Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

While it becomes more and more evident that the relationship between mercury in vaccines and autism is valid, other sources of mercury appear to be implicated as well.

In a study performed right here in Texas (Health Place, 2006 Jun; 12 (2): 203-9 or online in its entirety at http://www.seedcoalition.org/downloads/autism_study_UTHSCSA.pdf), investigators tried to determine if there was any link between mercury released from coal-burning power plants and the number of autism diagnoses. Coal-burning power plants are the primary source of mercury released in the atmosphere, although it is not the same type of mercury used in vaccines.

Researchers from the University of Texas used data from counties across the state to establish how much mercury was being released and the number of children diagnosed with autism or enrolled in special education classes in the same community. They concluded that for every 1,000 lb of mercury released in the environment there was a 43% increase in the rate of special education services and 61% increase in the rate of autism. Clearly they found a smoking gun!

Meanwhile, another interesting study was performed in Denmark, a country where people eat plenty of fish. Researchers measured the amount of methyl mercury – the type of mercury found in contaminated in fish – in the umbilical cord of newborn babies. They then checked these same children at age 7 and concluded that the amount of mercury at birth was an excellent predictor of neuro-psychological problems later in life.

Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Jul; 113 (7): 905-8

Tags: Autism, Chemicals & Environmental Issues, Mercury in Medications | Comments Off on More evidence links mercury exposure and autism

Medical doctors today rely increasingly on so-called objective means of assessment – such as lab tests – and ever less on direct observation. In fact, I was just reading an article about doctors losing the skill to detect heart abnormalities using a stethoscope, the very symbol of medicine.

The problem is that lab tests rarely catch early warning signs.; besides, they only deliver small pieces of information while often missing the bigger picture. In many cases even a visit to an alternative practitioner results in one set of tests replacing another, while the body’s secret code language is still overlooked.

Take the nails, for example. If they’re soft or brittle, some people think that what they need is more calcium, but nails are not bones – they are actually made of dried skin and require a good supply of protein and trace minerals for health. If our diet hasn’t changed but the nails have weakened, it might be that our ability to digest protein has deteriorated, possibly as a result of aging. Of course, if there is a thyroid problem, which could appear at any age, protein metabolism slows down and the nails also become weaker.

Sometimes the nails are strong, but they are covered with white spots. It could be a few spots or many, and occasionally the spots turn into horizontal white lines known in medicine as “Mee’s lines.” Some women notice that new spots or lines appear every month just before their period.

The most unusual story I heard about white spots came from a man who was told as a child that a white spot appeared for every lie someone said; but then he noticed that some of his friends he knew were liars didn’t have any and besides he could go for months without saying a single lie and they’d still pop up. As it turns out the real cause of white spots is zinc deficiency, not lies!

This is an important point, because zinc deficiency is increasingly common as the modern diet and food quality continue to deteriorate, and this mineral is also poorly absorbed from multi-vitamin-mineral supplements. Zinc is essential for the immune system and the brain, and zinc deficiency early in life – possibly even in expectant mothers – has been suspected as a predisposing factor for ADHD and autism. Other signs of zinc deficiency include rough scaly skin, loss of taste or smell and, in severe cases, stunted growth.

In women, whenever estrogen peaks, blood levels of zinc drop and if these are already marginal there could be a recurrent zinc deficiency for a few days before each period. Women may experience this as depression, and may be given a fancy label like Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, but no matter how hard drug companies want to boost sales, the problem here is a deficiency of zinc, not Prozac!

Next consider the lips. Chronically dry and cracking lips could be a sign of iodine deficiency. You won’t find this in a textbook, and there’s no research to back me up on it, but I have seen iodine correct dry lips virtually overnight. The first time I noticed it was in my former assistant who used to drink all the bottled water in the office in a futile attempt to moisten her lips. When I found out that she also happened to be cold all the time it occurred to me that she might need iodine. Sure enough the day after she took her first iodine pill she told me her lips felt smoother. She continued to take it every day and, a few weeks later, she also commented that she wasn’t as cold any more. Since then I have seen similar results many times.

