Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs: What Are Drugmakers Hiding?

Nearly two years after a clinical trial of the cholesterol-lowering drugs Zetia and Vytorin was finished, the results have still not been released by the drugs’ makers (Merck and Schering-Plough).Yet, close to 800,000 prescriptions for the drugs are written each week in the United States, bringing in close to $4 billion for the year.

The companies have responded to cardiologists’ concerns over the lack of safety data for the drugs by promising to publish only a portion of the results in March, a move that critics are calling highly unusual.Currently, no one knows whether Zetia and Vytorin are as effective as other cholesterol-lowering medications called statins. If they turn out to be less so, patients may be unnecessarily at risk of heart attacks.Zetia was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002 because it was found to lower LDL cholesterol by 15 to 20 percent. Vytorin combines Zetia with Merck’s statin drug, Zocor.

Together, the drugs have acquired close to 20 percent of the U.S. market for cholesterol-lowering drugs.However, because Zetia and Vytorin work differently than standard statin drugs, cardiologists have expressed concerns that they may not protect the cardiovascular system as much as using a statin does.Drugmakers Changed the Trial’s EndpointAlong with announcing that they will only be releasing part of the clinical trial’s results, Merck and Schering-Plough said they had changed the trial’s endpoint, or the final result the study was supposed to measure.

Typically, the trial’s endpoint is supposed to remain constant because otherwise the study’s authors could change their goals to conform to the data they received.The delay in publishing the study’s results raise further questions as to whether the drug industry is improving their disclosure of clinical trials.Two years ago drugmakers promised to disclose study results publicly, however they face few penalties for failing to do so.


Sources:
New York Times November 21, 2007

12 Top Places You Risk Getting Infected

In some cases, you may encounter these places numerous times a day. In others, your exposure will be more sporadic. But either way, the following locations are some of the most germ-infested in the entire United States.

1. Your kitchen sink: With more dirt than a typical bathroom, and over 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain, your kitchen sink basin and faucet are teeming with germs.

2. Airplane bathrooms: Never mind the fecal bacteria that’s commonly found on door handles and faucets, the worst part is the tornado of germy particles that’s spewed into the air when you flush the toilet.

3. Wet laundry (even after it’s been washed): A dirty pair of underwear contains about a gram of ***, and this gets spread around the entire load of laundry very quickly. It’s not until you dry the clothes that the germs are destroyed.

4. Drinking fountains: All public drinking fountains are loaded with germs, but those in schools -- which contained anywhere from 62,000 to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch of the spigot -- were the worst.

5. Shopping cart handles: While you’re innocently shopping for groceries, your hands are grasping a handle covered in saliva, bacteria and fecal matter from dozens of people.

6. ATM buttons: Think about how often these buttons are touched everyday. Now think about how often they’re cleaned. This explains why one study found an average of over 1,200 bacteria on the average ATM key.

7. Your handbag: Women, your purse is likely overrun with thousands, and even millions, of bugs like salmonella, E. coli, staph bacteria and more. Makes you think twice about putting your handbag on the floor, and then plopping it down onto your kitchen counter, doesn’t it?

8. Playgrounds: Your typical children’s playground is covered in bodily fluids like blood, mucus, saliva and urine.

9. Mats and machines at health clubs: Yoga mat? Elliptical machine? Think bacteria factory. Such mats and cardio machines have been found to contain antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria and more.

10. Your bathtub: Bathtubs contain more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch, some of which you have just washed off your own body.

11. Your office phone: Phones get coated with germs from your mouth and hands, to the tune of over 25,000 germs per square inch.

12. Hotel-room remote control: This little remote has been used by hundreds of other people, and likely wasn’t thoroughly disinfected in between.

Danger: What exactly are you putting on your skin

Ever wonder why so many skin care products you buy — even at the health food store — have ingredients on their labels that you can’t even read or pronounce?

In my view, if you can’t read or pronounce the ingredient, there is a high likelihood it should not be in your lotion or other skin care product.
Obviously, you really want to avoid using anything potentially toxic on your skin!
Because this is such a common problem, I’ve been searching for a product that you could be confident was made of real, recognizable, natural and organic ingredients. So you could enhance your health from the ‘outside in’, as well as the ‘inside out’.
Quality skin care is not a replacement for good internal health — it is a part of your entire package of wellbeing.

One of the first strategies you can use to improve your skin health is to make sure you are getting enough high quality omega-3 fats. This is such a reliable indicator that I frequently am able to tell someone’s omega-3 needs just by shaking their hand.
If their hand is not smooth as a baby’s behind, it’s usually a strong indication that they need some more high quality animal-based omega-3 fats — like Omega Guard.
So if you struggle with dry skin, make sure you are taking enough of these omega-3 fats. In the colder dry winter months, you may even need to increase your dose.

Your skin grows from the inside out, so your overall nutritional levels really matter. That said however, caring for your skin is not just an inside job — it’s an outside job too.

Your skin is much more than an outer surface for the world to see — it’s the largest organ of your body!

