Saturday, March 2, 2013

Ten Vaccine Myths

Ten Vaccine Myths

Written by Catherine O'Driscoll on June 11, 2011.

Myth No. 1
Vaccines protect our dogs against disease, helping to ensure they live long, healthy, happy lives.
Wrong!
Vaccines only sometimes protect our dogs against disease (if at all). Scientific studies into human vaccines have shown that just as many vaccinated people, and sometimes more vaccinated people, contract diseases as do unvaccinated people.
A study conducted by Canine Health Concern during 1997, involving 2,700 dogs, showed that 68.2% of dogs in the survey with parvovirus contracted it within three months of being vaccinated. Similarly, 55.6% of dogs with distemper contracted it within three months of vaccination; 63.6% contracted hepatitis within three months of vaccination; 50% contracted parainfluenza within three months of vaccination; and every single dog with leptospirosis contracted it within that three month timeframe.
So vaccines represent – at best – only a 50/50 chance of protection. But if you doubt the validity of the CHC survey, ask around. It won’t take long to find people whose dogs contracted these diseases shortly after being vaccinated. In a parvo vaccine trial conducted by Dr Ronald D Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University, three out of six parvo vaccine brands totally failed to give protection; two gave only partial protection; and only one was shown to be effective.
Myth No. 2
Vaccines have eradicated epidemics.
Wrong!
Vaccine manufacturers like to claim this. But research shows that vaccines are generally introduced after the disease has died out: diseases die out after 67% of a population has been exposed to it. The smallpox vaccine is often quoted as having eradicated smallpox. In fact, scientists stopped using it when they finally admitted that it was causing too many side-effects.
Only then did the disease die out.
There are strong arguments to suggest that vaccines keep diseases in the eco-system. For example, the only cause of polio in the USA today is the vaccine itself. (You can get polio if you change the nappy of a baby who has recently been vaccinated against polio.) Vaccines also shed into the environment, so a vaccinated or unvaccinated dog or cat can contract a disease from the urine and faeces of a vaccinated dog or cat.
Myth No. 3
Vaccines are extremely safe.
Wrong!
No-one can legitimately claim that vaccines are safe – because no-one has conducted the necessary research to make that claim. There are no long-term studies to show the long-term effects of vaccines on humans, let alone dogs.
Myth No. 4
Only a tiny minority of genetically-susceptible dogs will suffer adverse reactions to vaccines.
Wrong!
Whilst some dogs will have genetic weaknesses that make vaccines more dangerous to them, there are many other factors which can put your dog at risk.
Vaccine manufacturers warn, in their data sheets, that the following factors can render vaccines harmful (they use the phrase, “immunocompetence may be compromised” ):
1. if the dog is genetically defective
2. if there is something wrong with the dog’s diet
3. if the dog was unhealthy when vaccinated
4. if the dog is stressed at time of injection
5. if the dog’s immune system is incompetent
6. if the dog is exposed to a virus shortly after vaccination
7. if the dog is taking immune suppressant drugs such as steroids
8. if the vet stores and handles the vaccine inappropriately
9. if the dog is incubating disease at the time of vaccination
And if no-one is recording the adverse effects of vaccines effectively, then how can anyone say only a ‘tiny minority’ have adverse reactions? In the UK, vets are asked (not compelled) to report adverse reactions if they suspect an adverse vaccine reaction. If a dog falls down having an epileptic fit within half an hour, ten days, or a month of vaccination, the vet very often fails to suspect a link – even though vaccines are known to cause epilepsy, and the human Vaccine Damage Compensation Unit has paid up to £30,000 to parents whose children were made epileptic by vaccines. Even if the vet does suspect a link, there is no law to make him report the suspected reaction. Many vets are too busy to complete the necessary paperwork. The same applies to other diseases which many scientists contend are vaccine-related – such as skin disease, arthritis, cancer, encephalitis, etc.
Myth No. 5
“I am a vet, and I have only seen one vaccine reaction in 20 years’ of practice.”
Wrong!
You only think you have seen one vaccine reaction in twenty years of practice! Vets have been trained to look for an immediate reaction – where the dog is allergic to the vaccine (this allergy is the basis for the genetic link claim). In the event of an allergic reaction – sometimes called anaphylaxis or a hypersensitivity reaction – the vet is advised to inject adrenalin into the animal to save his life.
Because vaccine components can remain in the system for long periods of time, and because most of these disease take time to show themselves, causal link is rarely established. Unless, that is, scientists take the time (despite fears that their funding might be withdrawn by the pharmaceutical industry) to study the facts.
Research papers published by eminent scientists show that the following diseases can be caused by vaccines:
Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
A dreadful disease that usually kills a dog within days. Progress of the disease closely resembles the last stages of AIDS. Cancer – Dr Denis W Macey was reported in an American veterinary paper as saying that up to 22,000 cats develop cancer at the site of vaccination every year in the USA.
The Salk Polio Vaccine
