The Dying

Here's an update on this topic from a trusted source, and a health professional I have followed and respected for many years.

Original post-
Today I had the opportunity to comment on a medical website to which I subscribe. The M.D. in the video, an editor at large for the site,  was speaking to the issues of CAM (complementary, alternative medicine), and as usual attacking it as non sense.


I posted this retort -

There is an inherent conflict of interest here because allopathic medicine is and has been engaged, since the early 1970s in refuting what has been coined to be referred to as CAM or "alternative medicine". Going back to the Flexner Report of 1910 is also a guide to see the basis of discontent. As an advanced nurse practitioner since the 1970s I find it always amazing how gullible so called "educated" health care providers are in regard to the history of medicine, for starters. Beyond that concern of gullibility to believe such marketing hacks as defrocked MD heading up "Quackbusters", do you recall when medical schools taught herbal medicine and homeopathy? Do you recall that coffee enemas were used for years in allopathy yet now are considered 'quackery'. Have you even bothered to look into the plethora of scientific research, completed independently and not paid for by Big PhRMA? Having worked with drugs and natural medicine and nutrition in my work for decades I will take it over the 80% or mainstream medicine any day, because I see how it heals people. And if you are so inclined, I am happy to discuss it further off list. As space is limited I will close by saying, do your due diligence and stop promoting non-facts first.

Another site from the UK ran this story -  "HOW THE EU PLANS TO WRECK ALTERNATIVE HEALTH"

Within 2 years, alternative medicine will be a shadow of its current self. By then - thanks to 4 laws being ratified by the European Union right now - only low-dose vitamins will be available on the shelves, most Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs will have disappeared, and many herbal practitioners in the UK may well have gone out of business.

An MD colleague of mine said this (slightly edited by me) -

On August 17, 2010, at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Atlanta, Dr. Donald Light presented his research in a paper titled, Pharmaceuticals: A Two-Tier Market for Producing 'Lemons' and Serious Harm. Dr. Light is a professor of comparative health policy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
It seems that this bombshell was not reported on mainstream media. Dr. Light's research validates what many of us already know. He found that 85% of new drugs being created are more harmful than beneficial. But will that information ever make it to CNN?
It's an unfortunate fact that a disproportionate amount of TV, radio, internet, and magazine advertising is controlled by drug companies. So, it's no surprise that there are no alternatives discussed on mainstream venues. Media doctors quickly learn they have to toe the line and promote the standard practice of medicine, which boils down to drugs and surgery.
My frustration at the Machiavellian turn that medicine had taken into the rabbit hole of drugs is why I wrote Death by Medicine in 2003. You can obtain that paper freely on the Internet.
As I said, I don't like to focus on the negative and this is the only one example that sheds light on the sickening turn of medicine to the dark side. If you or your friends think that drug companies are looking out for YOUR best interests and want to see you healthy and off drugs, think again.

There are effective alternatives to mainstream medicine, and we have been providing it since the 1960s. We help you become your best health advocate so you can deal with what you are up against in the health care maze.

" ...the only solution is if you become an advocate for your own health."

More on the dark side here

Less Calories, More Water

Drinking water with meals has always been a point of discussion in natural health care.  We have learned, and educate others about water and how important it is for health.  We also always have suggested to drink water before meals, not during meals, or an hour or so after meals.  This caveat is realted to protecting digestive enzymes you need to help digest your food.  We also encourage you to chew your food thoroughly, 20-50 times, to liquefy the food and put less stress on digestion.

This tip from 60 Second Science on Scientific American is good considering their focus on mainstream medical methods.

Water Before Meal Means Fewer Calories Consumed



Drinking 16 ounces of water before meals helped a group of dieters lose more weight than other dieters who didn't consume water first.


Americans, and American physicians, are concerned about ballooning waistlines and the accompanying health problems. Now, researchers have presented the first randomized trial of what they hail as a side-effect-free, prescription-free, and simply free appetite control agent. That is, of course, water. Brenda Davy, lead researcher from Virginia Tech, presented the findings at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.