If your lips are not particularly dry, but you experience recurrent cracking and even bleeding at the edges between the upper and lower lips, you have a well-known and researched sign of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency. Vitamin B2 deficiency can sometimes also cause allergies, migraine headaches, and muscle cramps.

If you decide to try this vitamin, be aware that your urine will turn bright yellow for a while every time you take it. However, this is perfectly safe and not a sign that you are paying good money to have expensive urine! It’s actually good for the riboflavin to leave the body after it does its job, otherwise it would become toxic. Also be aware that the dose of vitamin B2 you will need to reverse a deficiency is going to be many times the RDA, and adults have taken 400 mg a day or more on a long-term basis with no adverse effects. It seems that when people are deficient in a vitamin they need higher than normal doses to re-establish balance.

Some people will chew ice whenever they can. While they might worry that this could harm their teeth, they just can’t help it. Actually their problem may very well be that they are deficient in iron, and believe it or not, the habit melts away once they’ve taken a few iron pills.

In small children, iron deficiency has been linked with a variety of odd behaviors, including eating dirt or licking paint. Eventually iron deficiency leads to anemia or low blood count, but many cases will be missed if you don’t watch for these signs or test for iron in blood specifically, not just through a routine blood count.

Incidentally, iron deficiency is also the most common cause of hair loss in women, and a common cause of restless leg syndrome in both children and adults. In restless leg, if the problem is not a lack of iron it’s likely to be folic acid deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anemia but you don’t want to wait for this to show up on a blood test, because by then it will also have caused permanent nerve damage and quite possibly loss of sensation or tingling in the hands and feet. Actually vitamin B12 deficiency can do more that this – it can lead to fatigue, heart disease, and more. Experts used to think that vitamin B12 deficiency was rare except among vegetarians, but recent studies have shown this not to be the case, especially in an aging population.

The reality is that, even though a carnivorous diet supplies plenty of B12, this vitamin is difficult to absorb particularly as we grow older and our digestive system weakens. An aging digestive system also leads to protein deficiency and weak or brittle nails, and here we are, back to where this article started!

I am beginning to realize that if I keep writing this piece might end up looking more like a book! However, if you enjoy this type of information, let me know and I will write more.

Tags: Physical Signs of Disease | Comments Off on Unlocking the body’s secret codes

Food is at the center of almost everything we do in our society. We don’t just use food to nourish our bodies; it has become the pinnacle of parties, celebrations, and holidays. It has simply become the single most important part of our lives. It’s not just enjoying the day at the beach; it is the giant ice cream cone from the boardwalk. It’s not just the trip to Grandma’s to enjoy the company of family, it is the home cooked feast and homemade pies for dessert. With this in mind, and with food being so hooked to our psyche, it is no wonder that parents are sent reeling when it comes to changing our child’s diet. Food is comfort to so many, and quite simply the worse the food is for our body, the more comforting it is to us (ice cream, cookies, bread, pasta, etc). When parents are asked to remove these foods that mean comfort to them, it is like asking them to throw away the child’s favorite stuffed animal. Sometimes I think we are convinced that it will be so hard on the child; that we give up before we have even started.

I am not able to offer any foolproof method, but I can share some of my experiences and experiences of parents with whom I have met.

1. Know yourself. If you are the type of person who likes to take everything on all at once, then the idea of taking things out gradually may not work at all for you. On the other hand, if you are a person who likes to prioritize and complete each task one at a time, then saying I am going to eliminate everything all at once may just be setting yourself up for failure. So most important is to know yourself, and trust yourself that the way everyone else is approaching diet may not be the way for you or your family.

