Friday, March 27, 2015

Monsanto's Roundup Causes Cancer

Monsanto's Roundup Causes Cancer

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/health/herbicide-cancer-claim-cops-a-spray/story-fn59nokw-1227277032616?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=TheAustralian&utm_medium=Twitter

The most common chemical used in Australia by farmers and gardeners to kill weeds “probably” causes cancer, according to the World Health Organisation.

The finding by the French-based International Agency for Research of Cancers that the ­active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup ­ glyphosate ­ is likely to be a carcinogen has shocked the agricultural sector.

The multi-weed killer remains approved for safe use in Australia, except around waterways, and throughout the world. The federal government’s Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has not commented on this week’s WHO finding or decided whether it plans to review the safety of glyphosate, which makes up the bulk of Australia’s $1.5 billion annual herbicide sales.

Since its invention by chemical company Monsanto in 1974, glyphosate has become the most common herbicide sprayed by all farmers worldwide, usually ­applied after autumn rain and before crops like wheat, barley and canola are sown to kill weeds.

Monsanto yesterday reacted with “outrage”, accusing the WHO cancer agency of “agenda- driven bias”. It claimed the ruling was inconsistent with decades of safety reviews and more than 800 studies showing glyphosate is safe for human health.

South Australian grain grower Mark Jaensch has been using Roundup and other cheaper or generic brands of glyphosate on his 500ha of crops for the past 30 years.

He is about to order another 600 litres of the herbicide today as he waits for a good autumn break on his Callington farm to signal the start of new weed growth, spraying time and, finally, crop sowing.

Ironically, his glyphosate chemical use has increased since the 1990s when he started using new “direct drilling” methods, sowing crop seeds directly into old stubble beds ­ without the usual ploughing to control weeds ­ in a bid to preserve soil moisture and prevent erosion, topsoil loss and dust storms.

“I’m reliant on it; we can’t put our crops in without (glyphosate), it would be hard to replace it,” Mr Jaensch said.

“But to be honest, I’m not too worried about this new (WHO warning); unless something comes out more concrete than ‘probably causes cancer’, I think it’s just scaremongering ­ I mean it’s not even classed as a dangerous poison on the label and you can still buy it in a spray can from the supermarket.”

Mr Jaensch said the chief difference from the 30 years ago was that he was now a better and safer user of herbicides such as Roundup.

His big tractor with its air-conditioned cab has charcoal filters to prevent him breathing sprayed chemicals, laws are much stricter about under what weather and wind conditions herbicides can be used, and most farmers now must undertake a safe chemical course before being able to buy products.

 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Study finds determinants of vitamin D status vary by gender in elderly population

Study finds determinants of vitamin D status vary by gender in elderly population

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitamin-d-news/new-study-finds-low-vitamin-d-status-linked-to-irregular-menstrual-cycles/?mc_cid=d83bef4d28&mc_eid=ec1651b17f#

Posted on by Vitamin D Council

A recent study found that lower vitamin D levels were associated with irregular menstrual cycles, but not with short or long cycles.

Most women have menstrual periods occur every 28 days, lasting four to seven days. However, some women experience abnormal menstruation. Examples of irregular menstrual cycles include periods that last more than seven days, periods that occur less than 21 days or more than 35 days apart, and missing more than three periods in a row.

Animal studies have found an association between low vitamin D status and menstrual cycle disturbances. However, no research had studied humans.

Researchers recently examined the association between vitamin D levels and menstrual cycle characteristics. They gathered information of 636 women between the ages of 35 and 44 from Washington D.C. The study was titled the Uterine Fibroid Study.

All women provided a blood sample and completed a telephone interview, where they were asked about their menstrual cycle.

The average vitamin D level was 12.0 ng/ml. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, a decrease of 10 ng/ml in vitamin D status was associated with 1.9 times the odds of irregular cycles. Though, vitamin D status was not associated with short or long cycles.

Source

Jukic A., Steiner A., & Baird D. Lower plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with irregular menstrual cycles in a cross-sectional study. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 2015.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Vaccine Culture War in America: Are You Ready?

More than 1.2 million people in the United States are infected with HIV but government officials do not ban HIV infected children and adults from attending school, receiving medical care, being employed, or otherwise participating in society. In fact, there are anti-discrimination laws that guarantee civil rights protections for Americans infected with HIV or living with AIDS.

