Real Milk is Raw Milk

UPDATE: 21 July -  War Over Raw Milk
 
2 June - Remember that when milk began to be homogenized in the 1950s the rate of atherosclerosis started to skyrocket.  What we need is a return to real food, not corporate-dictated processed products.

" Milk from dairy cows that graze on pasture land rather than in feedlots might be healthier for your heart, according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dairy products are the main source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an unsaturated fat that some studies show could protect the heart. Pasture-grazing dairy cows have more CLA in their milk than grain-fed cows, according to the report.

In a study of 3,600 people, the researchers found that people with the highest concentration of CLAs had a 36 percent lower risk of heart attack than people with the lowest CLAs."Read more...

Real Milk Nutrition
 
UPDATE: 24 April, 2010 -  While I am pleased to see this judge ruled with common sense and in keeping with the law I am baffled that the "health blogger" sourced in these articles failed to refer to Dr. Frank McCoy in regard to natural healing with food, especially raw milk.  But them we are in the superficial zone these days as far as source material, too bad.

Judge sides with activist in raw milk dispute

Feds Serve Warrant on Dairy Farmer

UPDATE: 18 April, 2010 - The Raw Milk Debate: Don't Have a Cow, Man
UPDATE 29 March -  FOOD POLICE AT IT AGAIN

FDA Alerts Consumers of Raw Milk Danger, By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today, 23 March 09
WASHINGTON -- An outbreak of campylobacteriosis has prompted the FDA and several Midwestern state health agencies to warn consumers against drinking unpasteurized, raw milk.
The Michigan Department of Community Health had received at least 12 confirmed reports of raw milk-related illness as of March, 24, the FDA reported in its announcement of the alert.
Unpasteurized milk may contain a variety of infectious bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. Coli, which can cause illness or death, the agency noted.
Adverse events related to drinking the raw milk include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and body ache.
While most healthy patients recover quickly from milk-borne illnesses, the FDA cautioned that severe reactions may occur in some victims, particularly in pregnant women, older patients, infants, younger children, and patients with a weakened immune system.
Although the FDA has required pasteurization of almost all packaged milk products (excluding some aged cheeses) since 1987, dairy disease is still a threat, according to a Dec. 2008 report in Clinical Infectious Diseases that cited an annual average of 5.2 outbreaks per year between 1993 and 2006. (See Raw Milk Remains a Health Threat)
The FDA noted that from 1998 to 2008, 1,614 illnesses and two deaths related to raw milk were reported.
Proponents of unpasteurized milk claim it's more nutritious than treated milk and inherently antimicrobial.
Not so, the FDA asserted.
"There is no meaningful nutritional difference between pasteurized and raw milk, and raw milk does not contain compounds that will kill harmful bacteria," the agency said.
The FDA's investigation into the outbreak is aided by the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, and the Indiana State Health Department.© 2004-2010 MedPage Today, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

NB: High Doses of vitamin C have been shown effective in treating food borne illness.  
 

UPDATE: 28 March, 2010 

The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) that was first proposed in 1924 by the United States Public Health Service has been adopted, in its 2003 revision, by 46 out of 50 states. (The four non-adopting states have passed similar ordinances of their own.) The PMO calls for the pasteurization of milk as a way of killing any potentially disease-causing bacteria in the milk, including Campylobacter, Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. I would also like to note that in 32 states, it is legal to sell and distribute raw, non-pasteurized milk and that both forms of milk exist in the majority of states.
Today there are more pasteurization options in the marketplace than there were in 1924; these options include high-temperature, short-time methods as well as low-temperature, longer time methods. The goal of all methods is the same: to kill potentially pathogenic bacteria that may be present in the milk or milk product (like cheese or yogurt).

Temperature	Time	Pasteurization Type
63ºC (145ºF)*	30 minutes	Vat Pasteurization
72ºC (161ºF)*	15 seconds	High temperature short time Pasteurization (HTST)
89ºC (191ºF)	1.0 second	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
90ºC (194ºF)	0.5 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
94ºC (201ºF)	0.1 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
96ºC (204ºF)	0.05 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
100ºC (212ºF)	0.01 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
138ºC (280ºF)	2.0 seconds	Ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization

Note: * = These temperatures and times are appropriate if the milk does not contain added sweeteners, and if it has not been condensed. If either of those changes applies, then the temperature must be increased by 3ºC (5ºF). In addition, eggnog is an exception to these rules and must be pasteurized according to a different set of times and temperatures.
There's no debate about the effectiveness of pasteurization for killing unwanted bacteria. There's also no doubt that pasteurization gives dairy products a longer shelf life by lowering the presence of bacteria that cause spoilage. But pasteurization also kills desirable bacteria found in fresh milk, and it denatures milk enzymes that may be active in the human digestive tract when fresh milk is consumed.
There is little research, however, to determine what nutritional benefits are lost when milk is pasteurized. I've seen speculation about changes in protein structure, calcium, amino acid, and vitamin C bioavailability all being triggered by pasteurization, but I have not seen research that confirms or rejects these occurrences.
As I mentioned earlier, in the majority of states, dairy farms are free to produce raw (unpasteurized) milk as long as they adhere to the conditions and restrictions set out in state law. The safety of unpasteurized milk depends on the quality of the cow's life,
including the immediate environment and feeding. It also depends on the quality of handling facilities once the cow has been milked. For these reasons, I recommend a very careful look at any dairy farm's procedures, track record, and publicly available information before becoming a regular consumer of its unpasteurized milk. Producers of raw milk should be carefully monitoring the milk for the presence of microorganisms and will be able to certify that the milk meets all federal and state regulations in this regard.
Because freshness is at a premium, and the product shelf life is greatly shortened (which is not necessarily bad) the dairy should be within driving distance of your residence so you can visit it in person. In some states, like Indiana, where it is illegal for a local dairy to sell unpasteurized milk, cows from the dairy may be leased in order for consumers to obtain a regular supply of raw milk.
In the absence of a very high-quality dairy farm in driving distance from your residence, I recommend purchase of pasteurized milk. Even though it's one step further from natural milk (which I would prefer), the health risks-however small-don't seem like a worthwhile trade-off in exchange for the potential benefits. If a high quality dairy farm, producing certified organic milk in unpasteurized form is available in your area, I would recommend considering this option. Courtesy: WHFOODS.ORG

Original Post 23 March 2009 :
A few years ago I was able to get some delicious raw milk from a cow down the road. I loved it each time I received my big glass gallon jar of this liquid. It brought back memories when I saw the rich, uncooked, deep yellow cream floating on top.

Some years ago I drove down the big long hill from my home back then and stopped at the Wagon Wheel to buy raw milk.

Before that I drove out to Willapa Valley for fresh liquid delight from Verna Kuttle's cows.

Before Washington, when my children were quite young, I walked next door to the farm each afternoon at milking time and drew a gallon of freshly collected raw milk from the big stainless steel cooler.

And even before that, as a small child I recall in delight on a day out at the farm, getting fresh creamy milk, still warm from the cow.

I am happy to say that my children probably had more raw, uncooked and non-homogenized milk than I did. None of us are the worse for it.

Sadly over the years Washington has been under the Olympia gestapo for any effort to have access to raw milk.

For year's you had to find a farmer to sell it too you and even then it was only sold as "pet" milk. I'm glad I had pets.