2. Be willing to make the changes in your own diet also. No child is going to understand why he or she can’t have something when their own parent is eating it right in front of them. Save the chocolate chip cookies until they are well tucked into bed. But in all honesty, if you want to see the importance of diet, and believe in it as a way of life for your whole family, all you need to do is get rid of these foods altogether. You will be amazed by the increase in energy, decrease in anxiety, and increase in mental clarity that eating a healthy diet can have on your own body. Once you believe in good food as the way you should nourish your body, you will start to cringe at the thought of your child eating preservatives, dyes, and tons of refined sugar. And once you get that in your head, the diet will become a mission for the well being of your children, and not just the one who has the issues you are trying to address.

3. So now the problem will be getting your child to even try new things. Many parents feel cruel if a child skips a meal because they didn’t eat what was given to them. Look at hunger as an opportunity. I remember my little Nathan going to bed hungry because all he wanted was Cheerios and cheese to eat. For breakfast the next morning I fixed him steamed cauliflower covered in ghee and spices. He gobbled it up to my surprise, and since then it has been one of his favorite foods. It became his comfort food. If your child fights you on every new food, enlist the help of friends and family. I know that friends of mine who say that their child is very picky will eat the whole dinner I serve them at my house as long as the parent is not there, including the steamed broccoli. I learned this from my own daughter when she went to a preschool in England and the children had to eat the lunch that was served at the school. I never thought that my daughter would eat lamb stew, but she did, just like all the other kids did.

4. Find your own favorite new recipes, and start them as a new family tradition. I remember making cookies with my Mom every Christmas. I cannot make the old family favorites, but I have a chance to start a new tradition with new family holiday baking. On that same token, volunteer at the school to provide snacks when possible. Then your child won’t be the odd one out. Also, provide recipes and ingredients to the teacher if they are making foods in the classroom.

5. Finally, believe in yourself. Don’t listen to the well-meaning grandparent or friend who thinks that depriving the cookies and candies is somehow cruel. If you have made it this far in looking for a healthier diet to help your child, you are being a caring and responsible parent. Things won’t always be easy, and slip-ups will be made, but every step you make is important to you and your family. Don’t make food so important, instead reward them with time and attention, and if that doesn’t work reward them with a favorite toy or video. My biggest piece of advice is to love yourself and then your child, and the rest will come.

Tags: Diet | Comments Off on Changing your child’s diet – a mother’s perspective

Could it be that the very test used to screen for breast cancer “mammography” might increase your risk of getting the disease? This seems to be the conclusion reached in a recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that lists radiation exposure from medical screening tests as a risk factor.

Thermography, a radiation-free imaging procedure, seems to increasingly be a valid alternative as new technologies develop. Unfortunately it not endorsed by mainstream medicine but you can read about it at http://www.redflagsdaily.com/aziz/2006_feb20.php (This site requires nominal fee for subscription. If you are a patient ask to see the article when stopping by my office).

I have said it for years: Ritalin and other ADD drugs are another huge medical crisis waiting to happen. These drugs are classified as amphetamines, or are cocaine-like substances, and we know the harmful effects that both of these can have. Why would the ADD drugs be spared these same problems? Now, after identifying 51 deaths from these medications, the FDA is requiring a warning on these medications regarding possible cardiovascular effects. You can find detailed information at www.nytimes.com/2006/02/10/health/policy/10drug.html?ex=1142571600&en=6eb7d48be77b7687&ei=5070
Read More »

Tags: ADD/ADHD, Cancer, Diet, Food Additives, Natural Food Resources | Comments Off on News briefs and interesting links

This piece is meant as a resource for families of autistic children who are faced with controversy and difficult choices when trying to find effective help. However, readers not connected with autism may also find that this article contains interesting pieces of information.

In reality autism is not really that unique or different from many other conditions. It is what happens when vulnerable infants experience an overwhelming exposure to toxins at critical stages of development. Their vulnerability is probably a result of several factors including an immature immune system, genetic predisposition, and nutritional deficiencies, some of which could be inherited. Research has shown that deficiencies of critically important vitamins or other nutrients can build up from one generation to the next, leading each successive generation to be more vulnerable to environmental insults.

