CDC Releases New Report on Autism Prevalence of 1 in 68 as autism awareness month begins in April

CDC Releases New Report on Autism Prevalence of 1 in 68 as autism awareness month begins in April
http://www.tacanow.org/news/cdc-releases-autism-prevalence/

 
Irvine, Calif. (March 27, 2014) -– Autism spectrum disorder is now diagnosed in 1 in every 68 children, making it the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.  “The newest survey reports on autism prevalence are staggering. In the 1970’s autism affected 1 in every 10,000.” said Lisa Ackerman, TACA Executive Director. “We can no longer assume we are more aware or better at diagnosing. There is just more autism. It is time we offer families help not excuses.”

The new autism prevalence of 1 in 68 translates to 1 in every 42 boys and 1 in every 189 girls.

In support of April being Autism Awareness Month, TACA has created an autism action month campaign: #AutismActionApril to provide practical tools for companies and individuals who want to help. The campaign aims to educate, empower and inspire by helping with simple solutions to support families living with this disorder.  Help is needed now more than ever before.

TACA provides a toll free support hotline, access to a parent mentor program, education and support groups, webinars and scholarship programs among other services to families affected by autism.

To get involved in the #AutismActionApril campaign, please visit: http://www.tacanow.org/ways-to-help/autism-awareness/.  For more information on our services, go to www.tacanow.org.

What is Autism

Autism is a devastating neurological and biological disorder that typically begins to affect children between the ages of 18 months to five years of age. It is estimated there are over 1.5 million people in the United States alone with autism. Autism affects each individual differently and at different levels of severity. Some people with autism are severely affected, cannot speak, require constant one-on-one care, and are never able to live independently. While others who have less severe symptoms, can communicate, and eventually acquire the necessary skills to live on their own.

About Talk About Curing Autism

Talk About Curing Autism is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating, empowering and supporting families affected by autism. TACA’s aim is to shorten the cycle from the suspicion of autism, to diagnosis, to effective treatments thereby creating the best future possible for individuals living with autism. The organization currently serves almost 40,000 with an average of 600 new families connecting with them each month looking for support and best practices in autism.

 

 

 

Baby Monkeys Develop Autism Symptoms After Getting Popular Childhood Vaccines

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Family Health Freedom Network

 

http://www.fhfn.org/baby-monkeys-develop-autism-symptoms-after-getting-popular-childhood-vaccines/

 

Following a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which revealed that many infant monkeys given standard doses of childhood vaccines as part of the new research, developed autism symptoms, question marks over the ultimate safety of vaccines have come to the fore.

The groundbreaking research findings presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in London, England, have revealed that young macaque monkeys given the typical CDC-recommended vaccination schedule from the 1990s, and in appropriate doses for the monkeys’ sizes and ages, tended to develop autism symptoms. Their unvaccinated counterparts, on the other hand, developed no such symptoms, which points to a strong connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders.

This development which deconstructs mainstream myth that vaccines are safe and pose no risk of autism, was brought on by after studies on the type of proper safety research on typical childhood vaccination schedules that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should have conducted — but never has — for such regimens.

Included in the mix were vaccines containing Thimerosal, a toxic, mercury-based compound that has been phased out of some vaccines, but is still present in batch-size influenza vaccines and a few others.

Also administered was the controversial measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which has been linked time and time again to causing autism and various other serious, and often irreversible, health problems in children.

“This research underscores the critical need for more investigation into immunizations, mercury, and the alterations seen in autistic children,” said Lyn Redwood, Director of SafeMinds, a public safety group working to expose the truth about vaccines and autism.

“SafeMinds calls for large scale, unbiased studies that look at autism medical conditions and the effects of vaccines given as a regimen.”

Adding to the sentiment, Theresa Wrangham, president of SafeMinds called out the CDC for failing to require proper safety studies of its recommended vaccination schedules. Unlike all other drugs, which must at least undergo a basic round of safety testing prior to approval and recommendation, vaccinations and vaccine schedules in particular do not have to be proven safe or effective before hitting the market.

“The full implications of this primate study await publication of the research in a scientific journal,” said Wrangham. “But we can say that it demonstrates how the CDC evaded their responsibility to investigate vaccine safety questions. Vaccine safety oversight should be removed from the CDC and given to an independent agency.”

 

 

Statins Increase Breast Cancer Risk by over 200%

Statins Increase Breast Cancer Risk by over 200% by David Brownstein, MD
http://blog.drbrownstein.com/statins-increase-breast-cancer-by-over-200/

Why do one in seven women in the U.S. have breast cancer?  Unfortunately, the Powers-That-Be are too busy prescribing chemotherapy, surgery and radiation instead of searching for the underlying reasons why so many U.S. women are suffering and dying with breast cancer.  Unless we stop the flow of money to the Powers-That-Be, which includes the American Cancer Society and the Koman Foundation, there will never be progress made in this terrible illness.

Why do one in seven women have breast cancer?  One reason is the use of synthetic hormones fed to animals and other synthetic hormones prescribed to women such as medroxyprogesterone including Provera.  Another reason is statin medications.

A recent study found that current users of statins for ten years or longer had  an 83% increased risk of invasive ductal carcinoma and a 97% increased risk of invasive lobular carcinoma, when compared to never-users of statins.  Among women diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia, current users of statins for ten years or longer had a 204% increased risk of invasive ductal carcinoma and a 243% increased risk of invasive lobular carcinoma.(1)

In fact, the increased risk of cancer with statin use has been reported in other studies.  All the cholesterol medications, older and newer ones, have been associated with an increased rate of cancer.(2)   In rodents, statins have been shown to cause cancer in multiple studies. (2)  Multiple studies have shown a link between low cholesterol levels and the development of cancer. (3)  

Some of you may be shocked by the above numbers.  I am not.  The connection between statins and cancer is hard to pin down since most studies do not last for long periods of time and, to be properly diagnosed, cancer takes a long time to grow.  When you look at the mechanism of action of statins, and the resultant depletion of cholesterol and CoQ10, I believe long-term statin use will inevitably lead to increased risk of cancer.

Why do one in seven women have breast cancer?  Breast cancer is affecting so many women, in large part, due to conventional medicine’s rabid promotion of synthetic hormone replacement therapy (29% increased risk of invasive breast cancer) and statin medications. The American public has been terribly deceived and harmed by these toxic therapies.  Studying the biochemical action of statins would lead one to conclude that an increased risk of cancer (as well as diabetes, infection, memory loss, muscle deterioration and other adverse effects) is likely.  Even more appalling is the fact that statins have never been shown, in women and most men, to prevent heart attacks and strokes.  Nor have statins been shown to significantly prolong a woman or a man’s life.  Perhaps women just need to say “No” to a statin prescription.

What can you do?  Educate yourself about the mechanism of action of a drug.  Search for ways to support the body’s biochemistry instead of poisoning enzymes (this is how statins work) and blocking receptors.  Most drugs–over 98%– work by poisoning enzymes or blocking receptors. We were not designed to have our enzymes poisoned or our receptors blocked.  More information about the problems with statins and other drugs can be found in my book, Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do, 2^nd Edition.