Administered to thousands of people in the 1950s and ’60s was contaminated with a Simian (monkey) retrovirus (called SV40) that has been found at human cancer sites. An Avian (bird) retrovirus has also been found at human cancer sites, suspected to have come from the MMR vaccine. Monkey kidneys, chick embryos, dog brains and kidney, and cat brains and kidneys are all commonly used as vaccine culture media. If the animal used as a culture medium for vaccines carries a retrovirus and this is undetected and left in the vaccine, the vaccine can permanently alter the genes of the animal or human receiving the vaccine.
Genetic defects
The significance of vaccines’ gene altering potential is alarming. For example, SV40 has been found at cancer sites belonging to the children of people who received the SV40-contaminated Salk Polio vaccine. SV40 switches off the part of the DNA that protects from cancer, and this defect can be inherited.
Although the British government was informed that the polio vaccine was contaminated at the time, they took the decision to use it anyway. Records have now been destroyed (to protect the guilty?). Once it was decided it was too risky to continue using the contaminated vaccine on the UK population, it was sold overseas to unsuspecting ‘foreigners’.
So God help your dog. Thyroid disease is inheritable; and this can be caused by vaccines. Once a dog has underlying thyroid disease, he or she only needs a trigger – from a vaccine, an environmental pollutant, from stress, or from dietary inadequacies – to develop full-blown autoimmune diseases. Thyroid disease can often be undetected. For example, behavioural problems, hormonal imbalances, nymphomania, and coat loss can by symptoms of thyroid disease, but are often treated at face value without establishing the underlying cause.
Leukaemia
Dr Jean Dodds, one of the world’s foremost experts in canine vaccine reactions, says: “Recent vaccinations with single or combination modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are increasingly recognised contributors to immune-mediated blood diseases, bone marrow failure, and organ dysfunction.”
Dr Dodds lists leukaemia, thyroid disease, Addison’s disease, diabetes, and lymphoma as diseases that can be triggered by vaccines.
Parvovirus
Yes, parvovirus was created by vaccines. This disease didn’t exist prior to the 1970s. In fact, scientists tell us it was created by vaccine manufacturers who cultured the distemper vaccine on cat kidneys that were infected with feline enteritis. This cat-enteritis-diseased distemper vaccine was then injected into dogs around the world, and parvovirus reared its ugly head around the world at the same time. Similarly, human AIDS is thought by some scientists to be a vaccine-induced plague. HIV (humans), FIV (cats), and SIV (monkeys) are closely related viruses. Two separate scientific papers link the emergence of HIV in humans with the use of SIV-infected polio vaccines (cultured on monkey kidneys) on male homosexuals in New York, and innocent citizens of the Belgian Congo.
Arthritis
If there is a history of arthritis, epilepsy or allergies in a human family, doctors will often refrain from vaccinating a child. Arthritis is an inflammatory (hypersensitivity/allergy) disease. Vaccines contain various components, including serum (often bovine serum posing a BSE type threat), formaldehyde, aluminium, and mercury. Is it any wonder that an animal might become hypersensitive or inflamed after having these poisons injected into hm? According to one vaccine manufacturer, vaccines that are cultured on animal tissue can contain ‘extraneous proteins’ that can cause autoimmune diseases. Arthritis is an autoimmune disease, and it was found in the CHC survey to manifest in clusters nine months after vaccination. Animals with a genetic pre-disposition to allergies (ie ‘people’ from families with a history of irritable bowel syndrome/Crohns disease/enteritis, asthma, hay fever, eczema, and so on), can become more allergic, or become highly sensitised, when you inject foreign proteins (serums and organ tissue) into them. Veterinary manuals talk openly about serum reactions.
Allergies
There are many, many research papers showing a link between allergies and vaccines.
In 1983, for example, Frick and Brooks published a paper to show that inhalant allergies (such as atopic dermatitis) have developed in dogs when vaccinated with distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis vaccines just prior to, but not after, exposure to pollen extracts. ‘Atopic’ means an inherited pre-disposition to produce excess amounts of IgE antibodies in response to antigens (the things the animal is allergic to such as pollen, flea bites, dust mites, etc.). As a result the allergic individuals suffer chronically irritating skin inflammations. Other organs may exhibit signs of hypersensitivity causing, for example, conjunctivitis or rhinitis. Homoeopathic vets treat a large proportion of skin problems as ‘vaccinosis’ (a morbid reaction to vaccines).
Epilepsy
As stated earlier, it is scientifically recognised that vaccines can cause epilepsy in humans. Dr Hans Selye published a famous paper in ‘Nature’ in 1936 which explained how an organism will react to a massive challenge (such as a vaccine). Every system of the body springs into action, and a hormone called DOC can be released. This hormone can cause brain lesions and destruction of large parts of the brain. Epilepsy is a neurological (brain) condition. In addition, this brain damage can lead to behavioural problems. Harris L Coulter has published a very convincing argument to suggest that unprovoked aggression in humans has its base in encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) caused by vaccines.
Myth No. 6
Vaccine manufacturers have to undergo stringent procedures and tests to ensure safety.
Wrong!