Today, there are a growing number of toxin-induced disorders, including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and a long list of neurological disorders. All of these are at or near epidemic levels and it is important to understand that autism is not unique in this respect and many of the same interventions can benefit all of these seemingly unrelated conditions.

Mainstream medicine is still stubbornly denying that mercury in the preservative thimerosal used in vaccines could have contributed to the autism epidemic. For a long time the official position was a flat denial that such an epidemic even existed. As the numbers continued to grow and became impossible to ignore, the position shifted to holding that the cause is unknown and nothing can be done other than therapy, while millions of dollars are – in my opinion – wasted on genetic research that so far has failed to produce any glimmer of hope.
Read More »

Tags: Autism, Diet, Natural Food Resources | Comments Off on How to choose a Defeat Autism Now! practitioner for your child and what to do while you are waiting for your first appointment

from Janice Welch

There are some great snack/dessert bars available at health food stores. They are uncooked, so they are full of raw nutrition. The sweetness comes from dates, so there is no processed sugar added. They have lots of fiber and no trans-saturated fats. Sounds great, right? Well they are until you realize that one bar is $1.50 to $2.00. That can get pretty expensive when your child wants one for dessert every day.

So, why not make them? A trip through the Whole Foods bulk aisle and you will be set. Everything you could possibly need is right there. The great thing about these bars is, every time you make them you can add different dried fruits and nuts for different taste combinations. A few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa will give you a nice chocolaty bar that goes especially well with dried cherries or cranberries thrown in. The only necessary ingredient is the dates (actually figs might also work) and almond flour (or other nut flour) for the base. Almond flour can be purchased at Whole Foods, but is much less expensive when ordered in larger quantities online at www.sunorganic.com or www.almondsonline.com. After that the sky is the limit in terms of flavor combinations! So have fun and enjoy.

The following recipe is my daughter’s favorite so far:

Fruit and Nut Bars (Cinnamon Apple)

8 oz dates
4 oz dried apple
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond flour
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup roasted nuts ñ any kind (gives a little bit of crunch)
1 cup flaxseeds (grind them to a powder in a coffee bean grinder)
Approximately 2 Tablespoons applesauce to achieve good consistency

Combine the dates, 1 tablespoon of applesauce, almond flour, ground flaxseeds, and cinnamon in a large food processor. Process until well mixed. Add the dried apples and roasted nuts and process to your desired consistency, adding more of the applesauce if necessary. Press the mixture out on a parchment paper-lined pan and cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Tags: Recipes | Comments Off on Natural Fruit and Nut Bars

After the news about Abubakar Tariq Nadama, a five-year-old boy with autism, who tragically died after receiving an IV treatment with the chelating agent EDTA, every parent considering or doing any form of chelation for their child was filled with nagging doubts. “How did this happen, and could it happen to my child?” filled chat rooms and flooded DAN doctors’ email inboxes.

The results of the autopsy have now been analyzed, and a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Karen Kane reads in part –
Read More »

Tags: Autism, EDTA | Comments Off on EDTA Chelation Drug Error

I don’t know about you, but when I hear all this talk about a bird flu pandemic right at the beginning of the regular flu season, I become suspicious it’s just another ploy to sell more flu shots!

Not only that, but who ever heard of Tamiflu before all this? I guess many people will ask for the drug for the first time this season and apparently some have already started stockpiling it. Another “benefit” of this commercial campaign for Tamiflu is that side effects didnít even need to be mentioned, nor the fact that it – and other, similar medications – have a very poor record of effectiveness. They have also not been proven to help with the bird flu, but I guess that in an emergency who needs proof?

I am not saying that bird flu concerns are entirely fabricated, and certainly measures being taken to limit its spread are appropriate, but we need to realize that this virus was first identified in 1997 and to date itís still nothing more than a bird epidemic with sporadic human contagion.

