Cancer Causes Control. 2012 Jul 29. [Epub ahead of print] Perinatal characteristics and retinoblastoma. Heck JE, Lombardi CA, Meyers TJ, Cockburn M, Wilhelm M, Ritz B. Source Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Box 951772, 650 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA, jeheck@ucla.edu. Abstract PURPOSE: The etiology of retinoblastoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we examined associations between perinatal factors and retinoblastoma risk in California children. METHODS: We identified 609 retinoblastoma cases (420 unilateral, 187 bilateral, and 2 with laterality unknown) from California Cancer Registry records of diagnoses 1988-2007 among children < 6 years of age. We randomly selected 209,051 controls from California birth rolls. The source of most study data was birth certificates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between retinoblastoma and perinatal characteristics. RESULTS: Bilateral retinoblastoma was associated with greater paternal age [for fathers over 35, crude odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.47] and with twin births (OR = 1.93, 95 % CI 0.99, 3.79). Among unilateral cases, we observed an increased risk among children of US-born Hispanic mothers (OR = 1.34, 95 % CI 1.01, 1.77) while a decreased risk was observed for infants born to mothers with less than 9 years of education (OR = 0.70, 95 % CI 0.49, 1.00), a group that consisted primarily of mothers born in Mexico. We observed that maternal infection in pregnancy with any STD (OR = 3.59, 95 % CI 1.58, 8.15) was associated with bilateral retinoblastoma.


2012 Jul 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Perinatal characteristics and retinoblastoma.

Source

Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Box 951772, 650 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA, jeheck@ucla.edu.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The etiology of retinoblastoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we examined associations between perinatal factors and retinoblastoma risk in California children.

METHODS:

We identified 609 retinoblastoma cases (420 unilateral, 187 bilateral, and 2 with laterality unknown) from California Cancer Registry records of diagnoses 1988-2007 among children < 6 years of age. We randomly selected 209,051 controls from California birth rolls. The source of most study data was birth certificates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between retinoblastoma and perinatal characteristics.

RESULTS:

Bilateral retinoblastoma was associated with greater paternal age [for fathers over 35, crude odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.47] and with twin births (OR = 1.93, 95 % CI 0.99, 3.79). Among unilateral cases, we observed an increased risk among children of US-born Hispanic mothers (OR = 1.34, 95 % CI 1.01, 1.77) while a decreased risk was observed for infants born to mothers with less than 9 years of education (OR = 0.70, 95 % CI 0.49, 1.00), a group that consisted primarily of mothers born in Mexico. We observed that maternal infection in pregnancy with any STD (OR = 3.59, 95 % CI 1.58, 8.15) was associated with bilateral retinoblastoma.

Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid


Saturday, July 28, 2012

Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid

Elizabeth Renter
Activist Post

It’s important to note that steering clear from these foods completely may be difficult, and you should merely try finding other sources than your big chain grocer.

If produce is certified USDA-organic, it’s non-GMO (or supposed to be!) Also, seek out local farmers and booths at farmer’s markets where you can be ensured the crops aren’t GMO.

Even better, if you are so inclined: Start organic gardening and grow them yourself.

Top 10 Worst GMO Foods for Your GMO Foods List

1. Corn: This is a no-brainer. If you’ve watched any food documentary, you know corn is highly modified. “As many as half of all U.S. farms growing corn for Monsanto are using genetically modified corn,” and much of it is intended for human consumption. Monsanto’s GMO corn has been tied to numerous health issues, including weight gain and organ disruption.

2. Soy: Found in tofu, vegetarian products, soybean oil, soy flour, and numerous other products, soy is also modified to resist herbicides. As of now, biotech giant Monsanto still has a tight grasp on the soybean market, with approximately 90 percent of soy being genetically engineered to resist Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. In one single year, 2006, 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate was sprayed on soybeans alone

3. Sugar: According to NaturalNews, genetically-modified sugar beets were introduced to the U.S. market in 2009. Like others, they’ve been modified by Monsanto to resist herbicides. Monsanto has even had USDA and court-related issues with the planting of it’s sugarbeets, being ordered to remove seeds from the soil due to illegal approval.


4. Aspartame: Aspartame is a toxic additive used in numerous food products, and should be avoided for numerous reasons, including the fact that it is created with genetically modified bacteria.