Previous studies showed that middle-aged and older Americans who drank two cups of water before a meal ate about 75 to 90 fewer calories over the course of the meal. For this study, the scientists took 48 adults between 55 and 75. All ate a low-calorie diet for 12 weeks. Half of the group drank 16 ounces of water before meals. The other half didn’t.


After the 12 weeks were over, the water drinkers lost on average 15.5 pounds, while the ones who weren’t prescribed water lost about 11 pounds. Davy says that this phenomenon could occur because water is filling and has, of course, zero calories. It could also be displacing other sweeter drinks that the dieters might consume. It’s not a cure-all, but it’s certainly a cheap and simple addition to any weight-loss plan.


—Cynthia Graber

PODCAST

Fructose Worsens Liver Disease

32 + articles about liver health concerns can be found in Natural Health News

Our Liver cleansing and Liver care products have provided excellent results to hundreds of clients over the years...contact us for more information.

This is one indication of the need for detoxification. Colon cleansing IS NOT detoxification. Our decades of experience with detoxification products and programs offers much more to our clients than found elsewhere.

Cigarette smoking, fructose consumption exacerbates liver disease, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-04-27) -- Recent studies suggest that modifiable risk factors such as cigarette smoking and fructose consumption can worsen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). With NAFLD, fat accumulates in the liver of overweight individuals despite drinking little alcohol, causing in some cases liver scarring that can lead to liver failure. Identifying modifiable factors that contribute to disease severity and progression is essential in improving patient outcomes. ... > read full article

CFL Lights: A Risky Change

Before buying in to the push to have you convert to HAZMAT CFL light bulbs, you may wish to review this information we have pooled from Natural Health News.

Natural Health News: Yes, CFL blubs are toxic in case you did not ...

Mar 22, 2008

For many years I tried to explain to people that there was a hazardous risk to using CFL light bulbs, now being promoted by all those greenies that jumped on the bandwagon without doing all the necessary research. ...

Natural Health News: Low Energy CFL bulbs causing a rash of problems

Jan 05, 2008

For several years now we have been warning against the use of CFL low energy fluorescent light bulbs based on their mercury content and the EMF emitted from the transformer (like the ballast in fluorescent tube lighting) as a health ...

Natural Health News: More Risk with CFL light bulbs

Jan 17, 2009

Over the past two years on this blog (Natural Health News) we have posted about a dozen articles regarding the risks of CFL light bulbs to your health. Many other warnings were sent in our newsletter, taught in our classes, ...

Natural Health News: LED v. CFL: We Vote for LED

Oct 22, 2008

Perhaps the ultimate "alternative to the alternative," the LED (light-emitting diode) light bulb may well dethrone the compact fluorescent (CFL) as king of the green lighting choices. But it has a way to go yet in terms of both ...

Keep Safety In Mind with CFL Bulbs

Dec 19, 2007

In Parliament (UK) a recent discussion was brought up in regard to the much advertised CFL light bulbs. What is never mentioned in all the advertising and promotion of these bulbs as a means to save energy is that they are a hazardous ...

UPDATE: Low Energy CFL bulb bombs

Jan 05, 2008

While the EPA is not doing its job at the Bunker Hill Superfund site, it has finally come out of the wood work to tell you these bulbs are considered a hazardous waste. However, it is the BBC and NOT the US media that is reporting - ...

Rash Report, not just CFL bulbs or Splenda: It is your cell phone

Oct 17, 2008

The issue of rash being caused by sell phone use is not a new report. This type of reaction has been known for many years but this new study shows - once again - that what you don't know about using a cell phone can and will hurt you. ...

Canadian Community Proclaims Electrosensitivity Month

Aug 16, 2009

Colwood Mayor, David Saunders, explains that relief for EMS sufferers can only be obtained by limiting exposure to radiation-emitting devices such as cellphones, wireless technology, FM and cell transmitters and CFL light bulbs, ...