OK, partly true . . . vaccine manufacturers have to go through safety procedures and tests, but to claim that these tests are stringent is highly subjective. How, then, did SV40 get through; how did the avian virus get into the MMR vaccine; how did parvovirus slip through the net; and how did AIDS suddenly arrive from nowhere? In actual fact, no-one is permitted (in the UK at least) to test the viral component of a veterinary vaccine except a vaccine manufacturer. They are the only ones with a license to do it. This means that if you suspect a vaccine killed your puppy, you have to take the vaccine company’s word for it if they say it didn’t.
There’s no-one to go to if you want an independent check.
Myth No. 7
It’s better to risk a vaccine reaction than subject my dog to these deadly killer diseases.
Wrong!
Firstly, very few of the classic canine diseases are deadly.
Parvovirus is only generally deadly to puppies and, as maternal antibody can be present for as many as 22 weeks, and as maternal antibody cancels out the vaccine, vaccinated puppies are unlikely to be protected from parvovirus. Adult dogs rarely die from parvovirus.
Distemper kills only half of affected dogs. Indeed, dogs most susceptible to disease are those who are fed poor quality processed foods (and don’t imagine that price equals quality). A dog fed a natural diet, containing ‘real’ food, is most able to combat any viral challenges. Also, please be aware that there is an alternative to a highly risky vaccine – this is discussed later. Clinical signs of hepatitis and parainfluenza range from mild and invisible to death (the flu rarely kills; hepatitis can be caused by a range of factors, including poor diet, and the vaccine doesn’t protect against all of the other dangers). Secondly, no-one knows how common these diseases are. No-one records their existence.
Leptospirosis, for example, is extremely rare (apart from which, leptospirosis is a range of over a hundred bacterins; the chances of the strain in the needle matching the strain in the field are remote; and the vaccine only confers protection for between three and six months, leaving vaccinated dogs ‘unprotected’ for up to nine months anyway). Vaccines have also been known to cause the diseases they were designed to prevent. This happens when a vaccine is injected into an animal with a suppressed immune system (caused by genetic factors, poor diet, stress, existing illness, etc.); or when the vaccine manufacturer fails to render the viral component of the vaccine harmless in the lab. In the latter instance, the vaccine is withdrawn after it has killed ‘more dogs than normally expected’ (in the words of one vaccine manufacturer as it withdrew its vaccine).
Canine Health Concern’s vaccine survey indicated that at least one in every hundred dogs is damaged by vaccines. As no-one has any statistics to suggest otherwise, it should be up to vets and vaccine manufacturers to prove vaccines are safe – and not the other way round. We whose dogs have died or suffered chronic debilitating diseases shouldn’t have to take their word for it when the vaccine manufacturers deny responsibility. Our concerns should be taken seriously, and not strenuously denied in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Myth No. 8
The homoeopathic vaccine alternative is unproven.
Wrong!
Existing research and experience shows that the homoeopathic nosode is as protective – but probably more protective – than vaccines. Whereas the medical and veterinary ‘professions’ receive huge sums of money from international multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical conglomerates, please note that homoeopaths do not. Rather, vets who trust the less expensive homoeopathic alternative suffer serious financial loss by refusing to sell highly lucrative annual boosters. A growing number of dog lovers are beginning to choose the homoeopathic alternative to vaccines. Some have been using the nosode for up to twenty years, and claim that they have never had a problem.
Myth No. 9
You should vaccinate your dog every year.
Wrong!
If you hear nothing else, if you can accept nothing else, please know that annual vaccination is not necessary. Please do not subject your dogs to the vaccine risk year after year until they drop.
Once immunity to a virus exists, it persists for the lifetime of the host. In the case of leptospirosis (a bacterial disease), I have already explained that the vaccine is virtually useless and therefore not worth the risk.
One American veterinary vaccine manufacturer has made a public announcement, saying that it no longer recommends annual vaccination. Several American veterinary colleges have announced the same, in reaction to consumer pressure and fears over adverse reactions.
One veterinary college said that annual vaccination has no scientific basis, and we might as well have chosen ‘every full moon’ to stick the needle in. And please be aware that a vaccine administered to a puppy, when his immune system is immature, is probably the most harmful jab of all, capable of wreaking havoc – havoc that you might not be able to detect immediately.
Myth No. 10
My doctor/vet knows best.
Wrong!
Doctors and vets are trained in a very specific healing discipline. They know a little about pharmaceuticals, and some of them know about surgery.
But they rely upon the pharmaceutical industry to tell them which drugs to use in which circumstances. When a conventionally trained scientist tells you that homeopathy doesn’t work, you may as well ask your butcher whether electricity works – the fact is, conventional vets rarely have any knowledge of homeopathy to base their opinions on. Homeopaths do not claim to be able to reverse all vaccine damage, and conventional vets – not even recognizing vaccine damage – have little success.
Once you’ve administered the needle, you can never change your mind. Please STUDY THE FACTS, don’t live to regret it.