Do something extraordinary for your youthful looks today.
Plus, it has a number of amazing responsibilities that you probably don’t think about on a daily basis:
Protects your internal organs from injury and infection.
Helps detoxify wastes through perspiration.
Provides an important line of immune defense against infections — your healthy skin creates a barrier to viruses and bacteria.
Protects you against extreme changes in temperature, through its thermoregulatory effect of controlling heat flow between you and your environment.
Produces and stores vitamin D, which is important to your immune system.
Rich in receptors, it allows you to sense conditions around you — like hard/soft and hot/cold — and send information to your brain so you can react to it for self-preservation.
Protects your body from sunburns.
Protects you from dehydration.

The loss of any of these functions will compromise your best health — and can accelerate signs of normal aging.
Put simply, your skin plays a major role in your health.
It functions as an organ that can absorb and excrete both nutrients and toxins through its pores. The condition of your skin is a powerful reflection of just how healthy you are on the inside.
Because your skin has the ability to absorb whatever you put on it, careful choices are critical. You want to give your skin the same thoughtful care you give your internal organs. In a moment, I’ll tell you about some things that help support the health of your skin.
But first, let’s take a quick look at some of the ingredients in today’s skin care products that can compromise the health of your skin (or even more of your body functions).

We believe containers when they show a “danger” warning, or a “skull and crossbones” to warn of toxins in a product. And we respond by not applying them to our skin or eating them!
Potential toxins used in the name of beauty – not a fair trade…
Yet many skin care products use ingredients with unrecognizable and unpronounceable names.
Personally, I rarely put anything consciously on my skin that I wouldn’t be willing to put in my mouth.

It is well-proven that when you apply these chemicals to your skin, they enter your bloodstream and become integrated into your body tissues, In fact, it is probably safer to eat these ingredients than to rub them on your skin (although I strongly recommend you don’t do either!).

However, if you do happen to eat these chemicals, your digestive system can produce specific enzymes to break down these toxins and excrete them… something that doesn’t readily occur when you absorb them through the skin.
Potentially harmful ingredients continue to be used. Why? Because they are cheap, readily available, and easily diluted.

Why don’t you run and get a bottle of any of the skin moisturizers that you are currently using. You might find that your personal care products contain one or probably more of many possibly dangerous ingredients.

Here are a few of the most common suspicious ingredients:

Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum – Petroleum products that coat the skin like plastic, clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins, which in turn accumulate and can lead to dermatologic issues. Slows cellular development, which can cause you to show earlier signs of aging. Suspected cause of cancer. Disruptive of hormonal activity. By the way, when there’s an oil spill in the ocean, don’t they rush to clean it up – fast? Why put that stuff on your skin?

Parabens – Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry (including moisturizers). An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities – mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system.

Phenol carbolic acid– Found in many lotions and skin creams. Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma and even death from respiratory failure.
Propylene glycol – Used as a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a carrier in fragrance oils. Shown to cause dermatitis, kidney or liver abnormalities, and may inhibit skin cell growth or cause skin irritation.

Acrylamide– Found in many hand and face creams. Linked to mammary tumors in lab research.
Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)– Found in car washes, engine degreasers, garage floor cleaners… and in over 90% of personal care products! SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture barrier, easily penetrates the skin, and allows other chemicals to easily penetrate. Combined with other chemicals, SLS becomes a “nitrosamine”, a potent class of carcinogen. It can also cause hair loss. SLES is sometimes disguised with the labeling “comes from coconut” or “coconut-derived”.

Toluene – Poison! Danger! Harmful or fatal if swallowed! Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Made from petroleum or coal tar, and found in most synthetic fragrances. Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may affect a developing fetus. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) contains toluene. Other names may include benzoic and benzyl.

Dioxane– Found in compounds known as PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, ethoxylated alcohols. Common in a wide range of personal care products. The compounds are usually contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane, easily absorbed through the skin.Dioxane’s carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965 and later confirmed in studies including one from the National Cancer Institute in 1978. Nasal passages and liver are the most vulnerable. Dioxane is easily removed during the manufacturing process by “vacuum stripping”. Warning: It is a synthetic derivative of coconut. Watch for hidden language on labels, such as “comes from coconut”.

So, do you want to put these chemicals on your skin? Hopefully not...
You’d be better served by switching to skin care products made of plant names you recognize, can pronounce, and could even eat (if you had to).

Free Eco Toys for Baby!

Our friends at Z Recs have started a blog called Prizey, a directory of online giveaways related to children. This month, they are featuring an Eco Baby Giveaway! This giveaway features over $200 in eco-friendly baby products.

To enter, you must email the folks at Prizey:

a theme idea you’d love to see in a future PRIZEY giveaway, with one company whose products you think would be a great fit for it, and
your mailing address (even if you’ve entered a past contest, because we don’t store your personal info at PRIZEY)

by Midnight CST Nov. 27.

Featured in this eco baby giveaway are a set of BPA-free bottles, a bamboo velour baby blanket, wooden and plush infant toys, a set of natural rubber pacifiers, and an Amnesty International toddler t-shirt.

Since Prizey is giving away pacifiers, I will share my opinion on them. Neither of my children had a pacifier (well, my son used one for two weeks while in the hospital after open-heart surgery). I do not think children need pacifiers, if they are allowed to nurse at will anytime there is no need. It is true that sucking is important for children’s oral and emotional development, but I hate to see toddlers with pacifiers pinned to their shirts and never without one in their mouths. If you think about it, much of the human race survives without pacifiers and have done so from the beginning.