Of course this could change and if we look at the history books it is a fact that some of the worst flu pandemics originated in birds. But then there have been many more bird epidemics that never spread to humans. In the past 30 years alone we have had half a dozen predicted pandemics without a single one materializing, a fact that no one seems to remember right now.

Let’s try to separate fact from fiction! The best site I have found for balanced information on this issue with regular updates is http://www.birdfluhype.com/index.html.

An interesting fact I learned from this site is that as of last month there were a total of 121 people confirmed to have been infected with the illness, and 62 died. 121 people since 1997 worldwide sounds like nothing, but the death rate makes it look like the worst flu on record, a real cause for concern. But are these numbers even correct?

According to a little-publicized study from the World Health Organization (WHO) there are thousands of unrecorded human cases of bird flu, possibly as many as 10,000. These were not recorded simply because they were mild cases, sort of like a regular flu, and no fancy tests were done to identify the viral strain. On the other hand there is certainty on the total number of deaths, but while 62 deaths in 121 is very frightening, 62 in 10,000 – or a 0.62% death rate – seems far more routine.

So what should we do about flu shots? As I always say everyone needs to make this decision for him or herself, but I personally never chose to have one. What’s the need? I must admit that the last time I got the flu (I had not been taking my usual dose of Vitamin C) I was not too happy, but then two days later I was enjoying life again!

If you are thinking about getting a flu shot, consider the following:

• It is ineffective against bird flu

• It is laced with a variety of toxins, including mercury, aluminum, MSG and many more

• Its effectiveness against the regular flu is estimated at no more than 60% or so, but this number drops dramatically among the immune-compromised individuals who supposedly need it the most. A recent study showed that, while the number of individuals over 65 taking the flu shot has increased dramatically, the death rate from the flu among the same population has not budged! Read more at http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/general/news/feb1605elderly.html

For my part, the following are the supplements I use and recommend. With them, I rarely get the flu and when I do I generally recover in a couple of days:

• Vitamin C: the fact that vitamin C can increase our resistance to viruses has been shown in so many studies dating back decades, itís not even worth it for me to quote any. I find that when I take about 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C every day I am not normally vulnerable to the flu. In the rare cases when I have caught it, I increase my intake of vitamin C to several grams every hour and this helps reduce the duration of the illness. Too much vitamin C causes diarrhea, and when I am ill I will take as much as I can handle until I experience this problem. This is called taking vitamin C to “bowel tolerance,” but if you decide to try this be sure to use properly buffered vitamin C.

• Antiviral herbs: I don’t normally take these but I recommend them for people who are especially vulnerable to the flu even with vitamin C. The product I recommend is called ViraCon, which is available only through healthcare professionals. Antiviral herbs work best when taken every day throughout the season.

• Colloidal silver: I recently started recommending a product called Argentyn 23. This product contains less silver than the one I used to recommend and is therefore safer, even for toddlers and small children. You can read about it here http://www.sovereignsilver.info/index.php. Colloidal silver has a long history of use in fighting viruses, bacteria and yeast. It can be very helpful not only to shorten the duration of the flu but also to prevent complications in susceptible individuals. Articles warning of the dangers of colloidal silver that are found all over the Internet refer to products, often homemade, that contain silver particles much larger than the ones found in the Argentyn 23.

• Lauricidin: this is a natural antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial substance first isolated in human breast milk. It is now extracted from coconut oil for commercial use. It is non-toxic and safe for all ages. It can be taken as a preventative or after the onset of symptoms. Read about it at http://www.lauricidin.com/default.asp.

Tags: Viruses | Comments Off on Bird Flu: Fact or Fiction?

(summarized by Janice Welch from the article “Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula” by Marie Bishop, Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD in the magazine “Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts,” published quarterly by the Weston A. Price Foundation, Volume 6, Number 2, Pages 18-28)

While government officials and orthodox pediatricians are often appalled at the thought of a parent mixing up baby formula, especially one based on raw milk, the feedback we have received from parents has been extremely positive. Make no mistake though, the best food for baby is breast milk from a healthy mother.

