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Beware the Drugs That Rob Your Health and Strength

Recently I came across this great article. It should cause all of us to be more proactive in taking care of our health naturally. Enjoy!

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alernative healthPopular prescription drugs can rob your body of many essential nutrients, doing you more harm than good.

Scores of popularly prescribed drugs for all kinds of health problems have been proven to leach important vitamins, minerals, and key enzymes out of your body or prevent it from being able to absorb them. They can also affect metabolism and even make it impossible for your body to use certain nutrients.

Look for These Common Thieves in Your Medicine Cabinet

Some of the most commonly used drugs in America today can cause any one of the problems on this list.

Aspirin

You may be surprised to learn that aspirin makes it harder for your body to absorb vitamin C.1 It can also decrease levels of iron and folic acid, leading to anemia, susceptibility to cold and flu, and a host of additional ailments.2

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives have been shown to drain your body of vitamin B6, B12, zinc, and blood magnesium levels. This can set a cascade of unwanted side effects in motion, including sleeplessness, mood swings, diarrhea, poor immune resistance, insomnia, depression — even anorexia.3

Acid Blockers

If you’re taking drugs to relieve heartburn or acid reflux, chances are you’re shortchanging your body of zinc and iron.4-5 You need zinc in abundance for its power to help your body recover from wounds and injury and fight off infectious diseases.

It’s also one of the keys to prostate health, virility, and sexual performance. In fact, for men, the prostate gland is where most of the body’s zinc is concentrated.

Acid blockers’ also effect iron levels — particularly in women. We all need iron to enable our blood to deliver oxygen to every cell in our bodies. Without enough of it, a host of problems set in, including anemia, fatigue, and greater vulnerability to illness.

Corticosteroids

Prednisone and hydrocortisone are some of the top drugs used to treat lupus, Crohn’s disease, and other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions. Unfortunately, they also leach calcium from your body and increase its elimination, putting you at greater risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis.

Some studies have shown these drugs can also lower levels of key trace elements, including magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, and potassium. You should be taking supplements to offset the loss of so many important nutrients.

Hormone Replacement Drugs

The term “hormone replacement” is totally misleading: the drugs doctors are prescribing to millions every year to offset declining hormone levels aren’t “replacing” anything. That’s because drug makers derive them from animal hormones that are utterly foreign to your body.

Studies show that these drugs deplete a long list of critical nutrients, including:

  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
  • Folic acid
  • Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
  • Vitamin C
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium

Anti-Diabetic Drugs

Metformin, one of the most widely used medications to treat the symptoms of diabetes, robs your body of vitamin B12 and folic acid. It can attack heart health over time, partly because it also lowers CoQ10 levels. Every cell in your body needs it for metabolism, and it’s especially crucial for the proper function of your vital organs, including the brain, heart, and liver. As you age, your body makes less and less of it.

Statin Drugs

Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, and the like are great at driving your LDL cholesterol levels through the floor; unfortunately, they do the same thing to CoQ10 levels. Here are just a few of the risks you face if you’re taking statins:

  • Inability to concentrate
  • Depression
  • Confusion
  • Impotence
  • Amnesia
  • Lowered sex drive
  • Disorientation
  • Weakened immune system
  • Shortness of breath
  • Liver damage
  • Fatigue
  • Kidney failure
  • Nerve pain
  • Muscle weakness
  • Rhabdomyolysis (painful bursting of muscle cells)
  • Death

Blood Pressure Drugs

Sixty-five million Americans have high blood pressure according to the American Heart Association. If all of them were to take some of the most common drugs to treat hypertension, they’d also be deficient in vitamin B6 and CoQ10.

Diuretics

There are two kinds of diuretics: thiazides and loop diuretics. They’re great at lowering blood pressure. Doctors also prescribe them for diseases of the kidney and liver, as well as for heart health.

While they help to fight these health conditions, they can also cause serious health problems. Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Hydrodiuril) lowers levels of zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Loop diuretics like furosemide (Delone, Detue, Lasix), and bumetanide (Bumex) also deplete calcium, and vitamins B6 and C.