5. Papayas: This one may come as a surprise to all of you tropical-fruit lovers. GMO papayas have been grown in Hawaii for consumption since 1999. Though they can’t be sold to countries in the European Union, they are welcome with open arms in the U.S. and Canada.

6. Canola: One of the most chemically altered foods in the U.S. diet, canola oil is obtained from rapeseed through a series of chemical actions.

7. Cotton: Found in cotton oil, cotton originating in India and China in particular has serious risks.

8. Dairy: Your dairy products contain growth hormones, with as many as one-fifth of all dairy cows in America are pumped with these hormones. In fact, Monasnto’s health-hazardous rBGH has been banned in 27 countries, but is still in most US cows. If you must drink milk, buy organic.

9 and 10. Zucchini and Yellow Squash: Closely related, these two squash varieties are modified to resist viruses.

The dangers of some of these foods are well-known. The Bt toxin being used in GMO corn, for example, was recently detected in the blood of pregnant women and their babies. But perhaps more frightening are the risks that are still unknown.

With little regulation and safety tests performed by the companies doing the genetic modifications themselves, we have no way of knowing for certain what risks these lab-created foods pose to us outside of what we already know.

The best advice: steer clear of them altogether.

Additional Sources:
NaturalNews

Monday, July 30, 2012

Amid plagues of radioactivity, here are six simple ways to choose life


Amid plagues of radioactivity, here are six simple ways to choose life

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 by: Gabriel Cousens, MD, MD(H), DD
7
(NaturalNews) Radioactive waters from the Fukushima disaster now buffet the coasts of North America. We have known since 1987 - when in the 8 months following Chernobyl, a 245% to 900% increase in infant mortality was observed in the northern coastal areas of the US - that out-of-control radiation leaks are a proven worldwide problem.

What we also know is immediate crises, such as the radioactivity from Fukushima, only add to the literal sea of continual radiation exposure.

We are exposed to "routine" nuclear medical equipment leaks, checkpoints with full-body scans, nuclear submarine crashes, depleted uranium ammunition fallout, mammograms, CT scans, x-rays, radioactive-contaminated tobacco smoke, microwave ovens, food irradiation accidents, and more.

To share a few examples:
  • Nuclear mishaps and accidents - Over a 15-year study, ending in 1985, there were 151 significant nuclear accidents in 14 western countries with a total of over 2,7000 mishaps at nuclear plants.

  • X-rays - Dr. Alice Stewart, a recognized world authority on nuclear epidemiology, discovered that women exposed to diagnostic X-rays during pregnancy had offspring with two times the likelihood of developing leukemia as did children who had not been exposed in utero.

  • Cigarette smoke - Cigarette smoke contains and gives off the radioactive particles radium 226, which is found in phosphate fertilizers used in commercial tobacco farming; polonium 210, lead 210, which are breakdown products from radium 226; and potassium 40.
Our big picture is not just surviving the immediate Fukushima crisis, but protecting ourselves and our families from the cumulative daily radiation dangers that build up over a long period of time.

My radiation protection approach is built on six principles:

I. Selective uptake

If one has enough minerals in the system, the cells become saturated with healthy minerals. Once cellular mineral saturation occurs, there is less opportunity for radioactive minerals to be absorbed into the system.

II. Chelate

Certain foods actively draw the radioactive materials to them and pull them out of the body via the bowel and kidney excretion process. The kelp family of sea vegetables are highest in the natural chelator, sodium alginate. Work by J.F. Sara at the Environmental Toxicology Laboratory of the EPA, and A. Huag, as reported in The Composition and Properties of Alginates, show that alginates bind other metal pollutants, such as excess barium, lead, plutonium, cesium and cadmium. Use kelp (5-10 tablets) for chelating I-131, anduse dulse for chelating plutonium. Obviously, make sure your sea vegetables come from as safe an ocean source as possible.

III. Increase your antioxidant intake

Keeping the body high in antioxidant nutrients and enzymes will nullify the free radicals created by the radiation exposure.

IV. Specific foods and herbs

  • Increase spirulina and chlorella
  • Increase all leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables
  • Take bee pollen (2 Tbsp, 2 times daily)
  • Increase garlic and onion
  • Use Siberian Ginseng, Panax Ginseng, Chaparral, and Rosemary

V. Eat an organic, plant-sourced only diet for alkalization, and cover your garden

Research in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology in 1980, showed that if the pH of the cellular fluid was slightly more alkaline then it would protect the cells against radiation. An alkalizing diet, which is also a live-food, plant-source diet, is going to serve us best in these times.