 

Full Scale Assault on Civil and Human Rights

 

But in 2015 after a handful of measles cases were identified at Disneyland, suddenly Americans are being asked to surrender civil liberties. We are being asked to discriminate against and condone extreme societal sanctions against fellow citizens... How did a handful of measles cases at Disneyland turn into a full-scale assault on civil and human rights in America?

 

Bill in 12 States to Eliminate Non-Medical Vaccine Exemptions

 

Why have politicians in 12 states (CA, MD, ME, MN, NJ, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, WA) already filed legislation to eliminate non-medical vaccine exemptions, leaving only a very narrow medical exemption that most people cannot get?

 

Censorship of Speech, Imprisonment

 

Why are editorials calling for censorship of speech and for parents with unvaccinated children to be hunted down and publicly identified, sued, criminally prosecuted and imprisoned, and for doctors who criticize vaccine safety to have their medical licenses revoked?

 

What is happening right now in America is not about measles or the public health...

 

Watch and read this referenced commentary or make a comment here.

 

State Vaccine Legislation Emergency

 

The war on families defending the right to make informed, voluntary decisions about vaccination continues to rage in state legislatures across the country. There are well over 100 bills in 35 states that have been introduced due to heavy pressure from the well-funded Pharma/Public Health/Medical Trade lobby that either: 

  1. remove and restrict non-medical (religious and conscientious belief) vaccine exemptions;
  2. restrict medical exemptions so the only medical reason that qualifies is a federal government approved contraindication; 
  3. require employers to mandate federally recommended vaccines for health care and day care workers,  as well as teachers and all school staff;
  4. require schools to publicly post vaccine exemption and vaccine coverage rates to create community peer pressure to force children and teachers to get all federally recommended vaccines;
  5. allow minor children aged 14 years and older to be given government recommended vaccines without parental knowledge or consent;
  6. expand the numbers of federally recommended vaccines required for school attendance or employment;
  7. expand and enforce the electronic tracking of the vaccination status of all citizens; and
  8. expand police powers of government health officials to allow citizens suspected of exposure to infectious diseases to be detained. 

The bills are moving forward and the status of bills are continually changing, including dates and times for public hearings. NVIC monitors these bills 24/7 and posts their status on the free online NVIC Advocacy Portal with instructions on how you can take action. 

  

REGISTER TODAY for the NVIC Advocacy Portal so you can frequently check it on a daily basis in order to stay on top of what is happening in YOUR state. This will allow you to take immediate action by visiting, emailing or calling your own legislators or showing up at public hearings in your state Capitol to make your voice heard.

  

Please urge everyone you know to sign up for the  NVIC Advocacy Portal and take action TODAY!

 

Your Comments Needed on National Adult Immunization Plan

 

The National Vaccine Program Office has extended public comment on the National Adult Immunization Plan to March 23, 2015. The goal of this federal plan to ensure that all adults comply with the Centers for Disease Control's Recommended Adult Vaccine Schedule. The new Plan promotes use of all federally recommended vaccines by all adults; creates incentives for doctors to ensure that adults comply with the federal government vaccine schedule; and partners with employers, community groups, churches and other religious organizations to promote adult vaccination. NVIC has submitted public comment and encourages everyone to read the plan and submit public comment by Mar. 23.

 

NVIC Launches New Pinterest Boards

 

Alert to Pinterest fans! NVIC has launched two new boards for you to pin. Check out our Measles & Measles Vaccine board and our Vaccine Risks, Choices & Forced Vaccination board at Pinterest.com/NVIC/YourChoice.  

 

Report and Share Your Vaccine Experiences

 

If you or your child have gotten vaccinated and the vaccine failed to work or caused harm or you have been threatened or punished for declining one or more vaccines, you can report and also choose to share your experiences with others on NVIC.org here.

 

NVIC in the News

 

More Parents Are Refusing to Vaccinate Their Kids. Doctors Say They Want Stricter Laws. "We consider this an assault on human rights," said Barbara Loe Fisher, director of the National Vaccine Information Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that monitors vaccine legislation. "You should have the right to make a fully informed, voluntary medical decision without being punished for it." Fisher has called the last eight weeks "unprecedented" in terms of vaccine-related legislation, and said that rhetoric about "the greater good" is actually adversarial and discriminatory when it comes to singling out unvaccinated children, whose parents may have legitimate reasons for refusing to vaccinate them.You cannot say that one child's life is more important than another's," she said." Times Free Press (TN) Mar. 8.