Halt These Health Problems in Their Tracks . . . Now

Here’s a list I’ve put together of signs to watch out for. They may mean you’re missing an important nutrient:

Medical Malnourishment: Nutrients and Signs to Watch For
B1 (Thiamin) Depression, memory loss, weight loss, fatigue, numbness
B2 Dermatitis, lesions at the corners of the mouth, swollen tongue, vision loss
B3 (Niacin) Skin lesions, insomnia, depression, aggression, swelling, diarrhea, weakness, “brain fog,” balding
B5 (Pantothenic Acid Fatigue, numbness, foot pain
B6 (Pyridoxine) Depression, fatigue, dermatitis, anemia, glucose intolerance
B7 (Biotin) Balding, depression, dermatitis, nausea, anorexia
B9 (Folate) Anemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia, diarrhea, gingivitis, depression, irritability, insomnia
B12 (Cobalamin) Anemia, fatigue, poor nerve function, diarrhea, loss of memory
Vitamin C Liver spots, bleeding at the gums, fatigue
Calcium Weakened bones and fractures, muscle spasms
Magnesium Fatigue, irritability, weakness, muscle cramps, insomnia, anorexia
Potassium Fatigue, irregular heartbeat, irritability, confusion, reduced nerve function
Iron Anemia, weakness, fatigue, poor immune function
Zinc Slow recovery from wounds, decreased immunity, loss of taste and smell, balding, skin disorders, sexual dysfunction
Selenium Poor immune function, heart disease
CoQ10 Hypertension, fatigue, cardiovascular disease
Carnitine Muscle weakness, inability to digest fat, stunted growth in children, poor athletic performance

If you’re not taking supplements and wonder if you should, here are the basics that I recommend to most of my patients.

Vitamin C: 1,500 mg to 4,000 mg per day

B Complex: B6 – 150 mg; Folic Acid – 1600 mcg; B12 – 800 mg per day

CoQ10: 200 mg (or 50 mg of my Accel) per day

Cod Liver Oil: 1 to 2 tablespoons a day

References

  1. Das et al. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1992. 17(6):343-6.
  2. Lawrence et al. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine. 1984. 103(6):944-8.
  3. Bielenberg J. Medizinische Monatsschrift für Pharmazeuten. 1991. 14(8):244-7.
  4. Sturniolo et al. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1991. 10(4):372-5.
  5. Aymard et al. Medical Toxicology and Adverse Drug Experience. 1988. 3(6):430-48.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs, has written over 500 articles and seven books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation. To find out the one supplement he takes every day click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

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In line with article we need to be active in protecting their health. I feel Marine Phytoplankton is one of the greatest resources in being proactive. Maybe you should check it out!

Artificial Sweeteners: The Controversy Rages On

 

“In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the aspartame in the diet soda. . . and literally dying a slow, and miserable death .”1

Comments, case reports and claims like this are sprouting up all over — especially on the web. The above quote comments on aspartame, but other artificial sweeteners come under fire as well.

Just how scary are artificial sweeteners? Are these compounds actually toxins? Have the guardians of our food supply been bought out by big business?

I hope to add a little clarity to the situation as well as tell you ways to safeguard your own well-being.

First, what chemicals are we talking about and why are people eating them?

The main artificial sweeteners used in the US today are saccharin, aspartame and sucralose. They’re sold under the brand names Sweet N’ Low, NutraSweet, and Splenda, respectively. You’re undoubtedly familiar with the competing pink, blue, and yellow packets.

All of these are artificially produced chemicals. Saccharin is derived from coal tar, aspartame from amino acids, and sucralose from substituting chlorine for oxygen on the sucrose molecule.

If you look around on the web, you’ll find horror stories about all these sweeteners.

Commonly, people report physical symptoms they experienced — restless legs, ringing in the ears, nausea, and hives — that went away when they eliminated the sweeteners from their diet. Others claim that these sweeteners cause severe chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis or systemic lupus.

Still others comment on toxic “chemical cousins” of the sweeteners, implying that the same toxicity may apply to the sweetener. For example, sucralose is chemically related to organochlorines, many of which are, in fact, extremely toxic (think dioxin).

On the other hand, the balance of the available science fails to document definite health risks. A well-respected mainstream journal recently published a major review of all available scientific data concerning aspartame and gave it a pass.2

This review concluded: “In summary, there has been extensive investigation of the possibility of neurotoxic effects due to consumption of aspartame. The data from these studies, in general, do not support the hypothesis that aspartame in the human diet will affect neuronal function, learning or behavior.”

Yet critics continue to claim aspartame causes neurotoxicity.

This review also looked for evidence of other possible toxicities for aspartame. Their bottom line for all of it was:

“Controlled and thorough scientific studies confirm aspartame’s safety and find no credible link between consumption of aspartame at levels found in the human diet and conditions related to the nervous system and behavior, nor any other symptom or illness.”

