Alternative Health looks at alternative ways of treating illness apart from the medical system.
Studies Link Heavy Metals to Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Declining IQ in American Children
A new UK-based study in the Journal of Attention Disorders explores undiagnosed ADHD and ASD in a population of mostly female adult volunteers drawn from the general population. The researchers included only participants who had never received a diagnosis of ADHD, ASD, dyslexia or another mental disorder. A new Canadian study in the International Review of Neurobiology also found an overlap in neurodevelopmental disorders. The study’s authors note that 85% to 90% of patients with Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders have comorbidities and manifest an overlapping spectrum of “sensory-, behavioral-, cognitive- and sleep-related problems that have a major impact on their functioning and quality of life.” These comorbidities commonly include ADHD, ASD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and mood and anxiety disorders. Multiple studies have pointed to heavy metals as the leading culprit in the cascade of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Nano-Toxicity: Are Nanoparticles in Food and Our Environment the New Health Epidemic?
Nanoparticles of various types are being used in hundreds of products today, such as: food, pharmaceutical drugs, medical supplies, cosmetics and personal care products, energy storage devices, water treatment and air filtration equipment, environmental remediation technology, chemical and biological sensors, and in military explosives to name a few. The U.S. government does not prohibit or regulate the inclusion of manmade nanoparticle additives in baby food, adult food, cosmetics, or consumer products and does not prohibit nanoparticles from being used in certified organic food. Nano-ingredients are used in: transparent sunscreens; light-diffracting cosmetics; penetration enhanced moisturizers; stain-, moisture-, and odor- repellent fabrics; long-lasting paints and furniture varnishes; anti-bacterial household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and air conditioners; and sporting equipment. They are used in children’s skincare products and sunscreens, supplements, food containers, pacifiers, teethers, blankets, toys and stuffed animals, baby bottles, toothbrushes, baby carriages, bibs, and baby clothing. Recent research on the ingestion of nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding their toxicity to humans and the environment. Research suggests that nanoparticles of many materials are more biologically active than their normal size counterparts because they have significantly greater surface area per mass. Nanoparticles less than 300 nm are able to pass through cell membranes in organisms, and their interactions with biological systems are relatively unknown.
Does Marijuana Cause Brain Damage?
Brain damage is a major issue that marijuana prohibitionists point out as a primary reason to ban cannabis. Throughout the "Drug War" declared by then President Nixon in 1971, which has been continued through subsequent presidential administrations, there have been a few outrageous attempts at proving brain damage from cannabis. However, anecdotal and clinical application reports of recoveries from brain damage or neurological diseases have contradicted what most formally funded academic studies report regarding effects on the brain. Studies not funded by American government agencies, however, are reporting that the brain damage fears are at least exaggerated, if not completely unfounded.
You Are Likely Hosting Parasites: FREE Online Summit Teaches How to Eliminate Them
Are parasites silently preventing you from overcoming your health challenges? It’s imperative to find out! You are likely hosting one or more parasites — which can enter your body through food, drink, contact with infected persons — and can live within you for years! The Parasite Summit is online and FREE from September 11-18, 2017. Parasites aren’t just found in third-world countries, millions are already infected in industrialized countries — they’re far more common than you realize and could be silently hampering your health. Fortunately, with awareness and appropriate care, parasites can be prevented and treated, once detected.
Vitamin C Stops Cancer
There are continual advances in science (as well as always some controversy), but new research supporting vitamin C's potential in preventing the advancement of several forms of cancer is some of the most promising and remarkable that's emerged in a while. More specifically, vitamin C may stop leukemia stem cells from multiplying, which could prevent certain forms of blood cancer from advancing, the journal Cell reveals, along with pancreatic, colon, liver and ovarian cancers, according to several other notable medical journals and scientific reports.
Access to Medical Cannabis Speeds Ahead in Countries Outside the U.S.