(1) Cancer Epidem. Biomarkers Prev.  22(9): 1529-37.  2013

 (2)  JAMA.  1.3.1996. VOl. 275, N1.

(3)  QJM.  Doi:  10.1093/qjmed/hcr243.  December 8, 2011

 

Pineal Gland and Fluoride Toxicity

Pineal Gland and Fluoride Toxicity
http://fluoridealert.org/issues/health/pineal-gland/

In the 1990s, a British scientist, Jennifer Luke, discovered that fluoride accumulates to strikingly high levels in the pineal gland. (Luke 2001). The pineal gland is located between the two hemispheres of the brain and is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin maintains the body’s circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), regulates the onset of puberty in females, and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals.

While it is not yet known if fluoride accumulation affects pineal gland function, preliminary animal experiments found that fluoride reduced melatonin levels and shortened the time to puberty. (Luke, 1997). Based on this and other evidence, the National Research Council has stated that “fluoride is likely to cause decreased melatonin production and to have other effects on normal pineal function, which in turn could contribute to a variety of effects in humans” (NRC, 2006, p. 256).

The Pineal Gland Has Highest Levels of Fluoride in Body

As a calcifying tissue that is exposed to a high volume of blood flow, the pineal gland is a major target for fluoride accumulation in humans. In fact, the calcified parts of the pineal gland (hydroxyapatite crystals) contain the highest fluoride concentrations in the human body (up to 21,000 ppm F), higher than either bone or teeth.  (Luke 1997; 2001). Although the soft tissue of the pineal does not accumulate fluoride to the same extent as the calcified part, it does contain higher levels of fluoride than found than in other types of soft tissue in the body — with concentrations (~300 ppm F) that are known in other contexts to inhibit enzymes.  While the impacts of these fluoride concentrations in the pineal are not yet fully understood, studies have found that calcified deposits in the pineal are associated with decreased numbers of functioning pinealocytes and reduced melatonin production (Kunz et al., 1999) as well as impairments in the sleep-wake cycle. (Mahlberg 2009).

Fluoride and Earlier Puberty in Girls

In the United States, children are reaching the age of puberty at earlier ages than in the past — a trend that carries health consequences, including a heightened risk for breast cancer. Some evidence indicates that fluoride, via its effect on the pineal, could be a contributing cause to this trend. In animal studies, for example, fluoride exposure has been found to cause a decrease in the amount of circulating melatonin and lead to an accelerated sexual maturation in females. (Luke 1997). Similar findings have been reported in two epidemiological studies of human populations drinking fluoridated water. In the first published fluoridation safety experiment in Newburgh, New York, the authors found that girls living in a fluoridated community reached puberty five months earlier than girls living in a non-fluoridated community. (Schlesinger 1956)  Later, in 1983, Farkas reported that postmenarcheal girls were “present at younger ages in the higher fluoride town than in the low-fluoride town, although the reported median ages were the same.”

References:

• Farkas G, et al. (1983). The fluoride content of drinking water and menarcheal age. Acta Univ Szeged Acta Biol. 29(1-4):159-168.
• Kunz D, et al. (1999). A new concept for melatonin deficit: on pineal calcification and melatonin excretion. Neuropsychopharmacology 21(6):765-72.
• Luke J. (2001). Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Res. 35(2):125-128.
• Luke J. (1997). The Effect of Fluoride on the Physiology of the Pineal Gland. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildford.
• Mahlberg R, et al. (2009). Degree of pineal calcification (DOC) is associated with polysomnographic sleep measures in primary insomnia patients. Sleep Med. 10(4):439-45.
• National Research Council. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards. National Academies Press, Washington D.C.
• Schlesinger ER, et al. (1956). Newburgh-Kingston caries  fluorine study. XIII. Pediatric findings after ten years. J Am Dent Assoc. 52(3):296-306.

 

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The Psychosoma - the idea that all disease is pyscho-somatic in nature

The Psychosoma

By Amy Lansky, PHD

In Chapter 5 of my book Impossible Cure, I emphasize the fact that all disease is psycho-somatic in nature -- that is, is reflected in our entire state being, which includes both our "soma" (our physical body), as well as our "psyche" -- our emotions and mental state. In my second book, Active Consciousness, I suggest that there are even more components of our being, at even higher levels of the complete energy body.

Homeopathic medicine is one of several holistic medicines that understands this fact deeply; indeed, I believe that the psychosomatic nature of disease is more fundamental to homeopathy than it is to any other modality. Every true homeopath knows that the core vibratory state of our vital force -- the state they are trying to match to that of a curative homeopathic remedy -- can be detected in any one of many unlikely places: in quirks of behavior, food cravings, idiosyncratic physical aches and pains, and especially the patient's unique emotional state. Almost all disease arises out of some kind of disturbance to the vital force, and more often than not, that disturbance is emotional, whether the patient consciously knows it or not.

The late Edward "Chris" Whitmont, a psychiatrist and student of Jung as well as an esteemed homeopathic thinker and author of Psyche and Substance, understood and wrote about the psychosomatic nature of all disease. As he pointed out, the homeopathic materia medica is a veritable encyclopedia of possible human psychosomatic states, whose emotional/mental/physical symptom patterns were elicited through remedy provings and through clinical experiences over the past 200 years.

Whitmont also related the curative action of the truly homeopathic remedy to Jung's concept of synchronicity, a subject that I also discuss at length in my book Active Consciousness and in my articles about consciousness. As Jung and Whitmont point out, is no accident that a watch may stop at the instant its owner dies, or that a person's disease pattern reflects the symbolism of the substance that can cure them. That's the synchronistic nature of our universe.

I recently had an experience that drove the importance of the psychosoma home to me. Starting with an emotional upset in January, I gradually developed issues with my lower back. By early February, they had intensified to become sciatica in my right leg. Eventually I even began to use a cane to walk. It was time for intervention! Luckily, I had several trusty tools available to me. One of them, of course, was homeopathy. I made an appointment with my homeopath and got some immediate relief from the prescribed remedy. After a relapse a few days later, however, I took another dose -- causing a big enough aggravation that it forced me, finally, to penetrate the emotional origins of my pain more deeply.

I knew all along that the root of my pain was likely emotional, but I had also convinced myself that there were also physical co-factors at play. Nevertheless, I finally turned inward and faced what was going on. My second helpful tool was a book that had cured me of all back pain over twenty years ago -- John Sarno's Mind Over Back Pain.

Armed with the updated version of Sarno's book -- now called Healing Back Pain -- I sat down, read it over the course of a few days, writing down every single thing that was bugging me, and acknowledging that my back pain was really psychologically and not physically-based. I had some emotional conversations with family members too. Et voila! -- my pain was diminished by at least 90% over the course of just a 3-4 days. I'm working on the rest now, taking Sarno's advice that every ache or pain I experience is really a signal for me to "think psychological not physical."

