging process, whatever that is. Why put zillions of dollars in research of gray hair when we have so much else going on in medical science.”

In other words, medical researchers aren’t going to get gray hair worrying about why we get gray hair. But if they unlock a piece of the mystery because of other research, that’s a bonus.

Apparently that happened in 2004 when the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston researched the skin cancer melanoma. A summary of that research in the journal Science reported that researchers found the cellular cause of graying.

Scientists already knew that melanocytes are the pigment-manufacturing cells that help give color to hair and skin. These Dana-Farber researchers traced the loss of hair color to the gradual dying off of adult stem cells that create a continuous supply of melanocytes.

Try to follow this: Melanocytes manufacture and store pigment that combines with hair-making cells called keratinocytes. That’s how we get hair color, but we apparently lose the color when the number of stem cells diminishes. The Dana-Farber report also mentions the Bcl 2 gene, essential for maintaining healthy melanocytes. When Bcl 2 dies off, apparently so does hair color.

Now the scientists must answer why this essential gene is affected by age. Stay tuned.

Simpler ways of understanding gray hair do exist. Many medical and scientific publications, such as Scientific American and the Library of Congress, have tackled the question of gray hair because so many people ask about it.

Basically, this is how the experts explain our hair’s change of life. Each hair is made up of a shaft and a root, and each root is surrounded by a tube of tissue, or follicle. The follicle contains pigment cells that produce melanin, which gives us hair color.

Melanin is made by melanocyte (that word again!), a specialized pigment cell that resides in the follicle. The two types of melanin determine hair color: eumelanin for dark hair and pheomelanin for light, both of which blend to create assorted hair colors.

As we age, the pigment cells die and the hair becomes transparent. It’s that transparency that makes hair look gray, or white if there are no pigment cells at all.

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Eat your Tomatoes-

Health And Survival Blog — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:28:20 +0000

Tasty Tomato Is Your Bodyguard ; FitnessBirmingham Mail

01-30-08

NEW book aims to raise the profile of the humble tomato as an important part of any healthy diet.

Written by pharmacist Ron Levin, The Red Bodyguard – The Amazing Health Promoting Properties of the Tomato is a scientific approach for anyone interested in the claims that eating tomatoes can help fend off a range of health problems.

In it, Levin looks at the tomato’s role as a provider of vitamin Cs and E, cancer-battling lycopene, betacarotene, potassium, folic acid and other antioxidants.

While his investigations lead him to conclude that studies have shown tomatoes can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, Levin says the claim that they can also fend off heart disease is still unproven.

But he adds: “Tomatoes and their products, by virtue of their exceptionally wide spectrum of antioxidants and other protective components, are undoubtedly the fruit (or vegetable if you prefer) of choice.

“Fortunately the tomato is widely cultivated and has become one of the world’s major crops. It is almost universally available and relatively inexpensive.”

Top ten ways of ensuring you are indulging in the red bodyguard: Keep them raw – add tomatoes to sandwiches and salads.

Saucy – Use fresh or tinned tomatoes with a handful of herbs for a tasty, low calorie and healthy pasta sauce.

Cheers – Throw tomatoes in a blender for a super healthy breakfast drink.

Get stuffed – Choose large beefheart tomatoes and fill them with a medley of vegetables, rice or couscous with herbs or spices then bake them.

Pizza the action – Make your own pizzas using fresh or tinned tomatoes or create your own tomato puree.

Think inside the box – Try sundried tomatoes, adding them to sandwiches or sauces for a bit of pungency but check the salt content first.

Additions – Adding a few tomatoes to a casserole or stew will help you reach the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Starters – Make a super batch of tomato soup then freeze the leftovers for a quick and healthy snack whenever it is needed.

Snack attack – Add a few cherry tomatoes to your lunchbox to fend off the mid morning hunger pains.

Variety is the spice of life – There are countless different varieties of tomatoes out there so experiment to discover your favourites for recipes and salads.

Did you know?

Tomatoes were traditionally preserved by being sun-dried but bearing in mind the need for sunshine for this process, bottling began in Paris in 1796.

Tinned tomatoes first appeared in the mid 19th century and were followed by the first tin of tomato soup in 1897.

Fresh tomatoes should only be stored in the fridge if they are already ripe as the ripening process only continues at temperatures about 12.5 deg C.

The top five tomato-producing countries are China, the United States of America, Turkey, Italy and India.

The top choices of tomatoes are cherry, plum, pear, standard and beefsteak.

Book information

The Red Bodyguard – The Amazing Health Promoting Properties of the Tomato by Ron Levi is published by Icon Books for pounds 5.99 on February 7.

Speed and Cocaine increase risk of strokes in young adults.

Health And Survival Blog — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:46:27 +0000

Amphetamine, Cocaine Usage Increase Risk Of Stroke Among Young Adults

ScienceDaily (2007-04-03) — Increasing rates of amphetamine and cocaine usage by young adults significantly boost their risk of stroke, with amphetamine abuse associated with the greatest risk, researchers recently report. In the study, available online in the Archives of General Psychiatry, UT Southwestern physicians examined more than 8,300 stroke patients — ranging in age from 18 to 44 — at more than 500 Texas hospitals in the years 2000 through 2003.