__._,_.___

Get rid of acne by ridding your diet of high glycemic foods and dairy

Get rid of acne by ridding your diet of high glycemic foods and dairy

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 by: J. D. Heyes
125 43
(NaturalNews) If you're looking to clear up your problem complexion - specifically, your acne problem - new research suggests you may be able to do so simply by implementing some changes in your diet.

A study published recently in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, especially in the presence of high glycemic load diets and dairy products. Researchers said that medical nutrition therapy (MNT) could mitigate the problem and "play an important role in acne treatment," according to a press release.

Scientists note that more than 17 million Americans suffer from acne - some of it very severe - mostly during their adolescent and young adult years. They also note that acne tends to play an influential role in quality of life; the condition leads to social withdrawal, anxiety and often depression, making treatment very essential.

Revisiting the acne-diet link

For more than a hundred years, since the late 1800s, scientists note that research has linked diet to this common skin disorder. Chocolate, sugars, fat and other foods have been singled out as playing major roles in causing or worsening acne, though beginning in the 1960s, studies began to dissociate diet from acne.

"This change occurred largely because of the results of two important research studies that are repeatedly cited in the literature and popular culture as evidence to refute the association between diet and acne," Jennifer Burris, MS, RD, of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, said.

"More recently, dermatologists and registered dietitians have revisited the diet-acne relationship and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutritional therapy in acne treatment," she added.

Burris and colleagues, including William Rietkerk, Department of Dermatology, New York Medical College, and Kathleen Woolf, of New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, performed a literature review of existing research data to evaluate any evidence linking diet to acne during three noteworthy periods: early history, the rise of the diet-acne myth and recent research.

Diet may influence or aggravate acne formation

Combining data culled from studies between 1960 and 2012 that examined the diet-acne link, researchers compiled information from several study characteristics including reference, participants, study design, intervention method, primary outcome, results and conclusions, and other considerations.

The scientists concluded "that a high glycemic index/glycemic load diet and frequent dairy consumption are the leading factors in establishing the link between diet and acne," the press release said.

They also found that despite the fact research results from studies conducted over the past decade do not demonstrate that diet causes acne, they found evidence that diet may in fact influence acne formation or aggravate it.

The research team recommended that dermatologists and registered dieticians work together to design and conduct quality research, in an effort to reach a definitive conclusion on any diet-acne link.

"This research is necessary to fully elucidate preliminary results, determine the proposed underlying mechanisms linking diet and acne, and develop potential dietary interventions for acne treatment," Burris said. "The medical community should not dismiss the possibility of diet therapy as an adjunct treatment for acne. At this time, the beset approach is to address each acne patient individually, carefully considering the possibility of dietary counseling."

As always, there is a natural treatment

If you do find yourself battling acne, alternative medicine experts recommend several natural ways to combat it. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

For one, you could try applying a combination of lemon juice, tea-tree oil and aqueous cream after showering before bed. Apply the lemon juice to your face after toweling off (this may sting some), followed by the application of a small amount of tea-tree oil followed by a copious amount of aqueous cream. If you can't lie on your back all night, rub the cream into your face after about a half hour.

There are others, but follow up this and any other treatments by eating three kiwi fruits daily along with about three-fourths of a cup of raw carrots.

Sources:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/ehs-iel021513.php

http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S2212-2672(12)01923-5/abstract

http://www.naturalnews.com

Friday, March 1, 2013

Poor Sleep Increases Risk of Hard-to-Treat Hypertension


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Lack of Sleep

Story at-a-glance

  • Researchers found a strong link between sleep quality and a type of high blood pressure known as resistant hypertension, which does not respond to typical drug-based treatments.
  • Women who had resistant hypertension were five times as likely to also have poor sleep quality.
  • Partial sleep deprivation is also associated with obesity and alters your food intake by disrupting key hormones involved with regulating metabolism and appetite.
  • Reduced insulin sensitivity was also noted among sleep-deprived subjects, which not only increases your risk of diabetes but also high blood pressure

Poor Sleep Increases Risk of Hard-to-Treat Hypertension

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By Dr. Mercola
When you mess with your body’s intrinsic need for regular, high-quality sleep, it sets off a cascade of biological changes that can seriously impact your health.
The trouble is, of course, that many people don’t intentionally neglect proper sleep; instead, they simply can’t fall asleep or stay asleep once they do … and this, unfortunately, increases your risk of developing serious chronic diseases.