Sarno is a medical doctor who has worked in rehabilitative medicine for over sixty years. His experience has shown that at least 80% -- and probably more -- of back pain in the USA is due to psychological factors, not physical, even when X-rays and MRIs and other doctors say otherwise. His method of treatment -- based on simply providing the patient with knowledge and awareness -- has cured thousands of people with much more longstanding, severe, and supposedly "physically-based" back pain than mine.

His ideas have also cured many other problems rooted in the emotions, including eczema, asthma, heart palpitation and arrhythmia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn and irritable bowel, fibromyalgia, and more. All of these people's problems weren't "in their heads" --- they were physically and even lab-tested as real. But their root was in psychological factors, not physical. As a result, taking meds or having surgery was ultimately just palliative or suppressive and did not address the root. The tendency of allopathy to treat disease using suppression or palliation is something that homeopaths and experienced homeopathic patients know all about!

I have no doubt that Sarno, who at base is an allopath and believes most alternative health modalities are placebo, would say the same of homeopathy. Yet even Sarno says that the hallmark of a placebo cure is that it doesn't last -- something that is not true of a good homeopathic cure. We who really know homeopathy know that it truly cures because it too gets at the root, which includes the psychological. Indeed, remedies are very often chosen based primarily on the emotional and mental symptoms, even for physical diseases. I tell the story of one such case -- my own! -- in Impossible Cure. In that case, I suffered from an intransigent month-long bronchitis that did not yield to any remedy until it was finally cured when I realized that the bronchitis was triggered by a fright and then took Aconite.

Luckily for me and my back, a homeopathic aggravation finally led me to do the emotional work needed to heal. That is one way in which homeopathy can heal us, and it underscores a key point. We must participate in our healing. It is often not enough to take a pill or a remedy and sit back and wait. If we are to truly heal we must address all aspects of our being -- our diets, our environment, our relationships, our behaviors, and our various habitual patterns, be they physical, mental, or emotional. An inspirational article that touches on this subject, was written by my own homeopath, Deborah Olenev.

It is true, an excellent homeopathic remedy can sometimes do the entire job, and what a miraculous blessing it is when that happens! In other cases, however, a good remedy provides a key that unlocks the door to a process that we must then actively pursue. In such cases, the remedy guides and nudges us along, but we must participate in our own cures. Healing, and indeed, the unfolding of our lives in general, is ultimately a cooperative ballet of energy, inspiration, and action.

 

 

 

University sports jerseys and key chains contaminated with toxic heavy metals that promote neurological damage

University sports jerseys and key chains contaminated with toxic heavy metals that promote neurological damage
http://www.naturalnews.com/044400_march_madness_sports_jerseys_toxic_heavy_metals.html#ixzz2wcaWRUf0

Friday, March 21, 2014
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

(NaturalNews) College sports jerseys, key chains, seat cushions and other memorabilia have been found to contain shockingly high levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

The toxic products were sold by stores like Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart, and they represent the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University and many other universities.

• Shockingly, a University of Michigan Deluxe Key Ring was found to contain over 1,200 ppm of mercury, a potent neurotoxin.

• A Michigan State University Seat Cushion was found to contain over 200 ppm cadmium and 170 ppm lead. Cadmium causes kidney damage and lead damages cognitive function.

• A University of Michigan jersey contained over 130 ppm lead in its ink print!

Laboratory tests conducted by...

Reading this, you may think these tests were conducted by myself at the Natural News Forensic Food Lab, because this is exactly the kind of thing we do.

But guess what? These tests were actually organized by the non-profit Ecology Center which published its findings on HealthyStuff.org.

I genuinely applaud the Ecology Center for achieving this stunning research. As a food science researcher, I know how incredibly expensive, time consuming and complex it is to conduct this sort of research. This project no doubt cost over $100,000 to carry out, and they are releasing the results for free in the public interest (just like we do).

This is commendable work, and I'm ecstatic to see that I'm not alone in running laboratory tests on everyday products and sharing the results with the world. (The Environmental Working Group also does fantastic work in this arena, by the way.) I strongly encourage Natural News readers to plug in to the Ecology Center and watch their work. In fact, if they are reading this, we'd like to do a feature story on your group and help bring more awareness to your amazing work. Great job!

Toxic college sports memorabilia

What these results reveal is that prominent universities are openly selling toxic products to the public. Apparently, these universities either are failing to test their own products before selling them, or they are testing the products and don't seem to care what they contain.

As a result, in my opinion these university sports products are contributing to chronic, degenerative disease in the American people and increasing their own customers' risks of cancer, neurological disorders, liver damage and kidney failure, among other serious health conditions. Even worse, some of these metals found in university products actually lower cognitive function and damage IQs, utterly contradicting the whole point of "higher education." Literally, these universities are releasing products that contribute to brain damage.

None of this surprises me, as I'm the scientist-activist who exposed Michigan State University selling highly toxic surplus laboratory equipment to the public, loaded with deadly mercury poison. In fact, Michigan State University sold me -- and readily shipped me -- enough mercury to poison the entire Los Angeles water supply. The boxes arrived via UPS, no questions asked!

So I know firsthand that universities routinely sell and deliver extremely toxic -- even deadly -- products directly to the public.

This is unacceptable!

I can't wait for these universities to roll out the same lame excuse being peddled by some vegan protein manufacturers in the aftermath of my own research exposing high levels of tungsten, lead and cadmium in rice protein products. Some companies claimed all those metals were "naturally occurring" and therefore not harmful.

All the scientists, biochemists and nutritionists laughed their heads off, of course, but that didn't stop these companies from continuing to sell their contaminated products to an unsuspecting public.

Click here to watch my highly informative videos on mercury toxicity, why heavy metals are not "naturally occurring" in foods, interviews with top metals poisoning experts and more.

Demand safe consumer products from universities

Just as Natural News readers demand safe foods, dietary supplements and superfoods, it's equally important that you demand safe consumer products which are substantially free from heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium and even tungsten.

The truth is finally beginning to emerge on all these heavy metals in your foods, superfoods and consumer products. With ICP-MS laboratories being set up by private entities like Natural News, more and more testing in the public interest is being routinely conducted. All companies selling toxic products will sooner or later be exposed.

So any manufacturer that wants to protect its reputation and operate with high integrity and high product safety needs to get with the program and start testing their products for heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.

See more heavy metals lab results at:
http://labs.naturalnews.com

Much more to come!

Clearing Fear, Conflict and Trauma from Your Past, Present and Future by Andreas Moritz

Clearing Fear, Conflict and Trauma from Your Past, Present and Future
by Andreas Moritz
(Reprint: initially released January 2012)

For any type of real physical, mental or spiritual healing to take place, you must make an important decision, perhaps one of the most important you will ever make. Depending on which way you look at it, it could also be one of the easiest or one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make. It is a decision to become emotionally whole, or simply, a decision to heal yourself.

It is a demonstrated fact that techniques of physical, mental, and spiritual healing cause physiological changes in the brain and other organs. That is because our thoughts, beliefs and emotions are stored not only in our cerebral cortex but also in our cells and tissues via complex neural pathways powered by chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.