Similarly, other studies haven’t clearly proved any ill effects from saccharin or sucralose.

What to make of it all?

One thing I know is that medicine and scientific research aren’t perfect. I made recommendations to people 25 years ago that I cringe thinking about now.

I had every good intention — and I certainly hadn’t been bought out. I was giving advice based on the best knowledge available to me then. It was reasonable advice at the time, only it was wrong. Remembering this keeps me from being too dogmatic.

If someone tells me something made him or her sick, I believe them. However, that doesn’t mean the same thing will make everyone sick. Nor does it necessarily mean we should ban the substance.

Every year, people die of an allergic reaction to peanuts. Many others have horrible non-fatal reactions. Despite this fact, no one is calling for a ban on the cultivation or sale of peanuts.

Here’s my take on artificial sweeteners: I recommend avoiding them, or at least minimizing their use. They are man-made chemicals. There’s no need for any of these in our diet. They’re called non-nutritive sweeteners for a reason.

The science hasn’t (as yet) shown any detrimental effect. But who knows if it’s just a matter of time before a problem shows up?

I find the current research somewhat reassuring, but I’m not completely convinced there’s no need for concern. The best we can hope for is that we won’t react badly and that toxicity won’t show up down the road.

Another downside is that by consuming sweetened foods of any sort we develop taste preferences that influence our food choices.

As a country, we definitely eat too much sugar. We have the obesity and the diabetes to prove it. Average annual consumption has gone from 15 lbs in the early 1800’s to over 160 lbs (!) today.

Using artificial sweeteners is just another way to try to feed our sweet tooth. It would be best to retrain our taste buds not to prefer sweet.

This is especially important in children. The foods they eat determine their preferences as an adult. They don’t need artificial sweeteners. They also don’t need all the sugar they’re getting. They do need to develop habits that will serve them well as they grow.

Avoid artificial sweeteners. Also avoid foods that have sugar or high fructose corn syrup among the top ingredients.

Diet sodas are a major source of artificial sweeteners. Switch to unsweetened drinks. Why not water? Unsweetened tea or seltzer, maybe with a squeeze of lemon, are other good choices.

If you must have a sweetener, consider the herb stevia. This South American plant has been used as a sweetener for centuries without reported adverse effects.

There’s no need to panic about artificial sweeteners, but there’s no need to use them either.

References

  1. http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgibin/forum.cgi?read=121777
  2. Burdock, G A et al. Aspartame: A Safety Evaluation Based on Current Use Levels, Regulations, and Toxicological and Epidemiological Studies. Critical Reviews in Toxicology; September , 2007.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Poisons in Our Food?

 

Society has a love-hate relationship with plastic. We sure use a lot of it, but even before an actor whispered “Plastics…” as a word of advice in the movie The Graduate, plastic often meant shoddy, imitation, and uncool.

 

Ardent environmentalists tend to hate plastic. You know the issues there.

 

Now there are other concerns about plastics — namely, that they are poisoning our food supply. These concerns stem from the fact that unsavory chemicals in some plastics can leach into food. Canada highlighted the issue by proposing a ban of plastics containing bisphenol-A, a compound with significant toxicity.

 

Recently, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed even more startling findings about bisphenol-A.1 In a large population study of individuals between the ages of 18 and 74, it was found that people with higher levels of bisphenol-A in their urine also had higher rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

 

This is especially worrisome because bisphenol-A is found in a plastic called polycarbonate used to make baby bottles. While the study authors were clear that this does not necessarily show a cause and effect relationship, it is well worth noting the risk.

 

The question of safety regarding polycarbonates raises a larger question — just how safe are all the plastics that we come into regular contact with? Or phrased differently, what are the risks of packaging and serving food and beverages in plastic?

 

First, we have to realize that not all plastics are the same. Their chemical composition varies, so naturally their risks vary.

 

Fortunately, a number stamped on the bottom of most plastic containers tells us which plastic the container is made of. That code is your key to evaluating the risk.

 

Here’s a quick run-down.

 

Number 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE).

This is the lightweight, clear plastic commonly used in soda and water bottles. Many consider it a safe choice because it is not prone to leaching chemicals. However, an Italian study has shown some leaching into water that was stored in a PET bottle for over nine months.2

 

Another problem with PET is that it doesn’t clean well. For this reason, never reuse PET bottles.

 

Number 2: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE).