Hard-to-Treat Hypertension Linked to Poor Sleep Quality

In a study presented at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions, researchers found a strong link between sleep quality and a type of high blood pressure known as resistant hypertension, which does not respond to typical drug-based treatments.
In fact, women who had resistant hypertension were five times as likely to also have poor sleep quality. While the average length of sleep in this study was only 6.4 hours a night (and nearly half slept fewer than six hours each night), it was sleep quality, not quantity, that appeared to influence hypertension risk.
While this study only found an association with women, other studies have also linked hypertension in men to a lack of deep sleep,1 and sleeping fewer than seven hours a night has been linked to hypertension in both men and women.2

Even Partial Sleep Deprivation Impacts Your Health … And Your Weight

If you sleep less than six hours a night, defined as “partial sleep deprivation,” you may not only be increasing your risk of high blood pressure but also obesity (a known high blood pressure risk factor).
New research found that partial sleep deprivation is associated with obesity and alters your food intake by disrupting key hormones involved with regulating metabolism and appetite.3
“Reduced sleep may disrupt appetitive hormone regulation, specifically increasing ghrelin [a hormone that triggers hunger] and decreasing leptin [the hormone that tells your brain you’re full] and, thereby, influence energy intake. Increased wakefulness also may promote food intake episodes and energy imbalance,” the researchers said.
Reduced insulin sensitivity was also noted among the sleep-deprived subjects, and this not only increases your risk of diabetes but also high blood pressure!

The Same Factors That Cause Diabetes Also Cause High Blood Pressure

Lack of sleep interferes with metabolism and hormone production in a way that is similar to the effects of aging and the early stages of diabetes. It’s long been known, in fact, that sleep deprivation increases your diabetes risk … so it’s not at all surprising that it also increases your risk for high blood pressure, because the two are caused by essentially the same factors.
High blood pressure, like diabetes, is typically related to your body developing resistance to insulin. As your insulin level rises, your blood pressure rises. Most physicians – even cardiologists – do not understand the crucial connection between blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and insulin.
Dr. Richard Johnson, author of the book The Fat Switch, masterfully ties together the connection between hypertension, obesity and diabetes in his previous book, The Sugar Fix, which is one of the best books written on this issue. Dr. Johnson is the Chief of the Kidney Disease and Hypertension Division at the University of Colorado, and I would encourage you to listen to his interview below for more information.

Tips for Reducing Your High Blood Pressure (and Diabetes) Risks …

More than 85 percent of those who have hypertension can normalize their blood pressure with some basic lifestyle modifications – and these tips work for lowering your diabetes risk too:
  • Normalize your insulin levels by avoiding sugar, fructose and grains: If your blood pressure is elevated and you consume a lot of sugar – especially in the form of fructose (such as high fructose corn syrup) – lowering your blood pressure might be as simple as cutting all forms of sugar and grains out of your diet. Normalizing your blood glucose levels will normalize your insulin and bring blood pressure down into a healthy range. I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams if you have high blood pressure, are overweight, or diabetic.
  • Unlike glucose, which is burned by fuel in every cell in your body, fructose, if not immediately consumed as fuel, is metabolized into fat by your liver, which can set the ball rolling toward insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. I highly recommend getting a fasting insulin level test, which must be ordered by your doctor. The level you want to strive for is about 2 to 3. If it's above 5, then you have a problem and you definitely need to get your insulin level down as you are at risk for cardiovascular problems.
  • Use exercise as a drug. Physical activity is by far one of the most potent "drugs" there is, especially for increasing insulin sensitivity and normalizing blood glucose and blood pressure levels. We have developed a comprehensive fitness program that includes high-intensity interval burst-type activity called Peak Fitness, stretching, and resistance training, which are all important components of a complete fitness program.
  • Follow a good nutrition plan that's right for your body. It should be rich in fresh, organic vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, raw organic dairy, eggs from pastured hens, grass-fed meats, healthy fats such as coconut oil and animal-based omega-3, and plenty of fresh pure water.
  • Optimize your vitamin D levels. Sunlight, and the vitamin D it causes your body to produce, has a normalizing effect on your blood pressure. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
  • The best source for vitamin D is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn't practical during the winter and fall months. The next best option to sunlight is the use of a safe indoor tanning device. If neither natural nor artificial sunlight is an option, then using oral vitamin D3 supplements is your best bet. If you wish to take an oral vitamin D3 supplement, follow my dose recommendations, which are based on the latest scientific research. The only way to know your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you'll want to maintain a vitamin D level of 50-70 ng/ml year-round.
    For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know about vitamin D, please listen to my FREE one-hour vitamin D lecture.
  • Manage your stress. Stress puts the "tension" into hypertension! The long-term activation of your stress-response system can disrupt nearly all of your body's processes, and elevated blood pressure is one of many negative effects. Finding a way to deal with life's everyday stressors is a necessity for good health. My preferred tool is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
  • Get plenty of deep, restorative sleep each night.