An analysis of risk factors and trends among stroke victims in this age group pointed to an increase in substance abuse as a major danger, particularly in the abuse of methamphetamines, which are produced in illegal drug labs or illegally imported into the country … > read full article

The Dangers of Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi and other diet foods

Health And Survival Blog — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:24:38 +0000

A better alternative to Aspartame is Stevia Sweetner, which comes from leaf and is 100% natural. Other Stevia products products can be found at Wisdom Natural Brands. Also, learn more about artificial sweeteners from best to worst.

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Health Tip: Consider a Strawberry Banana smoothie instead of a soda. Smoothies are a great alternative for young children and help create healthy dietary habits. Learn more about the Industrial Vitamix Smoothie Blender designed for home use.

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(The foregoing article is from Dr. Whitaker’s March 2000 vol. 12 No. 3.

You can subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing by calling 800/539- 8219 or go to www.drwhitaker.com)

Killer Colas: The Hard Truth About Soft Drinks

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Artificial sweeteners are marketed with the promise of weight control, and the vast majority of people who consume them do so to either lose or avoid gaining weight. Folks, this is a fraud of gigantic proportions.

From 1960 to l976, there was virtually no change in the number of Americans who were overweight: roughly 24 percent of the population. However, from the mid l980s to the present, this number has more than doubled to 54 percent! This coincides with the massive infusion of noncaloric chemical sweeteners and sugar-free “diet” foods that are eaten by close to three-quarters of the adult population.

Although several factors contribute to these alarming statistics, I am convinced that our blind acceptance of the most popular of these artificial sweeteners, aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful), plays a significant role in our current weight problems. Far from helping us lose weight, aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets. Imagine “diet” products that help you pack on extra pounds! And aspartame’s downside doesn’t end with weight gain: This sweetener is associated with multiple health problems.

Killer Colas: The Hard Truth About Soft Drinks

ASPARTAME MAY CAUSE A VARIETY OF DISEASES
Since aspartame came on the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported in the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame are headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems. This cluster of symptoms has become so common that it is actually referred to as “aspartame disease”.

Even more serious disorders have a suspected link with aspartame. Is it an accident that the incidence of brain tumors has increased by 10% since l975? John W. Olney, MD, of the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis believes there may be a link between the two. In an article published in The Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, he notes that animal studies reveal high levels of brain tumors in aspartame-fed rats. According to Dr. Olney, recent findings show that aspartame has mutagenic (cancer-causing) potential, and the sharp rise in malignant brain tumors coincides with the increased use of aspartame.

Could serious seizures and vision loss somehow be associated with the sweetener? The U.S. Navy and Air Force published articles in Navy Physiology and Flying Safety with this warning: “several researchers have found aspartame can increase the frequency of seizures, or lower the stimulation necessary to induce them. This means a pilot who drinks diet sodas is more susceptible to flicker vertigo, or to flicker-induced epileptic activity. It also means that all pilots are potential victims of sudden memory loss, dizziness during instrument flight, and gradual loss of vision.”

What about multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and other mood disorders? I have reviewed scores of documented cases of patients with symptoms so severe that they were mistakenly diagnosed with one of these conditions, only to have all signs of disease completely vanish after getting off aspartame.

Killer Colas: The Hard Truth About Soft Drinks

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THE FDA IGNORES SAFETY CONCERNS
Yet the FDA has chosen to turn a deaf ear to repeated requests by scientists, physicians, and consumers to review aspartame’s safety.

Aspartame has spelled trouble from the get-go. The unique property of this chemical, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, was accidently discovered in l965 by a chemist trying to develop an ulcer drug. Although the FDA rescinded its initial approval because of studies showing that it caused seizures and brain tumors in lab animals, the agency eventually capitulated to political and monetary pressure and in l981 gave aspartame the stamp of approval. In doing so, this bureaucracy overrode the 3-0 decision of a Public Board of Inquiry, which had reviewed the scientific data and had recommended delaying approval pending further studies on the sweetener’s link with brain cancer.

In the intervening years, safety concerns have mushroomed. Ralph G. Walton, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, reviewed all the studies on aspartame and found 166 with relevance for human safety. Every one of the 74 studies funded by the aspartame industry gave it a clean bill of health, while 92 percent of those independently funded revealed safety problems.

ASPARTAME CAN UPSET BRAIN CHEMISTRY
Once you understand a bit about the chemistry of aspartame, you’ll see why it can cause so many problems.

Aspartame is comprised of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartic acid acts as an “excitatory” neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain, stimulating neurons to fire. Problems can arise when aspartic acid is out of balance with “inhibitory” amino acids that calm things down. Phenylalanine also easily enters the brain, where it is transformed into neurotransmitters that can further interfere with normal brain function.