Milk jugs are usually HDPE. This translucent plastic is also used for shopping bags and the bottles that contain many household products such as cleaning supplies and shampoos. It has a low risk of leaching.

 

Number 3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).

PVC is used to make packaging materials, including some food containers. It is also used for plastic wraps. Softeners added to PVC tend to migrate into food and raise safety concerns.

 

Number 4: Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE).

This plastic is found in bread bags and squeezable bottles. Fortunately, studies to date have not shown any chemicals leaching from LDPE into food.

 

Number 5: Polypropylene (PP).

This is the stuff of fishing lines and surgical sutures, as well as syrup bottles and yogurt tubs. It appears to be toxin-free.

 

Number 6: Polystyrene (PS).

You’ll recognize this as Styrofoam, so widely used in coffee cups and fast food containers. Unfortunately, it can leach styrene compounds into foods. Please don’t reheat your coffee in a microwave if it’s in Styrofoam. Better yet, find an alternative to the Styrofoam cup.

 

Number 7: Polycarbonate.

This is the clear, rigid, shatterproof plastic used for safety glasses (good) as well as backpacking water bottles and baby bottles (not so good). It contains bisphenol-A, a compound that can interfere with normal hormones and may be related to heart disease and diabetes

 

So that’s the summary.

Once again, we have a situation where health advocates raise reasonable sounding concerns while the manufacturers claim their products are safe. Canada bans plastics with bisphenol-A while the FDA assures us the available evidence doesn’t support a ban.

 

What’s a reasonable person to do?

 

First, let’s acknowledge that plastics are extremely useful compounds. We wouldn’t want to be without them. However, their overuse raises concern for both environmental and health reasons.

 

While the FDA reports that some chemicals do leach into food from plastics under some conditions, they claim the levels are very low and that current research shows no adverse effects at these levels.

 

I’m not particularly interested in ingesting these chemicals even if no adverse effect has yet been proven.

 

I think a reasonable approach is to use plastic selectively. For example, I’m not about to go back to glass shampoo bottles. The combination of a glass bottle, wet, soapy hands, a tile floor, and bare feet just isn’t good. But I do prefer my tomato juice bottled in glass.

 

Reduce plastic usage overall. Be especially selective about using plastic to hold food or drinks. The chemical levels may be low, but why would you want any if you had a choice?

 

Evaluate the situations where you use plastic and see if another material might be a better choice.

 

References

  1. http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2008jer/0916.dtl#1.
  2. http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/98/bottle.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information, click here.]

 

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Is Your Brain Starving?

 

brain needs waterDo you find yourself forgetting where you left your car keys… or just feel like your brain is in a fog sometimes?

Contrary to popular belief, forgetfulness is not just a normal part of growing older. As you age, your brain loses critical nutrients that it needs to fire on all cylinders.

If your mental spark plugs aren’t firing like they used to, don’t worry. I’ll show you how to get your brain’s engine back to running as smooth as a Rolls Royce. You just need to know what’s missing and how to get it.

Your Brain is Begging for Nutrients

Your brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to transmit messages in the brain. There are millions of these messages happening every second. Neurotransmitters are conductors of these messages, allowing them to fire from one part of your brain to another.

One important neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh). Your body uses ACh to help regulate your heart, breathing, and sleep. Your body even uses it to control your muscles and keep you fired up for the bedroom.

Here’s the thing… your brain needs you to supply certain nutrients to make neurotransmitters.

But there’s a key nutrient it uses to make ACh that is probably missing from your diet. It’s called choline, and if you don’t get enough, you’re headed for trouble.  Choline is a necessary nutrient for overall brain health and functioning and it is important to avoid nutritional deficiencies to keep your brain sharp and healthy.1

When you don’t give the body enough choline, the brain is forced to get it from other parts of your brain. It starts eating itself alive to get what it needs for vital functions like heart and lung regulation.

I’ll show you ways to get the choline your brain needs in a second, but first let me introduce you to choline’s partner — DMAE.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) works with choline to create ACh. In fact, it does such a good job, the FDA almost approved it as a drug. The only reason it didn’t happen is that the manufacturer didn’t want to pay the expenses to get it classified as one.