Lack of Sleep Increases Teen Sports Injuries

If you’re a teenager who plays sports (or the parent of one), here’s one more reason to make sure you get a restful night’s sleep. Teen athletes who slept for eight or more hours each night were 68 percent less likely to get injured than those who slept less, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition.
Perhaps these teens are simply more alert on the field than their less rested teammates, or maybe there is another role sleep plays in helping protect your body from harm. Either way, teenagers are notorious for staying up too late or falling asleep while watching TV or using a computer, which may interfere with their sleep quality. Yet, on average, children and teens need more sleep than adults. Making sure your teen learns healthy sleep habits early on is important not only for injury prevention, but also for preventing chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes down the line.

Top Tips for Healthy Sleep

Making some adjustments to your sleeping area can also go a long way to ensure uninterrupted, restful sleep. I suggest you read through my full set of 33 healthy sleep guidelines for all of the details, but to start:
  1. Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes to ensure complete darkness. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your pineal gland's production of melatonin and the melatonin precursor serotonin, thereby disrupting your sleep cycle.
  2. So close your bedroom door, get rid of night-lights, and refrain from turning on any light during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. If you have to use a light, install so-called "low blue" light bulbs in your bedroom and bathroom. These emit an amber light that will not suppress melatonin production.
  3. Keep the temperature in your bedroom at or below 70 degrees F (21 degrees Celsius). Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees F (15.5 to 20 C). Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.
  4. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can also disrupt your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
  5. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your head. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least three feet.
  6. Reduce use of light-emitting technology, such as your TV, iPad, and computer, before going to bed. These emit the type of light that will suppress melatonin production, which in turn will hamper your ability to fall asleep, as well as impact your cancer risk (melatonin helps to suppress harmful free radicals in your body and slows the production of estrogen, which can activate cancer). Ideally, you'll want to turn all such light-emitting gadgets off at least one hour prior to bedtime.

Treatment Essentials Book Launch Mark Sircus OMD

Treatment Essentials Book Launch

Treatment Essentials
Natural Allopathic Medicine champions the concept of home hospital care and medical freedom. After a yearlong sprint across the medical universe I am happy to finally have available a practical medical guide/textbook with enough information to teach just about anyone how to practice safe and effective Natural Allopathic Medicine on themselves and their loved ones.
This is important because hospitals today are discharging people faster than ever before, giving patients and their families the responsibility to continue treatments on their own. This is partly due to the high risk of infections as well as cost and insurance issues. Many times the medical system just gives up on a patient and that is often a blessing, freeing that patient to choose safer and more effective natural treatments.
What I am offering hospitals, doctors and clinics as well as individual patients who prefer to treat themselves at home is an adaptable medical system that one can quickly learn in order to treat acute as well as chronic diseases, such as cancer. If one applies the entire 17 component level protocol then this would be my promise—I am delivering the best and most comprehensive, multidimensional treatment plan to achieve the highest rate of remission that so far has been introduced into the world.
This book can be viewed as a type of army field hospital manual for patients who want to treat themselves in the comfort of their own home. Basically I consult and have been teaching people to do this for years in desperate situations, with this book now being the textbook and reference guide for setting up intensive treatment plans. The protocol in Treatment Essentials was designed with cancer in mind, but it proves its value as a universal protocol for most chronic and acute diseases.