Though natural healing techniques impact on this cellular memory, remember that this journey starts in mind - with a decision you have made to heal yourself, to clearly see the mind-body connection at work and to rely on your innate wisdom to cure yourself.

If you would prefer to start with baby steps, begin by creating the time and space to access your healing force. Simply spend some quiet time by yourself every day, perhaps in the park or even sit up in bed when you wake up every morning and before you sleep every night and 'empty' your mind.

Repeat this for a few days and you will already begin to feel the difference! Detoxifying your mind in this way will instantly relieve stress. This will, in turn, start the positive loop you need to take the power of internal healing even further.

Different things work for different people. So find your own stress-busters, such as a walk around the block after your evening meal, playing with your pet, watching the sunset or even sitting with your feet up and doing absolutely nothing.

Once you begin to experience the benefits of these simple practices, you will embrace an attitude of relaxation rather than the stress-filled life so many people are almost addicted to. You might then want to explore other systems that re-balance and unite the mind and body such as progressive relaxation, deep breathing, meditation, and yoga.

** Special Promotion ** March 15th to 25th
This month's Special Promotion offers a 25% discount on the retail price of all of Andreas’ e-Books here http://ener-chi.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d5c672f13b8c853b9881fe91&id=a8c9f618ba&e=fcc2f102e9

The Link Between Stress and Autoimmune Disorders

http://blog.adrenalfatigue.org/stress-and-immunity/the-link-between-stress-and-autoimmune-disorders/

November 7, 2013 by Eric Bakker, ND

To understand the connection between stress and autoimmune disorders, we’ll need to start with the adrenal glands–those two tiny, triangular glands atop your kidneys that defend your body from stress using the hormone cortisol. Cortisol performs many vital functions in the body, from responding to small cuts to helping the body rebound from a stressful event. Cortisol also helps your liver to release stored glucose (stored energy) which helps you to maintain a smooth even flow of energy throughout the day. That is why many people with auto-immune problems are so tired.

High or chronic stress can lead to eventual depletion of adrenal function, which results in the body’s inability to counter inflammation. In an auto-immune reaction, white blood cells attack parts of your body as if they were the enemy. In most auto-immune reactions, the amount of cortisol your body produces isn’t enough for the degree of reaction taking place. In fact, most people who suffer from autoimmune disorders have multiple hormone imbalances, including adrenal and thyroid hormones.

In most cases, the adrenal glands need to be optimized first, leading to repletion, steady energy and eventual recovery. Adrenal recovery is a process akin to running a marathon. The process will take time, more for some, so patience is required by all. With correct treatment, many patients will find some improvement in their adrenal health a matter of weeks, some in months, depending on their motivation to improve their health, the degree of pre-existing damage as well as the clinical skills of their health professional. The process can take anywhere from 2 months to 3 years even in the best of hands. My guide to improve adrenal function and reduce inflammation

Dealing with autoimmune disorders is much like running a marathon.

I’d like you to bear in mind that auto-immunity is a long marathon, and your recovery should not be expected to be “a walk in the park.” You will not wake up in a week and be 100%. Remember this: it probably took a few years of slowly declining health to get here in the first place. Pace yourself and work on your overall health in small steps, gaining new ground gradually over time. Frustration and disappointments are very common and normal in clinical practice, so don’t beat yourself up! Patience is the key, and during the recovery process, most, if not all, will go through a roller coaster type ride with advances and setbacks.

The Mammogram Debacle

The Mammogram Debacle

http://blog.drbrownstein.com/?utm_source=eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=blog_link&utm_campaign=blast_new_blog

Women have been conditioned to get yearly mammograms.  They have been told by the Powers-That-Be that screening mammograms save lives.  So, let me ask the question:  Do women who get screening mammograms have a lowered breast cancer mortality rate when compared to women not screened?

Canadian researchers attempted to answer this question and published a study in last week’s British Medical Journal (BMJ.  Feb 11, 2014).  Researchers enrolled 89,305 Canadian women aged 40-59 and randomly assigned them to a treatment group who received annual mammography and compared them to a control group who did not undergo mammography.  The main outcome studied was death from breast cancer.

During the entire study period (25 years) 3250 women in the mammography arm and 3133 in the control arm were diagnosed with breast cancer.  500 women in the mammography arm and 505 in the control arm died from breast cancer.  There was no significant change in the death rate between the women who received and those who did not receive annual mammograms. 

The author’s concluded, “Annual mammography in women aged 40-59 years does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of physical examination or usual care…”

Mammograms provide a radiological image of the breasts. The Powers-That-Be want us to believe that early diagnosis translates into improved mortality rates.  Unfortunately, after more than 30 years and hundreds of thousands of mammographic studies, there is no clear data that mammograms save lives. 

There is no question that mammograms pick up abnormalities in the breasts at a much earlier stage as compared to the physical exam–palpation of the breast.   However, as the Canadian studies showed, early diagnosis of breast cancer has not translated into improved mortality rates.  A similar situation occurs in men with prostate testing via the PSA test–early diagnosis does not change the course of the illness for the vast majority men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

Keep in mind that mammograms are associated with adverse effects.  Mammograms utilize ionizing radiation which is a known to cause cancer.  In fact, there is a one percent increase risk of developing breast cancer for each mammogram a woman receives.  That means, after 10 years, the risk could be as  high as ten percent.  Some think the risk is higher.

What should you do?  Don’t blindly follow anyone’s recommendation, mine included.  Do your research. Just because a doctor says that a yearly mammogram is needed doesn’t make it so.  Thermography provides a non-toxic way to image the breast using heat.  Since it does not expose the breast tissue to ionizing radiation, thermography should be an option.  More information about thermography can be found at:  www.thermascan.com.

Final thoughts:  The war on breast cancer has been a dismal failure.  Presently, we have one in seven U.S. women suffering with breast cancer.  The best that the Powers-That-Be can offer us, after spending trillions of our scarce health care dollars, is the screening mammogram– which has never been shown to lower mortality rates.   I say we need to refocus our efforts.  We need to spend our money figuring out what is causing one in seven women to have breast cancer.  We need less money spent on diagnosing cancer and more spent on how to prevent it.  What can you do?  Make your views known.  Congress will listen to us if we speak loudly enough.  And, finally, don’t donate to organizations that are not trying to figure out why so many of us are getting cancer.  These same organizations are busy, in the case of breast cancer, promoting screening mammograms. 

What steps can you take to prevent becoming a breast cancer statistic? The number one thing is to eat a healthy diet free of hormones and pesticides.  Both synthetic hormones and pesticides have been linked to cancer.  Also, ensure that you have adequate iodine intake as I believe low iodine levels could explain why so many women are suffering from breast cancer as well as why so many men are suffering from prostate cancer.  More information about this can be found in my book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, 5^th Edition.

In the study of breast cancer, we can and should do better.  Either we make changes in how our cancer dollars are spent or we will all continue to suffer with more and more cancer diagnoses.  