I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with an entry idea, but this giveaway is exactly what I would suggest. I wish you luck and hope the folks at Prizey will continue to giveaway quality eco-friendly gifts.

The Deadly Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill 2

Long-term use of birth control pills may increase artery buildups in your body that may raise your risk of heart disease, Belgium researchers found.

In a study of 1,300 healthy women between the ages of 35 and 55, there was a 20 percent to 30 percent increased prevalence of plaque for every 10 years of oral contraceptive use.

Though the researchers pointed out that the plaques identified were small and not large enough to block an artery, any plaque is thought to raise your risk of heart disease.

Many of the women in the study had used older, first-generation birth control pills, which had twice the estrogen levels as most oral contraceptives used today.

About 100 million women worldwide currently take birth control pills, and hundreds of millions of women have used them since they were first introduced in 1960.

Sources:

American Heart Association Conference November 6, 2007, Orlando, Florida

Yahoo News November 6, 2007

Do You Know the Dangerous Chemicals in Common Baby Products?

The Environmental Working Group is again sharing shocking news. After surveying 3,300 parents, comparing the baby products they use to lists of chemicals known to cause allergies, hormone disruption, damage to the nervous system, and cancer, the group found that children are exposed to 27 chemical ingredients on a daily basis that have never been assessed for safety.

Not by the industry, nor by the government. Dr. Rebecca Sutton, the environmental scientist who conducted the study, points out that:

2 bromo, 2 nitropropane, and 3-DIOL create allergies and skin irritations, and in certain products can break down to form new cancer causing agents

Desitin diaper cream contains sodium borate, which can collect in your child’s brain and liver, causing detrimental health effects

Sunscreen with oxybenzone can trigger allergies, and disrupts your delicate hormone system.

Surprisingly, 89 percent of products labeled “Recommended by doctor” are actually some of your worst offenders, containing what Dr. Sutton considers dangerous chemicals.

Manufacturers have responded with the following statement from the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association: "Companies utilize a complex, multi-tiered scientific approach to extensively evaluate the safety of individual ingredients and finished products. These processes can take many months to several years to complete and utilize the expertise of leading chemists, toxicologists, biologists, dermatologists and experts from other scientific disciplines and medical specialty areas."

Sources:
Environmental Working Group October 31, 2007

Antioxidants in Food Stop Both Cancer and Heart Disease

According to new research published in the November 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal a common ingredient in red wine, fruits and vegetables, has the ability to affect cancerous tumors, and can battle heart disease.

The French team found that high and low doses of polyphenols have different effects.
Most notably, very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols– equivalent of one bottle of red wine per day -- were able to shut down and prevent cancerous tumors, by cutting off the formation of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth.

Alternatively, relatively low doses of polyphenols – equivalent to approximately one glass of wine a day -- were found to play a beneficial role in combating heart disease, benefiting your circulatory system by facilitating blood vessel growth.
Polyphenols are commonly found in:

Red wine
Fruits
Vegetables
Green tea.

Sources:
Eurekalert October 30, 2007

The FASEB Journal November 2007;21:3511-3521

Black Tea Shows Blood Sugar Benefits

Drinking black tea may be beneficial for people with diabetes, as it appears to stimulate an insulin response and reduce blood sugar levels, according to researchers from King's College London and the University of Central Lancashire.Sixteen participants drank glucose in either water, water plus a small amount of caffeine, or water plus instant black tea.

After two hours, plasma glucose concentrations were significantly reduced in those who consumed 1 gram of tea, compared to the plain water and caffeine drinks. Drinking black tea also increased insulin levels compared with the other drinks, after 90 minutes.Tea’s protective benefits have been linked to polyphenols,

including:
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
Epigallocatechin
Epicatechin gallate
Epicatechin

These compounds may offer blood sugar benefits by stimulating B-cells -- pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production -- to produce insulin in your body, according to researchers.Black tea makes up about 78 percent of the global tea market.

Sources:
Journal of the American College of Nutrition October 2007 Vol. 26, No. 5, 471-477

NutraIngredients.com October 24, 2007

Energy Drinks Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease

A recent study showed that there is a link between the consumption of energy drinks, high blood pressure, and heart disease risk.15 healthy young adult volunteers were given energy drinks, and then had their blood pressure and heart rate measured, over a period of seven days.

The numbers went up at every measurement done after the first day, and their heart rate had increased up to 11 percent by the seventh day.

Sources:
eFluxMedia November 9, 2007

Merck Unblinds AIDS Study

Merck plans to tell thousands of people who volunteered to test an experimental AIDS vaccine whether they received the actual shot or a placebo. The vaccine may have actually raised the risk of HIV infection.

Two international trials of the vaccine were halted in September after it became clear that the vaccine did not prevent infection. In early November, researchers saw worrying indications that the vaccine could raised the risk of HIV infection, although they have asserted that the vaccine itself could not cause an infection.

In many tests of new drugs, neither the researchers nor the volunteers know who gets the actual drug and who gets a placebo, in order to avoid any bias in determining how well the treatment works.