Treating At Home

Description: http://www.ccsmed.com/uploads/images/products.jpg
After only a few days of reading/studying Treatment Essentials, most people can acquire sufficient knowledge of what they need to do for serious conditions like cancer, heart disease and even diabetes with all its complications. The protocol does exceptionally well for neurological conditions and we have seen the benefits in Autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
There is the level of medicine practiced by mothers everywhere who are expected to be on the front lines of diagnosis and treatment. They are the ones who need to know if their loved ones need aspirin or whether they need to be brought to the emergency room. It’s legal to suggest an aspirin and it is legal to suggest everything in this protocol, as these are a selection of powerful medicinals that are widely available online or in health food stores and alternative compounding pharmacies.
Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet says, “There is a war on women and women’s health. Women make up half the population. They also make 90% of the decisions about medical care for their children, husbands, and aging parents. They understand the importance of having the freedom to choose their doctors and their treatment.” This protocol puts tremendous power in women’s hands and will give them much needed security that they are doing the right thing for their loved ones.
Women are obviously going to benefit enormously from reading Treatment Essentials, for it will teach them not only how to best make medical decisions but also how to put treatment plans into action. Everyone will find something of value in the Natural Allopathic Medicine protocol - even doctors and hospitals will find answers to perplexing needs.
The core of the protocol presented in Treatment Essentials redefines the way emergency room, intensive care and even hospice care should be practiced with a profile of highly proven, fast-acting, safe, concentrated nutritional medicines. At home these same medicinals taken orally or used transdermally (topically) will save the day when all else fails. But the protocol does not stop there. If you take a look you will see that even the tears of the melting heart are listed, meaning people’s emotions and feelings do matter and can be harnessed when looking for a cure from disease conditions. The same can be said about people’s sexual energies and that is why sexual healing is now part of the Natural Allopathic protocol.
Treatment Essentials teaches specific dosages, frequency, methods and medicinals you need to use to treat many different diseases. What I have done is put together enough information to enable patients to realistically think about beating down their own illnesses or cancer in their own homes without excessive medical intervention.
Natural Allopathic Medicine has stolen the high ground, medically speaking, redefining the very core of medicine. The Natural Allopathic Medicine protocol is not being offered as an alternative to regular medicine but as a replacement for part of it. Natural Allopathic Medicine is a new medical paradigm that will enable us to better take care of ourselves, our families and our patients.
Learning comes quickly in the first days and weeks of practicing the protocol. Once you embark upon the learning process and start gradually implementing the protocol, you will be amazed at how simple it is. The bottom line is that people do not get hurt and that is what the practice of medicine is supposed to be all about.
Dr. Mark Sircus Photo

Dr. Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD, DM (P)

Director International Medical Veritas Association
Doctor of Oriental and Pastoral Medicine
http://drsircus.com/

Whole-genome sequencing in autism identifies hot spots for de novo germline mutation.


2012 Dec 21;151(7):1431-42. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.11.019.

Whole-genome sequencing in autism identifies hot spots for de novo germline mutation.

Source

Beyster Center for Genomics of Psychiatric Diseases, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.

Abstract

De novo mutation plays an important role in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Notably, pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs) are characterized by high mutation rates. We hypothesize that hypermutability is a property of ASD genes and may also include nucleotide-substitution hot spots. We investigated global patterns of germline mutation by whole-genome sequencing of monozygotic twins concordant for ASD and their parents. Mutation rates varied widely throughout the genome (by 100-fold) and could be explained by intrinsic characteristics of DNA sequence and chromatin structure. Dense clusters of mutations within individual genomes were attributable to compound mutation or gene conversion. Hypermutability was a characteristic of genes involved in ASD and other diseases. In addition, genes impacted by mutations in this study were associated with ASD in independent exome-sequencing data sets. Our findings suggest that regional hypermutation is a significant factor shaping patterns of genetic variation and disease risk in humans.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Curcumin vs. cancer: The scientific evidence continues to flow in

curcumin

Curcumin vs. cancer: The scientific evidence continues to flow in

Friday, March 01, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
309 110
(NaturalNews) There is definitely no shortage of scientific evidence these days to show that curcumin, the believed-to-be primary active ingredient in the spice turmeric, holds incredible therapeutic value, and just might be the most advisable medicinal spice of our day. And a prominent medical oncologist from Johns Hopkins University seems to agree, having recently held a large seminar highlighting the incredible ability of curcumin to fight diabetes, inflammation, and even cancer without causing any harmful side effects.

Dr. Saraswati Sukumar's passion for turmeric is partially rooted in the fact that the spice has long been a staple in traditional Indian cuisine, which is a significant part of her own rich heritage. But Dr. Sukumar has also been studying the unique compositional profile of turmeric, and specifically curcumin, for many years now, which has led her to some fascinating discoveries about its vast potential for use in medicine. Besides quelling inflammatory pain and promoting wound healing, turmeric is a seemingly miraculous anti-cancer nutrient of the highest order.

"We have close to 300 publications (that cite turmeric) for its anti-cancer effects," Dr. Sukumar is quoted as saying to the Palm Beach Post recently. "Many diseases, such as colon cancer and other types of cancer, are being traced to inflammation."

Curcumin, arguably the most potent anti-cancer nutrient in existence

The inflammation link to cancer is backed by numerous scientific studies, including a 2011 review published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which found that up to 25 percent of all cancers are caused by chronic inflammation. According to scientists from Ohio State University's (OSU) Comprehensive Cancer Center, inflammation triggers an increase in a molecule known as microRNA-155 (miR-155) that causes a reduction in levels of the protein responsible for repairing damaged DNA.