It's just the insanity of lack of knowledge that government workers seem to fall into, lock step.

No one dare ask if it might be good for you.

Funny too because one of the very first books I had when I was studying naturopathy in the 1960s had pages of treatments based on consuming raw milk.

Maybe times are changing.

Got Raw Milk?By Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N.

Welcome to the largest underground food revolution—the raw milk movement. As a nutritionist I have been a part of this underground movement since 1999 and have been amazed at how this creamy-colored substance has brought together Republicans and Democrats, as well as liberals and fundamental Christians—all for a common cause. Who knew that milk, that stuff that you put on your cereal, could have such power?

Since ancient times, an exclusive raw-milk diet has been used to cure many diseases. In the early 1900s, the “Milk Cure” was used at the Mayo clinic to successfully treat cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems, chronic fatigue and many other chronic conditions. However, after 1947, raw milk became very difficult to obtain due to pasteurization laws.

Pasteurization, heating foods to a minimum of 161.5∝F and holding that temperature for at least fifteen seconds, is done to kill bacteria. Currently, many raw foods are viewed as dangerous and laws enacted in the name of public health and safety require more foods to be sterilized by pasteurization. Pasteurization was implemented in the 1920s to combat tuberculosis, infant diarrhea and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. However, refrigerated trucks, stainless steel tanks, milking machines and inspection methods make pasteurization unnecessary for today’s world. As Sally Fallon states in Nourishing Traditions, pasteurization destroys the enzymes needed to digest dairy and diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, and kills beneficial bacteria. Pasteurized milk can promote pathogens because the beneficial bacteria naturally found in milk provide protection against invading pathogens. When milk is pasteurized, the protective bacteria is destroyed.

What is happening locally?

In Washington, due in a large part to the efforts of local activist, Emmy McAllister, raw milk sales are legal on the farm, through home delivery and retail stores, if local health ordinances permit. So take advantage of being one of only eleven states that allow raw milk to be sold retail, taste the magic and feel the difference for yourself.

Mark McAfee, owner of Organic Pastures, the largest raw dairy in the United States, boasts about his company’s safety record. McAfee has inoculated pathogenic contaminants such as E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria and Salmonella into his raw milk and pasteurized milk. In the raw milk, none of the pathogens survive because the natural bacteria protect the milk. In the pasteurized milk, in which the bacteria and enzymes have been destroyed, the pathogens take over. Even Louis Pasteur, the man credited with inventing pasteurization, in his later years stated that pasteurization was not the panacea once touted. In addition, raw milk never goes rancid, it just changes from milk to curds and whey and so on. Pasteurized milk goes dangerously rancid without refrigeration.

Is raw milk dangerous? It can be. Food can be the perfect vehicle for pathogens and disease. However, the reason pathogens in food are so prevalent may have more to do with factory farming and industrial food. Raw milk is not inherently dangerous. As Sandor Ellix Katz puts it in his book The Revolution will not be Microwaved, food is most often contaminated in the course of its processing, handling and storage, or as a result of diseased animals. Healthy plants and animals produce safe, healthy food worthy of a revolution.

Why has raw milk become such a huge health movement? The reasons range from culinary to health to political. On the health side, I have seen numerous incidences of people with dairy sensitivities finding themselves able to consume raw dairy without problems. Raw dairy contains the enzymes necessary for digestion; amazing how brilliant nature is. On the culinary side, raw milk tastes like real milk: delicious, creamy and satisfying on a core level. I have gone to great lengths over the years to procure raw dairy because once exposed the real stuff, I can’t go back. Politically, I along with many other activists, use my dollar to vote for the world I want to see. My vision is a land that promotes sustainable, small-scale farms with healthy, happy animals grazing freely on the grass they were meant to eat. Where I can go to a farmer I know by name to pick up my milk, along with other culinary delights. Where I can compare the milk from Iris to the milk that Lupita provides to see which suits my palate. Pasteurization laws conveniently put milk in the hands of large, industrialized, faceless, dairy operations that provide less than excellent living accommodations for their four-legged inhabitants.

Olive Oil Builds Bones

UPDATE: 17 August - Oil Gets Low Grade

...many of the imported oils failed to meet international and U.S. standards for EVOO. Worse, sensory panelists found that some oils tasted rancid, fusty and musty. Apparently, they had oxydized–or deteriorated, like the above-mentioned 1989 Taurus–and were adulterated with cheaper oil and/or made from poor quality or overripe olives. California-produced oils did better; only 10 percent failed the tests. Some of the best-known brands didn’t qualify as EV: Bertolli, Pompeian, Colovita, Carapelli, Newman’s Own, Mezzetta and Mazola. Even Rachael Ray’s EVOO underperformed. McEvoy Ranch and Caliornia Olive Ranch were the top scorers, but turning in a not too shabby performance was Kirkland Organic, which comes to you courtesy of humble Costco. READ more

Is it true that the less expensive olive oils on the market are inferior to the expensive ones?

Unfortunately, the best quality olive oils are also usually the most expensive. The best quality oil is an extra virgin olive oil made from organically grown olives.
Extra virgin olive oil is made from the first pressing of the olives, contains the lowest level of acidity (the marketplace standard for labeling is less than 1%), the best taste, and the highest level of antioxidant phytonutrients. The next best after extra virgin would be virgin olive oil. While it is also made from the first pressing of the olives, it has less antioxidants, more acidity (up to 2% is allowed), and a taste that is not as rich as extra virgin olive oil.
You'll notice that "pure" olive oil and "light" olive oils are less expensive, but in this case you get what you pay for. These olives oils are by no means as beneficial (let alone flavorful) as extra virgin olive oil.
"Pure" olive oil is actually refined oil that is created through chemical processing. One method of refining olive oil involves the use of a strong sodium hydroxide solution to "wash" the oil; other methods involve steam distillation of the oil. All refinement methods expose the oil to heats of at least 140-160˚F (60-71˚C).
"Light" olive oils are only light in terms of their taste and color; they are not lower in calories or fat. To a certain extent, the richer and deeper shades of color in an olive oil correspond to the concentration of polyphenol phytonutrients in the oil. These polyphenols may be the most heart-supportive nutrients that olives have to offer. Once they are processed out, the oil may become classified as "light," but light and other refined olive oils are nutritionally inferior to extra virgin and virgin olive oils because of this more extensive processing.
The other consideration would be whether or not to buy organic olive oil. There's no question about organic olive oil being your best choice. Although the nutrient richness of the organic oil may not be vastly greater than the nutrient richness of non-organic oil, the presence of toxic residues is likely to be very different. You're very likely to get fewer toxins in the certified organic oil-especially pesticides and fungicides. from WHFOODS.

Olive Oil and Health

UPDATE: 10 May DHA “appears to be a vital constituent of marrow” and enhances bone mineral content

UPDATE:20 April, 2010 MORE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM OLIVE OIL
More on Fats

How olive oil helps 'switch off' genes which lead to conditions including heart disease and arthritis
By Jenny Hope, 20th April 2010

Olive oil's health-giving benefits stem from its ability to help 'switch off ' genes that inflame conditions ranging from heart disease to arthritis, claim researchers.

Their discovery shows how the much-praised Mediterranean diet can suppress chronic disorders.

