Excerpt from Joseph Mercola's article on Narcotic Pain Medicines Dangers Non-Drug Solutions for Pain Relief

Non-Drug Solutions for Pain Relief

The following options provide excellent pain relief without any of the health hazards that prescription (and even over-the-counter) painkillers carry. If you are in pain, try these first, before even thinking about prescription painkillers of any kind.

1. Eliminate or radically reduce processed foods, grains, and sugars from your diet. Avoiding grains and sugars will lower your insulin and leptin levels and decrease insulin and leptin resistance, which is one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced. That is why stopping sugar and sweets is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.
2. Start taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat. My personal favorite is krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work; they manipulate prostaglandins.)
3. Optimize your production of vitamin D by getting regular, appropriate sun or safe tanning bed exposure, which will work through a variety of different mechanisms to reduce your pain.
4. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a drug-free approach for pain management of all kinds. EFT borrows from the principles of acupuncture, in that it helps you balance out your subtle energy system. It helps resolve underlying, often subconscious, negative emotions that may be exacerbating your physical pain. By stimulating (tapping) well-established acupuncture points with your fingertips, you rebalance your energy system, which tends to dissipate pain.
5. Astaxanthin is one of the most effective fat-soluble antioxidants known. It has very potent anti-inflammatory properties and in many cases works far more effectively than anti-inflammatory drugs. Higher doses are typically required and one may need 8 mg or more per day to achieve this benefit.
6. Ginger: This herb has potent anti-inflammatory activity and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice.
7. Curcumin: In a study of osteoarthritis patients, those who added 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan had reduced pain and increased mobility.12 A past study also found that a turmeric extract composed of curcuminoids blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively preventing the overproduction of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.13
8. Boswellia: Also known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb contains specific active anti-inflammatory ingredients. This is one of my personal favorites as I have seen it work well with many rheumatoid arthritis patients.
9. Bromelain: This enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form but eating fresh pineapple, including some of the bromelain-rich stem, may also be helpful.
10. Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO): This oil, found in fish and dairy butter, acts as a "joint lubricant" and an anti-inflammatory. I have used this for myself to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that pops up when I type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards. I used a topical preparation for this.
11. Evening Primrose, Black Currant, and Borage Oils: These contain the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is useful for treating arthritic pain.
12. Cayenne Cream: Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain.
13. Methods such as yoga, Foundation Training, acupuncture, meditation,14 hot and cold packs, and other mind-body techniques can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs.

Teenage Girl Uses Cannabis To Treat Leukemia & Great Results Were Seen – Doctors Publish Case Study

Teenage Girl Uses Cannabis To Treat Leukemia & Great Results Were Seen – Doctors Publish Case Study

February 10, 2014 by Joe Martino. 15 Comments.

A recent study reveals that cannabis taken orally in the form of what is called ‘hemp oil’ can be an effective treatment for Leukemia and possibly other cancers.

The case study examines a teenage female who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a Philadelphia chromosome mutation. This mutation accounts for a much more aggressive case of Leukemia.

The patient underwent standard treatments of acute and aggressive chemotherapy as well as bone marrow transplants. It was found that none of these treatments were effective which led the family to explore alternatives. The alternative they chose was to treat with cannabinoids administered orally in the form of hemp oil.

Toronto doctors Yadvinder Singh, MD and Chamandeep Bali, ND detailed the case and treatment procedure in great depth -which should be read HERE for best analysis of the case.

In short, the patients condition drastically improved in terms of her blast cell counts, which are immature cells within the bone marrow that don’t end up maturing. This leads to problems with blood cell counts and results in various types of blood cancers like Leukemia.

Although the patient ended up passing away, it was due to the standard treatment method of chemotherapy which had devastating effects on the patient.

As reported by Hematology/Oncology at SickKids Hospital:

‘At admission her total WBC was 1.4, hemoglobin was 82, platelet count 8,000. She was profoundly neutropenic… a prior history of pancolitis documented by CT scan in March 2009 was neutropenic colitis with perforation… her abdomen was distended and obviously had some signs of diffuse peritonitis. The abdomen X-ray was in favour a perforation…she passed away at 10:05 in the present (sic) of family…’.

Cannabinoids did not have any toxic effects on the patient and although there were some psychosomatic properties due to the use of oil, the patients condition improved and blast cell counts were controlled.

“It goes without saying that much more research and, even more importantly, phase clinical trials need to be implemented to determine the benefits of such therapies. Laboratory analysis is critical to figure out the constituents/profiles/ratios of the vast cannabis strains that show the most favored properties for exerting possible anticancer effects.”

We have covered the topic of cannabis as a treatment for cancer in great detail and this documented case adds to the fact that serious discussion and clinical trials need to go into researching the effectiveness of cannabis as a cancer treatment. Enough evidence exists to state that not only are our current methods non-effective and toxic, but emerging methods cannot only treat a patient effectively but also leave aside toxic effects.

Source:

http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/356446#AC

Pesticide Spraying May Spread Norovirus

Pesticide Spraying May Spread Norovirus

February 18, 2014 | 24,181 views

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By Dr. Mercola

Norovirus is the leading cause of food-borne outbreaks in the US, with fresh produce (especially leafy vegetables and fruits) among the most common culprits.1

While you can be infected with norovirus through direct contact with someone who's infected, this virus is often spread through the fecal-oral route, when you consume food or water that's contaminated.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sick food handlers are the main source of food-borne norovirus outbreaks and caused about half of such cases from 2001 to 2008.2

This makes sense, since norovirus outbreaks are commonly associated with contaminated foods from restaurants and long-term care facilities. It turns out there may be an additional culprit, however, an insidious one that to date has received very little attention.

Dirty Water Used to Dilute Pesticides May Spread Norovirus

Contaminated water has long been recognized as a potential introduction source of norovirus to fresh produce, but typically this has centered on water used to irrigate crops.

Researchers from the Netherlands decided to look into the water used to reconstitute pesticides to determine if that could be a relevant source of infectious norovirus, and their results revealed a strong possibility that it could.3

They tested four fungicides and four insecticides commonly used on lettuce and raspberries (two foods associated with norovirus outbreaks), diluted with water that had been spiked with norovirus.

In seven of the eight pesticides tested, norovirus persisted even two hours later. As reported by Environmental Health Perspectives:4

"Farmers mix pesticides with water from sources including wells, irrigation ditches, rivers, and lakes. All these water sources have been known to harbor norovirus. Until recently, no one had tested whether norovirus in contaminated water remains infectious after pesticides are added."

The study suggests that if farmers use contaminated water to reconstitute their pesticides, the virus is likely to still be active when it's sprayed onto crops. The researchers concluded:

"The application of pesticides may therefore not only be a chemical hazard, but also a microbiological hazard for public health. The inclusion of antiviral substances in reconstituted pesticides may be appropriate to reduce the virological health risk posed by the application of pesticides."

Though the researchers recommended adding antiviral substances to water, a much simpler, and healthier, option is to buy organic produce as much as possible, since this eliminates the use of chemical pesticides.

Signs and Symptoms of Norovirus

Noroviruses are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the US, responsible for up to 21 million illnesses, 71,000 hospitalizations, and 800 deaths each year.5 They generally cause a nasty infection that leads to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting within 24-48 hours of exposure. Norovirus infection is often referred to as the "stomach flu," although it shouldn't be confused with influenza, which is a respiratory infection.