And what about the other 75 percent of cancers? Curcumin appears to have those covered as well. Research released that same year by scientists from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed that curcumin actually seeks out malignant cancer cells and alters the regulation of DNA in order to kill them. And unlike synthetic anti-cancer drugs, curcumin leaves healthy cells and DNA alone so as not to cause harmful side effects.

"Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) ... is one of the most powerful and promising chemopreventive and anticancer agents, and epidemiological evidence demonstrates that people who incorporate high doses of this spice in their diets have a lower incidence of cancer," explains board-certified clinical nutritionist Byron J. Richards about the power of curcumin to fight cancer.

Curcumin is an all-around healing agent that promotes vibrant health

Curcumin's health benefits do not stop here, though. The same study that identified curcumin's gene-regulating abilities in fighting cancer also highlights the nutrient's ability to regulate a whole host of bodily systems. Based on the available evidence, in others words, there are few conditions that curcumin is unable to effectively mitigate when taken in therapeutic doses, which means adding it to your diet is one of the easiest and most effective ways to promote vibrant health.

"Extensive research over the past five decades has indicated that curcumin reduces blood cholesterol levels, prevents low-density lipoprotein oxidation, inhibits platelet aggregation, suppresses thrombosis and myocardial infarction, suppresses symptoms associated with Type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease; inhibits HIV replication, suppresses tumor formation, enhances wound healing, protects against liver injury, increases bile secretion, protects against cataract formation, and protects against pulmonary toxicity and fibrosis," explain the researchers about their incredible findings.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com

http://www.indiawest.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/037879_curcumin_cancer_cells_turmeric.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419091159.htm


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039304_curcumin_cancer_scientific_evidence.html#ixzz2MIgpi1ED

BPA is deadly to the developing brains of babies in utero, new study shows

BPA

BPA is deadly to the developing brains of babies in utero, new study shows http://www.naturalnews.com/039309_BPA_developing_babies_brains.html

Friday, March 01, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
118 4
(NaturalNews) Scientists from Duke University in North Carolina have identified yet another major threat to human health posed by the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). According to new research, babies exposed to BPA in utero, or during their developmental stages in the womb, could experience inhibited central nervous system development, which in turn could set them up for future stricken with neurodevelopmental problems.

Because it mimics the actions of estrogen, BPA is already known to interfere with the body's endocrine system, causing a host of potential problems ranging from behavioral and weight abnormalities to reproductive and immune disorders. And while awareness of BPA's dangers is on the rise all across the globe, there is still a minimal understanding as to how BPA exerts these negative effects, including how the chemical interferes with proper nervous system development.

So to gain a further understanding, researchers from Duke initiated a series of experiments designed to pinpoint the precise mechanisms by which BPA alters proper brain development. What they found is that BPA alters chloride levels inside cells by shutting down a gene known as KCC2 that is responsible for producing the KCC2 protein. Without this gene, cells are unable to properly transport chloride out of cells, which ends up damaging neural circuits and compromising normal brain development.

"It disrupts this process and it corrupts this process," explained Dr. Wolfgang Liedtke, lead author of the study, to WUNC about BPA's obstruction of the KCC2 gene. "And that, for example, would be a scenario that fits very nicely in the setting of neurodevelopmental diseases, where we see an exponential growth in the number of cases that are being diagnosed year by year."

Is BPA exposure a cause of autism spectrum disorder?

Dr. Liedtke's latter comment, of course, implies that widespread BPA exposure through food can linings, thermal paper receipts, plastic water bottles, and other sources may be a direct cause of the epidemic of neurodevelopmental diseases that are occurring all around the world. Such disorders include conditions such as Type I diabetes, Down Syndrome, and of course autism spectrum disorders, which have increased inexplicably by about 78 percent over the past decade.

"Our study found that BPA may impair the development of the central nervous system, and raises questions as to whether exposure could predispose animals and humans to neurodevelopmental disorders," added Dr. Liedtke. "Our findings improve our understanding of how environmental exposure to BPA can affect the regulation of the KCC2 gene. However, we expect future studies to focus on what targets aside from KCC2 are affected by BPA."

Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now admitting that predisposed genetic factors are more than likely a red herring when it comes to explaining away the continuing rise of neurodevelopmental disease. As quoted in a recent Huffington Post piece, Diana Schendel, a CDC scientist with the agency's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, admitted that the widespread assumption that autism is largely a genetic condition "was perhaps made in error."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.dukehealth.org

http://wunc.org

http://www.naturalnews.com/035452_autism_vaccinations_children.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039309_BPA_developing_babies_brains.html#ixzz2MIfwlWAK