Spanish researchers identified almost 100 genes whose inflammatory activity is dampened by consumption of olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil.
Spanish researchers have found a whole new use for olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil

Spanish researchers have found a whole new use for olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil

Greeks are the biggest consumers of olive oil in the world - eating 20 times more than Britons - while Italians eat ten times as much.

Eating healthy mono-unsaturated fats such as olive oil is known to lower the risk of heart disease.

In Britain, which has one of the highest heart attack rates in the world, much higher levels of animal or saturated fats are eaten.

In the study, 20 patients with metabolic syndrome, which puts them at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, were asked to eat breakfast foods covered in two types of olive oil.

One was extra virgin olive oil high in phenol compounds - natural antioxidants - while the other type of oil had low levels of phenols.

The volunteers had to avoid drugs, vitamins and other supplements for six weeks before the study started.

Dr Francisco Perez- Jimenez, from the University of Cordoba, said: 'We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil.

'Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells.'

Olive oil contains omega-6 fats, a form of 'healthy' polyunsaturates known to block the body's response to inflammation in chronic conditions such as heart disease and arthritis.

But the latest study, whose findings are published today in the science journal BMC Genomics, provides a gene-related explanation for some of the anti-inflammatory effect.

Dietitians say a Mediterranean diet also appears to improve vascular function - the flexibility of cells lining the walls of blood vessels, particularly in the heart and circulatory system.

Eating meat increases the risk of bladder cancer, according to research by scientists at the University of Texas.

Xifeng Wu, the 12-year study's lead author, said: 'People who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer.'

More than 10,000 Britons are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year.

OLIVE OIL BEAUTY BENEFITS - "Truly one of the world's best beauty secrets. It is a natural, hypoallergenic, inexpensive way to moisturize skin. It also provides valuable antioxidants, like Vitamins A and E that can help repair and renew skin that has been damaged from the sun, air pollution, and cigarette smoke. The antioxidants in olive oil help to stimulate health skin cell growth and return skin to a firmer, smoother, and healthier state. Olive oil can be applied to your face and body and helps to keep skin well-moisturized. You can use it as either a night cream or daily moisturizer. Just be sure to apply it to damp skin. Olive oil can also be used as an eye makeup remover, just add a drop or two to a cotton pad it gently removes eye makeup without irritating the delicate skin around the eye area. Over time, it can even help to smooth our under eye wrinkles."

ORIGINALLY POSTED 22 Feb, 09
Olive oil has women bone-preserving properties
by S. C.

A study from the Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) determines that adherence to a dietary pattern close to the Mediterranean diet, with high consumption of fish and olive oil and low red meat intake, has a significant impact in women skeletal health.

Results suggest that this eating pattern could have bone-preserving properties throughout adult life.

Diet is one of the modifiable factors for the development and maintenance of bone mass. The nutrients of most obvious relevance to bone health are calcium and phosphorus because they compose roughly 80% to 90% of the mineral content of bone; protein, other minerals and vitamins are also essential in bone preservation.

Traditional analysis has focused on the relation between a specific nutrient (e.g. calcium) and bone health. But, researchers of the Harokopio University of Athens, Greece, carried out a study in two hundred twenty adult Greek women, which is valuable for the understanding of the effect of meals, consisting of several food items, in skeletal mass.

Scientists examined whether adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, rich in plant foods and olive oil, low in meat and dairy products, and with moderate intake of alcohol, or other dietary patterns, have any significant impact on bone mass maintenance in adult Greek women. They determined that adherence to a dietary pattern with some of the features of the Mediterranean diet, i.e., rich in fish and olive oil and low in red meat and products, is positively associated with the indices of bone mass.

Teatro Naturalle, by S. C. 22 February 2009 TN 1 Year 1

Vitamin A and Arsenic Effectively Treat Leukemia, Also Vitamin C

UPDATE: 27 March 2010 - In 1974 the US Cancer Institute presented scientific papers on the findings that Vitamin A was effective  in preventing cancer as well as preventing cellular proliferation.  Additionally, later in 1974 other scientific papers reported that vitamin A is definitively an anti-cancer supplement offering cellular protection and offers protection from malignant growth.  The scientist found that vitamin A reversed the cellular damage caused by the carcinogen and it helps your body's defense mechanism to destroy cancer cells.  This is definitely a substance that offers protection against and reversal of cancers according to the findings.

One must ask exactly what is behind the major effort against using nutritional supplements in the prevention and treatment of cancer today.

UPDATE: 31 March: Vitamin C for Leukemia

Get your copy of CHI's Vitamin C Healthy Handout with your tax deductible donation to learn how to do high dose vitamin C therapy at home.
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ORIGINALLY POSTED 17 FEB 09
This is a very interesting report because it offers an option that is less toxic than standard chemotherapy. It also shows that vitamins are effective and helpful in cancer care.

Leukemia patients treated with arsenic, vitamin A
"The treatment was effective ... and worked better than either drug given alone."
Mon Feb 16, 2009
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Doctors appear to have safely and successfully treated patients with cancer of the blood and bone marrow with a combination of arsenic and vitamin A, according to long-term study in China.

In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the doctors said they prescribed the regimen to 85 patients and monitored them for an average of 70 months.

Of these, 80 patients went into complete remission and the researchers did not find any associated long-term problems in their heart or lungs and there was no development of secondary cancers.

"Two years after their treatment, the patients had arsenic blood and urine levels well below safety limits, and only slightly higher than controls," they wrote.

"The treatment was effective ... and worked better than either drug given alone."

The authors recommended that the treatment be given to patients with blood and bone marrow cancer, or acute promyelocytic Leukemia.

While vitamin A is regarded by some experts as a viable treatment, this is the first time that its use has been monitored for such an extended period of time.

Since the 18th century, arsenic compounds have been used as medicines to treat certain ailments. The US Food and Drug Administration approved it for the treatment of people with blood and bone marrow cancer in 2000.

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Cancer Responds to Love and Natural Medicine

UPDATE: 14 July 2010 - The secrets of laughter
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UPDATE: 17 April: Laughter is the best medicine
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UPDATE: Easter Sunday
Recovery with nutrition and supplements -
D. Mail 11.4.09 "PARENTS FIND A CURE FOR THE BOY DOCTORS HAD GIVEN UP ON"
Reuben Grainger-Mead was born with a blood disorder that attacked his immune system, leaving him weak & barely able to talk. His growth was stunted & his heart was beating 3 x faster than normal. Now thanks to a nutritional consultant the 8-year-old is at last leading a normal childhood. He no longer needs a monthly blood transfusion to raise his red blood cells count & is able to play out with friends.

His father Peter Mead said he would have needed "constant care throughout his whole life & much time in hospital. The last resort would have been a bone marrow transplant."

His parents found nutritional consultant Diana Wright who said Reuben lacked vital amino acids & proteins in his body. She put him on a course of dietary supplements mixed with his food & drink. The astonishing success has prompted doctors to plan a study to see if similar therapy will work on others.

The research, which hinges on learning how to make blood cells grow normally, could yield fresh insights into cancer, in which cells grow uncontrollably. Researcher Dr. Josu de la Fuente, a haematologist at Imperial College London, said "We may learn lessons from this which help in the fight against cancer." The family from Gomersal, West Yorkshire, have raised £70,000 to help fund a research programme at Imperial College London.
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Originally posted FEB 09

"THIS BOY HAD 11 TUMOURS & WAS SENT HOME TO DIE.
NOW HIS GRANDPARENTS BELIEVE THEY'VE SAVED HIM WITH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE."
by Daniel Martin.