More Fooling the People

Mar 27, 2008

AVISTA Utilities, the City of Spokane, WSU and the (questionable) Lands Council want people to buy into replacing incandescent light bulbs with mercury and EMF toxic CFL bulbs. We have been educating about the risks of these bulbs - AND ...

Oprah's Down the Rabbit Hole

Apr 23, 2007

If you are on the subscriber list to herbalYODA Says! you have received our Earth Day special issue on the CFL bulb. Yes, its that compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) hawked every where as a way to reduce global warming. ...

Vaccine Vacillations

Oct 02, 2007

Remember that there is a supposed ban on mercury, yet today WalMart gets acknowledged for hawking mercury containing CFL light bulbs and not telling you they contain hazardous waste (mercury, a heavy metal that is heavily toxic). ...

ART COURTESY DEES; RENSE

Health Risk and Cadillac Insurance

Its always been will known in the health industry - and for decades - that the better your insurance, the better your care.

A new study shows consistent outcomes - especially if you require critical care.

Critical care outcomes tied to insurance status, systematic review finds

ScienceDaily (2010-04-28) -- Among the general US population, people who are uninsured are about half as likely to receive critical care services as those with insurance, according to systematic review of the literature by the American Thoracic Society's Health Disparities Group. They also found that once admitted to the hospital intensive care unit, uninsured patients are less likely to have invasive procedures or pulmonary artery catheterizations and more likely to have life support withdrawn. ... > read full article

MRSA: Public Health Approach Often Lacking in Hospital

Creating Health Institute and Natural Health News as well as The Oake Centre for natural health education has been working on effective approached to MRSA since 1993.  We have some effective ways to address this because we think outside the box. Search for our many articles using the box in the right column.

Many hospitals don't screen for MRSA

CHICAGO, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Less than half of U.S. hospitals screen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, researchers say.
Yoojung Yang, a fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says 43 percent of the 102 U.S. hospitals responding to a survey have a procedure in place to screen patients for MRSA.
Yang explains prevention is the best treatment for MRSA -- a staph infection in healthcare patients caused by a strain of bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
Yang and colleagues say their survey indicates nearly all of the responding hospitals have adopted hand-hygiene practices. Some have also adopted other preventive practices such as using gowns and gloves and isolating MRSA-positive patients.
Nearly 75 percent of the surveyed hospitals also fight MRSA by reviewing prescriptions orders. More than half place restrictions on the use of select anti-microbials -- especially newer drugs such linezolid, daptomycin and tigecycline -- to maintain optimal use and to reduce the risk of bacterial resistance.
"The results of our survey suggest that pharmacists play a key role in the treatment of MRSA infections, because they have the knowledge of how best anti-microbials can be used," Yang said in a statement.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacist.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

And on another agency front, FDA admits to not testing seafood for toxic heavy metals

Medical News You May Wish to Use

WASHINGTON -- By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today

It was quiet on the Hill this week as Congress continued the August holiday but it was business as usual at the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

At the FDA pain -- chronic and pain caused by fibromyalgia -- kept two advisory committees busy while CMS rolled out the estimates for the 2011 Medicare prescription drug premiums. The Part D premiums held fairly steady, but the National Business Group on Health predicted that employer-based insurance plans will take a bigger bit from employees pay checks next year.

Panel Split on Duloxetine for Pain
An FDA advisory committee voted narrowly -- 8 to 6 -- to recommend that the agency expand the indication for the antidepressant duloxetine (Cymbalta) to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, a condition that may affect as many as 40 million Americans.
An 8 to 6 vote is considered a "null" vote, and provides no clear indication of what the FDA will do. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its committees, but it often does.
To support its application, Eli Lilly had submitted data from three trials that testing various doses of duloxetine against placebo in chronic low-back pain patients and two trials in arthritis patients. In four of the five trials, duloxetine demonstrated greater pain reduction than placebo (P<0.05 for the four trials).