Research adopted from the radiological assessment of the Wyhl Nuclear Power Plant by the Department of Environmental Protection, at the University of Heidelberg Germany in 1978, showed that, as a result of air exposure to radiation, cows milk was 15 times more concentrated with radioactive materials, and beef was 30 times more concentrated than leafy green vegetables. Eating lower on the food chain is a logical and scientific approach to dealing with radiation.

Covering your garden with plastic will help catch dust, rain, ocean fog, and other items that may carry radioactivity.

VI. Take political action

Take political action to eliminate all potential sources of radiation exposure such as use of nuclear power plants, DU weaponry, and all nuclear weapons, as well as minimize use of cell phones and cell phone towers, for minimized EMF exposure to the environment. It is significant inspiration that Germany leads with an explicit plan to shut down and phase out all nuclear power plants by 2020.

May we all be protected from future accidents by paying attention to the warnings of God, and give them full attention. May we proceed with great care in radiation diagnostic testing, which is currently overused. May we realize that we are in a time of changes that require action on the physical plane and action on the spiritual plane to improve the quality and meaning of our lives so that we may move from the Culture of Death into the Culture of Life and Liberation in every aspect of our lives. Blessings to your health.

Get Dr. Cousens' full holistic radiation protocol here, FREE.



Sources Used in this Article:

1. Sternglass, Ernest J., "Initial Evidence for Health Effects from Chernobyl in the United States," with J. M. Gould, First Global Radiation Victims Conference, September 26, 1987

2. Sternglass, Ernest J. "Medical X-rays and Fallout: Why we Underestimated the Health Effects of Environmental Radiation," First Global Radiation Victims Conference, September 26, 1987

3. Carmel McCoubrey. "Alice Stewart, 95; Linked X-Rays to Diseases," The New York Times; July 04, 2002

4. "Report Cites 151 Significant Nuclear Mishaps Since 1971," National Wildlife; Aug/Sep86, Vol. 24 Issue 5, p25

5. Rottinger, EM, Mendonca, M, Gerweck, LE. "Modification of pH induced cellular inactivation by irradiation - glial cells," International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Vol. 6, Issue, 12, Pages 1659-1662, December 1980

6. Arne Huag, Composition and properties of Alginates, Issue 30 of Norwegian Institute of Seaweed Research, Published by T.H. Trykk, 1964

About the author:
My name is Dr. Gabriel Cousens. I am known through my healing breakthroughs for thousands of people, dietary research, bestselling books including Spiritual Nutrition, There Is a Cure for Diabetes, and Conscious Eating, and the rejuvenating retreat center known worldwide as the Tree of Life. I am blessed to be also share the premiere holistic health transformation, spiritual fasting, and detoxification programs in the world, programs for reversing diabetes and chronic diseases naturally, and world service programs for educating children and communities in organic health and self-sustenance methods. In my articles, I provide people with a substantial understanding of the wellness and spiritual issues at hand, and the wisdom to know how to address these issues in their personal lives. My approach is holistic, and, as such, requires that I present both a spiritual and a scientific overview. As a scientist, a medical doctor, and an artist of consciousness, providing my readers with the option for depth is my way of serving humanity. Learn about these entire spheres of offerings at drcousens.com


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036636_radioactivity_culture_life.html#ixzz22B35lx8u

Reduce your blood pressure by 30-40 points with three-nutrient cocktail


July 30, 2012
Reduce your blood pressure
by 30-40 points with
three-nutrient cocktail
Very few doctors will hesitate to write a prescription if they find out you have high blood pressure, or hypertension. And the numbers prove it. Last year, hypertension sufferers filled nearly 150 million prescriptions for drug treatments.
There may be a few occasions when medication is required. But the vast majority of cases respond to non-drug treatments. In past issues of Nutrient Insider, I’ve told you about the heart-protecting abilities of magnesium. This nutrient alone can reduce many cases of hypertension. But there are two other nutrients you can take with magnesium that can lower your blood pressure by up to 40 points.

A simple way to keep your muscles strong as you get older (and it isn't exercise)

This one step can strengthen aging muscles, boost your immune system, and even help you manage your weight.