In 2006 Connah Broom developed neuroblastoma with 11 very aggressive advanced cancer tumours over his body & it appeared hopeless. In 2007 doctors told his family there was nothing more they could do & sent him home to die.

His grandparents began treating him with alternative therapies & remarkably he survived. Latest scans on Connah, now aged 7, show that 10 of his 11 tumours are shrinking, have no blood flow & may be dead. His grandparents are convinced their treatments, including a strict organic diet, filtering his drinking water to remove toxins & a daily sauna are helping him beat his disease.

They took him to visit a Mexican alternative cancer clinic. Connah has sound & light therapy called Sono Photo-Dynamic Therapy. It involves him swallowing a capsule of algae. He is then placed under light of a certain wavelength which 'activates' the oxidant in the algae which can kill the cancer.

Mrs. Broom said "We're not under any illusions & we know that all this could change at any time."

Connah's GP Dr. Eamon Jessop said that Connah's cancer could suddenly flare up but that "the excellent care given to Connah by his grandparents can only have helped him."
D. Mail 6.2.09

and a reader's comment -
Cancer - Turn It On or Turn It Off

by Raymond Francis

America has one of the highest cancer rates in the world, and cancer is the most dreaded disease in our society. Once rare, affecting less than one in a thousand, by 1900 cancer affected 30 in a thousand. Today almost 500 in a thousand will develop cancer in their lifetimes. The situation has become so bad that almost all Americans over the age of 50 have cancer! For example, it is known that after age 50, 40 percent of men have prostate cancer and 40 percent of women have breast cancer, and these are just two cancers. Cancer is also increasing among children and, after accidents, it is their biggest killer. We need to teach people how to prevent and reverse this tragic disease

Unfortunately, modern medicine is of no help. Since 1971, when President Nixon declared “war” on cancer, we have thrown 200 billion dollars at cancer research. What has this money bought us? More cancer! The public has yet to grasp the colossal gap between how much money the cancer industry is spending, and the paltry results it is achieving. Research is only part of the billion dollar-a-day cancer industry whose treatments with drugs, surgery and radiation are not only ineffective but dangerous. These conventional treatments do nothing to address what caused the cancer, and they suppress the immune system. Suppressed immunity allows cancer to grow and metastasize—modern medicine’s treatment of cancer promotes cancer!

Fortunately, we can protect ourselves. If you are over age 50, you are probably past preventing cancer, you already have it! Now you need to keep it under control. Don’t turn the cancer on, and if you already have active cancer, turn it off. Can this be done? Sure it can, and it is done every day by people who take charge of their health.

Last September, businessman Paul Orberson told his story on the Beyond Health radio show. Mr. Orberson had been diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer. Given only months to live, he read my book Never Be Sick Again—and put his cancer into remission. Fifteen years ago, my brother was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and given months to live. He, too, put his cancer into remission and is living a high-quality life. Medical school professor and author Dr. Lorraine Day reversed her highly-advanced breast cancer. There are countless such stories.

To prevent and reverse cancer, it helps to understand something about what causes and promotes cancer. The cancer process occurs in three stages: initiation, promotion and metastasis.

Initiation
Cancer begins with damaged genes. Initiation occurs when the DNA in a normal cell is damaged. If the DNA is not repaired before the cell divides to form a new cell, it results in a permanent genetic alteration in those new cells. DNA can be damaged by a variety of means, including viruses, chronic infections, foreign bodies, nutrient deficiency, radiation and toxic chemicals. Numerous natural and manmade chemicals have been identified as carcinogenic. Upon exposure, these chemicals can, in a matter of minutes, cause potentially permanent damage to DNA. Such chemicals include many common household chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, food additives, fluoride and metals such as mercury and lead. We live in a sea of carcinogens and must learn how to avoid them. Radiation is carcinogenic; it damages DNA. This is why mammograms cause breast cancer, and why medical X-rays play a major role in our cancer epidemic.

Due to our exposure to carcinogenic chemicals and X-rays, most of our older population and many of our younger people have completed this initiation, and they have clusters of cancer cells throughout their bodies. This stage of cancer is not believed to be reversible. Given the right conditions, these cells will grow and then metastasize.

Preventing Initiation
DNA is being damaged and cancer is being initiated on a grand scale. Our best defense is to support DNA repair with good nutrition while avoiding carcinogenic chemicals and radiation. We have been irresponsibly exposed to radiation by our doctors and dentists. Decline routine X-rays. Allow only those that are absolutely necessary, and there are very few of those. We have been exposed to DNA-damaging viruses through vaccinations. Avoid vaccinations. Vaccine-induced, DNA-damaging viruses are showing up in a variety of cancers including lymph, lung, brain and bone. Avoid foods that have been heated to high temperatures, such as barbecued meat, as this causes formation of powerful carcinogens. Any food that has been blackened is dangerous, including toast. Avoid peanuts and corn products as these are often high in aflatoxins, which are potent carcinogens. Fluoride can inhibit DNA-repair enzymes. Avoid fluoridated water, toothpaste and processed foods.

Defects in DNA repair will increase the risk of developing cancer after being exposed to X-rays and chemicals. Certain nutrients are known to support the DNA repair process. These include vitamins B3, B6, B12, and folate, zinc and L-carnitine. Most Americans are deficient in one or more of these nutrients. According to the USDA, 73 percent of Americans are deficient in zinc, and 40 percent are deficient in B12. To optimize DNA repair, eat a diet rich in fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, and take high-quality nutritional supplements. Everyone should, at the very least, be on a superior vitamin/mineral formula.

Promotion
The next step in the cancer process is promotion. This is when a small cluster of initiated cancer cells grows larger. These cells will not grow unless a precise group of conditions are met, allowing their growth-control mechanisms to be overridden.

Certain foods are known to promote tumor growth and spread. Sugar, excess omega-6 oils and excess animal protein all promote cancer. Cancer cells differ from normal cells in that they are totally dependent on sugar to produce energy. So raising the sugar content of the blood feeds cancer cells and helps them grow. In addition, increased blood insulin is a powerful promoter of tumor growth and spread.

Oils high in omega-6s such as corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soybean and canola oils are known to support cancer progression. Never eat these oils, or any of the thousands of products made with them, including baked goods and salad dressings.

Perhaps the most significant factor of all is animal protein and most especially dairy protein. Animal protein, beyond what can be used for growth and daily repairs, promotes cancer, and the average American eats ten times too much. Excess animal protein is able to turn cancer on in experimental animals 100 percent of the time! A high-protein diet increases estrogen, and excess estrogen is known to promote a number of cancers. Protein also acidifies the body and cancer thrives in an acid environment. Animal protein also contains large amounts of the amino acid methionine. Excess methionine is known to be a cancer promoter.