Despite newly appointed Attorney General Jeff Session’s unfounded proclamations that marijuana destroys families and lives, the steady march of medical marijuana successes and greater access to patients continues internationally. North and south of the U.S. borders, making medical marijuana available to patients who need it is making strong advances. Since its start in 2000, Canada’s nationwide medical marijuana system has evolved into a more accessible program for patients today, and 2018 is arriving with even more improvements. April 2017 is when Mexico’s Congress overwhelming passed a bill approved by its Senate last year to allow cannabis as medicine, allowing national research to proceed as well as decriminalizing its use among citizens. Mexico’s president Enrique Pena Nieto has fully supported this action, suggesting even more access to medical marijuana. Despite this and international research proving the merits of medical cannabis, our United States national government agencies continue promoting false "Reefer Madness" fears.
If Sperm Counts Continue Declining Humans Could Become Extinct
If sperm counts continue declining at the current rate, humans could become extinct. Analyzing nearly 200 studies, researchers have found that the sperm counts in men across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have halved in less than forty years. The study found that the decline in men’s sperm counts may also be accelerating. Although the study didn’t investigate the potential causes of this sharp decline, prior research has implicated exposures to man-made chemicals, especially endocrine disruptors that are plentiful in many consumer products and the pesticides sprayed on our food. One such endocrine disruptor is GM soybeans. In a Russian study on hamsters, scientists observed that consumption of GM soybeans tended to slow their sexual maturation, and completely eliminating their ability to reproduce.
Do You Need a Parasite Cleanse? Make Your Own Natural Parasite Cleanse
Whenever parasites are mentioned it is usually considered a third world or developing nation issue. Phrases such as “lovely place, nice people, but don’t drink the water” are common jokes that have some basis in truth. Although our culture is programmed to think all illnesses are derived from viruses and some bacteria, the USA also has its share of parasite issues. The CDC openly admits this in a May 2017 report on its website: "Outbreaks of a parasitic infection linked to swimming pools and water playgrounds are increasingly being reported to CDC, with twice as many outbreaks in 2016 as in 2014." Notice the word "outbreaks" is used, not "cases." The outbreaks recorded from a few states with using a recently installed tracking system involved hundreds of cases reported, overflowing into the thousands range. This specific parasite invasion was from the microscopic Cryptosporidium, aka Crypto, which has a capacity for surviving prescribed pool chlorine content requirements. The chlorine levels in municipal tap water can’t handle this parasite either. There was a neti-pot scare a few years ago when a few folks died from a brain eating amoeba after using their neti-pot with tap water or swimming in fresh water lakes of ponds during summer months. So maybe it’s time to focus a bit more on parasites instead of viruses that sometimes don’t really exist and are usually more difficult to spread than parasites?
Shona Banda Forced to Leave Kansas to Continue Using Medical Cannabis that Saved Her Life
Two years ago, a woman with two children was celebrating her renewed life after cannabis oil had taken her out of her deathbed from terminal Crohn’s disease. She had undergone 16 surgeries and several toxic pharmaceuticals, one dangerously experimental. The doctors had finally given up. Shona Banda’s health had worsened until she was bedridden and “waiting to die,” until she started using cannabis oil. The results were miraculous. Shona Banda became a medical cannabis advocate in her home town of Garden City, an hour from the Colorado border, in a dangerous state, Kansas, for that type of activity. After surviving a terminal illness by using cannabis, she was arrested in 2015 and faced a potential sentencing of 30 years in prison. Her son was taken into custody by CPS. Her trial dragged on for two years before she survived the legal system by accepting a second plea deal arrangement earlier this month, August, 2017, despite her initial feeling that she could win the case.