Learn How

The first is potassium. Potassium first came to researchers’ attention when they were looking at salt’s role in high blood pressure. The researchers surmised that potassium and sodium have an inverse relationship in blood pressure. The higher your sodium intake and lower your potassium, the higher your blood pressure. Later studies have questioned this relationship, but one thing continues to remain: Low potassium levels can cause blood pressure to go up. And taking 500 mg a day can help reduce it.
But that’s not all you need to take to lower your blood pressure, especially if your blood pressure is high. The third nutrient you need is Coenzyme Q10. One study in 1994 looked at 109 patients with high blood pressure. All of them were on blood pressure medication. And all of them had high blood pressure for more than one year. After taking 225 mg per day of CoQ10, all of them experienced a gradual reduction in pressure. Most of the patients were able to decrease their medication dosages. And 51% of them were able to discontinue using medication all together. Some doctors I’ve talked to say they’ve seen CoQ10 reduce their pressure by up to 40 points using this nutrient alone. They see the biggest improvement in those who have a CoQ10 deficiency. This is especially common in those taking statins to lower cholesterol.
Is it possible statins are causing high blood pressure? Absolutely. In 2010, researchers found that statins cause higher insulin levels. And higher insulin levels are directly related to higher blood pressure.

Recent research shows outbreaks of whooping cough (pertussis) are actually related to the pertussis vaccine itself. Eighty-one percent of 2010 California whooping cough cases in children under 18 occurred in those fully up to date on the whooping cough vaccine. Only eight percent of those stricken were unvaccinated. According to the authors, attack rates markedly increased three years after receiving the vaccine


The Potential Effects of Soy, and How it Might Decimate the Health of Your Unborn Baby and the Fertility of Future Generations


Previous Article
Eating Foods with Soy

Story at-a-glance

  • Plant estrogens, such as that found in soy, can have profound detrimental effects on a developing fetus. Exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman’s fertility as an adult, and has previously been linked to an increased chance of breast cancer.
  • Earlier research has found that the soy compound genistein impairs sperm motility. Even tiny doses of the compound in the female tract could destroy sperm and impair your ability to conceive
  • Avoid feeding your baby soy infant formula as it can equate to giving her an estimated four to five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day
  • Soy infant formula can contain potentially dangerous levels of aluminum and manganese—both of which are linked to reduced IQ

The Potential Effects of Soy, and How it Might Decimate the Health of Your Unborn Baby and the Fertility of Future Generations

July 29 2012 | 85,482 views | + Add to Favorites | Available in EspañolDisponible en Español
By Dr. Mercola
If you're pregnant or thinking of having a baby, you might want to take a look at some new research on the effects of plant estrogens, such as that found in soy, on a developing fetus.
According to Medical News Today1, a paper published in Biology of Reproduction2 suggests that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman's fertility as an adult.
This coincides with earlier research on neonatal effects of exposure to plant or environmental estrogens. In studies with mice, researchers found that causes of infertility included:
  • Failure to ovulate
  • Reduced ability of the oviduct to support embryo development before ovulation, and
  • Failure of the uterus to support effective implantation of blastocyst-stage embryos
According to Medical News Today:
"The team now reports that neonatal exposure to genistein changes the level of immune response in the mouse oviduct, known as mucosal immune response. Some of the immune response genes were altered beginning from the time of genistein treatment, while others were altered much later, when the mouse was in early pregnancy.
Together, those changes led to harmfully altered immune responses and to compromised oviduct support for preimplantation embryo development, both of which would likely contribute to infertility."
Since human development of the reproductive tract continues through puberty, researchers believe that estrogenic chemical exposure to human females as a fetus, infant, child, and adolescent could have impacts on fertility. The authors suggested that minimizing the use of soy-based baby formula would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.
Earlier research has also found that the compound genistein impairs sperm as they swim toward the egg. Even tiny doses of the compound in the female tract could destroy sperm, which would impair your ability to conceive in the first place.

Do You Still Believe Soy is a Health Food?