Preventing and Reversing Promotion
Cancer promotion can be reversed. By eliminating cancer promoters and maximizing cancer inhibitors, it is possible to turn cancer off! We know fresh fruits and vegetables are cancer inhibitors—eat lots of them. We know that sugar, omega-6 oils and animal protein promote cancer—avoid them. Omega-6 oils not only promote cancer, they also suppress the immune system. Eat plenty of omega-3 oils to offset this effect; supplement with flax and fish oils. Turn cancer off by avoiding animal protein; this means avoiding meat, eggs, dairy and fish except in very small quantities. Avoid fruit juices; they contain too much easily-absorbable sugar. Cancer is highly iron dependent. Avoid iron-rich foods such as red meat. Avoiding fluoride is also important as fluoride can increase tumor growth by 25 percent.

Fat soluble toxins bioaccumulate in the body. Their synergistic effect can be a powerful cancer promoter. The average person is accumulating hundreds of such chemicals, including pesticides, styrene, PCBs, dioxins, phthalates and fire retardants. The only reliable way to get rid of them is with regular saunas, which have become as necessary as regular exercise.

Chronic stress substantially increases free radical formation and also severely depresses the immune system. Both promote cancer. Using stress-reducing techniques such as meditation are important.

Metastasis
The final stage of cancer is when it invades neighboring or distant tissues. Once again, a precise set of conditions must be met to allow this to happen. This stage of cancer causes death, but it too is reversible.

Preventing Metastasis
When cancer cells enter the blood stream and get transported to other locations, they become very vulnerable to attack by the immune system. Strong immunity is critical to prevention. Cancer cells require special enzymes to invade other tissues. Studies have found that inhibiting these enzymes stops the spread of the cancer. Plant flavonols found in fruits and vegetables, such as quercitin and luteolin, are known to interfere with these enzymes.

Nutrition
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is probably the single most important thing you can do to prevent or reverse cancer. Evidence is overwhelming that common vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals interfere with the cancer process at every level. Many chemicals found in plant foods are capable of turning cancer cells back into normal cells. Certain flavonoids found in vegetables have been found to suppress and even to kill cancer cells. In fact, food and nutritional supplements have a far more powerful effect on cancer than chemotherapy.

Since almost all Americans are deficient in vitamins and minerals, supplements are necessary. Here is a list of the nutrients known to inhibit cancer: vitamins A, all the Bs, C, D, E, beta carotene, choline, selenium, acetyl L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, zinc, magnesium, flavonoids and omega-3 oils.

Nutrition improves immunity. Immune cells have a higher metabolic rate, and therefore, need more nutrients. Water soluble nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin C are not stored well in the body and need constant replacement. When this does not happen, immunity is quickly affected. Whenever the immune system responds to a threat, billions of immune cells are needed quickly. These cells will be limited by the amount of nutrients available for their construction. Any vitamin or mineral deficiency will quickly be felt, impairing immunity.

The bad news is that cancer is an out-of-control epidemic. The good news is that cancer is a complex disease requiring the successful completion of many steps to make it happen—this provides us with multiple opportunities for its prevention and reversal. The most powerful preventive and healing tools are fresh fruits and vegetables plus high quality supplements.

Raymond Francis is an M.I.T.-trained scientist, a registered nutrition consultant, author of Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again, host of the Beyond Health Show, President of the Northern California Chapter of Cancer Victors, Chairman of the The Project to End Disease and an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal health maintenance.

Reprinted with permission from:Beyond Health News
800.250.3063
www.beyondhealth.com - mail@beyondhealth.com Copyright 2006, Beyond Health

Yummy Pie oh my, its perfectly pi

I am one of those probably odd people who likes math. I really loved geometry, so I'm willing to celebrate!

and see this too



Pie and pi: Happy 3/14, also known as pi day
By John Matson in 60-Second Science Blog

Hot on the heels of square root day, a loosely conceived mathematical celebration that fell on March 3 (3/3/09), comes today's pi day. The present "holiday" celebrates the yearly agreement between the calendar (3/14) and the first three digits of pi (3.14...), the ratio of circumference to diameter for a circle. (Europeans, we're terribly sorry: your preference for day/month notation precludes the celebration of pi day, as there is no 31/4—April has just 30 days.)

A follower of SciAm on Twitter, firesignth, clued us in to pi day and its culmination, pi second, which arrives at 1:59:26 today. At that moment, one numerical representation of the date and time, 3.1415926, aligns with pi out to seven decimal places.

Whereas square root day enthusiasts were encouraged to eat radishes and other roots cut into squares (or, three-dimensionally speaking, cubes, as one astute commenter pointed out), pi day enthusiasts should indulge in pie, of course, which brings the double benefit of being both a homophone of the word pi and a circle. (Just how closely your pie's circumference/diameter ratio comes to pi depends on the precision of your baking.)

While celebrations such as square root day and pi day may seem contrived, one could argue that any way to generate excitement around math is a good thing. In a survey of 11- to 13-year-olds spearheaded by the Raytheon Company, 84 percent of children reported a preference for cleaning their rooms, eating their vegetables or going to the dentist when the alternative was doing math homework. And just this week, in a lecture at Columbia University, 1979 physics Nobelist Sheldon Glashow lamented the mathematical illiteracy of American youth. "If you have not taught a course in physics for poets"—as Glashow has—"you cannot believe the level of mathematical incompetence of the average college graduate," he said.

But if general mathematical cheerleading or feting the famous ratio isn't enough to get you in a celebratory mood, feel free to observe Talk Like a Physicist day instead, an amalgamation of pi day and Albert Einstein's birthday—the great physicist was born 130 years ago today.

http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=happy-314-also-known-as-pi-day-2009-03-14

TVA Coal Sludge and Health Risks

June 11, 2010: US drywall now contains toxic coal ash 

From 2007 Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste: Burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation

See also: Mold problems and flooding: Lessons to be learned from Katrina

UPDATE: 9 April, 2010 - Judge Awards Families $2.6M Over Chinese Drywall

UPDATE: 3 April, 2010 - Feds: Homes with Chinese drywall must be gutted

UPDATE: 24 June, 2009 -

Public Not Allowed to Know Location of Hazardous Coal Ash Sites
by Environmental News Service (ENS)
EPA Withholds Locations of 'High Hazard' Coal Ash Sites

WASHINGTON, DC - There are 44 coal combustion waste sites nationwide that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as "high hazard," but the agency cannot make the locations of these hazardous sites public, Senator Barbara Boxer told reporters today. The California senator chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees the federal environmental agency.
Complete Article...

This item was originally posted in December, 2008. It is re-posted now because of the dry wall issue.
UPDATE: 8 May

'Stinky' Drywall Imported From China Raises Health And Safety Concerns

ScienceDaily (2009-05-07) -- Homeowners throughout the United States are complaining of stinky odors, copper pipe and wire corrosion, and respiratory problems in an ongoing crisis that officials say is linked to drywall imported from China. ... > read full article

UPDATE: 18 April -
Fla. to test air in homes with Chinese drywall
UPDATE: 14 April -
Coal sludge and health risks apply to dry wall from China.
Thank you to Scott Patterson for letting me post his comments. He is in the business of home inspection.

Toxic Chinese Drywall might be in your home!

Over the past few months, owners of newer homes nationwide have been complaining of drywall that smells like rotten eggs. In several cases, they have had to leave their home because the smell was so bad. In addition to the putrid smell, many homeowners have reported problems with air conditioning and other systems that are likely related to the defective Chinese drywall. This is being called the next EIFS like disaster in the real estate market!