The symptoms of norovirus infection can be quite debilitating, but most people recover on their own within a few days. Those most at risk of complications (typically dehydration) are infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

The elderly living in nursing homes and children in day care facilities are often among those hardest hit, due to their close proximity with others and the highly contagious nature of these viruses. This is also the reason why cruise ships are sometimes associated with norovirus outbreaks. To get an idea of just how contagious this group of viruses is, a person with norovirus infection may shed billions of norovirus particles, but it takes just 18 of these particles to infect someone else.6

How Norovirus Is Spread Via Your Food

As far as food poisonings go, noroviruses are strongly associated with restaurant-prepared or store-bought "complex foods" – foods that contain a number of ingredients so that the specific culprit cannot be pinpointed. Ready-to-eat foods, including salads, sandwiches, ice, cookies, and fruit, are also risks, although eating any food that is contaminated with vomit or feces from an infected person could lead to infection.7

Not only can the virus be spread before a person starts feeling sick, but it also remains in a person's stool for two weeks – or more – after the symptoms resolve. So if a food handler is not careful, he could continue to spread the virus to others for some time.

Even heating a food may not be enough to get rid of this resilient virus. Noroviruses can survive heating up to 140°F as well as quick-steaming methods often used to prepare shellfish.8 It can also survive being frozen. Of course, if the featured study is correct it's possible that your food could be contaminated before it's even harvested while it's sprayed with pesticides in the field.

The Keys to Lowering Your Risk of Stomach Flu

As mentioned, buying organic produce may be one of the best ways to lower your risk, as it will reduce your exposure to pesticides and the potentially contaminated water used to reconstitute them. Washing your vegetables and fruits before use may also help to reduce your risk (although probably won't get rid of norovirus completely).

Because many norovirus outbreaks are tied to restaurant or ready-made foods, the more you prepare your own food at home, the lower your risk of contracting this food-borne infection is likely to become.

Finally, washing your hands remains one of the best strategies for preventing the stomach flu. Washing your hands (and your children's hands) with soap and water if you've been in a public place and before eating is essential. Be careful not to over-wash your hands, however, as this can create tiny cuts in your hands where a virus can enter. Other common sense measures for preventing the stomach flu include:

• Trying not to touch your eyes, mouth, or nose (which is how the virus enters), especially if your hands are not clean
• Avoiding sharing utensils, drinking cups, hand towels, etc. with others
• Try oil of oregano. Carvacrol, an active substance in oregano oil, may be effective against norovirus, as it has been found to break down the virus’ tough outer layer. The study found oregano oil may inactivate norovirus within one hour of exposure. Not only can you try adding oregano oil to your natural cleaners to use as a surface disinfectant, but oregano oil can also be taken internally. When choosing an oregano oil, generally the higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it will be.

Along with the practical precautions mentioned above, preventing the stomach flu also involves keeping your immune system healthy by following these five steps to boost your immune system health.

What to Do if You're Infected with Norovirus

Most people will become infected with the stomach flu at some point during their lives. If this happens, make sure the vomiting and diarrhea does not cause you to become dehydrated, as dehydration can be life threatening. So if you begin to become dehydrated, it is vital that you go to an emergency room for evaluation and treatment.

Initially, however, the following simple protocol is often very effective in clearing up the stomach flu long before you get to this point. If you have thrown up, put your stomach at complete rest for at least three hours. Avoid water, crackers, soda… everything for at least three hours after the last time you throw up.

Once three hours have passed and no further vomiting has occurred, then try sipping small amounts of water slowly. If that is tolerated and you have not vomited further, you can gradually increase the water. Do this for one to two hours and if that is tolerated then you are ready for the final phase: large doses of a high-quality probiotic, taken every 30 to 60 minutes until your symptoms go away.

Small amounts of fresh crushed ginger root, which is available in nearly every grocery produce section, finely cut up and swallowed whole can be enormously helpful for the nausea. But remember, it should not be taken for at least three hours after the last time you throw up.

Vote with Your Pocketbook, Every Day

Remember, the food companies on the left of this graphic spent tens of millions of dollars in the last two labeling campaigns—in California and Washington State—to prevent you from knowing what's in your food. You can even the score by switching to the brands on the right; all of whom stood behind the I-522 Right to Know campaign. Voting with your pocketbook, at every meal, matters. It makes a huge difference.

As always, I encourage you to continue educating yourself about genetically engineered foods, and to share what you've learned with family and friends. Remember, unless a food is certified organic, you can assume it contains GMO ingredients if it contains sugar from sugar beet, soy, or corn, or any of their derivatives.

If you buy processed food, opt for products bearing the USDA 100% Organic label, as organics do not permit GMOs. You can also print out and use the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, created by the Institute for Responsible Technology. Share it with your friends and family, and post it to your social networks. Alternatively, download their free iPhone application, available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications. For more in-depth information, I highly recommend reading the following two books, authored by Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology:

• Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating
• Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods.

For timely updates, join the Non-GMO Project on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter. Please, do your homework. Together, we have the power to stop the chemical technology industry from destroying our food supply, the future of our children, and the earth as a whole. All we need is about five percent of American shoppers to simply stop buying genetically engineered foods, and the food industry would have to reconsider their source of ingredients—regardless of whether the products bear an actual GMO label or not.

All Pervasive Sacredness

Dalai Lama 2014 February Good Interview

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/the-dalai-lamas-secret-to-happiness-in-140-characters-191833143.htmlhttp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/the-dalai-lamas-secret-to-happiness-in-140-characters-191833143.html

JIMMY CLIFF - I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW (+playlist)

Turmeric's Heart-Saving Properties Confirmed In New Diabetes Study

Turmeric's Heart-Saving Properties Confirmed In New Diabetes Study

Posted on: Saturday, February 22nd 2014 at 7:15 am

Written By: Sayer Ji, Founder and Anonymous

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." ~ Thomas Edison

A remarkable new study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry reveals the immense value of the ancient spice turmeric in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and the reversal of pathological states linked to its most deadly complication: atherosclerotic heart disease.  

The new study titled, "Reduction of atherogenic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes by curcuminoid extract: a randomized controlled trial,"[i] dovetails nicely with a 2012 study published in the American Diabetes Association's own journal, Diabetes Care, which found turmeric 100% effective in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in prediabetics over the course of a six month intervention with curcumin.^[1]

In the new study, researchers from Thailand conducted a 6-month randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial comprised of 226 subjects diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (mean duration of the disease ~ 6 years), equally divided into a treatment (113) and placebo group (113).  They aimed to explore the role that the golden-hued polyphenol found in turmeric known as curcumin might play in preventing atherosclerosis, by measuring its effects on the following parameters of atherogenic risk:

• Pulse Wave Velocity: a measure of arterial stiffness, which a strong correlation to cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.^{[2] [3] [4]}
• Markers of Inflammation: Changes in the level of anti-inflammatory adipocytokines were tracked (increased adiponectin or decreased leptin)
• Insulin Resistance: Measured by the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) scale.
• Triglyceride levels
• Uric acid levels
• Abdominal obesity (Visceral fat and Total body fat)

All subjects in the trial were randomly assigned to either the curcumin-treated group (intervention condition) or the placebo-treated group (control condition), as follows:

"All participants were instructed to take three capsules with blinded labels of eithercurcumin or placebo twice a day (total of six capsules per day) for 6 months continuously. Each curcumin capsule has curcuminoid content of 250 mg. Each placebo capsule contains 250 mg of starch. Patients were asked to bring all capsules back when having follow-up visits at 3 and 6 months for assessing their compliance."