 

Arnica Montana - Spirit of the Remedy

Arnica Montana - The Spirit of the Remedy

by Deborah Olenev CCH RSHom (NA)

www.firstaidcreams.com   

While watching the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi I got inspired to write an article about the personality characteristics of people who need Arnica montana as a constitutional remedy.

I learned about the personality characteristics of Arnica montana from Frans Kusse's book called Homeopathic Types. I had never seen Arnica montana described the way he described it before. I and a lot of people owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing this information forward to the world, because it will enable many people to be healed who otherwise may not be.

You may wonder why the Winter Olympics prompted me to write about Arnica montana. The reason is that the Olympic athlete embodies the spirit of this remedy. The chief characteristics of this remedy are:

1)    A desire for invulnerability both physically and psychologically. Kusse explains that Arnica montana belongs to the Asteracaea family of plants, and this desire for invulnerability is a common characteristic of the plants in this family. Bellis perennis is another first aid remedy that comes from this plant family.

A beautiful example of this desire or persona of invincibility, and the ability to conceal their vulnerability is when one of the competitors in the U.S. snowboarding team had an accident where he hit the edge of the wall on his back side. It looked like it must have been terribly painful, but when he was interviewed afterward he had a big smile on his face, and did not show any signs that he was injured. He looked absolutely invulnerable.

2)    Arnica montana people possess a tremendous amount of energy and self-confidence. I saw this displayed time and again during the Olympics. The relay races were a beautiful example of this energy, endurance and drive to come in first.

3)    A high sense of responsibility and an urge to fulfill their tasks is another Arnica montana trait. This quality was apparent at the Olympics when one of the bob sledding competitors injured her calf while practicing the day before, but it did not stop her. She competed the following day and won a medal with her team mate. This shows Arnica montana's ability to push through despite injuries, and the ability to hide or overcome their injuries to fulfill the task they have set before themselves.

Another example is the ice skating champion who had won gold medals in previous Olympics, accumulating many injuries over the years. Yet he overcame all his physical obstacles, trained vigorously, and pushed through the pain to compete one more time and win gold.

4)    A desire to prove that they are strong is another characteristic of people who need Arnica montana constitutionally. In order to do this they need to have a challenge, and what bigger challenge can a person put before herself or himself than to win a medal at the Olympic games. The competition provides the arena to display their talents and strength.

5)    According to Frans Kusse, Arnica montana people can be compared to an impregnable fortress that is unapproachable. Underneath this need for impregnability is a fear of losing something of value, such as money or health. He says that Arnica montana people are closed, and do not like to answer questions about private matters. For this reason they can be reluctant to go to doctors who ask too many questions, but are okay with going to surgeons, who just act.

6)    Arnica montana is the first remedy that we think of for people who have been in an accident, and of course, the Olympics are a venue where accidents will happen. People who need Arnica montana are also attracted to activities where accidents are likely to occur, such as skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, bob sledding, ice skating--all the Olympic winter sports. Arnica montana people can also be very frightened of accidents and can try hard to avoid them. It is the first remedy we think of for people who have never been well since an accident, such as a head injury, or car accident.

7)    Arnica montana should always be thought of for people who have received an injury from a fall, or an injury from a blunt object. Arnica montana is the greatest remedy for helping to heal people from bruises and internal bleeding.

8)    There is a shadow side to Arnica montana's invincible persona. According to Kusse the characteristics of this shadow side are:

·            A fear of being hurt. Their desire for invulnerability is their reaction to this fear.

·            A fear of losing something of value, such as their wealth or health.

·            An aversion to being consoled. They turn away the doctor or the ambulance at the site of an accident, saying they are just fine, because it is insupportable to them to admit that there is something wrong with them.

·            A fear of becoming dependent on someone else. They have to have their financial affairs in order so that they do not depend on others.

·            A need to show that they are strong to cover up the fact that they are fearful inside. Hence they desire a challenge where they can prove their strength.

Arnica montana is a fascinating remedy with a large field of action. To learn more about the remedy please watch the slide show and read the article on the Learn about Arnica montana section on the First Aid Creams website.

Here is the link: http://firstaidcreams.com/learn-about-homeopathic-creams/learn-about-arnica-montana  

Homeopathic Creams:
The Variety Sample Pack http://firstaidcreams.com/buy-homeopathic-first-aid-creams/variety-sample-pack  

1.      Arnica Montana Cream for trauma, bruises, head injuries, pain and so much more.

2.      Calendula Officinalis Cream for wound healing.

3.      Hypericum Perforatum Cream for injuries to areas rich in nerves, such as the fingers, toes and spine, and for very painful wounds.

4.      Hypericum Calendula Cream combines the healing properties of Calendula with Hypericum for a wonderful first aid cream for painful wounds.

5.      Ledum Palustre Cream for puncture wounds, insect bites, injuries that are better from cold applications, gout, and more.

6.      Ruta Graveolens Cream for injuries to ligaments, tendons and the linings of the bones.

7.      Urtica Urens Cream for first and second degree burns.

 

New insights into the mystery of autism: Could it be caused at birth by salt in the nerves?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/new-insights-into-the-mystery-of-autism-could-it-be-caused-at-birth-by-salt-in-the-nerves-9112720.html

Steve Connor

Science Editor Thursday 06 February 2014

High levels of salt in the nerve cells of newborn babies could be the crucial early trigger that results in autism later in childhood according to a study into the fundamental causes of the developmental disorder of the brain.

Scientists believe that high concentrations of chloride – the negatively charged salt ion found naturally within nerve cells – could be responsible for tipping the brain of a newborn child on the path towards autistic development.

Autism affects about one per cent of people and is a lifelong development disorder that begins in early childhood and affects how sufferers communicate and interact with other people. The spectrum of symptoms can range from relatively mild to very severe.

The origins of autism are not understood but in a series of ground-breaking experiments on mice, researchers believe they have found evidence to show how autism results from a failure to quickly lower levels of chloride ions within the neurons of the brain during birth.

Chloride ions are kept deliberately high in the neurons of the fetus while developing in the womb. Under normal birth conditions, however, chloride levels are quickly lowered during delivery, controlled by oxytocin, the birth hormone released by the mother during labor.

Oxytocin acts like a diuretic, reducing chloride levels within the neurons. However, a study by a team of French researchers found that when oxytocin is blocked, chloride ions continue to remain high after birth, which leads to a developmental disorder of the brain and autism.

They also showed that lowering chloride ions in a genetic strain of laboratory mouse that would otherwise develop an animal version of autism – by giving them a diuretic drug which made them lose chloride in their urine – effectively prevents them from developing the brain disorder later in life.

“During birth and delivery there is an extremely abrupt loss of chloride triggered by the release of oxytocin during labour. If you block oxytocin during delivery you block this protective mechanism,” said Yehezkel Ben-Ari of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm).

“Chloride levels during delivery are determinants of the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder,” said Professor Ben-Ari, who led the study published in the journal Science.