But one panelist estimated that for every 10 patients treated with duloxetine, just one would experience a 30% reduction in pain. (hY Says! Ka-Ching, Ka-ching!)

Although concerns were raised prior to the meeting about the drug's side effects -- notably hepatoxicity -- the panel seemed to agree the side effects, including the risk for liver damage, were acceptable. The committee voted 9 to 4 that the benefits of duloxetine outweighed the risks.
If approved, duloxetine would be the first non-NSAID, non-opioid analgesic broadly indicated for the treatment of chronic pain.

Separate Panel Rejects CNS Drug for Fibromyalgia
The following day, a separate panel voted 20-2 to recommend that the FDA not grant approval for an expanded indication for sodium oxybate (Xyrem) -- also known as GHB, the "date rape" drug -- to treat fibromyalgia.

A number of members on the Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committees felt the potential for widespread abuse of the drug was too great to warrant expanding the indication to a condition that affects an estimated 2% of the U.S. population.
Other panelists weren't as worried over the potential for abuse, but they noted that the drug's maker, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, failed to convincingly prove the drug worked. Others were concerned about the odd dosing mechanism of the drug -- which requires the patient to mix a solution with water and take one dose before bedtime, and set an alarm to wake up four hours later to take the second dose.

The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory committees, but it often does.
Sodium oxybate is currently approved at a 500 mg/ml dose for narcolepsy-associated cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Slight Increase for Medicare Drug Premiums Next Year
Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D will pay an average of $30 per month for their prescription drug benefit premiums in 2011, a $1 increase over what they paid this year, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials.
Premiums stayed relatively stable because of a discount program in the the healthcare reform law, Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator of CMS' Center for Medicare, told reporters Wednesday.
Cost will remain about steady, and so will benefits, said CMS Administrator Don Berwick, MD.
The low rates will "add stability" to the Medicare Part D program, which has an enrollment of about 27 million seniors, Berwick said.
When Part D first began, the program was projected to cost $634 billion for fiscal 2004 through 2013. Instead, it will cost $373 billion for those same years, Paul Spitalnic, of CMS' Office of the Actuary told reporters.
The main reason for the program coming in $261 billion under projected costs is that the rising costs of prescription drugs slowed in the early 2000s and more people switched to generics, explained Spitalnic.
In addition, Part D plans have been able to negotiate more drug rebates than anticipated, and fewer beneficiaries enrolled than the government originally predicted.

Employees Healthcare Costs to Increase
While seniors won't see a huge hike in their medication premiums next year, one group that might be paying more for healthcare is employees of companies that offer health insurance as a benefit, according to a report from the National Business Group on Health (NBGH).
The group surveyed 72 large employers representing about 3.7 million employees, and asked about medical claims costs for 2010 and projected claims costs for 2011.
The findings showed that about 63% of businesses plan to make employees pay a higher percentage of their premium costs in 2011. In addition, 46% will increase out-of-pocket maximums, while 44% will increase in-network deductibles.
As a result of those higher costs to patients, providers may see patients start asking more questions about the necessity of some procedures, NBGH president Helen Darling told reporters Wednesday.
"What we hope, and we do see evidence of this, is that people will be asking tougher questions of what's being done for or to them," she said. "If the provider says, 'We have to do an MRI,' and the patient asks, 'What will that do for my treatment?' and the provider says, 'Nothing, but we want to have additional information,' then the patient may say, 'Then I don't want it.'"
The companies surveyed projected that the cost of providing healthcare benefits to their employees will rise an average of about 9% in 2011, which is about 2 percentage points higher than the 7% average increase for 2010.
About 1% of next year's increase comes from changes mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), according to Darling. 

Next Week

Congress returns to  action on Sept. 13.

No FDA panels will be meeting next week.