But it is the main ingredient in a commonly prescribed drug in Europe. Called Centrophenoxine, it has been shown to boost cognitive functions.2

Unlike Ritalin® and other brain-stimulating substances, proper doses of DMAE are a safe and side-effect-free solution to support brain health and reduce age-related mental decline and mood/behavioral problems.3

Get These Critical Brain Saving Nutrients Now

To get the nutrition your brain needs to stay sharp and clear, you may need to combine food and supplementation. Here’s how to get your ACh cranking:

Choline – You need at least 425 mg a day as a woman, 550 mg if you’re a man. The richest food sources of choline are (in mg per 100 g of food):

  • Whole cooked eggs – 272. Make sure you get free-range eggs without antibiotics or hormones. They’ll help fuel your muscles as well as give you much-needed choline.
  • Raw egg yolks – 682. Go ahead and crack open a couple eggs into your protein shake. It’s only an urban legend that there’s danger in eating them raw.
  • Chicken liver – 290. Though some people get turned off by organ meats, they’re a potent source of high-powered nutrition. And it’s an old wives tale that they store toxins – they don’t.
  • Turkey liver – 220. Another great source of nutrition. Just like any liver, it also provides vitamin A, CoQ10 and iron.
  • Pork – 130. Just like beef, you want to eat only organic, grass-fed animals for the proper balance of fats and zero hormones and antibiotics.

If you’re older, you may need more choline — as much as 1500 mg a day. That may require supplementation. If you take a supplement, be sure it’s in the form of choline citrate.

DMAE – You need at least 35 mg of DMAE a day. Fish is a good food source, especially sardines and anchovies.

So stop starving your brain of these critical nutrients. They’re easy to replace and will help to promote a healthy mind into your golden years.

References

  1. Ferris SH, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1977; 25:241-4.
  2. Mosharrof, A.H., et al., Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg, 1986. 12(3): p. 7-14.
  3. Caille E.-J, Psychol Med.1986;18:2069-2086.

[Ed. Note: Learn how you can rev up your mind and steer clear of those brain catastrophes that strike as you get older. Go here NOW.  Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]

Just Say No to Sweet Poison

As bad as too much sugar is for you, its cousin from the wrong side of the tracks is even worse. I’m speaking of course about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the sugary goo that’s been added to soft drinks, salad dressings, cakes, cookies, and cereals for over 30 years. The darling of food manufacturers everywhere, HFCS made its debut as the ideal solution for extending the shelf-life and reducing the costs of producing commercially sweetened foods

While it might have been a magic bullet for manufacturers and retailers, for the general public, it’s been a bullet of a very different kind. According to an excellent 2-part article by Jonny Bowden in Total Health Breakthroughs, HFCS has a veritable laundry list of associated health risks including raising triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, reducing insulin sensitivity, and causing dangerous intra-abdominal fat (the kind that’s a precursor to heart disease).

If that’s not enough to make you think twice about your food choices, there is now another frightening twist to the HFCS story — mercury contamination!

Mercury is the heavy metal that can damage the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and immune system. In pregnant women, mercury can cross the placenta and affect the neurological development of the fetus. (Is it any wonder we’re seeing so many cases of autism and ADHD?)

The latest news regarding the dangers of HFCS came to light in late January when several news outlets published the results of two eye-opening studies.1 In the first study, it was reported that in 2005, an FDA scientist tested 20 commercial products containing HFCS and found that 9 of them were positive for mercury. If that wasn’t bad enough, the FDA, asleep on the job as usual, did not release these dangerous findings to the public until recently…

In the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group analyzed 55 commercial products containing HFCS purchased in the fall of 2008. That group found that nearly 1 in 3 of the foods and beverages it tested contained mercury.

At this point you might be wondering what a toxic heavy metal has to do with high-fructose corn syrup. Was it an accident or shoddy manufacturing practices that caused mercury to be found in these foods? The answer is no. In creating the corn syrup, a mercury reagent is typically used with a caustic soda to separate corn starch from the kernel. In the process, the mercury cells can contaminate the caustic soda, which is then transferred to the corn syrup.2

A spokesperson for the Corn Refiners Association claims that the industry has not used mercury reagents in the manufacturing of HFCS for several years and the study is therefore outdated. But can that really be true if the products tested in the second study were purchased off the shelf by IATP in 2008?1

And even so, that feeble excuse cannot reverse the damage done to countless Americans who unknowingly ingested mercury-contaminated food for 30 or more years, clogged their arteries, and possibly affected the neurological development of their unborn children.

What’s the takeaway advice here? It’s obvious. Get high-fructose corn syrup out of your diet. The health dangers are just too alarming to ignore. Don’t wait for the FDA or food manufacturers to do the right thing. If their track record is any indication, the wait will be a long one.

References

Washingtonpost.com, January 28, 2009.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013866786

By Melanie Segala
Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

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