The findings could explain the results of a 2012 clinical trial involving 50 autistic children aged between three and eleven who were given the diuretic drug bumetanide, which made them lose chloride ions in their urine. Their autistic symptoms improved during the treatment, Professor Ben-Ari said.

“We have proven the concept that in autism chloride is elevated and perhaps our diuretic acts by reducing that. The evidence was lacking until now,” he said.

“These data validate our treatment strategy, and suggest that oxytocin, by acting on the chloride levels during delivery modulates [and] controls the expression of autism spectrum disorder,” he added.

The study showed that diuretic drugs given to pregnant mice immediately prior to birth could effectively prevent autism developing in their autism-prone offspring.

“We showed that if you deliver diuretic to the mother before birth and delivery, then the offspring have so to speak been cured… whereas if you block oxytocin, you get autism,” Professor Ben-Ari said.

Although it would not be practical or safe to treat every pregnant women with diuretic drugs immediately before childbirth to try to prevent autism, he said the findings on mice suggest that it is important to diagnose children with autism as early as possible so that diuretics and behavioural therapy could be used together.

“The observation that a single treatment of the mother before delivery prevents the expression of… features of autism in offspring illustrates the importance of conditions at delivery…and the amazing long-term priming consequences of a wrong start,” he said.

“I think that an early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, coupled with a [diuretic] drug such as bumetanide or other regulators acting to reduce aberrant brain activities that perturb neuronal activities, are likely future therapies,” Dr. Ben-Ari said.

“Behavioural treatments might be reinforced by these pharmaceutical treatments and might facilitate their success, restoring communication with the child at an early age.”

Case study: Nick Gilling

Tessa Gilling, 46, from Leeds, has an autistic son, Nick, 15

"There’s been an awful lot of new research and findings done on autism so we have to take this latest one with a bit of caution. Nick has high-functioning autism and social interaction is one of his biggest problems. Someone compared having autism to be being thrown into a pool without any armbands and I think that’s a good way of explaining it. He has sensory difficulties, which means his sight and smell are much more prominent for him. We walked past a vegetable stall recently and he said the smells were too confusing for him.

He is wired in a very different way to most people. He has weaknesses, but then he does have some amazing strengths. He’s unbelievable musically – I came home one day and he was playing a song from Oliver on the piano.

There needs to be more support for people in Nick’s condition. He was badly bullied at school and the teachers didn’t think there was anything wrong with him because he used to mask how he was feeling. I suspect he won’t leave with any qualifications apart from music.

Nick’s a Young Campaigner for the National Autistic Society and the work he has done with them has benefited him a great deal.”

The Mammogram Debacle

The Mammogram Debacle

http://blog.drbrownstein.com/?utm_source=eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=blog_link&utm_campaign=blast_new_blog

Women have been conditioned to get yearly mammograms.  They have been told by the Powers-That-Be that screening mammograms save lives.  So, let me ask the question:  Do women who get screening mammograms have a lowered breast cancer mortality rate when compared to women not screened?
Canadian researchers attempted to answer this question and published a study in last week’s British Medical Journal (BMJ.  Feb 11, 2014).  Researchers enrolled 89,305 Canadian women aged 40-59 and randomly assigned them to a treatment group who received annual mammography and compared them to a control group who did not undergo mammography.  The main outcome studied was death from breast cancer.
During the entire study period (25 years) 3250 women in the mammography arm and 3133 in the control arm were diagnosed with breast cancer.  500 women in the mammography arm and 505 in the control arm died from breast cancer.  There was no significant change in the death rate between the women who received and those who did not receive annual mammograms. 
The author’s concluded, “Annual mammography in women aged 40-59 years does not reduce mortality from breast cancer beyond that of physical examination or usual care…”
Mammograms provide a radiological image of the breasts. The Powers-That-Be want us to believe that early diagnosis translates into improved mortality rates.  Unfortunately, after more than 30 years and hundreds of thousands of mammographic studies, there is no clear data that mammograms save lives. 
There is no question that mammograms pick up abnormalities in the breasts at a much earlier stage as compared to the physical exam–palpation of the breast.   However, as the Canadian studies showed, early diagnosis of breast cancer has not translated into improved mortality rates.  A similar situation occurs in men with prostate testing via the PSA test–early diagnosis does not change the course of the illness for the vast majority men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. 
Keep in mind that mammograms are associated with adverse effects.  Mammograms utilize ionizing radiation which is a known to cause cancer.  In fact, there is a one percent increase risk of developing breast cancer for each mammogram a woman receives.  That means, after 10 years, the risk could be as  high as ten percent.  Some think the risk is higher.
What should you do?  Don’t blindly follow anyone’s recommendation, mine included.  Do your research. Just because a doctor says that a yearly mammogram is needed doesn’t  make it so.  Thermography provides a non-toxic way to image the breast using heat.  Since it does not expose the breast tissue to ionizing radiation, thermography should be an option.  More information about thermography can be found at:  www.thermascan.com.
Final thoughts:  The war on breast cancer has been a dismal failure.  Presently, we have one in seven U.S. women suffering with breast cancer.  The best that the Powers-That-Be can offer us, after spending trillions of our scarce health care dollars, is the screening mammogram– which has never been shown to lower mortality rates.   I say we need to refocus our efforts.  We need to spend our money figuring out what is causing one in seven women to have breast breast cancer.  We need less money spent on diagnosing cancer and more spent on how to prevent it.  What can you do?  Make your views known.  Congress will listen to us if we speak loudly enough.  And, finally, don’t donate to organizations that are not trying to figure out why so many of us are getting cancer.  These same organizations are busy, in the case of breast cancer, promoting screening mammograms. 
What steps can you take to prevent becoming a breast cancer statistic? The number one thing is to eat a healthy diet free of hormones and pesticides.  Both synthetic hormones and pesticides have been linked to cancer.  Also, ensure that you have adequate iodine intake as I believe low iodine levels could explain why so many women are suffering from breast cancer as well as why so many men are suffering from prostate cancer.  More information about this can be found in my book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, 5^th Edition.
In the study of breast cancer, we can and should do better.  Either we make changes in how our cancer dollars are spent or we will all continue to suffer with more and more cancer diagnoses.  
DrB

Systemic lupus erythematosus and Vitamin D

Systemic lupus erythematosus

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/systemic-lupus-erythematosus/

Summary

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is a chronic disease that affects many systems in the body. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system has a hard time telling the difference between your own healthy cells and foreign things like germs, bacteria, or viruses. This causes your body to attack your healthy tissue, which can cause inflammation and pain.

People with lupus often have periods of flares, which is when you have worse symptoms, and periods of remission, when the symptoms are better or not there at all. When lupus symptoms are flaring up, the disease is called “active”. There are many different symptoms of lupus that affect different body systems. The most common symptoms are rashes, fatigue, fever, sensitivity to the sun, and joint pain.

It is not fully understood how lupus develops. Researchers think that lupus comes from a combination of genetics, hormones, and the environment.