 

States Move To Toughen Vaccination Laws in Wake of Measles Outbreak. "I do think we're in danger here of having a country that is committed to forced vaccination," says Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, which lobbies for exemptions and for parental choice around vaccines. "We consider this an assault on both civil liberties and human rights." Christian Science Monitor Mar. 3.

 

US Parents Pressure Doctors to Spread Out Kid Vaccinations.  Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center, a Sterling, Virginia, nonprofit that supports parents who don't vaccinate or who question the recommended schedule, said increasing numbers of parents call her organization to complain that doctors refuse to treat their children if they insist on delaying injections. "They are trying to find ways to vaccinate that they're comfortable with and I think doctors are making a big mistake treating parents disrespectfully," Fisher said. Bloomberg News Mar. 2.

 

What Experts Say About Vaccination. "Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center, a nonprofit charity she co-founded with parents of vaccine injured children, said public health officials underestimate the risk of vaccine injuries because they haven't studied the effects of combining so many vaccines in single patient visits. Under the current immunization schedule recommended by the CDC, Fisher said a child could get 25 to 35 vaccines in its first year of life. "It's one thing to make a risk estimate for a single vaccine," she said. "It's very different to make a risk estimate based on the recommended schedule, which sometimes includes 8 to 10 vaccines given on the same day." Fisher said she has been asking for years for a long-term study of health outcomes in children who get all the government-recommended vaccines compared to those who don't." Charlotte Observer Feb. 28.

 

Amid Measles Outbreak, Few Rules on Teacher Vaccinations. "Barbara Loe Fisher, of the National Vaccine Information Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that favors letting parents decide whether to vaccinate, said the discussion on vaccination requirements has started to expand from schoolchildren to certain adult professions. She said her organization has a number of concerns about requiring teacher vaccinations, including safety and job protection for those who cannot or choose not to be immunized. "I think at the end of the day, the most important principle to protect is the right to make an informed voluntary decision, and that includes teachers," she said." Associated Press Feb 16.

 

Live Debate on Voice of America about vaccine choice with Barbara Loe Fisher and Dr. Georges Benjamin, APHA (at 13 minute mark). Dr. Benjamin agreed with Barbara that parents should be informed, doctors should be partners with parents in making health care and vaccination decisions for children, nobody should be "demonized," and there needs to be more vaccine safety science. Hashtagvoa, Voice of America, Feb. 10.

 

Live Debate on Newsmax-TV with Barbara Loe Fisher, Nick Tate, Ellis Henican on vaccine choice.(at 1 minute mark) Moderated by former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth. America's Forum, Newsmax Feb. 6.

 

Debate Over Vaccine Requirements Forges Strange Alliance. "Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccination Information Center said she sees no partisan divide. "This has always been a bipartisan issue," said Fisher, whose organization fights vaccine mandates. "The demographic spans the political spectrum." The main difference, she said, is that her side has far less money than the pharmaceutical companies and medical groups that she blames for the push to tighten vaccination requirements." Associated Press Feb. 6.

 

Can You Handle the Truth About Vaccines? Fisher explains what the federal protection means for the companies: "Nobody who makes or profits from the sale of the vaccine, nobody who regulates the vaccine, who promotes the vaccine, who votes to mandate the vaccine-nobody is accountable or liable in a civil court of law in front of a jury of our peers when we get hurt because we've been tol.d we have to take it, or when the vaccine fails to work." Accuracy in Media Feb. 4.

 

Colorado Kindergarten Children Have Lowest Measles Vaccination Rate in the Nation. "It's a parent's right to decide what medical procedure and products are used on their children," said Theresa Wrangham of Louisville, executive director of the nonprofit National Vaccine Information Center. "If people want to use vaccines, they should have access to them. Vaccines should be safe as possible, but they are not totally 100 percent safe." Denver Post Feb. 3.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Just Say No To Acetaminophen

Just Say No To Acetaminophen by Dr. David Brownstein

http://blog.drbrownstein.com/just-say-no-to-acetaminophen/

Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol®) is the most commonly used analgesic medication worldwide. I have never been a fan of using acetaminophen for any condition. Let me explain.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (March 1, 2015) highlighted some of the adverse effects of acetaminophen. The researchers looked at multiple trials that reported adverse events related to acetaminophen use including mortality as well as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal or kidney problems. In one study, the authors found a 90% increased risk in overall mortality in those taking acetaminophen. Furthermore, there was a dose-response curve in the relative rate of mortality. This means the highest exposure to acetaminophen was associated with a higher mortality rate when compared to the lowest exposure group. Of the four studies that looked at cardiovascular adverse events and acetaminophen exposure, all found a dose-response with the highest users of acetaminophen having more cardiovascular adverse events (68%) as compared to the lowest exposure group (11%). With gastrointestinal and kidney adverse events, a similar dose-response was found; increasing doses of acetaminophen were associated with more problems.