Sources:
Reuters November 13, 2007

Vitamin C Gives Staying Power to Antioxidants

Those who take lemon juice in their tea may be getting far more of the health benefits.
Catechins are naturally occurring antioxidants found in tea; complementing green tea with either citrus juices or vitamin C increases the amount of catechins available for the body to absorb.

Catechins may be responsible for some of green tea's reported health benefits, such as a reduced risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke. But catechins are relatively unstable in the intestines meaning that less than 20 percent of the total generally remains after digestion.

Citrus juice increased available catechin levels by more than five times, and vitamin C increased recovered levels of the two most abundant catechins by six-fold and thirteen-fold.
Lemon juice caused 80 percent of tea's catechins to remain available.

Sources:
Science Blog November 13, 2007

U.S. STD Rates On the Rise

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections rose again in the United States in 2006, the second year in a row that rates of these sexually transmitted bacterial infections increased. The rate of chlamydia increased by 5.6 percent 2005 to 2006.

In 2006, more than 1 million chlamydia cases were reported. 2006 saw the most since the CDC began tracking the disease in 1984, and the highest number of annual U.S. cases ever for any sexually transmitted disease.

In addition, according to the CDC, reported cases of chlamydia are likely less than half the actual occurrence, the CDC said.

The rate of gonorrhea rose 5.5 percent in 2006, with more than 350,000 cases reported, and the rate of syphilis rose 13.8 percent, with nearly 10,000 cases.
About 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year in the U.S., almost half among people ages 15 to 24.

Sources:
Yahoo News November 13, 2007

The Deadly Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill

Oral contraceptives, especially the high-estrogen ones sold decades ago, might increase the chances of artery buildups that can raise the risk of heart disease, according to a new Belgian study.
About 16 million American women are presently taking birth control pills, and hundreds of millions have used them at some time. They are already known to raise the risk of blood clots and high blood pressure.Ultrasound exams showed a 20 to 30 percent increased prevalence of plaque for every 10 years of oral contraceptive use, and any amount of plaque is believed to raise the risk of heart disease.

I can't stress enough that ALL birth control pills and injections can have serious health risks. There is always a safer option when it comes to birth control pills. Admittedly, it may not be as convenient, but other, far safer options exist.
We certainly don't know everything about estrogen or estrogen dominance, as it is called when estrogen levels remain high (throughout the menstrual cycle) without being balanced by progesterone, but among the effects we do know are:

Increased risk of breast cancer
Increased risk of blood clotting, heart attack and stroke
Migraines
Nausea, irregular bleeding or spotting
Gall bladder disease
Increased blood pressure
Benign liver tumors

Barrier methods and natural family planning (NFP) offer much safer, albeit less convenient, options than hormonal contraceptives. With NFP, there are no side effects and no toxic substances to put in your body and women often feel empowered as they become aware of their fertility cycle. I do recommend that you learn the method from a reliable source and if preventing pregnancy is an absolute must you may want to use a backup barrier method. Because these other safer options exist, I try to tell people to stop hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills as soon as possible.

Sources:
Yahoo News November 6, 2007

www.provedorcrescenet.com

Newest Thoughts on Brain Food

This intriguing editorial from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looks at the effects of omega-3 fats on brain health. Now that more than 5 million Americans have some form of Alzheimer’s disease, and just as many suffer from vascular dementia, preventing and slowing the progression of neurodegenerative disorders is a public health imperative.
A host of recent studies, in the AJCN and elsewhere, have looked at the relation between omega-3 fats and cognitive function. These studies could eventually lead to opportunities for early intervention to maintain brain function and slow progression to dementia.
One of the best things you can do to prevent dementia--and a variety of other chronic disease--is to adhere to a nutritious diet, suitable for your nutritional type. Increase the amount of fresh vegetables, which are high in folate, in your diet, and restrict grains and sugars.
One of the crucial balancing acts on the course to better health, and warding off dementia, is mastering the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your daily diet. Both are essential for your health. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3 fats, like DHA.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats should be 1:1. Today, your intake ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 averages from 20:1 to 50:1!
The easiest way to balance your ratio is to consume more omega-3 fats from good sources and to reduce your intake of omega-6 fats. The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil, so avoid or limit these oils. Your best source for omega-3 is from fish oil or krill oil. This is a clean, safe and pure alternative to fresh fish.

Omega Guard The World's Finest Fish Oil

Sources:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(5), 1259-1260, November 2007

Crestor Fails to Save Lives

Heart-failure patients who are given Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug, are just as likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, and other fatal cardiovascular problems as those on standard therapy alone.
Results of a 5,000-patient study showed that Crestor is, in fact, no better than a placebo when it comes to saving lives. Although Crestor's cholesterol-lowering ability is well-documented, the so-called CORONA study was the first to test whether the drug actually improves patient outcomes in the long run.
No statin has before been tested to assess its ability to protect heart-failure patients from fatal health consequences. In fact, trials of statins have traditionally excluded heart-failure patients.