Are Supplements Killing Children? No – Children More likely to Die from Swallowing Batteries than Vitamins
Last week, a paper in the Journal of Medical Toxicology reported that calls to poison control centers concerning dietary supplements were up 50% over the period 2005-2012, with most of those calls relating to small children. The mainstream media pounced, questioning whether parents should risk storing supplements at home. As with previous attacks against supplements, however, an analysis of the underlying data shows that supplements are overwhelmingly safe products. Nearly 90% of all consumer calls to America’s poison control centers are about drugs and other man-made chemicals. Children are far more likely to die from swallowing batteries than vitamins. Children are far more likely to die from swallowing batteries than vitamins. In 2015 alone, 42 children under the age of 5 died after ingesting analgesics, batteries, air fresheners and other chemical products – whereas not a single child died from accidentally swallowing vitamins or dietary supplements. In 2015, a similar media outcry ignited when the US Department of Health and Human Services asserted that supplements send 23,000 people a year to hospital emergency rooms. On closer inspection, though, ANH found that 20% of the cases were the result of unsupervised children swallowing pills, and 40% involved adults over the age of 65 who choked on their pills. In other incidents, heart palpitations resulted from ingesting too many diet pills, taking sexual enhancement pills, and/or downing energy drinks. The current brouhaha is likewise slanting and “cherry picking” the data. It’s probably no coincidence that the recent outcry is citing data from 2005-2012, when consumers’ use of dietary supplements vastly increased. Greater consumer use of any product is bound to produce more consumer questions and concerns, whether or not any actual cases of poisoning result. While FDA-approved drugs kill hundreds of thousands of patients a year – even when properly prescribed – the mainstream media doesn’t bat an eye. Supplements have killed zero people, yet there is a consistent media drumbeat for more regulation and government oversight over dietary supplements. What is never mentioned is that supplements are already regulated, and that treating them like drugs will raise their prices to drug like levels, or more likely eliminate them entirely from stores because producers cannot afford to spend so much on non-patentable products.
Are Soy Formulas Affecting Hormones in Infants?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 25 percent of commercial infant formulas are soy based. In an August 2017 article in the online publication Undark, publisher Deborah Blum brought up the soy formula for infants controversy by interviewing Dr. Jack Taylor, M.D., Ph.D., who is heading research on the effects of soy on infants at the University of North Carolina, funded by the NIH. The research follows up on children’s health development among three categories of infant feeding: breast milk; cow’s milk formulas; and soy formulas. This research group’s most recent paper, “Soy Formula and Epigenetic Modifications” determined a genetic change with vaginal cells among young girls fed soy milk as infants. In her article Blum points out: “Research shows that soy milk and soy formula contain up to 4500 times the level of phytoestrogens found in cow’s milk or breastmilk. … consider further, that a baby on a soy formula diet is being repeatedly dosed every day.” Dr. Taylor states: “Well, you are absolutely correct that these babies are getting a lot higher dose of a known estrogenic compound than they’ll ever get from BPA or an endocrine disruptor like that.” Another study published earlier in the Lancet concluded: "Circulating concentrations of isoflavones in the seven infants fed soy-based formula were 13,000 – 22, 000 times higher than plasma oestradiol [a type of estrogen] concentrations in early life, and may be sufficient to exert biological effects, whereas the contribution of isoflavones from breast-milk and cow-milk is negligible."
Is Trimethylglycine (TMG) the New Super Nutrient?
What some are claiming could be called a super nutrient, or panacea, for many ailments is known as trimethylglycine (TMG) or glycine betaine. TMG was discovered to be beneficial for heart health back in the 1950s because of its ability to reduce high levels of homocysteine, which creates a higher risk for heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. TMG also contributes to promoting CoQ-10, a heart health coenzyme that hadn’t been discovered until well after the 1950s. But this ability to lower that valid high risk marker for heart disease and promote a heart strengthening co-enzyme are not the only benefits from using TMG. TMG has recently been used for improving conditions like ulcers, arthritis, leaky gut syndrome, diabetes, kidney and heart failure, neurobehavioral disorders, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, and even certain cancers. It is useful for slowing the aging process, inducing better sleep, calming nerves, and improving digestion and immunity.