This is a likely reason why aspartame lowers the threshold for seizures, mood disorders, and other nervous system problems. This altered brain chemistry may also be responsible for the addictive nature of aspartame. Some patients report that getting off diet soda takes more willpower than giving up cigarettes!

A LITTLE MOONSHINE FOR YOU?
The remaining component, which makes up 10 percent of aspartame, may be the most dangerous part. It is a methyl ester that breaks down after ingestion into methanol, a nervous system toxin also known as free methyl alcohol or wood alcohol. Methanol is extremely harmful to the optic nerve. A main ingredient in “moonshine” it was notorious during Prohibition for causing blindness. Methanol is rapidly released into the bloodstream, where it is further metabolized into other harmful components, including formaldehyde (a known neurotoxin and carcinogen) and formic acid (the poison in ant stings).

Is it any wonder that many of the symptoms of “aspartame disease” are neurological and visual? Drinking a diet soda or two (and I’ve had patients who drink at least a liter a day) delivers a powerful chemical rush with decidedly negative effects. With this kind of questionable history, who would want to consume this artificial chemical, particularly when there are natural and healthy sweeteners available?

(The foregoing article is from Dr. Whitaker’s March 2000 vol. 12 No. 3.
You can subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing by calling 800/539- 8219 or go to www.drwhitaker.com)

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Cold medicines not for kids any more

Health And Survival Blog — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:46:41 +0000

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer

WASHINGTON – Parents may be left with only love and lots of liquid to give their sniffling babies and toddlers now that the government is declaring over-the-counter cough and cold medicines too risky for tots. The Food and Drug Administration was issuing that warning Thursday to parents of children under 2.

It’s a move expected for months: Drug companies last October quit selling dozens of versions of nonprescription cold remedies targeted specifically to babies and toddlers. That month, the FDA‘s scientific advisers also voted that the drugs don’t work in small children and shouldn’t be used in preschoolers, either — anyone under age 6.

The FDA still hasn’t decided if OTC decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants are appropriate for older children, officials told The Associated Press. Expect a decision on that by spring, the deadline necessary to notify manufacturers before they begin production for next fall’s cold season.

For now, FDA’s first official ruling focuses on youngsters under 2, warning that “serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur.”

FDA is worried that parents haven’t gotten that message despite all the publicity last fall. They may still have infant-targeted drugs at home, or they may buy drugs meant for older children to give to tots instead, said Dr. Charles Ganley, FDA’s nonprescription drugs chief.

“We still have a concern,” Ganley said. “It falls out of people’s consciousness. We’re still in the middle of cold season right now.”

Ganley was particularly struck by recent surveys that suggest many parents don’t believe OTC remedies could pose a problem, especially if they’ve given them to an older child without harm.

Thursday’s move is a good first step, said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore‘s health commissioner. He petitioned the FDA last year to end use of nonprescription cold remedies by children under 6, a move backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The reason: There’s no evidence that these oral drugs actually ease cold symptoms in children so young — some studies suggest they do no good at all. And while serious side effects are fairly rare, they do occur. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year reported that more than 1,500 babies and toddlers wound up in emergency rooms over a two-year period because of the drugs.

“It’s one thing if you’re curing cancer, but we’re talking about a self-limiting illness,” said Sharfstein. “If there’s really no evidence of benefit, you don’t want to risk the rare problem. Then you’re left with tragedy that you can’t justify.”

Specialists are back to recommending old-fashioned steps, such as plenty of fluids and rest, saline drops to loosen stuffy noses, and humidifiers while sleeping.

Why is this an issue now? Child versions of cold remedies came on the market decades ago, when scientists thought that what worked in adults would automatically work in children. Scientists today know that is not always the case.

In fact, FDA never formally allowed infant-targeted cold remedies in the first place; Ganley said they evolved through a legal loophole.

But the FDA is investigating an even bigger question: Are OTC cold remedies safe and effective for children under 12? The agency’s advisers last fall called for no use just by the under-6 crowd, but did recommend more research to determine the medicines’ effects in children overall.

The drug industry says these medicines are used 3.8 billion times a year in treating children’s cough and cold symptoms and are safe for those over 2.

Health groups acknowledge that while low doses of cold medicine don’t usually endanger an individual child, the bigger risk is unintentional overdose. For example, the same ingredients are in multiple products, so using more than one for different symptoms can quickly add up. Also, children’s medicines are supposed to be measured with the dropper or measuring cap that comes with each product, not an inaccurate kitchen teaspoon.

An internal FDA working group has a February deadline to recommend to agency leaders any action for 2- to 11-year-olds, Ganley said. The goal is a spring announcement.

Meanwhile, the FDA’s advice for children over 2:

_If you try these drugs, carefully follow label directions.

_Avoid giving a child more than one product. If you do, make sure they don’t contain some of the same or similar ingredients.

_Understand that these drugs only treat symptoms. Colds are viruses, and the drugs will not make them go away any faster.