The researchers monitored adverse effects during the study period by tracking changes in body weight, blood pressure (systolic/diastolic blood pressure), kidney function (creatinine) and liver functions (AST and ALT), but found no indication of adverse changes in the curcumin group. In fact, ALT was actually lower in the curcumin group, indicating it may have improved liver function – an unsurprisingly finding considering, given turmeric's well-known liver healing properties. They also noticed at the last follow-up visit (6 months after intervention) improvements in other metabolic parameters:

"[W]e noticed slight reductions of mean body weight, BMI, WC [weight circumference] lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL-C) and blood glucose profiles (FPG and HbA1c) and a slight increase of HDL-C from the group of patients treated with curcumin. We did not see such patterns from the placebo-treated group (Online Supplemental Material in Table 2). All together, these results indicated that curcumin extract can be used for intervention, at least for a period of 6 months, without any serious unwanted effect."

In other words, the intervention not only did not have any discernable adverse side effects, but it appeared to have lasting side benefits beyond the study's main parameters.

The Remarkable Results

The primary parameter used in the study to assess the risk of atherosclerosis was pulse wave velocity, an indication of arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction, i.e. the inability of the arteries to dilate sufficiently.  Secondary parameters used to assess increased risk of atherosclerosis included insulin resistance, dyslipidemia (high triglycerides), abdominal obesity (visceral fat and total body fat), uric acid levels, and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels (adiponectin and leptin). Curcumin was found to improve every one of these parameters, as documented by the figures below:

Fig. 2. Mean differences from baseline to 3- and 6-month visits with SEM for HOMA-IR, triglyceride, VF, TBF and WC for the placebo and the control groups. Statistical significances are indicated as follows: #P=.01, *Pb.001. Statistical tests were performed for the comparisons of end point at each visit between the two groups. Differences of means between the curcumin and placebo groups at 3- and 6-month visits were statistically significant at Pb.01 for HOMA-IR (A) and triglyceride (B), while VF (C) and TBF (D) showed statistically significant only at 6-month visit.

Finally, curcumin treatment appeared to lower fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated red blood cells (HbA1c), total cholesterol and LDL-C and to slightly raise HDL-C, with the qualification that, "these results did not yet meet the level of statistical requirement."

The authors summarized their findings: "[I]n our observation, we found beneficial effects of a 6- month treatment of curcumin on antiatherogenic risks in type 2 diabetes population. We also demonstrated that 6-months curcumin intervention was well tolerated, with a very few adverse effects."

Their conclusion was stated as follows: "Because of its benefits and safety, we propose that curcumin extract may be used as anti-arteriosclerosis in type 2 diabetes population."

Considering the potentially life-threatening side effects of conventional medications for type 2 diabetes, the discovery that turmeric extract can prevent the progression of, and even reverse, a wide range of pathologies associated with this condition, is extremely encouraging.  In fact, another resent study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found Turmeric's Cardiovascular Benefits May Be As Powerful As Exercise, adding additional support to the study's findings.

With such a highly compelling body of clinical research on turmeric now pointing to the therapeutic potential of this safe, effective, affordable, time-tested and easily accessible spice, the future of diabetes care appears no further than the spice rack.

^[1] GreenMedInfo.com, Turmeric Extract 100% Effective In Preventing Type 2 Diabetes, ADA Journal Study Finds

^[2] Blacher J, Asmar R, Djane S, London GM, Safar ME (May 1999). "Aortic pulse wave velocity as a marker of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients". Hypertension 33 (5): 1111–7. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.33.5.1111. PMID 10334796.

^[3] Cruickshank K, Riste L, Anderson SG, Wright JS, Dunn G, Gosling RG (October 2002). "Aortic pulse-wave velocity and its relationship to mortality in diabetes and glucose intolerance: an integrated index of vascular function?". Circulation 106 (16): 2085–90. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000033824.02722.F7. PMID 12379578.

^[4] Laurent S, Boutouyrie P, Asmar R, et al. (May 2001). "Aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive patients". Hypertension 37 (5): 1236–41. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.37.5.1236. PMID 11358934.

[i] Somlak Chuengsamarn, Suthee Rattanamongkolgul, Benjaluck Phonrat, Rungsunn Tungtrongchitr, Siwanon Jirawatnotai. Reduction of atherogenic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes by curcuminoid extract: a randomized controlled trial. J Nutr Biochem. 2014 Feb ;25(2):144-50. Epub 2013 Nov 6. PMID: 24445038

Sun exposure creates Vitamin D3 and prevents cancer

http://tv.greenmedinfo.com/dr-mercola-cut-risk-cancer-half/

Pete Seeger- " My Rainbow Race" 1971

Pete Seeger - Big Rock Candy Mountain (+playlist)

Pete Seeger - Big Rock Candy Mountain (+playlist)

Pete Seeger: Ode to Joy

Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie - Way out there

Why vegetarians can still get diabetes and other diseases

Volume11, Issue 15	February 19, 2014
Why vegetarians can still get diabetes and other diseases
As you may know, I'm one of the only newsletter writers who promotes the Living Foods diet. This diet is made up primarily of raw fruits and vegetables. While many have said this diet won't work, the proof that it does continues to come out. In fact, each passing year brings new proof of my long-term observations and conclusions. Now there's yet more proof that the heat you use on your foods does, indeed, cause you much greater risk for diabetes and vascular disease. This new proof comes from a new randomized, cross-over diet study on 62 volunteers. Cross-over studies are great in that they allow the studied groups to switch roles. That adds a lot of significance to the findings. The researchers in this study evaluated the effects of Maillard reaction products (MRP) on the volunteers. MRP is a name for a chemical process by which heat generates literally hundreds or more of a complex mixture of compounds responsible for a huge range of odors and flavors. Heating starches to high temperatures creates acrylamide. I've told you in the past about how this compound can increase your risk of cancer. Flavor scientists have used heat over years to create artificial flavors, which you'll find in processed foods. The diets of the two groups differed only in the type and amount of heat inflicted on the foods they ate. One group steamed their food and the other used high temperature cooking. After one month, those consuming high-heat treated diets (compared to steaming) saw significantly lower insulin sensitivity. They also had much lower plasma concentrations of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and vitamin E. These findings were highly significant. At the same time, plasma triglycerides increased 5% and cholesterol jumped 9%. The authors concluded that consuming high heat-treated foods increases your risk of type-2 diabetes and vascular disease. Imagine if Big Pharma created a drug that dropped your cholesterol 9% and was 100% safe. What an international stir that would make! But you can do it right in your own kitchen! And for free! I'm not a madman. I'm a maverick who looks outside the box. I've been to India where I've seen hard-working vegetarian peasants losing limbs to diabetes in their 30s. And no, they were not obese. They cook their foods to oblivion in oil. We've known for years that heat destroys crucial vitamins like C, B6, and now E. It also destroys fatty acids, denatures proteins, and limits mineral availability. But we are now getting an inkling of how heated foods causes yet deeper and subtler damage. Heat creates compounds not found in nature. These compounds could be highly immune activating, carcinogenic, toxic oxidants, oxidized lipids (the underlying cause of vascular disease) dangerous amines, and more. I urge you to move toward the Living Foods Diet. Science is proving me right month after month. It's no wonder that I see miracle after miracle in my practice. But they're not "miracles." It's simply the restoration of your body's own healing processes as God designed, when you feed it properly. Please strive to make uncooked living foods up to 70-80% of your diet, even more in the warm months, while perhaps less in the cold months. Use only water to cook with. That limits the heat to 212º F at the most. That upper limit of heat may be below the threshold for the most toxic chemical reactions. Never cook with oil. There's just no control for how hot it gets. Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert J. Rowen, MD Source: Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1220-6. Epub 2010 Mar 24.