New Smart Meters and 5G Technologies Can Be Used to Intercept All of Your Private Data
Will smart meters and 5G cellular services become a threat to the security of our computers and smart phones? Breaches in security from these new microwave technologies are quite possible. According to Bell Labs, the smart meter is actually the weakest element in the data security system used by utility companies. Security systems designed to prevent unauthorized use of smart meters would be very expensive, and utility companies do not have the resources to apply high security control over hundreds of millions of smart meters. This means that the likelihood of smart meters being hijacked and adapted for harmful purposes without utility company cooperation is high. Smart meters are definitely not secure air-gapped devices. Smart meters are designed to send and receive microwave signals and they perform that function well. If they can receive transmissions from the utility company and send responses, then they also could receive and respond to signals from unauthorized sources. Yes, I understand that smart meters use encryption systems, but I also understand that encryption systems can be circumvented by those with evil intent as was shown by Israeli researchers.
Can New 5G Technology and Smart Meters be Used as Weapons?
Promoted as beneficial technology for electric consumers and marketed to satisfy the public’s never-ending demand for faster internet communication, the combination of the new 5G microwave technology and smart meters might just become an all-in-one weapons and surveillance system. This technology, when fully implemented, could intrude into people's privacy by revealing their location to those who want to know where and when someone travels. In addition to tracking one's movements, it has the potential for providing access to everything one does with cell phones, computers, or other electronic devices that are in our homes. Beyond the intrusion into our private lives, it could be used to alter the way one thinks, used to weaken one's health, and even used to facilitate death. Undoubtedly the rationalization of using this technology in such a way would be to fight "terrorism." But what would stop law enforcement and government agencies from using it against U.S. citizens who are political dissidents, or oppose the government's position on issues like mandatory vaccines and GMO foods, for example?
Barefoot is Better! Modern Day Shoes Unhealthy
What if you discovered that walking barefoot not only saves your children’s feet from poor foot formation as they grow, but also helps improve overall health for them and you as an adult? There have been several studies supporting both areas of concern. In an article published in the October 2002 edition of Podiatry Management, revered podiatrist Dr. William Rossi proclaimed that the notion of foot problems from wearing unusually poor fitting or outgrown shoes was misguided because almost all shoes for children are and have been inappropriately designed footwear for children. Most shoes, even those designed to give more support for young children and toddlers, are not designed to match the foot’s natural design. Dr. Rossi’s basic premise is that most footwear causes most foot problems. He died at the age of 93 in 2003, but his legacy continues through his writings that have enlightened others with the details of why most shoes don’t match the mechanical needs of our feet.
Cannabis – The Complete Opposite of What the Government Tells Us
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. Surprisingly, for the past half-century, the NIH has paid Israeli researchers millions of dollars to study the effects of the medical cannabis. What has been the return on investment for that long-standing partnership? The American people have the right to know, right? When there is 2.3 million patients in the US relying on the plant as their medicine (legally), we need the best evidence there is to warn about dangers, but also teach about the benefits! Just recently I witnessed a child with an active seizure receive an intranasal spray that was cannabis based. The seizure stopped within seconds. Medical cannabis is not a joke. There have been tremendous gains in understanding the medicinal properties of this plant in all of its divine molecular artistry. As of this year, several pharmaceutical “cannabis-like” synthetic drugs—all in the name of patents—have been approved with more than a half dozen to follow. And yet, the actual plant remains highly illegal from a federal vista. We are paying another country to do cannabis research, so pharmaceutical companies can develop drugs that mimic cannaboids that allegedly have the same or similar beneficial outcomes, yet bring more harmful side effects. There is nothing wrong in providing a product to consumers. It is criminal, however, when the government lets big pharma cash in on cannabis-like drugs and at the same time keeps hundreds of thousands of our citizens locked up in jail for just possessing the plant (which made the drug for pharma in the first place).