Comment: Many physicians and lay people assume that acetaminophen is perfectly safe. It is not. Of course, any substance taken in the wrong amounts could cause harm to the body. However, acetaminophen is an example of a substance that has a small therapeutic window. That means that taking amounts slightly outside the therapeutic window could prove to be toxic. The liver is most affected by acetaminophen as that is where it is detoxified. The upper limit of acetaminophen a day is 4,000mg/day. For most people this maximal limit is safe. But, once the 4,000mg/day limit is crossed, the liver can be damaged and the damage can happen quickly. This upper limit for dosing acetaminophen can quickly be breached when someone is unknowingly using acetaminophen in common cold and upper respiratory remedies as well as prescription and non-prescription pain killers. The FDA has realized the problem and taken steps to remove acetaminophen-containing pain killing drugs from the market.

Also, children can overuse acetaminophen when they are ill with a fever. I would highly advise parents against using acetaminophen for fever control in both children and adults. The reason is that during an acute illness that produces a fever, the last thing anyone should do is to take a medication that is potentially toxic to the liver. It is best to treat children with a fever symptomatically with supportive care such as tepid bathing and rest. If an anti-fever medication is needed  in an adult, I suggest using a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medication. I know these drugs also have problems, but I think they are safer for short-term use than acetaminophen.

One final note about acetaminophen use in children. I would strongly discourage the use acetaminophen either before or after a vaccine. A single dose of acetaminophen lowers the liver’s ability to produce the potent antioxidant glutathione. All vaccines are designed to create an inflammatory reaction in the body and the body needs adequate glutathione levels to combat this inflammation. Again, it is best to use supportive care for children who have a fever or who suffer adverse effects from a vaccine.

Finally, the elderly need to be cautious when using acetaminophen. As compared to a young person, an elderly person’s liver is more susceptible to damage from acetaminophen. If you take acetaminophen, use the lowest dose possible for the shortest time period. Also, it is best to support the liver with the proper supplements when using acetaminophen. This can include taking vitamin C (3-6,000 mg/day), N-acetyl cysteine (300-600 mg/day), and alpha lipoic acid (3-600 mg/day). There are many herbal products helpful for maintaining optimal liver function. My partners and I have designed a nutraceutical product that supplies the liver with natural items that aid the detoxification pathways. It is known as Total Liver Care or TLC. One scoop of TLC twice per day can help the liver optimize its’ function.

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Monthly Special - Vitamin D Blood Test is $44

98% of all Americans are Vitamin D deficient and adequate Vitamin levels are connected with the proper expression of over 2,000 genes!

The blood lab for Vitamin D is just $44 this month, a substantial savings.

Go here and scroll to the very end (alphabetical) to order this test for a local blood draw, with results provided on line in a few days after:
https://www.directlabs.com/homeopathyforwomen/OrderTests/tabid/12767/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Anyone on my newsletter list or elsewhere is free order the Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy-March Test of the Month to learn your actual level.

Healthy adult goals is 50 – 80 ng/ml

Autoimmune, ASD, neurological disease the recommendation is 80 ng/ml.

If you are low, daily supplementation is a must!

Minimum Recommended for Vitamin D Daily Supplementation Is:

·       Pregnant Women

5,000 IU's per day 1st trimester, 6,000 IU's after  or more if tested low

·       Adults

4,000 - 5,000 IU's per day or more if tested low

·       Teenagers

3,000 IU's per day or more if tested low

·       Children with Autism

5,000 IU's per day or more if tested low

·       Children

2,000 IU's per day or more if tested low

·       Infants

1,000 IU's per day  or more if tested low

·       Vitamin D Supplementation Guide is about 1,000 IU's per every 25 pounds (lbs.) of body weight.