Vivo Per Lei - Andrea Bocelli & Giorgia Todrani

Waking Up and Breaking Up from the Dream of Relationship - Jeff Foster

New Analysis Claims Vitamin D Supplements Are Useless -- Here’s Why It’s Wrong

New Analysis Claims Vitamin D Supplements Are Useless -- Here’s Why It’s Wrong

February 17, 2014 | 191,584 views

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

Last November, researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research1 declared that vitamin supplements are probably useless when it comes to preventing heart disease and/or cancer.

Their seriously flawed analysis (which, sadly, is being used by the US Preventive Services Task Force to update its recommendations on supplement use) was widely reported by the media.2

Now, the attack against vitamin supplements has heated up yet again—this time they're trying to quell the idea that vitamin D, specifically, has any useful purpose for the average person.

Numerous media sources3, 4 have trumpeted the findings of a recent meta-analysis,5 which claims that vitamin D supplements are not only useless against heart disease, stroke and cancer, but may do more harm than good, and that further investigation into vitamin D would likely be "pointless"! According to the authors of the study:

"Available evidence does not lend support to vitamin D supplementation and it is very unlikely that the results of a future6 single randomized clinical trial will materially alter the results from current meta-analyses."

What's more, they also found that people taking vitamin D supplements had an increased risk for hip fracture, which prompted Professor Karl Michaëlsson, a researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden, to publish a call for stricter labeling on vitamin D supplements. In his editorial,7 which accompanied the featured analysis, he writes:

"Without stringent indications -- i.e. supplementing those without true vitamin D insufficiency -- there is a legitimate fear that vitamin D supplementation might actually cause net harm."

It should be noted that the dose given to the women in the study with increased fracture rates was 500,000 IU, all in one dose.  This is an intake the body cannot absorb and process properly and the toxicity of the dose itself was not a surprise to the vitamin D researchers. The increased fractures were seen shortly after the huge dose but the rate declined in later months.

Research Shows Vitamin D Sufficiency Is Critical for Good Health

Meanwhile, a robust and rapidly growing body of research clearly shows that vitamin D is absolutely critical for good health and disease prevention, in part due to the fact that it influences about 10 percent of all your genes.

Just one example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is your ability to fight infections and chronic inflammation. It also produces over 200 anti-microbial peptides, the most important of which is cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Since the early 2000s, scientific investigations into the effects of vitamin D have ballooned. By the end of 2012, there were nearly 34,000 published studies on the effects of vitamin D, and there are well over 800 references in the medical literature showing vitamin D's effectiveness against cancer alone. According to Carole Baggerly, founder of GrassrootsHealth, as much as 90 percent of ordinary breast cancer may in fact be related to vitamin D deficiency.

Granted, the featured review is rebuking vitamin D supplements only. They're not trying to claim that vitamin D deficiency doesn't have any repercussions for your health. On the contrary, it supports the notion that sun exposure is your best source of vitamin D, as your skin naturally creates it in response to UV radiation.

However, many people, especially those living in northern latitudes, are simply unable to get the necessary sun exposure needed to maintain clinically relevant vitamin D levels of 50-70 ng/ml year-round.

Vitamin D Synthesis is Unlikely During Winter Months...

The US map below shows the likelihood of vitamin D synthesis during February. My Vitamin D Resource page also contains maps showing vitamin D synthesis in various US states for the rest of the year. As you'll see, even if you live in the southernmost states, optimal vitamin D synthesis will not occur until June!

I firmly believe that UVB exposure is a far healthier way to optimize your vitamin D levels, but if you can't use the sun or a safe tanning bed then it is best to use an oral supplement, but please recognize that it's an inferior choice.

Vitamin D supplements are also among the least expensive, and the health impact of deficiency is so broad and detrimental that it simply makes little sense to scare people away from vitamin D supplements—unless you've got some ulterior reason for doing so.

As I will discuss below, you DO benefit from taking other nutrient ratios into account when you use a vitamin D supplement though, which makes supplementation a bit more complex, compared to raising your levels through sun exposure.

Vitamin D Supplements Under Fire

The analysis, published in the journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology,8 looked at 40 previously published randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplements, with or without calcium, concluding that vitamin D supplements do not reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, cancers, or bone fractures in the general population by more than 15 percent.

What's more, the researchers claim the effects of vitamin D supplementation are below a "futility threshold," (not a surprise when the average dose was 400-800 IU/day, already demonstrated to be ineffective) effectively rendering further investigations unnecessary. Attacks have been repeatedly made against nutritional supplements and the value of nutrition for disease prevention in general, but we may have reached a new low. WebProNews.com even went so far as to say that:

"Further studies show unborn babies do not get any benefits from the vitamin when taken by pregnant women."

The studies were not referenced so it is impossible to understand what led them to this mistake, but I'm firmly convinced that this is incorrect and may lead many mothers completely astray. Your baby will be born with approximately 60-70 percent of whatever your (the mother's) vitamin D level is.

According to Dr. David Ayoub, who has testified in hundreds of cases of infantile rickets misdiagnosed as child abuse, mothers who are deficient in vitamin D, with levels around 18-19 ng/ml, have a significantly greater risk of having children with infantile rickets.

Make no mistake about it: optimizing your vitamin D levels during pregnancy is absolutely CRITICAL for your baby's development. Granted, your best bet is to make sure you're getting plenty of sun exposure. Unfortunately, women in general are heavily indoctrinated to fear sun exposure, which has led to a virtual epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.

Another study9 by the same New Zealand research team, published in October of last year, concluded that people with vitamin D deficiency and evidence of bone loss are the only ones that should be taking vitamin D. This too flies in the face of mounting research from premier vitamin D research organizations such as GrassrootsHealth.10

The Vitamin D Controversy Heats Up

In the featured video at the top of this article, Carole Baggerly interviews Dr. Cedric Garland of UCSD Moores Cancer Center about this latest meta-review.11  Another prominent vitamin D expert and researcher, Dr. Michael F. Holick, M.D., PhD., author of The Vitamin D Solution, has also dismissed the analysis, calling it flawed and "silly." (Incidentally, Dr. Holick is the person responsible for identifying the major circulating form of vitamin D—25-hydroxyvitamin D3—which is the form of vitamin D doctors typically measure now to assess vitamin D status.) According to Dr. Garland:

"This meta-analysis is nothing new and is already obsolete, since it is mainly based on old papers that used too little vitamin D to expect any effect. A New Zealand study saying we should only supplement people with vitamin D deficiency and evidence of bone loss is equally wrong. Virtually everyone in New Zealand, and most adults in the US, are vitamin D deficient by modern criteria, being below 32 ng/ml.

The reality is that we now know that they are deficient with regard to extraskeletal effects of 25(OH)D if their serum level is below 40 ng/ml. These papers should be disregarded as obsolete work. We are moving into a new era of using vitamin D3 in doses no less that 4,000 IU/day for people aged 9 years and older... Studies using less than 4,000 IU/day are on the verge of obsolescence."

Why the Latest Vitamin D Analysis Is Meritless

Drs. Holick and Garland both point out the futility of looking at studies using subclinical doses of vitamin D—they're not going to show results, and for very obvious reasons. Robust evidence shows that 400 IUs of vitamin D per day is nowhere near enough. That's only about one-tenth of the effective dose! The authors of the analysis also did not include any epidemiological research, and completely ignored the most truly relevant randomized controlled trial on vitamin D and cancer.