Natural Alternatives to Heart Health and Cholesterol Management

Sources:
Reuters November 5, 2007

Merck to Pay $4.85 Billion Vioxx Settlement

Merck plans to pay $4.85 billion to end as many as 50,000 lawsuits regarding its painkiller Vioxx. The deal, if accepted, would be one of the largest drug settlements ever.
Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in 2004 after its was revealed that the popular drug doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Before it was pulled, Vioxx may have resulted in 60,000 fatalities in the U.S.
Merck executive vice president Kenneth Frazier called the agreement "responsible and reasonable," although Merck’s financial responsibility has been estimated as being as high as $50 billion.
Negotiating teams in eight states have been working out this deal over the course of many months.To qualify to receive part of the settlement, plaintiffs must have presented medical proof that they suffered a heart attack or stroke, and that they received at least 30 Vioxx pills. Previously, Merck had attempted to claim that Vioxx caused harm only after 18 months of use, although these claimes were dismissed by independent scientists and the plaintiffs’ lawyers.

Natural Pain Relief that works

Sources:
Yahoo News November 9, 2007

Is Goji Juice Really as Good as it is Being Promoted As?

That’s the million-dollar question being asked, and answered, in this video, which exposes the truth about the latest health craze sweeping across Canada and into the United States.
Goji juice is hyped as the cure-all remedy for 34 different ailments, including arthritis, diabetes and cancer. But the truth is both shocking and infuriating, as they uncover the lack of nutritional value of the goji juice in the lab.
Earl Mendel—the well-respected author of the Vitamin Bible—is the face of Himalayan Goji, and he’s making some pretty hefty claims about the berry. And that’s the problem. Upon probing, he admits he’s talking about the berry—not necessarily the juice!
Himalayan Goji juice is not sold in stores, but rather through a multi-level marketing plan. At about $50 per bottle, there’s lots of money being made, but there does not seem to be enough proof to back up the amazing health claims of the juice itself.

CBC News Marketplace January 24, 2007


Watch this video of the interview and some findings with Earl Mendel the face of Himalayan Goji
http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/marketplace/goji.wmv

A Drug That Quadruples Your Risk of Fatal Bleeding

Prasugrel, an experimental anticlotting drug from Eli Lilly reduces the risk of heart attacks when compared with the common drug Plavix in experimental trials. But it also increases your risk of fatal bleeding by an astonishing 400 percent.

In spite of this, Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo, the drug’s co-developer, say that they are “pleased” with the results of the trials. They plan to apply for FDA approval for the drug as early as the end of 2007, which means it could be on the market by the end of 2008.
Dr. Tim Anderson, a former emergency room doctor and current drug industry analyst, was skeptical of Prasugrel. Although it has better efficacy, he noted that, “... higher bleeding, including fatal bleeding -- it’s a question mark, a serious question mark, both regulatory and commercial.”
Nonetheless, if Prasugrel is approved, worldwide sales could reach $1.6 billion a year by 2012.
It’s truly disheartening to know that drugs like Prasugrel will probably be approved, judging by the U.S. FDA’s previous history. Remember, Plavix was found to elevate your risk of developing ulcers by a factor of 12 versus aspirin and Nexium. Prasugrel, with its 400 percent increased risk of fatal bleeding, is obviously not a better choice.

No matter what your doctor may tell you, aspirin, or worse, even more expensive aspirin-like drugs, are not your solution for decreasing your risk from heart disease or stroke.
So what can you do to authentically, safely and inexpensively lower your risk of heart disease?
A safe and effective alternative to aspirin is nattokinase, a powerful enzyme derived from the food natto. Unlike aspirin, and other pharmaceutical agents, nattokinase has been used safely for over 20 years, has not been known to produce any negative side effects -- and it is not known to be an allergen.

You can also use these other lifestyle modifications to protect your heart:
Get moving on an exercise program today
Eat a healthy diet according to your nutritional type
Take a high-quality omega-3 oil, like Omega Guard from Shaklee The finest fish oil in the world, daily

Sources:
New York Times November 5, 2007

New Research on How Sunshine Decreases Infections

A study of more than 2,000 women has found those with higher vitamin D levels showed fewer aging-related changes in their DNA. A second study, examining almost 1,000 patients in West Africa, showed that low vitamin D levels are common among tuberculosis (TB) patients. Lack of vitamin D has been linked in previous studies to multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases.
Cells have built-in DNA clocks, known as telomeres. Measuring the length of these strands of DNA is one way of examining the aging process at a cellular level.
Women with higher levels of vitamin D are more likely to have longer telomeres, and vice versa. This means that people with higher levels of vitamin D may actually age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. No wonder vitamin D has a protective effect on so many diseases, ranging from MS and TB to heart disease and cancer -- it keeps your body young!

Adults Beware -- New Vaccine Guidelines Released

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has released the 2007-2008 recommended immunization schedules for adults in the US.The schedule includes 11 different types of vaccines for adults, including:

Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Td/Tdap)
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
Influenza
Herpes zoster (shingles)
Key changes in this year's recommendations include:
Varicella (chickenpox) vaccination is recommended for all adults that have no apparent immunity to the virus
Zoster (shingles) vaccination is advised for all adults 60 years of age and older, regardless of whether they have had a prior shingles episode
HPV vaccine is recommended for women over the age of 26, who have not already completed the three-dose series
It is recommended that flu vaccination be administered to anyone with the following medical conditions:
Chronic disorders of the cardiovascular or pulmonary systems, including asthma
Chronic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes
Renal or hepatic dysfunction
Immunosuppression, including suppression caused by medications or HIV
Pregnancy during flu season

Sources:
Reuters October 18, 2007
Annals of Internal Medicine October 18, 2007; 147(10) (Free Full-Text Guidelines)


Vaccinations of all kinds hit you right at the core of your fears, no matter what vaccine we’re talking about. Just take a look at these examples:
A West Nile Virus vaccine
Antibiotics to fight anthrax
Chickenpox vaccine
A drug for breast cancer (for women who DO NOT HAVE breast cancer)
A human vaccine for bird flu

Did you know they’re even working on a vaccine for dental caries (cavities)?