Many have spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars - to have air conditioning, pipes and wiring repaired. Usually, drywall is manufactured in the United States, but a shortage between 2004 and 2006 prompted many builders to buy drywall from China.

Most of the reported problems stem from drywall imported from China during the construction boom years of 2004-2005. Florida and the Gulf Coast states have been the first to report and have issue with this drywall showing up but it also showing up in non-coastal areas.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. of China, a subsidiary of German-based manufacturer Knauf, is the company at the focus of these drywall problems. If your newer home smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, you may have defective Chinese drywall. The problem is coming from coal ash that was mixed into the gypsum drywall compound. It appears that China was attempting to get rid of their coal ash problems by mixing it with the drywall compound. When the drywall is exposed to moisture, such as high humidity a chemical reaction starts. The result of this reaction is the production of Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfuric acid gas. This is the rotten egg smell that is present with the drywall.

This drywall is responsible for the destruction of the copper coils in HVAC units in the homes that it has been installed in. The corrosive off gassing is also responsible for damaging many other components in the homes from the copper electrical to the nails and screws that are holding everything together in the home.

If you think that you might have Chinese Drywall, you should contact a reputable home inspector who is familiar with this problem. If you need help locating an inspector just give me a call and I might know of a person in your area. As this new discovery is just starting to rear its ugly head, many are not aware of this problem. Call Scott Patterson at 615-302-113 if you have a problem or question.

The author of this informative notice is Scott Patterson. Scott is a nationally recognized home inspector who works out of the Nashville TN area and holds multiple state home inspector licenses. This may not be reproduced with out written permission from the author. Copyright 2009

See also -
Dusts From Drywall
Tainted Chinese Drywall
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UPDATE: 2 January, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor has a very good article on this situation that points out the lax requirements dating back the the corporate influence in the Clinton Administration. Lax EPA regulations continued during the outgoing Bush regime. One issue similar to the Cataldo Mission toxic site is a waste repository being built with no liner. Obviously this is a major issue needing to be addressed by the newly elected administration.
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The coal sludge ponds that failed, as reported in media reports recently, raise health issues. It is good to see that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is planning to test the water in the area hit by this flood of waste. And certainly it seems as if the damage done to peoples homes and lives is being addressed.

I work with a group that is in community that has been the victim of mine waste for over 100 years. The information I develop for them on health is shared with other groups who are dealing with the impact of mining waste.

In the news stories there has been mention that the coal waste is radioactive. Coal waste also leaves arsenic in the water as well as the possibility for other heavy metal leaching.

TVA would be well advised to supply all those harmed in this tragedy with high quality vitamin C and iodine products. Additionally, a very specific product containing both vitamin C and specialized essences of garlic (equal to 35 cloves of the full spectrum of garlic's benefits) is appropriate.

Vitamin C is an excellent chelator and will help remove heavy metal waste from the body. Garlic is a heavy metal chelator as well and it offers other protective support for health. Iodine, such as Iosol or professional products like Prolamine Iodine, even adding the sea vegetables to one's diet, works to reduce the impact of radioactivity.

For more information on clean-up concerns please see Silver Valley Action.

Spill may have permanently altered Tenn. communityBy KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press Writer Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Writer Tue Dec 30, 3:17 am ET

KINGSTON, Tenn. – A week after more than a billion gallons of coal ash broke through a retention pond dike and roared into a small river cove, the landscape has turned into a muddy pit that's little like the scenic spot that attracted people to live here.

The Emory River is clogged with giant chunks of gray ash sticking out of the water and trees ripped out by their roots and washed downstream during the Dec. 22 disaster. Ducks float in a film of sand-like residue on the surface. Dozens of pieces of heavy equipment are digging along the river to try to clean it of coal ash.

The Kingston Steam Plant, a coal-fired power plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, sits on the confluence of two rivers, about 35 miles west of Knoxville.

The deluge destroyed three houses, displaced a dozen families and damaged 42 parcels of land, but there were no serious injuries.

There are 62 pieces of heavy machinery slowly gathering up the spilled ash from residential roads, railroad tracks and the river, plant manager Ron Hall said Monday.

But no one at TVA can say how long the cleanup will take and how thorough the restoration can be.

"It's almost like someone dying, because it's so permanent," said Crystell Flinn, whose home was swept away.

Hall said workers will pull the sludge out of the river using barges and skimmers, and dump trucks will carry it to a different site at the plant. But the material won't return to the large riverside retention ponds still there.

"We will not likely put in wet ash ponds again, even though they have shown to be structurally integral," TVA environmental executive Anda Ray said Monday. "We are looking at options for what to do long term for that ash disposal, but there are dry ash pond technologies."

In the days after the spill, officials are finding more reasons to be concerned about the possible harmful long-term effects. Federal officials on Monday cautioned residents who use private wells or springs to stop drinking the water.

But the area isn't densely populated, and TVA said that no more than four wells are in the spill area.

Samples taken near the spill slightly exceed drinking water standards for toxic substances, and arsenic in one sample was higher than the maximum level allowed for drinking water, according to a press release from TVA, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies.

Federal officials should have tests on the affected wells sometime this week.

"I think they (the wells) were beyond the actual slide point of the material," EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles said. "There shouldn't be direct impact, but that's why they are sampling."

Authorities have said the municipal water supply is safe to drink.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment, but elevated levels can cause ailments ranging from nausea to partial paralysis, and long-term exposure has been linked to several types of cancer, according to the EPA.

Ray said arsenic levels were high because of the type of measurement that the EPA used, which included soil mixed in with water.

"Those samples were not dissolved arsenic," Ray said. "The dissolved arsenic, which is what you look at for drinking water samples, are undetectable in all the cases. The elevated arsenic that the EPA is referring to is the data that we collected when it was stirred up. It is routinely filtered out through all water treatment plants."

Environmental concerns could shift when the sludge containing the fly ash, a fine powdery material, dries out. The EPA and TVA have begun air monitoring and on Monday advised people to avoid activities that could stir up dust, such as children or pets playing outside.

The dust can contain metals, including arsenic, that irritate the skin and can aggravate pre-existing conditions like asthma, Niles said.

The EPA recommends that anyone exposed to the dust should wash thoroughly with soap and water and wash the affected clothes separately from other garments.

Ray said TVA will start installing sprinkler systems in areas where the ash has dried out to keep it moist.

Knoxville-based TVA supplies electricity to Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press

Vitamins for Alzheimer's

Updated from May 09
2004 Article,  Related NHN article
This post ranks 1 of 1.23 Million about vitamins for Alzheimer's

for information on how to use B3 therapeutically, contact us for our fact sheet

UPDATE: 4 May, 2009

No wonder vitamin E works, it is antioxidant and carries O2 across the cell wall membrane as well as offering a myriad of other remarkable healing attributes.

Another FAT soluble vitamin to the rescue!

Use the search window to learn more about vitamin E on Natural Health News

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's disease By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An analysis of "real-world" clinical data indicates that vitamin E, and drugs that reduce generalized inflammation, may slow the decline of mental and physical abilities in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) over the long term.

"Our results are consistent for a potential benefit of vitamin E on slowing functional decline and a smaller possible benefit of anti-inflammatory medications on slowing cognitive decline in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Alireza Atri told Reuters Health.

Atri, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the VA Bedford Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, led the National Institutes of Health-sponsored research. The findings, reported at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Chicago, stem from data on 540 patients treated at the MGH Memory Disorders Unit.