Research published in 2007 by Lappe et.al.12 showed that after four years of follow up, there was a 77% cancer risk reduction in women who received 1,100 IUs of vitamin D and 1,450 mg calcium per day, and, achieved a serum level of approximately 40 ng/ml.  The serum level is the marker we are aiming for. The serum level of those who received either a placebo or calcium by itself was approximately 30 ng/ml. If a 77 percent risk reduction is not relevant, I don't know what is.

 "The Lappe et al. study and the many supportive epidemiological studies that preceded and followed it should prove to even the most ill-informed skeptic that vitamin D prevents most cancer," Dr. Garland says. "It is incredible that the authors of this review virtually disregarded all of the relevant epidemiology this randomized controlled clinical trial.

Further, according to Dr. Leo Baggerly, Sr. Research Scientist at GrassrootsHealth, "the authors of this review 'reanalyzed' the results of the Lappe study in a completely invalid manner and included their 'corrected' results in their summary, while virtually disregarding the actual study results."

The analysis' conclusion on vitamin D is in stark contrast to an ever growing number of studies showing that vitamin D (with or without calcium) has tremendous protective effect against cancer specifically. For example, another 2007 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine13 concluded that a serum 25(OH)D level of more than 33 ng/mL was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer.

A recent Cochrane meta-review14 published in January of this year also concluded that even low dose vitamin D supplementation appears to reduce cancer mortality by almost 15 percent. Theories linking vitamin D deficiency to cancer have been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and understanding of its physiological basis stems from more than 2,500 laboratory studies. So, in a nutshell, there are two significant issues that render the featured analysis without merit:

• The studies included used vitamin D supplements in doses that are not clinically relevant. Adults need anywhere from 10-20 times the amount used in the studies to protect against heart disease and cancer—4,000 to 8,000 IUs a day, compared to the 400-800 IUs used in the studies
• The studies have mistakenly been shooting for vitamin D levels in the 20-30 ng/ml range, which vitamin D experts today believe is HALF of what you really need for disease prevention. Ideally, you'll want a vitamin D level above 50 ng/ml, but a bare minimum of 40 ng/ml is recommended15

As noted Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council, the authors excluded no less than one dozen randomized controlled trials, the majority of which were positive.

"The authors argued that more trials of vitamin D are a waste of money and resources and will be negative," Dr. Cannell writes. "Luckily researchers at Harvard do not agree, as we all wait for their VITAL study results expected around 2017. It is a study of 20,000 healthy Americans, half of which will take an extra 2,000 IU/day compared to a group of 10,000 subjects getting a vitamin D placebo.

The study will measure vitamin D blood levels in all subjects, so we will know if any of the placebo group started taking vitamin D. It will give us specific results for those subjects who obtained blood levels of > 40 ng/ml. The VITAL study will measure dozens of clinical endpoints with cancer and cardiovascular disease being the primary end points. I will be shocked if 2,000 IU/day has no effect on any clinical endpoint."

The study that we are supporting, the D*action study run by GrassrootsHealth, is the only prospective study that actually has 1000's of subjects in the 40-60 ng/ml range.  They are tracking many health outcomes such as breast cancer, pain, diabetes, as well as reporting on the dose response information.  Initial publications have already been made with kidney stones (no increased risk) and a dose response relationship showing that to get approximately 97% of the population to 40 ng/ml, it will take 10,000 IU/day to achieve that.  New papers are to be released soon on a very significant prevention effect with diabetes and pain levels.  There is no need to wait to track your own health outcomes and achieve the benefits of the appropriate serum levels.

Are You Vitamin D Deficient?

Some news sources, such as the Star Tribune,16 have noted that high-risk groups such as babies, pregnant women, and the elderly are still advised to take vitamin D supplements. The thing is, a majority of people, regardless of age, sex, or nationality, are in fact low or deficient in vitamin D, and stand to benefit from raising their levels into the clinically significant levels, which is higher than the recommended "normal." (For more information, see the next section below.) Before the year 2000, very few doctors ever considered the possibility that you might be vitamin D deficient. But as the technology to measure vitamin D became inexpensive and widely available, more and more studies were done, and it became increasingly clear that vitamin D deficiency was absolutely rampant. For example:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 32 percent of children and adults throughout the US were vitamin D deficient
• The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 50 percent of children aged one to five years old, and 70 percent of children between the ages of six and 11, are deficient or insufficient in vitamin D
• Researchers such as Dr. Holick estimate that 50 percent of the general population is at risk of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency

Make Sure Your Levels Are in a Clinically Relevant Range

When it comes to vitamin D, you don't want to be in the "average" or "normal" range, you want to be in the "optimal" range. The reason for this is that as the years have gone by, researchers have progressively moved that range upward. At present, based on the evaluation of healthy populations that get plenty of natural sun exposure, the optimal range for general health appears to be somewhere between 50 and 70 ng/ml. As previously explained by Dr. Holick:

" Both the IOM (Institute of Medicine) and the Endocrine Society acknowledge in treatment guidelines that 10,000 IU/day is considered the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL).  Most treatments to get serum levels in the 40-60 ng/ml range are likely to be below that level.

GrassrootsHealth has also been looking at this issue and also recommends 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter as the ideal level (see above)... A study was done in Maasai warriors who are outside every day. That really gives us an insight where we should all be with our blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. They were found to be around 50 nanograms per milliliter."

Sources

Now Is a Great Time to Test Your Vitamin D Levels

The month of February is typically when you have the least amount of sun exposure, so right now is an ideal time to test your vitamin D levels to get an idea of what your levels are at their lowest. If you're low, take proactive measures to raise your levels, and then retest in mid-summer.

The D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth is a very cost effective solution. To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. (Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.)

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five-year study, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee every six months for your sponsorship of this research project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."

As for HOW to optimize your vitamin D levels, I firmly believe that appropriate sun exposure is the best way. In fact, I personally have not taken a vitamin D supplement for three or four years, yet my levels are in the 70 ng/ml range. There's a handy smartphone app called DMinder (dminder.info) that will tell you how much UV radiation you're getting and how many IUs of vitamin D you're making based on your local weather conditions (reported from the weather service) and other individual parameters such as your skin tone and age. It will also tell you when to get out of the sun, to protect yourself from sunburn.

If you can't get enough sunshine, then a safe tanning bed would be your next best option. Most tanning equipment use magnetic ballasts to generate light. These magnetic ballasts are well-known sources of EMF fields that can contribute to cancer. If you hear a loud buzzing noise while in a tanning bed, it has a magnetic ballast system. I strongly recommend you avoid these types of beds and restrict your use of tanning beds to those that use electronic ballasts.

If your circumstances don't allow you to access the sun or a safe tanning bed, then you really only have one option if you want to raise your vitamin D, and that is to take a vitamin D supplement. GrassrootsHealth has a helpful chart showing the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels based upon your measured starting point. Many experts agree that 35 IUs of vitamin D per pound of body weight could be used as an estimate for your ideal dose.

If you Opt for Oral Vitamin D, Remember Vitamin K2

Last but not least, if you do opt for a vitamin D supplement, you also need to take vitamin K2. The biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn't be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues.

Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the consequences similar to vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. The reason for this is because when you take vitamin D, your body creates more vitamin K2-dependent proteins that move calcium around in your body. Without vitamin K2, those proteins remain inactivated, so the benefits of those proteins remain unrealized. So remember, if you take supplemental vitamin D, you're creating an increased demand for K2. Together, these two nutrients help strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

Are Dental X-Rays Safe?

Are Dental X-Rays Safe?