I could not believe it when I read that one. But it’s true. The CDC actually defines dental caries as an infectious, communicable disease, and a vaccine may be here sooner than you think.
This is beyond ridiculous when you consider that there are many cultures in the world that simply have virtually NO tooth decay and I can strongly assure you that it has absolutely nothing related to any vaccine. It is because they are not eating processed foods and sugars and are mostly consuming foods appropriate for their nutritional type.

Why do People Still Believe in the Flu Shot?

But getting back to the vaccines, Big Pharma may appear idiotic, but they are no fools. They know people want guaranteed safety. “Here, take this shot and nothing bad will happen to you,” they say. And a lot of people believe them, even when evidence of the opposite comes out. They just want the magic pill to be true.

Some hard-hitting evidence released just a couple of months ago should make anyone think twice about the flu shot: flu vaccines have NEVER been proven to prevent flu-related deaths in people over age 65, which is one of the primary groups for which they’re recommended.You may also be shocked to learn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly distorts the facts about flu deaths. If you go to the CDC’s main flu page, you’ll see their statistic that about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United States each year. But if you search a little harder, you can find the actual number of people who died from the flu in 2005 (this is the most recent data that’s available). Want to take a guess at what it is?

In 2005, 1,806 people died from influenza, not 36,000. And in 2004, there were just 1,100 flu deaths.The statistics the CDC gives are skewed partly because they classify those dying from pneumonia as dying from the flu, which is not at all true or accurate. For instance, their 2005 statistics lump influenza and pneumonia deaths together, at 62,804 deaths.But broken down, there were 60,998 deaths from pneumonia and just 1,806 from the flu.This will not stop the powers-that-be from touting their yearly fall warnings about this year’s upcoming flu season, and all the flu deaths that will follow.

The media (which is largely controlled by corporations, many of which are making or selling the flu shots or the junk food that will actually make you more vulnerable to the flu) would have you believe that getting the flu shot is all you need to do to stay healthy all winter.

How to Prevent the Flu Naturally
For most people the flu shot does not make you healthy; it does just the opposite, as it weakens your immune system. It appears that some of you in the medical field are beginning to catch on to this, with less than 40 percent of health care workers getting flu shots in 2006.The truth is, if you follow a healthy lifestyle, you will not have to worry about getting the flu.
Take it from me -- I’ve never received a flu shot, and I have not been sick in over 7 years.

The key steps that I follow to stay flu-free, which I suggest you follow too, include:

Get plenty of sunshine or vitamin D
Eating right for your nutritional needs , including avoiding sugar
Plenty of exercise
Get adequate sleep
Wash your hands regulary with regular soaps.

Looking for the best natural products, look no further.
www.Shaklee.net/greenglobalhealth

Take the Time to Make Informed Decisions

Whether or not you will subject yourself to the flu shot, or any of the other recommended vaccinations, is an important decision. Unless you’ve already studied it carefully, I would implore you to spend some time analyzing both sides of the argument before you make up your mind. Rushing blindly ahead could have dire consequences, especially if you’ve never considered the potential for side effects.
If you do the research and decide that a vaccination is NOT for you, you do have the legal right to refuse it.

Get Clean Testimonial: Home Schooling Mom’s Journey of Discovery

Being a concerned mother of nearly four, I do care about the wellness of my family and the toxins in my home. But this concern has taken different action over the past years. When I had my first baby, I gave cleaning products a great deal of thought and tried to make as many as I could using earth friendly ingredients and recipes I found online. Then, after the arrival of my second baby, I needed convenience and so I tried some of the green cleaners found at health food stores. They were expensive so at times I had to just use the chemicals that choke you from the cleaning aisles of grocery stores. And finally, after my third baby, I needed maximum convenience and minimum price. So I started to use Clorox wipes, among other things. (I have to be honest, even though I hate to admit it! J

Unfortunately, I was doing more harm than good. A friend of mine suggested I watch Toxic Brew, a news segment produced by a Canadian news station. After watching this video, the reality of what I was bringing into my home began to dawn on me!

Only a month or so later, I heard of the work of Dr. Doris Rapp, who researches the effects of harmful chemicals on children’s health. (You can find her books, including Is This Your Child’s World? at http://www.amazon.com/

In one of her studies, she tested the effect of bleach on six-year-old’s handwriting. I looked at the printed results, and was amazed at the evidence. Before a bottle of bleach was opened, students wrote their names fairly well. Then, with just an opened bottle of bleach in the room and the fumes wafting through the air, the children wrote their names dramatically different. Some wrote messy, some too small to read, and one even wrote backwards.