All of the patients were receiving standard-of-care treatment with a drug intended to help patients with Alzheimer's. As part of their clinical care, 208 patients also took vitamin E but no anti-inflammatory, 49 took an anti-inflammatory but no vitamin E, 177 took both vitamin E and an anti-inflammatory, and 106 took neither.

While the daily dose of vitamin E ranged from 200 to 2000 units, the majority of patients were given high doses that ranged from 800 units daily to 1000 units twice daily.

Each patient's performance on cognitive tests and their ability to carry out daily functions such as dressing and personal care were assessed every 6 months. After an average of 3 years, "there was a modest slowing of decline in function in those patients taking vitamin E," study investigator Michael R. Flaherty noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.

Flaherty, a second-year student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, presented the findings at the meeting. He added that the treatment benefit from vitamin E was "small to medium" but increased with time.

Taking an anti-inflammatory medication was associated with "very consistent but generally only small effects on slowing long-term decline in cognitive functioning," Atri told Reuters Health.

However, in patients who took both vitamin E and anti-inflammatory medications, there appeared to be an additive effect in terms of slowing overall decline.

Given that past studies have produced equivocal results, the investigators conclude that further studies are needed to assess the long-term balance of risks versus benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease from taking vitamin E and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited.

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UPDATE: 23 MARCH, 2009

Niacin Protects against Alzheimer's Disease and Age-related Cognitive Decline

Niacin (vitamin B3) is already known to lower cholesterol. Now, research published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates regular consumption of niacin-rich foods also provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Researchers from the Chicago Health and Aging Project interviewed 3,718 Chicago residents aged 65 or older about their diet, then tested their cognitive abilities over the following six years.

Those getting the most niacin from foods (22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease than those consuming the least (about 13 mg daily), and their rate of age-related cognitive decline was significantly less. In addition to eating the niacin-rich foods, another way to boost your body's niacin levels is to eat more foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan. Your body can convert tryptophan to niacin, with a little help from other B vitamins, iron and vitamin C. Foods high in tryptophan include shrimp, crimini mushrooms, yellowfin tuna, halibut, chicken breast, scallops, salmon, turkey and tofu. As you can see, several foods rich in tryptophan provide two ways to increase niacin levels as they are also rich in the B vitamin.(August 23, 2004)

______________________

UPDATE: 12 March, 2009

Another supplement to help Alzheimer's: "One of the newer drugs developed in Europe apparently 'works' by protecting brain cells from damage by over-production of glutamate, one of the well known actions of lithium.

Other research findings strongly suggest that lithium may protect against Alzheimer's disease and slow the progression of the disease. Lithium inhibits beta-amaloid secretion and protects against damage caused by beta-amyloid protein after it has formed.

Over-activation of tau protein in the brain also contributes to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, as does the formation of neurofibrilary tangles. Lithium inhibits both of these.

People with Alzheimer's have excess aluminum accumulation in brain cells. Lithium can help protect against aluminum accumulation through chelation and easier removal from the body."

See also a related B3 article I posted in November - xref: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

-----------------------------

While we are on this thread of natural help for dis-ease isn't it timely that I just received this article about how "High Doses of Vitamins Fight Alzheimer's Disease".

And now I am sharing it with you, for your education, and then you can ask your doctor why they aren't recommending them.

Vitamin B3 is also used successfully for schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis, reducing plaque of arteriosclerosis and cholesterol reduction. It has an excellent anti-inflammatory action.

(OMNS, December 9, 2008) The news media recently reported that "huge doses of an ordinary vitamin appeared to eliminate memory problems in mice with the rodent equivalent of Alzheimer's disease." They then quickly added that "scientists aren't ready to recommend that people try the vitamin on their own outside of normal doses." (1)

In other words, extra-large amounts of a vitamin are helpful, so don't you take them!

That does not even pass the straight-faced test. So what's the story?

Researchers at the University of California at Irvine gave the human dose equivalent of 2,000 to 3,000 mg of vitamin B3 to mice with Alzheimer's. (2) It worked. Kim Green, one of the researchers, is quoted as saying, "Cognitively, they were cured. They performed as if they'd never developed the disease."