February 18, 2014 by Michael Greger M.D. in News with 1 Comment

http://nutritionfacts.org/2014/02/18/are-dental-x-rays-safe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-dental-x-rays-safe

Every year, doctors cause an estimated 29,000 cancers a year dosing patients with X-rays during CAT scans (see Cancer Risk from CT Scan Radiation). What about dentists? 100 million Americans are exposed to dental X-rays every year, but don’t the lead apron and thyroid shield protect our vital organs? All our vital organs except one, our brain!

A study entitled “Dental X-Rays and Risk of Meningioma,” was recently published. The objective was to explore the association between dental X-rays—the most common artificial source of high-energy radiation—and the risk of intracranial meningioma, the most common type of brain tumor.

The researchers found that those who report ever having a bitewing X-ray had twice the odds of a brain tumor, and those that got a panoramic series—the full mouth X-rays—before age 10 had nearly 5 times the odds (see my 3-min video Do Dental X-Rays Cause Brain Tumors? for details).

While more research is needed, the bottom line is the benefits and risks of radiation exposure must always be carefully weighed. Dentists should consider the justification for every exposure. Furthermore, dentists should not prescribe routine dental X-rays at preset intervals for all patients (such as every 6 months or year, etc.). Says who? Says the official recommendations of the American Dental Association. There is little evidence to support irradiating people looking at all the teeth in search of hidden problems in asymptomatic patients. Accordingly, dentists should select patients wisely—only take X-rays when there is patient-specific reason to believe there is a reasonable expectation the X-rays will offer unique information influencing diagnosis or treatment.

The last time I was at at the dentist for my check-up I was again offered a set of full mouth X-rays (because I was “due”). Normally when I refuse routine dental X-rays I’ve just explained that I try to minimize my radiation exposure, but this time I was able to refuse “as per the official recommendation of the American Dental Association!” I just got a blank stare.

More on avoiding brain tumors in:

• When Nitrites Go Bad
• #1 Anticancer Vegetable
• Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
• IGF-1 as One-Stop Cancer Shop
• The Inflammatory Meat Molecule Neu5Gc

This is the third in a five part video series on preventing and mediating the adverse effects of radiation exposure. The first, Fukushima and Radioactivity in Seafood, described the natural and artificial sources of radioactive isotopes in our diet. The previous video, Cancer Risk from CT Scan Radiation detailed the estimated 29,000 cancers that doctors cause with CAT scans every year. I also have videos on Mediating Radiation Exposure from Air Travel, in which I talk about those full-body scanners in airports. And I close out with ways to mediate all these risks with Reducing Radiation Damage With Ginger And Lemon Balm.

-Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live year-in-review presentations Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death and More Than an Apple a Day.

Image credit: bolandrotor / Flickr

Tagged American Dental Association, brain tumour, cancer, dental X-rays, dentists, doctors, iatrogenic harm, intracranial meningioma, meningioma, oral health, radiation, X-rays

Home First Aid Kit Recommendations

Home First Aidhttp://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/first-aid-kit-holistic-essentials/ Kit Recomendations

Don Henley - The Heart of the Matter (Live at Farm Aid 1990)

Grain Brain with Dr. David Perlmutter (Podcast #230)

Eating to Prevent Alzheimer's

Pete Seeger

Pete SeegerPete Seeger

The Band & Bob Dylan - I Ain't Got No Home (Carnegie Hall 1968)

Cut Flowers—A Major Yet Little-Known Source of Toxic Pesticides February 11, 2014 | 100,399 views

Cut Flowers—A Major Yet Little-Known Source of Toxic Pesticides

February 11, 2014 | 100,399 views

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, flowers are probably on most people's minds. But did you know that the bouquet you're giving your sweetheart may be loaded with pesticides?

Many people get headaches around flowers and simply assume they're allergic. This might not necessarily be true, however. It could be that you're having a reaction to the chemical residues on the flowers. Flower growers are actually among the heaviest users of agricultural chemicals, including pesticides that are suspected of being among the most toxic.

The reason for this is that a shipment of flowers can easily be turned back from whence it came should the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service happen to find so much as a single pest in the shipment.1 The department is not equipped to test imported flowers for pesticide residues, however.

This issue is not new; it just hasn't gotten a lot of attention over the past decade. But testing conducted in the late 70s and again in the late 90s revealed this dark side of cut flowers. My personal recommendation—for all the reasons I'll be discussing in this article—is to forgo cut flowers altogether and plant your own using organic, untreated seeds.

Are Your Flower Beds Promoting or Killing Bees?

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.

The reason for my recommendation to plant your own organic flowers is because the pesticide problem is not restricted to cut flowers—the majority of which, by the way, originate from South America, primarily Colombia (63 percent of US imports of flower stems), followed by Ecuador (23 percent).2

A recent pilot study3, 4 revealed that more than half of garden plants attractive to bees and sold at Home Depot and Lowe's are also pre-treated with pesticides that could be lethal to bees. This is of great concern, as bees are necessary for pollinating not only flowers but also food crops.

The study in question, co-authored by the Pesticide Research Institute, found that a variety of bee-friendly plants (i.e. garden plants that attract bees) sold at home gardening centers contained neurotoxic pesticides known as neonicotinoids.

Pre-treated plants included tomatoes, squash, salvia, and flowers that would be attractive to pollinators. According to Lisa Archer, director of the Food and Technology Program at Friends of the Earth:5

"Our investigation is the first to show that so called 'bee-friendly' garden plants contain pesticides that can poison bees, with no warning to gardeners.

Bees are essential to our food system and they are dying at alarming rates. Neonic pesticides are a key part of the problem we can start to fix right now in our own backyards."

There are about 100 crop species that provide 90 percent of food globally and, of these, 71 are pollinated by bees. In the US alone, a full one-third of the food supply depends on pollination from bees. Private and public gardens can either contribute to the perpetuation of this "bee holocaust," or help curb it.

To get the ball rolling in the right direction, I will be sending out a packet of Baker Creek Seeds, free with any domestic order from my online store, between February 10 and February 12. A total of 10,000 packets are available, consisting of a random mix of sunflower seeds, thyme, and bee balm, all of which attract bees to your garden. These seeds are untreated, open pollinated, non-hybrid, non-GMO and non-patented seeds.

Pesticide Poisoning in Florists and Growers

Returning to the issue of cut flowers for a moment, research published in 1979 highlighted the problem of pesticide poisoning from cut flowers. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health,6 was conducted following reports of 10 cases of organophosphate pesticide poisoning in florists. As a result, the researchers conducted a random-sample survey to assess the residual pesticide levels on flowers imported into the US via Miami, Florida. According to the authors:

"A sample of all flowers imported into Miami on three days... showed that 18 (17.7 percent) of 105 lots contained pesticide residue levels greater than 5 ppm, and that three lots had levels greater than 400 ppm... We examined 20 quarantine workers in Miami and 12 commercial florists exposed to contaminated flowers.

Occasional nonspecific symptoms compatible with possible organophosphate exposure were noted. This study documents a previously unrecognized potential source of occupational pesticide exposure and suggests that safety standards should be set for residue levels on cut flowers."

A 1990 study,7 looking at the prevalence of reproductive problems in Colombian workers exposed to pesticides while growing flowers, found that workers in the floriculture industry were exposed to 127 different types of pesticides. According to the study:

"The prevalence rates for abortion, prematurity, stillbirths, and malformations were estimated for pregnancies occurring among the female workers and the wives of the male workers before and after they started working in floriculture, and these rates were related to various degrees of exposure. A moderate increase in the prevalence of abortion, prematurity, and congenital malformations was detected for pregnancies occurring after the start of work in floriculture."