Being the devil’s advocate that I am, I thought: “Well, they just printed up the worst case scenarios. Certainly it wouldn’t affect my kids this way.” So, I determined to do the same test at home. I didn’t tell my kids what I was doing. I only told them to write as neatly as they could. They printed their names on a sheet of paper. Then, I told them to hold up their papers while I wiped the table off with a Clorox wipe. As soon as it was dry enough, I had them put their papers down and write their names again. I was shocked! My daughter’s writing was visibly messier; instead of letters being tight and connected, they were loopy and crooked. My son was completely distracted by something while he was writing his name! (This is uncharacteristic of him. He has no attention difficulties.) When he realized that he was talking about something else, he stopped mid-sentence and said: “Wait, I’m supposed to be writing my name!?” The next letter he wrote was upside-down (which my son had never done before). I took it to the next level and had my children move to another room where there were no Clorox fumes. They wrote their names again and proved that without being ‘under the influence’ they could write just as neat as the first time. I could clearly see that the chemicals were affecting both writing ability and focus.

My children are home-schooled and we do chores every morning before school starts. Since they have direct exposure to cleaners, I was burdened by thoughts of how the cleaning chemicals were affecting them in other ways. To make a long story shorter, I promised myself from that time on that I would not subject my children’s minds to danger again, not to mention their lungs and skin.

And I am very pleased with the alternatives that Shaklee offers! The Get Clean products are very powerful, environmentally friendly, cost-effective cleaning products that contain no toxic chemicals and no dangerous fumes! What more was I looking for? I have totally clean, residue-free dishes; totally clean, irritation-free clothes; and totally clean, fume-free chore time! I LOVE IT and I want to spread the word so that every mom can give her children the priceless gift of a toxin-free home!
--Amy K. Jefferson, GA

Start Today @ http://www.greenglobalhealth.com/

How Toxic is Your Average Laundry Detergent?

Typical laundry detergents may be imparting more on your clothing than a “fresh” scent. Most contain a toxic slew of chemicals that leave residues behind on your clothing that can potentially be absorbed by your skin or evaporated into the air for you to breathe in.Most laundry detergents in your typical grocery store contain:
Petroleum distillates (aka napthas), which have been linked to cancer
Phenols, which can cause toxicity throughout the entire body
Artificial fragrances, which have been linked to various toxic effects on fish and mammals
Phosphates, which stimulate the growth of certain marine plants when they’re released into the environment and contribute to unbalanced ecosystems
Optical brighteners, which can be toxic to fish and can cause bacterial mutations and allergic reactions
If you pay attention to labels, you’ll find that many household products -- from lipstick to paint to shampoo -- contain potentially toxic chemicals. Over time, these toxins can build up in your system and cause any number of unknown effects.What can you do? Seek out natural laundry detergents, cleaning products and toiletries from your local health food store (or use items you already have around your house, like vinegar, baking soda, salt and lemon juice), and next time you’re ready to do some housecleaning.

Shaklee offers a natural, non-toxic and safe chemical free cleaning product line for your entire home and business. As well as Natural Mineral Cosmetics, Natural Hair Care Products, Sports Nutrition, General Nutrition and Supplementation, Childrens Nutrition and Much More

Those "Natural" Soft Drinks -- Are They Really?

It never ceases to amaze me, the junk that companies sell today under the guise of being "healthy." A few days ago, on a trip to my local supermarket, I found just a couple of examples that absolutely shocked me.
First of all, I've got this lovely bottle. It's beautiful. Isn't it? It's a gorgeous color, lovely green top, with beautiful yellow coloring. It's got a picture of a couple out enjoying a view over a lake; it looks really nice and peaceful.
Oh, and it's got green tea in it. Now, that's pretty good. Isn't it? That's very good for you. "Gold Peak Iced Tea - Green tea with other natural flavors." That sounds good. Doesn't it?
Well, let's read the ingredients. "Water." That's a good start. "High fructose corn syrup." Ick!! That's not so good. Well, it's got "natural green tea concentrate." I don't know about you, but if I'm going to drink green tea, I think I'd rather drink the real thing than a concentrate. That's like the difference between drinking freshly-squeezed orange juice and orange juice from concentrate. If you've ever compared the two, well --- Revolting! So, that's our first one. That's delightful, and actually, that's probably the best one out of the three.
This next one is brilliant. "Rx-Stress." So, this is actually a prescription drink for stress! Perfect! Who isn't stressed? We all need this drink! Wonderful! "Herbal Iced Tea." Mmmmm!! "A soothing blend of naturally-decaffeinated black and green teas, with Panax ginseng, chamomile, valerian and vitamins B6 and B12." Wow! That sounds really good. I think I'll buy that.
Oh, hang on. I think I'll check the ingredients first. Agh! That's hilarious! It's got five lines of ingredients, and the first two are taken up with: "Premium brewed, decaffeinated black and green teas, using filtered water." Ooh, that sounds really nice. It almost makes up for the high fructose corn syrup that comes second. Okay. I don't think I'll get that one either. Ech!! Disgusting!
This one is my absolute favorite! This is absolutely hilarious. This is Diet Coke, plus vitamins! That's wonderful! I mean, who wouldn't want Diet Coke, all the goodness of Diet Coke, with vitamins? How could you possibly go wrong? I don't even need to read the ingredients on this one. This is just absolutely hilarious.
So, really, there's a word that sums all of this up: Marketing. These companies want you to buy their products. So they're going to use words like, "natural," "soothing," "healing," to make you buy the product without reading the ingredients on the back, and that really is the lesson here. Before you buy any kind of store-bought drink, or food for that matter, especially if it's got the words, "natural," or "soothing," or "healing" on the front, make sure that you always read the ingredients. Because even the health benefits that would be obtained from the black and the green teas found in a couple of these bottles are instantly cancelled out by the high fructose corn syrup, which definitely, obviously, isn't good for you. So, make sure that you always read the ingredients before you buy any kind of drink from your supermarket.