Medical Cannabis Ideal for Recovering from Stroke or Other Brain Injury
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Someone has a stroke every 53 seconds. Most are ischemic, which deny blood and oxygen to brain tissue cells due to blood vessel constrictions or obstructions. Hemorrhagic strokes, which occur from leaking or burst brain blood vessels, are in the minority. Strokes do cause brain and neurological damage since a portion of the brain is denied blood and oxygen long enough for brain cell death and tissue damage. Most medical professionals consider the damage irreparable. This irreparable damage is a leading cause of disability, often involving speech, which is sometimes partially overcome with costly and extensive rehab. Often major damage comes from the effort to rapidly restore blood flow for ischemic stroke victims, known as reperfusion, in order to keep the victim alive. Recent research in China using pure cannabidiol (CBD) discovered it is a safe deterrent that at least minimizes permanent damage from strokes. From that study comes this conclusion: “In summary, our results suggest that CBD exerts a potent neuroprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury by attenuating intracellular oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics, and optimizing glucose metabolism via the pentose-phosphate pathway, thus strengthening the antioxidant defenses and preserving the energy homeostasis of neurons.”
The Cholesterol and Calorie Hypotheses are Both Dead — The Real Culprit is Insulin Resistance
Aggressive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been the cornerstone of preventative cardiology for decades. Statins are widely used as the go-to solution for the prevention of heart disease owing to their ability to slash LDL-C levels, a ‘surrogate marker’ of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Indeed, statins are one of the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the world. But this phenomenon begs two questions: is the enthusiasm for aggressive lowering of LDL-C justified; and is pharmacotherapy superior to lifestyle intervention? In summary, for many patients at high risk of CVD, one of the safest and most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke is to consume a high fat and low glycaemic load Mediterranean diet and engage in regular exercise. At the very least, exercise interventions are often similar to drug interventions in terms of their mortality benefits in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, and do not come with side effects.
Heartburn Drugs Increase Mortality — How to Safely Address Indigestion
If you suffer from frequent heartburn, chances are you've been prescribed a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) such as Prilosec, Prevacid or Nexium to inhibit acid production. This, despite the fact they were never intended to treat heartburn in the first place. PPI drugs were originally designed to treat a very limited range of severe problems, including bleeding ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a rare condition in which tumors in the pancreas cause your stomach to produce excess acid) and severe acid reflux concomitant with esophageal damage. But that hasn't stopped them from becoming the go-to solution for everyday indigestion. Research clearly shows PPIs are outrageously overprescribed and misused, and do far more harm than good. There are many alternative treatment strategies that can help ease this painful problem without the serious side effects associated with PPIs, which include kidney disease, pneumonia, osteoporosis, hip fractures, dementia and an increased risk for heart disease, heart attacks and premature death. The long-term answer to heartburn and acid indigestion is to restore your natural gastric balance and function. The most important step is to eat real food, as processed foods and sugars are a surefire way to exacerbate acid reflux. Reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, either from traditionally fermented foods or a high-quality probiotic supplement, is also important. Aside from that, there are a number of natural substances that can help address the root of the problem.
Study: People Who Drink Coffee are Healthier – Live Longer
During the 1960s and 70s, when the health food industry and health conscious consumers began to flourish, coffee was a serious no-no. Health advocates urged consumers to drink only steam treated caffeine free coffee or herbal teas that didn’t carry caffeine. Now that viewpoint has been shattered. Recent long term epidemiological surveys indicate that coffee drinking is linked to longevity. And if you are somewhat suspicious of epidemiological research conclusions, there are several other animal studies to back up those claims. The health history of coffee has flip-flopped often since coffee houses began in Arab nations during the 1500s then spread to Europe during the 1600s. Good and bad health claims were often unfounded and outrageous. Classical music composers such as Beethoven and Rossini were heavy coffee consumers. During the 20th century coffee was considered a health hazard promoting various cancers and heart attacks in addition to nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia. But toward the end of that century, the antioxidant qualities of coffee were discovered. But since the year 2000, the bulk of coffee with caffeine nutritional studies have been so overwhelmingly positive, that even the “2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report” gave coffee a healthy thumbs up. This committee advises the USDA and Health and Human Services.