Fifteen years later, a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research8 again assessed the risk factors associated with pesticide exposure among farmers of cut-flowers—this time in the Philippines.  Thirty-two percent of the workers reported pesticide-related illnesses since starting work in the flower business, which typically centered around the eyes, ears, nose, and throat. The most commonly reported symptoms were weakness and fatigue, muscle pain, chills and fever, blurred vision, dizziness, and headache.  

More Research Showing Health Effects of Cut Flower Pesticides

The Organic Consumers Association9 has compiled a list of research published prior to 2006, detailing the potential hazards associated with pesticide exposure from cut flowers, which includes an increased cancer risk. For example:

• A 2003 study published in Mutation Research10 found that more than 71 percent of cut flower growers around the world show genetic damage.
• Research published in the Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis11 journal found that DNA adducts, indicative of early-stage cancer, was present in 60 percent of longtime workers in the floriculturist industry.
• In 1999, a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine12 concluded that "among male floriculturist pesticide applicators, prostate cancer and testicular cancer are significantly elevated. Among females applicators, cervical cancer incidence is significantly increased."

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also tested rose samples purchased from American retailers in 1998.13, 14 Their tests showed the presence of a dozen different pesticides, including two "probable carcinogens"—one of which was present at a level 50 times higher than permitted in food. At the time, Richard Wiles, co-founder of EWG, said that:15

"There's a fair amount of pesticides on roses, whether they come from Colombia or California." He also stated:16 "We don´t want to be alarmist. But some children and people with chemical sensitivities could experience mild symptoms--sneezing or headaches, for example--that they might assume were simply an allergic reaction."

Wiles' recommendation back then, as mine is now, for avoiding this kind of pesticide exposure is to grow your own flowers using non-treated organic seeds, and not using pesticides known to be toxic to pollinators, animals, or humans, in your garden.

Organic Flowers Save Both Bees and Human Health

Pesticides have a dramatic impact on the health of our ecosystem. Neonicotinoids in particular are known to get into pollen and nectar, thereby posing a grave hazard to beneficial insects such as bees. Truly, the stakes couldn't be any higher, with at least one-third of the US food supply being dependent on these pollinators. Besides protecting bees, and by extension our food supply, avoiding pesticides from all sources is also really important for your health. Cut flowers have sailed under the radar for decades in this respect, but they can be a major source of pesticide exposure, especially if you buy cut flowers on a more regular basis, or work in the cut flower industry.  

My personal recommendation is to forgo both cut flowers and pesticide-treated plants from garden centers like Home Depot and Lowe's. The ideal solution really is to grow your own from organic, untreated seed. (Again, the first 10,000 orders from my website, placed February 10-12, will receive one free packet of untreated, non-GMO Baker Creek Seeds.) I also urge you to sign your name to the letter to Home Depot and Lowe's on Friends of the Earth's Action page. Much can be done to protect bees across the nation, but we must ACT!

The report released by Friends of the Earth and its allies shows that more than half of the "bee-friendly" home garden plants found in garden centers like Home Depot and Lowe's are in fact toxic to bees, yet sold without any warning to gardeners. So please, join us in asking the CEOs of Lowe's and Home Depot, Robert Niblock and Frank Blake, to pull all bee-killing pesticides from their shelves and stop selling neonicotinoid-treated plants.

More Resources

If you have your heart set on cut flowers, here are some resources that can help you find organically-grown bouquets. In the absence of organic certification, you can also look for fair trade certification, as fair trade programs pay greater attention to protecting worker's health and wellbeing, and typically use fewer or less pesticides. Another alternative gift to flowers is high quality chocolate.

California Organic Flowers - 100% Certified organic. Next day delivery guarantee nationwide	Flowers from Hawai'i - Organic, sustainable
Organic Bouquet Organic, fair trade, and sustainable flowers	Gardenia Organic - Veriflora certified organic and sustainable
One World Flowers - Fair Trade Certified, but not organic	Florverde Certified Flowers - a program that improves the living standards of floral farm workers and their families. Not organic, but a big step in the right direction. Look for the certification

Curing Cancer

To hear that a cancer cure has been found already sounds strange enough but to hear that the cure is listed on a US Government website and that this cure worked in 100% of the cases and that this research was done in...1984(!!!) is really the cherry on the top.

If you do some research, you will find that most of these people have some sort of altered body pH levels, these methods were by raising the alkaline level in their blood, reducing acid. Cancer loves acid.

Others include use of Hemp oil and Soursop(Guanabana).

All that the American Medical Association can only say we have made headway, but we still don’t have a cure.

Important to read this article first, so we can learn more on cancer and have a greater understanding before we go through the links bellow.

Many will think it's a big joke but it's not and that's what's fascinating about it. So let's cut to the chase shall we and take a look at this research made by the Dr. Aubrey Keith Brewer. 

http://merlinworld.com/research-cancer.htm

"I cured MYSELF of incurable cancer": How one man's wacky diet helped him beat all the odds.

Allan Taylor's miracle remedy includes powdered grass, curry spices, apricot seeds and selenium tablets.

http://mylespower.co.uk/2012/10/09/cancer-cure-in-the-sunday-mirror/

Cancer Cures, Body pH and Your Diet

http://www.acidalkalinediet.net/cancer-cures-body-ph-and-your-diet.php

Home Treatment Cures Cancer

http://esoterickat.wordpress.com/tag/hemp-oil/

EMANUEL REVICI, M.D.

The Doctor Who Cures Cancer

http://www.revicimedical.com/About_Dr_Revici.htm

Understanding pH Level and Why Many People Have Disease / Cancer 

http://www.healthnews-nz.com/acidity.html

Spain Study Confirms Hemp Oil Cures Cancer Without Side Effects

http://soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/spain-study-confirms-hemp-oil-cures-cancer-without-side-effects

Marijuana And Cancer: Scientists Find Cannabis Compound Stops Metastasis In Aggressive Cancers.

This page contains MANY articles of people cured of cancer.

http://www.thehealthcure.org/

Soursop Fruit Kills Cancer 100-Fold better Than Chemotherapy

http://www.sott.net/article/242555-Soursop-Fruit-Kills-Cancer-100-Fold-better-Than-Chemotherapy

Guanabana(Soursop) Cancer Cure & Treatment fruit

http://www.bayshorefitnessandwellness.com/

CIDPUSA anti Cancer SuperFoods

http://www.cidpusa.org/anti%20cancer%20super%20foods.htm#.UTYukzCSK8B

Cancer Healing Therapies

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150099668808945

Cancer the Forbidden Cures - Full Documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTGye7kA6rM&sns=tw

The Rise of Organic Gardening

The Rise of Organic Gardening

February 08, 2014 | 88,071 views

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

The above video features John Dromgoole, owner of The Natural Gardener,1 an educational organic gardening center in Austin, Texas. According to Dromgoole, Generation X'ers have become a driving force of his business. He's seen a near 500 percent increase in vegetable, herb, and seed sales, for example, compared to previous years.

This is a very dramatic increase indeed, speaking to the rapid evolution of organic gardening—or perhaps it would be better to call it a rapid U-turn, back toward the age-old food production practices that we know works, and produces optimal benefits not just for you, but also for the environment.

This new wave of consumers, who are increasingly concerned about the quality of their food, are flocking to organic gardening centers to buy their produce and to learn how to grow their own food. Dromgoole's nursery also teaches people how to address problems like pests and weeds without resorting to chemicals.

What Dromgoole calls "square-foot gardening" is also increasing in popularity, as more and more people take to growing their own food, no matter how much, or how little, space they have. 