Pepsi's Aquafina Bottled Water is Tap Water

PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry. According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words "public water source" on Aquafina labels.
Sun Sentinel July 27, 2007

More Fish Oil, Less Vegetable Oil, Better for Your Health

Including more fish oil than vegetable oil in your diet may help protect your tissues and organs from inflammation, according to University of Michigan researchers. In your body, both fish oil and vegetable oil are converted into chemicals called prostanoids. Though these compounds help to control blood pressure and prevent allergies, when produced in excess they increase inflammation, pain, swelling, and redness in body tissues.The researchers found that prostanoids from fish oil and vegetable oil are not the same. Those made from fish oil are “less effective at causing pain and swelling than those made from vegetable oil,” researchers said.Meanwhile, adding fish oil to your diet effectively decreases the amount of prostanoids made from vegetable oil, though sometimes in unexpected amounts.In the study, researchers looked at the effects of both fish oil and vegetable oil in cultured cells. Both oils are converted into prostanoids by cyclo-oxygenases (COX) enzymes, types 1 and 2.In reactions that involved COX-1, if more fish oil was present it bound to COX-1 preferentially and limited vegetable oil’s access to the enzymes. However, in reactions involving COX-2, an increased amount of fish oil did not change the binding process, so more vegetable oil was converted to prostanoids.The findings suggest that the body naturally regulates levels of prostanoids produced by fish and vegetable oils, but the researchers are still investigating exactly why COX-1 and COX-2 act differently. They hope that, upon further investigation, they will be able to design new anti-inflammatory drugs that will bind to COX-2 and decrease the levels of prostanoids from vegetable oils.

Worlds Finest Fish Oil is Shaklee Omega Guard!
Shaklee is the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in the United States.
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Journal of Biological Chemistry August 3, 2007, Vol. 282, Issue 31, 22254-22266
Science Blog July 27, 2007

Medicare Plan Boosts Statins and Other Expensive Drugs

The catastrophic Medicare prescription drug bill that was passed in 2003 included a provision called the Part D program, which, as of 2006, granted prescription drug coverage to the elderly.The bill was strongly backed by drug makers in 2003 -- who spent at least $135 million lobbying for the bill -- and it’s no wonder why.The new prescription drug program has boosted the use of expensive name-brand drugs like statins and ulcer medications, according to an analysis. Specifically, the program increased sales of cholesterol-lowering statins by 7 percent, and sales of ulcer and heartburn drugs (proton pump inhibitors) by 5 percent.In all, Part D beneficiaries filled about 486 million prescriptions -- or 15 percent of all retail prescriptions -- in 2006.While the pharmaceutical companies are busy counting their money, the United States’ budget is about to bust. This Medicare bill was initially projected to cost $400 billion over a 10-year period, but more recent estimates put the real costs closer to $1.5 TRILLION.My best prescription for beating these alarming numbers? Instead of relying on Medicare, get healthy as soon as you can by living a natural, healthy lifestyle.


Reuters July 31, 2007

The Truth About Tap Water

In the USA, tap water is more often than not harmful, because most of the time it is laced with fluoride. Fluoride is a toxic industrial waste. As one commenter noted, the U.S. public has been made to believe that fluoride is good…well I wanted to put some more resources here for us all to get re-educated.
Too Much Truth July 24, 2007

Are Genetically Modified Foods Causing an Allergy Epidemic?

One of the more vexing medical mysteries to have surfaced in recent years is the startling and inexplicable rise in food allergies currently being seen in the western world. As medical offices and emergency rooms increasingly fill with adults and children suffering reactions to common foods, researchers are scratching their heads over the cause. Some in the scientific community, however, believe the alarming increase in food allergies can be traced to the public’s growing exposure to genetically modified foods.
The Non-Toxic Times Newsletter July 2007

Even "Healthy" Juices Damage Children’s Teeth

Children's teeth are being damaged by "healthy" fruit juices, a dentists' group has warned. Organic juices which combine sugar and fruit are the worst culprits for eroding the teeth, say the dentists.
BBC News August 2, 2007

Antibiotic Misuse Creating "Superbugs"

Widespread misuse of antibiotics is fuelling the spread of aggressive and potentially fatal superbugs in Australian hospitals, experts warn.
Statistics released by a national body which monitors drug use show that one in four people continue to believe that antibiotics are effective against common colds.
The Daily Telegraph August 1, 2007