Soybeans contain compounds called phytoestrogens or isoflavones, which have been found to produce a variety of mild hormonal actions within the human body by mimicking the sex hormone estrogen. An increased risk of breast cancer is another potential hazard, especially if you're exposed to high amounts of estrogen-mimicking compounds from birth.
Making matters worse, unless you're buying USDA 100% Organic soy products, chances are you're consuming genetically engineered (GE) soy, or feeding it to your baby, and GE crops—soy in particular—has also been linked to serious fertility problems. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has similarly been implicated in causing miscarriages, and both conventional- and genetically engineered soy is typically treated with heavy doses of this herbicide.
All in all, the health hazards of unfermented soy products—particularly genetically engineered varieties—are so serious and numerous, I strongly suggest avoiding them altogether, whether you're planning a pregnancy or not. But clearly, it's of particular concern for pregnant women.
For an excellent summary of the many dangers of consuming unfermented soy, please see this previous article by The Weston A. Price Foundation.
Unfortunately, many Americans who are committed to healthy lifestyles have been hoodwinked and manipulated into believing that unfermented and processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, soy burgers and soy ice cream are good for them. This is a tragic case of shrewd marketing and outright lies, with the end result of producing large profits for the soy industry and impaired health for most who have been deceived into using unfermented soy long-term.

Why You Should Avoid Feeding Your Baby Soy Infant Formula

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. infants are now fed soy formula, but as demonstrated in the featured study, the estrogens in soy can cause serious long-term harm to your baby's sexual development and reproductive health. It's important to realize that feeding your baby soy formula is like giving her an estimated four to five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day. Infants fed soy formula have up to 20,000 times the amount of estrogen in circulation as those fed other formulas!
A 1997 study in The Lancet3 found that infants who consume soy formulas were exposed to phytoestrogen levels that were 6-11 times higher, on a body weight basis, than in adults consuming soy foods. And when you consider the fact that drinking two glasses of soy milk a day for one month provides enough of these compounds to alter your menstrual cycle, I'm sure you can see what a massive problem soy formula can be.
Male infants are also adversely affected by phytoestrogens. Male babies undergo a testosterone surge during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male.
During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculinity traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior. Flooding his system with female hormones during this time can have severe ramifications on his development, including potentially smaller testes and significantly reduced testosterone levels.
Today, about 15 percent of white girls and as much as 50 percent of African-Americans girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three! Such premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to other environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.

Soy Infant Formula May Reduce Your Baby's IQ

Aside from harmful endocrine disrupters, soy infant formula can also contain over 1,000 percent more aluminum than conventional milk-based formulas. Aluminum is a potent neurotoxin that has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. According to a study in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics4:
"Aluminum is now being implicated as interfering with a variety of cellular and metabolic processes in the nervous system and in other tissues."
But that's not all. Many soy foods also have toxic levels of manganese. Soy formula contains up to 80 times more manganese than is found in human breast milk, and according to recent research, high concentrations of manganese can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.5
I rarely talk about absolutes but this is one instant where I will say: I encourage you to NEVER give your child soy formula. (I guess the only exception would be if there was a catastrophe and soy formula was the only food source temporarily available to keep your baby alive.)

The Benefits of Breast Feeding, and Healthier Alternatives

One of the best gifts you can give your child is to start out their life with a sound nutritional foundation, and the best way from a health perspective to do this is by breastfeeding if you can. In fact, statistics show a clear correlation between feeding infants artificial formula and increased infant mortality within the first year.
It's important to realize that there are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are NOT found in formula. Of course, the healthier a mom's diet is, the healthier her breast milk will be, too. While any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all, it is clearly to your advantage, and best for your baby's health, to breastfeed exclusively for at least the first 6 months. Then, at the age of 6 or 9 months, you can begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well).
As you can see from the chart below, breast milk, and animal milk are far superior to commercially available infant formulas. What exactly does your baby stand to gain by being breastfed?
  • Lower risk of respiratory tract and middle ear infections
  • Lower risk of eczema
  • Lower risk of obesity
  • Added protection against heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and allergies
  • Improved brain function and immune system function
There are benefits to mom, too. The main ones are a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer, a faster return to your pre-pregnancy weight, and increased bonding between you and your baby.
There are circumstances and medical conditions that can prevent a woman from breastfeeding, however the majority of women are able to breastfeed successfully. If you need help, contact a lactation consultant in your area for tips and support. You can also visit La Leche League, which is a phenomenal resource for breastfeeding moms. If for some reason you're not able to breastfeed, or you have adopted a baby, your next best option is to make a healthy infant formula using raw milk. You can find homemade formula recipes here.