By using a grid-space, you can increase the amount of herbs and vegetables you grow per square foot, compared to sowing them in long beds, as was typically done in the past.

Urban Gardening Is the Answer to Many of Our Problems

There's no doubt that urban gardening and farming is an important step toward building a more sustainable food system. In fact, I've been encouraging everyone to plant a "Victory Garden" as a proactive step toward fixing our broken food system and improving your health.

They are named Victory Gardens because 40 percent of the produce grown in the US during the War was in people's backyards. I really think it is possible to catalyze a similar movement for a different purpose. The new reality is that for most people, it is very difficult to obtain high-quality nutrient-dense foods unless you grow them yourself.

Food grown in your own garden is overall fresher, more nutritious, and tastes better than store-bought food—and you can't beat the price! Urban gardens are also key to saving energy, protecting water quality and topsoil, and promoting biodiversity and beautifying densely populated communities.

It may even be the U-turn we need in order to rein in out-of-control rates of depression, much of which may be rooted in the feeling of being disconnected from nature, and hence disconnected from our own selves...

According to a survey by Gardeners' World Magazine,2 80 percent of gardeners reported being "happy" and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners.  Monty Don,3 a TV presenter and garden writer, attributes the wellbeing of gardeners to the "recharging" you get from sticking your hands in the soil and spending time outdoors in nature.

This seems more than reasonable when you consider the health benefits associated with grounding, also known as Earthing. As detailed in the documentary film Grounded, the surface of the Earth holds subtle health-boosting energy, and all you have to do is touch it.

Walking barefoot on the Earth transfers free electrons from the Earth's surface into your body that spread throughout your tissues. Grounding has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and enhance your well-being. Many a gardener will attest to the sense of wellbeing obtained from sticking your hands in the dirt as well, and this is separate from the pleasure of accomplishment that comes from eating your own home-grown food.

Make This the Year You Start a Garden!

Aside from increasing your sense of well-being, keeping a garden can also improve your health by providing you with fresher, uncontaminated food, nutrient-dense food that is simply unavailable in your grocery store. It will also help you reduce your grocery bill. You don't need vast amounts of space either. Even apartment dwellers can create a well-stocked edible garden.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space to grow food, including your lateral space. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of crops, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard, and chiles, for example.

Just start small, and as you get the hang of it, add another container of something else. To learn more, please see my previous article on creating edible gardens in small spaces. Before you know it, large portions of your meals could come straight from your own edible garden. I recommend getting your feet wet by growing sprouts.

Not only is it rapidly rewarding, producing food ready for harvest in as little as one week, sprouts are also among the most nutritious foods you could possibly grow, containing up to 30 times the nutrients of organic vegetables.

Sprouts also allow your body to extract more of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fats from the other foods you eat. Add to that the boon of requiring very little space, and the ability to grow them indoors, year-round! There's really no shortage of benefits when it comes to sprouts!

Rather than growing them in Ball jars, I recommend growing them in potting soil. You can harvest them in about a week, and in a 10x10 tray, you can harvest between one and two pounds of sunflower sprouts. That will last you about three days.

You can store them in the fridge for about a week. I've been doing this for over a year now, and oftentimes use sprouts in lieu of salad greens. Sunflower sprouts will give you the most volume for your work and, in my opinion, have the best taste.

About to plant wheat grass and sunflower seeds - 2 days after soaking	Wheat grass and sunflower seeds – 3 ½ days post germination
Sunflower seeds and pea sprouts – 3 days until ready for harvest	Sunflower seed sprouts and wheat grass - ready to harvest

Pay Attention to Your Zoning Laws

Unfortunately, a not-so-subtle war has been waged against American homeowners who want to plant gardens on their own property.4 Legal codes that outlaw planting vegetables on a large percentage of your yard, or restrict them to only certain areas like the backyard, out of view of the public, truly defy common sense—especially considering the negative impact lawns have on the environment.

In many instances, zoning laws are simply outdated and out of step with today's world. Still, they can lead to frustrating legal headaches if you fail to heed them. It's important to realize that every city has different laws and ordinances, and there are no standards spanning jurisdictional lines.

So, while I strongly encourage you to get involved in growing your own food, please do remember the preliminary step of finding out what your zoning laws allow. There are often restrictions governing the raising of goats, chickens, bees, and even where you can plant a simple vegetable garden. If you find the zoning laws prohibit or restrict gardens in your area, I would encourage you to get involved at the local level to change those ordinances. Not only will it benefit you—it could promote positive change for hundreds of families... Below are a few organizations and resources that may be of assistance:

American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) - Devoted to community gardening and greening up communities across the nation. The organization has local chapters across the country.

Sustainable Cities Institute - Research and innovation about how to make cities more sustainable, including planning and zoning for urban agriculture

Practice Urban Agriculture (March 2010) - Information about urban agricultural zoning; lists a good number of government initiatives, plans, and ordinances that are up for vote in the near future

Food Not Lawns - A sustainability movement focused on getting rid of lawns in favor of more ecofriendly alternatives; also has chapters in nearly every state across the country

Lots 2 Green - Provides technical assistance to communities in order to facilitate their using vacant lots and other urban properties for community gardens and farms

Agriculture Supported Communities at the Rodale Institute

The Rodale Institute is another wonderful resource for anyone interested in organic gardening. Last summer, I visited the Institute to learn more about their brand new Honeybee Conservancy and research facility.5 An organic garden is a great way to promote honeybees, and both flower and vegetable gardens provide good honey bee habitats. Small-scale beekeeping is also gaining in popularity—yet another sign that people are taking both their food and their environment more seriously, and are recognizing the fundamental, if not downright sacred, link between man, nature, and food.

In the following video, Mark Smallwood, executive director at the Rodale Institute, discusses their ASC program, which stands for "Agriculture Supported Communities."

Many are familiar with the term "Community Supported Agriculture," or CSA, but Rodale's ASC program works a little differently. Instead of taking a lump sum from their customers up front, they go into underserved communities that have neither lots of money nor easy access to organic food, and offer a pay-as-you-go, weekly shareholder's agreement. They even accept government assistance checks. So each week, organic food harvested at the Institute is brought into communities such as Reddington, Bethlehem, and Allentown, PA. At present, the program feeds about 150 families in these areas.

They also teach these customers how to prepare the fresh foods they're getting, and when there's excess produce, the Institute offers classes on canning and preservation, which includes fermenting. Fermented vegetables, as I've discussed on numerous occasions, are a superfood staple that can have a tremendously beneficial impact on your health.

How to Find Locally-Grown Foods

Planting edible gardens across the nation will help support a growing movement toward a saner, healthier America. I encourage you to join us, and grow some food of your own. Also remember you can ferment your veggies, which will provide you with superior, nutritious foods during the winter months.

This is how your ancestors used to feed themselves, and it's time to revive some of this crucial knowledge about food. Besides growing your own, joining a local CSA and/or frequenting local farmers' markets are great ways to procure farm-fresh, local foods, year-round. Here are some resources that will help you find local farms, markets, CSAs, and more:

1. Local Harvest -- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and more.
2. Local Harvest has also partnered with Slow Food USA in a project called The Ark of Taste, which aims to "rediscover and catalogue forgotten flavors, documenting rare breeds and excellent food products that are in danger of disappearing." Since the international initiative began in 1996, more than 800 products from over 50 countries have been added, and Local Harvest now lists growers and producers of these items. 
3. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
4. Farmers' Markets -- A national listing of farmers' markets.
5. Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals -- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
6. FoodRoutes Network -- The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you.