Many studies have shown that there is a link between vitamin D and lupus. People who have lupus are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D. Studies have shown that people with higher levels of vitamin D have fewer lupus symptoms. People with lupus who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have risk factors that increase their chances of getting heart disease than people with high levels of vitamin D.

Some studies have shown that giving vitamin D supplements to people with lupus can help their symptoms improve and decrease chances of a flare up. However, more experiments are needed to understand just how helpful vitamin D is in lupus, if at all.

Research hasn’t been able to show yet that low vitamin D levels cause lupus. Doctors don’t know yet whether taking a vitamin D supplement can help to prevent or manage lupus.

If you have lupus and want to take vitamin D, it is unlikely to make your lupus worse or cause you any harm, as long as you take less than 10,000 IU per day. However, it’s not proven that taking vitamin D will help to treat your lupus.

If you have lupus, you shouldn’t take vitamin D in place of your treatment medications. Talk to your physician for more advice about taking supplements.

What is lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is a chronic disease that affects many systems in the body, like the skin, heart, and muscles. Lupus develops when your immune system stops working like it should.  Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system has a hard time telling the difference between your own healthy cells and foreign things like germs, bacteria, or viruses. This causes your body to attack your healthy tissue, which can cause inflammation and pain.

It is common for people with lupus to have periods of flares, which is when you have worse symptoms, and periods of remission, when the symptoms are better or not there at all. When lupus symptoms are flaring up, the disease is called “active”.

Lupus can be hard to diagnose, because many of the symptoms are similar to other autoimmune diseases¹.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Since lupus can affect so many different body systems, there are a lot of symptoms that can vary from person to person. The most common symptoms are^1,2

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint and muscle pain
• Chest pain
• Swelling in feet, legs, or hands
• Rashes
• Sensitivity to the sun
• Hair loss
• Sores in the mouth or nose

Some people with lupus might have symptoms that involve specific body parts, like:

• Digestive system: Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain
• Heart: Abnormal heartbeat. People with lupus have increased chances of getting heart disease, because it can cause inflammation around the heart or a buildup of plaque in the blood vessels.
• Lungs: Difficulty breathing
• Nervous system: Headaches, numbness or tingling, problems with eyesight, seizures
• Bones: People with lupus have increased chances of bone fractures or getting osteoporosis³.

How common is lupus?

About 5 million people around the world have some type of lupus. Lupus mostly affects women of reproductive age, but men and children can also develop lupus. There are some risk factors that increase your chances of getting lupus, such as⁴:

• Gender. 9 out of 10 people who have lupus are females.
• Race. African-Americans are three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians. Other races that have a higher risk are Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
• Age. Lupus usually develops between the ages of 15 and 45.
• Family history of lupus.
• Smoking. Some research has shown that smoking may increase your chances of getting lupus.

What causes lupus?

It is not fully understood what causes lupus or how it develops. Researchers think that lupus is caused by a combination of genetics, hormones, and the environment. Since most of the people with lupus are female, it is possible that estrogen might play a role in lupus.

Most researchers think that lupus occurs when something in the environment interacts with someone who has genes that make them more likely to develop lupus. Researchers call this interaction an environmental trigger.

In lupus, environmental triggers can also cause the lupus to flare up. The immune system will start making proteins called auto-antibodies, which is what will attack your healthy cells in your body and cause inflammation and pain¹.

The most common environmental triggers that can cause lupus flares are¹:

• UVB light
• Infections or viral illnesses
• Exhaustion or emotional stress
• Stress to the body, such as surgery, pregnancy, or trauma
• Some medications

What is the link between lupus and vitamin D?

Many studies have shown that there is a link between vitamin D and lupus. People who have lupus are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D, and people with a more severe disease are more likely to have low vitamin D levels.  This may be because people with lupus are sensitive to the sun, so they often avoid being outdoors or wear high SPF sunscreen.

However, researchers think that not getting enough vitamin D may also be an environmental trigger that increases the chances of getting a flare up and increases your chances of developing lupus in the first place⁵.

Vitamin D receptors are found on the surface of a cell where they receive chemical signals. By attaching themselves to a receptor, these chemical signals direct a cell to do something, for example, to act in a certain way, or to divide or die.

There are vitamin D receptors found on cells in the immune system, and vitamin D can bind to these receptors. This can cause the auto-antibodies to decrease and stop attacking the healthy cells in your body. Therefore, it is thought that vitamin D can help prevent lupus flares by reducing inflammation in the body6,7,8.

While it is thought that having enough vitamin D can help to prevent flares in people who have lupus, more experiments need to be done to determine definitively if taking vitamin D supplements can help prevent or treat lupus. Research hasn’t been able to show yet that low vitamin D levels cause lupus.

What does the research say in general about vitamin D and lupus?

Preventing lupus

Most studies that have been done about preventing lupus haven’t been able to find a clear link between vitamin D and lupus. A study that followed a large group of women for many years found that there was no link between the amount of vitamin D they ate from foods and supplements or were exposed to in adolescence and their chances of getting lupus later in life. However, the researchers didn’t look at vitamin D levels in the body and only relied on what the women could remember about how much vitamin D they consumed or sunlight they were exposed to⁹.

More studies are needed to determine if there is a link between vitamin D levels during childhood and adolescence and the chances of developing lupus later in life.

Managing and treating lupus

People with lupus are very likely to have low levels of vitamin D. This may be because people with lupus are sensitive to the sun, so they often avoid being outdoors or wear high SPF sunscreen.

People with active lupus often take medications that can interfere with vitamin D in your body, which may make them more likely to become vitamin D deficient10.

Studies have shown that people with higher levels of vitamin D have fewer symptoms from lupus. People living in places where there is more sunlight have a lower risk of developing autoimmune diseases11. African-Americans with lupus have been found to have lower levels of vitamin D than Caucasian people with lupus12.

Researchers have found that in winter months with low sunlight, people with lupus are more likely to have active symptoms, as well as more likely to have low levels of vitamin D. People with lupus are also more likely to have more flares during low sunlight months compared to high sunlight months¹³.

In a review of many studies, the majority of studies showed that people with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have more severe active lupus symptoms. Higher levels of active lupus are related to increased risk of damage to other organs, like the heart or kidneys¹⁴.

To date, most of the research that has been done is observational, meaning that researchers can’t say for sure whether or not low levels of vitamin D cause lupus, or if it is having lupus that causes low levels of vitamin D.

What does recent research say about vitamin D and lupus?

An experiment done in Egypt in 2012 looked at vitamin D levels and symptoms in people with lupus before and after supplementing with vitamin D. There were 2 groups in this study. The first group got 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day for 12 months, and the second group got a dummy pill. The researchers found that¹⁵:

·        The people in the vitamin D group had an improvement in lupus symptoms and had less flares, compared to the people getting the dummy pill.

·        Vitamin D levels were lowest in the people who had the most active lupus.

People in the vitamin D group had lower levels of inflammation in their body than people getting the dummy pills.

This study shows that having low levels of vitamin D may result in higher levels of lupus activity, symptoms, and flares. The researchers suggested that vitamin D may help to normalize the immune system in people with lupus. They concluded with a recommendation that people with lupus could benefit from supplementing with vitamin D, but also that more trials are needed to confirm these results.