for information on how to use B3 therapeutically, contact us for our fact sheet

Specifically, the study employed large amounts of nicotinamide, the vitamin B3 widely found in foods such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds. Nicotinamide is also the form of niacin found, in far greater quantity, in dietary supplements. It is more commonly known as niacinamide. It is inexpensive and its safety is long established. The most common side effect of niacinamide in very high doses is nausea. This can be eliminated by taking less, by using regular niacin instead, which may cause a warm flush, or choosing inositol hexaniacinate, which does not. They are all vitamin B3.
HealthDay Reporter mentioned how cheap the vitamin is; the study authors "bought a year's supply for $30" and noted that it "appears to be safe." Even so, one author said that "I wouldn't advocate people rush out and eat grams of this stuff each day." (1)
The BBC quoted Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the UK Alzheimer's Research Trust, who said, "Until the human research was completed, people should not start taking the supplement. . . . people should be wary about changing their diet or taking supplements. In high doses vitamin B3 can be toxic." (3)
The Irish Times reiterated it: "People have been cautioned about rushing out to buy high dose vitamin B3 supplements in an attempt to prevent memory loss . . . The warnings came today one day on from the announcement . . .Vitamins in high doses can be toxic." (4)
Their choice of words is quaint but hardly accurate. There is no wild "rush;" half of the population already takes food supplements. And as for "toxic," niacin isn't. Canadian psychiatrist Abram Hoffer, M.D., asserts that it is actually remarkably safe. "There have been no deaths from niacin supplements," Dr. Hoffer says. "The LD 50 (the dosage that would kill half of those taking it) for dogs is 5,000-6,000 milligrams per kilogram body weight. That is equivalent to almost a pound of niacin per day for a human. No human takes 375,000 milligrams of niacin a day. They would be nauseous long before reaching a harmful dose." Dr. Hoffer conducted the first double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of niacin. He adds, "Niacin is not liver toxic. Niacin therapy increases liver function tests. But this elevation means that the liver is active. It does not indicate an underlying liver pathology."
The medical literature repeatedly confirms niacin's safety. Indeed, for over 50 years, nutritional (orthomolecular) physicians have used vitamin B3 in doses as high as tens of thousands of milligrams per day. Cardiologists frequently give patients thousands of milligrams of niacin daily to lower cholesterol. Niacin is preferred because its safety margin is so very large. The American Association of Poison Control Centers' Toxic Exposure Surveillance System annual reports indicates there is not even one death per year due to niacin in any of its forms. (5)
One the other hand, there are 140,000 deaths annually attributable to properly prescribed prescription drugs. (6) And this figure is just for one year, and just for the USA. Furthermore, when overdoses, incorrect prescription, and adverse drug interactions are figured in, total drug fatalities number over a quarter of a million dead. Each year.
The BBC's curious mention that we should even be "wary about changing our diets" is especially odd. More and more scientists think our much-in-need-of-improvement diets are what contribute more than anything to developing Alzheimer's. "There appears to be a statistically significant link between a low dietary intake of niacin and a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. A study of the niacin intake of 6158 Chicago residents 65 years of age or older established that the lower the daily intake of niacin, the greater the risk of becoming an Alzheimer's disease patient." The group with the highest daily intake of niacin had a 70 percent decrease in incidence of this disease compared to the lowest group. "The most compelling evidence to date is that early memory loss can be reversed by the ascorbate (vitamin C) minerals. Greater Alzheimer's disease risk also has been linked to low dietary intake of vitamin E and of fish." (7)
Nutrient deficiency of long standing may create a nutrient dependency. A nutrient dependency is an exaggerated need for the missing nutrient, a need not met by dietary intakes or even by low-dose supplementation. Robert P. Heaney, M.D., uses the term "long latency deficiency diseases" to describe illnesses that fit this description. He writes: "Inadequate intakes of many nutrients are now recognized as contributing to several of the major chronic diseases that affect the populations of the industrialized nations. Often taking many years to manifest themselves, these disease outcomes should be thought of as long-latency deficiency diseases. . . Because the intakes required to prevent many of the long-latency disorders are higher than those required to prevent the respective index diseases, recommendations based solely on preventing the index diseases are no longer biologically defensible." (8) Where pathology already exists, unusually large quantities of vitamins may be needed to repair damaged tissue. Thirty-five years ago, in another paper, Hoffer wrote: "The borderline between vitamin deficiency and vitamin-dependency conditions is merely a quantitative one when one considers prevention and cure." (9)
As there is no recognized cure for Alzheimer's, prevention is vital. In their article, the Irish Times does admit that "Healthy mice fed the vitamins also outperformed mice on a normal diet" and quoted study co-author Frank LaFerla saying that "This suggests that not only is it good for Alzheimer's disease, but if normal people take it, some aspects of their memory might improve." (4) And study author Green added, "If we combine this with other things already out there, we'd probably see a large effect."
The US Alzheimer's Association's Dr. Ralph Nixon has said that previous research has suggested that vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin B12 may help people lower their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. At their website (although you have to search for it), the Alzheimer's Association says, "Vitamins may be helpful. There is some indication that vitamins, such as vitamin E, or vitamins E and C together, vitamin B12 and folate may be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer's. . . One large federally funded study (10) showed that vitamin E slightly delayed loss of ability to carry out daily activities and placement in residential care."
But overall, at their website http://www.alz.org/index.asp the Alzheimer's Association has strikingly little to say about vitamins, and they hasten to tell people that "No one should use vitamin E to treat Alzheimer's disease except under the supervision of a physician." ( http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10428.asp ) "They write as if these safe vitamins are dangerous drugs, not be used without a doctor's consent," comments Dr. Hoffer. "I have been using them for decades."
Niacin and nerves go together. Orthomolecular physicians have found niacin and other nutrients to be an effective treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, psychotic behavior, and schizophrenia. New research confirms that niacinamide (the same form of B3 used in the Alzheimer's research) "profoundly prevents the degeneration of demyelinated axons and improves the behavioral deficits" in animals with an illness very similar to multiple sclerosis. (11)
A measure of journalistic caution is understandable, especially with ever-new promises for pharmaceutical products. Drugs routinely used to treat Alzheimer's Disease have had a disappointing, even dismal success rate. So when nutrition may be the better answer, foot-dragging is inexplicable, even inexcusable. Nutrients are vastly safer than drugs. Unjustified, needlessly negative opinionating is out of place. Over 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer's disease, and the number is estimated to reach 14 million by 2050. Potentially, 9 million people would benefit later from niacin now.
"Man is a food-dependent creature," wrote University of Alabama professor of medicine Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D.. "If you don't feed him, he will die. If you feed him improperly, part of him will die."
When that part is the brain, it is dangerous to delay the use of optimum nutrition.

References:

(1) Vitamin Holds Promise for Alzheimer's Disease. Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter, Nov 5, 2008.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/05/AR2008110502796.html and also http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/vitaminholdspromiseforalzheimersdisease.html

(2) Green KN, Steffan JS, Martinez-Coria H, Sun X, Schreiber SS, Thompson LM, LaFerla FM. Nicotinamide restores cognition in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice via a mechanism involving sirtuin inhibition and selective reduction of Thr231-phosphotau. J Neurosci. 2008 Nov 5;28(45):11500-10.

(3) BBC, 5 Nov 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7710365.stm

(4) Donnellan E. Caution urged over using vitamin B3 to treat Alzheimer's. Wed, Nov 05, 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1105/breaking91.htm

(5) Annual Reports of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (formerly known as the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System). AAPCC, 3201 New Mexico Avenue, Ste. 330, Washington, DC 20016. Download any report from1983-2006 at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/NPDS/AnnualReports/tabid/125/Default.aspx free of charge. The "Vitamin" category is usually near the end of the report.

(6) Classen DC, Pestotnik SL, Evans RS, Lloyd JF, Burke JP. Adverse drug events in hospitalized patients. Excess length of stay, extra costs, and attributable mortality. JAMA. 1997 Jan 22-29;277(4):301-6.

(7) 21. Hoffer A and Foster HD. Feel Better, Live Longer With Vitamin B-3: Nutrient Deficiency and Dependency. CCNM Press, 2007. ISBN-10: 1897025246; ISBN-13: 978-1897025246. Also: Foster HD. What Really Causes Alzheimer's Disease. Trafford, 2004. ISBN 1-4120-4921-0.

(8) Heaney RP: Long-latency deficiency disease: insights from calcium and vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003; Nov; 78(5):912-9.

(9) Hoffer A. Mechanism of action of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in the treatment of schizophrenia. In: Hawkins D and Pauling L: Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Treatment of Schizophrenia. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. 1973; p. 202-262.

(10) Sano M, Ernesto C, Thomas RG et al. A controlled trial of selegiline, alpha-tocopherol, or both as treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study. N Engl J Med. 1997 Apr 24;336(17):1216-22

(11) Kaneko S, Wang J, Kaneko M, Yiu G, Hurrell JM, Chitnis T, Khoury SJ, He Z. Protecting axonal degeneration by increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models. J Neurosci. 2006 Sep 20;26(38):9794-804. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed See also: Vitamins fight multiple sclerosis. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 4, 2006.

For More Information:

A complete copy of Dr. Harold D. Foster's What Really Causes Alzheimer's Disease is available in PDF format, free of charge: http://www.hdfoster.com/Foster_Alzheimers.pdf

To access a free archive of peer-reviewed medical journal papers on the safety and efficacy of vitamin therapy: http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/

Review of nutritional approaches to Alzheimer's Disease: http://www.doctoryourself.com/alzheimer.html

Additional Reading:

Klenner FR. Response of peripheral and central nerve pathology to mega-doses of the vitamin B-complex and other metabolites. Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1973. http://www.tldp.com/issue/11_00/klenner.htm

Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, Tangney CC, Bennett DA, Aggarwal N, Wilson RS, and Scherr PA. Dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease in a biracial community study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002. 287(24), 3230-3237.

Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias PA, Scherr A, Tangney CC, Hebert LE, Bennett DA, Wilson RS, and Aggarwal N. Dietary Niacin and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer's Disease and of Cognitive Decline. J Neurology, Psychiatry 2004; 75: 1093-1099.

Bobkova NV. The impact of mineral ascorbates on memory loss. Paper presented at the III World Congress on Vitamin C, 2001, Committee for World Health, Victoria, BC, Canada.

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