·        An experiment published in 2014 looked at people with cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which is a form of lupus that only affects the skin. The researchers first looked at vitamin D levels in people with lupus compared to people who didn’t have lupus. Then, they gave vitamin D supplements to the people with lupus who had low vitamin D levels. The researchers gave them 1,400 IU vitamin D with 1,250 mg calcium per day for 40 days, then 400 IU with 1,250 mg calcium twice a day for 1 year after that. They found that¹⁶:

·        Vitamin D levels were lower in the people with lupus, compared to the people without lupus.

·        The people who got the vitamin D supplements had significant improvements in their lupus disease activity, as well as lower numbers of lesions on their skin.

The researchers concluded that having lupus increases the chances of having low vitamin D levels, and that taking a vitamin D supplement may help to improve lupus symptoms and disease activity. This study only looked at Caucasians, so we don’t know if vitamin D supplements would have the same effect in people of different ethnicities.

An experiment done in 2012 in France looked at people with lupus who had low levels of vitamin D. The researchers gave them 100,000 IU vitamin D per week for 4 weeks, followed by 100,000 IU vitamin D per month for 6 months. Afterwards, they looked at their vitamin D levels and at different cells in the body that can cause the immune system to act differently. They found that⁸:

• After taking a vitamin D supplement, the people with lupus had lower levels of cells that cause the immune system to make more antibodies, which is what causes the body to attack its own healthy cells.
• The people who took the vitamin D supplement also had higher levels of cells that can help to regulate the production of antibodies. In people with lupus, these cells can help to prevent the body from attacking its own healthy tissue.

The researchers stated that taking a vitamin D supplement may help the immune system in people with lupus.

A study published in 2014 followed a large group of people with lupus from 7 different countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. The researchers looked at their vitamin D levels, lupus disease activity levels, and heart disease risk factors. They followed them over 6 years and found that¹⁷:

• The people with the highest vitamin D levels had the lowest levels of lupus disease activity.
• The people with the lowest levels of vitamin D had higher blood pressure, amounts of fat in the blood, and levels of a protein related to heart disease risk.
• The people with the highest levels of vitamin D were less likely to have an illness related to the heart, such as a heart attack or stroke.

This study was observational, which means that the researchers can’t say for sure that having low vitamin D levels caused the people to get heart disease.

Key points from the research

• People who have lupus are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D.
• People with lupus who have higher levels of vitamin D tend to have less lupus disease activity, symptoms, and flares.
• There are higher rates of lupus flares in winter months than in summer months.
• People with lupus who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have risk factors that increase their chances of getting heart disease than people with high levels of vitamin D.
• Supplementing with vitamin D results in fewer lupus symptoms and less inflammation in the body.
• Overall, more experiments are needed to give a clearer answer about how helpful vitamin D supplements are to help treat or manage lupus.

What does this mean for me?

Low vitamin D levels in people with lupus are linked to worse symptoms and outcomes like heart disease.

Research has shown that there is a link between vitamin D and lupus. People with lupus are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D. Low vitamin D levels in people with lupus are linked to worse symptoms and outcomes like heart disease.

Some studies have shown that giving vitamin D supplements to people with lupus can help their symptoms improve and reduce the number of flare ups. More research is needed to see just how effective vitamin D might be for lupus, if at all. Research hasn’t been able to show yet that low vitamin D levels cause lupus. Doctors don’t know yet whether taking a vitamin D supplement can help to prevent lupus.

If you have lupus and want to take vitamin D, it is unlikely to make your lupus worse or cause you any harm, as long as you take less than 10,000 IU per day. However, it’s not proven that taking vitamin D will help to treat your lupus.

If you have lupus, you shouldn’t take vitamin D in place of your treatment medications. Talk to your physician for more advice about taking supplements.

If I have lupus, can I get sun exposure?

Sunlight can often make lupus skin symptoms worse, so people with lupus are advised to wear sunscreen or avoid the sun during the middle of the day. Avoiding the sun and wearing sunscreen also means that you can’t get the vitamin D you need from the sun and need to get vitamin D from other sources. If you have lupus and are sensitive to the sun, the best way to get vitamin D is from supplements.

References

1. Lupus Foundation of America. What is Lupus? 2014. Web. Accessed 1 February 2014. <http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus>
2. National Institute of Health. Systemic lupus erythematosus. 2014. Web. Accessed 1 February 2014. < http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000435.htm>
3. Alele JD & Kamen DL. The importance of inflammation and vitamin D status in SLE-associated osteoporosis. Autoimmunity Reviews 2010;9:137-9.
4. WebMD. Lupus Health Center. 2011. Web. Accessed 1 February 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/lupus/guide/lupus-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-cause>
5. Antico A, Tampoia M, Tozzoli R & Bizzaro N. Can supplementation with vitamin D reduce the risk or modify the course of autoimmune diseases? A systematic review of the literature. Autoimmunity Reviews 2012;12:127-136.
6. Aranow C. Vitamin D and the immune system. J Investig Med 2011;59(6):881-886.
7. Breslin LC, Magee PJ, Wallace JMW, & McSorley EM. An evaluation of vitamin D status in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2011;70:399-407.
8. Terrier B, Derian N, Schoindre Y, et al. Restoration of regulatory and effector T cell balance and B cell homeostatis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients through vitamin D supplementation. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012;14(R221):1-10.
9. Hiraki LT, Munger KL, Costenbader KH, et al. Dietary intake of vitamin D during adolescence and risk of adult onset systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care & Research 2012;62(12):1829-1836.
10. Mok CC, Birmingham DJ, Leung HW, et al. Vitamin D levels in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship with disease activity, vascular risk factors and atherosclerosis. Rheumatology 2012;51:644-652.
11. Pelajo CF, Lopez-Benitez JM & Miller LC. Vitamin D and autoimmune rheumatological disorders. Autoimmunity Reviews 2010;9:507-510.
12. Kamen DL, Cooper GS, Bouali H, et al. Vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmunity Reviews 2006;5:114-7.
13. Birmingham DJ, Hebert LA, Song H, et al. Evidence that abnormally large seasonal declines in vitamin D status may trigger SLE flare in non-African Americans. Lupus 2012;21(8)1-18.
14. Sakthiswary R & Raymond AA. The clinical significance of vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review. PLOS One 2013;8(1):1-6.
15. Abou-Raya A, Abou-Raya S & Helmii M. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory and hemostatic markers and disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Rheumatology 2013;40:265-272.
16. Cutillas-Marco E, Marquina-Vila A, Grant WB, et al. Vitamin D and cutaneous lupus erythematosus: effect of vitamin D replacement on disease severity. Lupus 2014;0:1-9.
17. Lertratanakul A, Wu P, Dyer A, et al. 25-hydroxyvitamin D and cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: data from a large international inception cohort. Arthritis Care & Research 2014. ‘Accepted Article’, doi: 10.002/acr.22291.