If that is not possible, there should be healthy alternatives to conventional store-bought baby formulas. The following milk-based formula takes into account the fact that human milk is richer in whey, lactose, vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to cow’s milk but leaner in casein (milk protein).

The addition of gelatin to this cow’s milk formula will make it more digestible for infants. Use only true expeller-expressed oils in the formula recipe, otherwise it may lack vitamin E.

The ideal milk for baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw milk from old-fashioned cows, certified free of disease that feed on green pasture. For sources of good-quality milk, see www.realmilk.com or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

If the only choice available to you is commercial milk, choose whole milk, preferably organic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima or kefir culture to restore enzymes (available from G.E.M. Cultures 707-964-2922).

Tags: Baby Foods, Recipes | Comments Off on Homemade Baby Formula

from Janice Welch

Homemade whey is easy to make from good-quality plain yogurt.

First, line a strainer with a clean linen kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth. Place 2 quarts of yogurt in the strainer. Cover with a plate and leave at room temperature overnight. The whey will drip into the bowl. Place the whey in clean glass jars and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 5 cups.

To read frequently asked questions and other homemade formula variations visit:
www.westonaprice.org/children/formula-faqs.html

Tags: Baby Foods, Recipes | Comments Off on Homemade Whey

from Janice Welch

2 cups whole milk, preferably unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows

º cup homemade liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below)

4 tablespoons lactose*

1 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis*

2 or more tablespoons good quality cream (not ultrapasteurized), more if you are using milk from Holstein cows

1 teaspoon regular dose cod liver oil or 1 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil*

1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil*

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil*

2 teaspoons coconut oil*

2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes*

2 teaspoons gelatin*

1-7/8 cups filtered water

º teaspoon acerola powder*

Add gelatin to water and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place all ingredients in a very clean glass or stainless steel container and mix well. To serve, pour 6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle*, attach nipple and set in a pan of simmering water.

Heat until warm but not hot to the touch, shake bottle well and feed baby (never, never heat formula in a microwave oven!). Makes 36 ounces.

* Available from Radiant Life 888.593.8333

Tags: Baby Foods, Recipes | Comments Off on Milk-Based Baby Formula

Anyone who has been following this newsletter for a while will recognize that I am back to one of my favorite topics, vitamin D. The truth is that studies on the benefits of vitamin D never cease to amaze me.

Here I’ll cover two interesting studies. The first one (Nutr Cancer 2005; 51: 32-6) looked at 15 men previously treated for prostate cancer who experienced a recurrence. They were each given 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day for 10 months with no other treatment. Three of these patients experienced a drop in PSA – the blood marker used to monitor prostate cancer progression – while the others experienced an average 75% slowdown in its rate of growth. Quite an impressive finding!

While this is a small study and definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from it, to me it’s enough of an indication to include vitamin D, a completely non-toxic substance, in any type of
treatment strategy for prostate cancer. Not only will it not interfere with other treatments but with vitamin D you only get added benefits!

Considering all that we are learning about this vitamin and its health-enhancing and anticancer effects, I feel that maintaining an adequate status of vitamin D and correcting any possible deficiency is an essential step in maintaining health for everyone.

In the second study (Brain Res Bull. 2005 Mar 15; 65 (2): 141-8) Australian researchers discovered that maternal vitamin D deficiency permanently damages the brains of baby rats.

Unfortunately, supplementing vitamin D to the babies does not reverse the damage.

Although this is a rat study, its conclusions are very likely to apply to humans as well and the authors noted that vitamin D deficiency is very common in young women – an unfortunate consequence of modern society’s sun phobia. In addition, prenatal vitamins do not contain nearly enough vitamin D to correct possible deficiencies.

According to the authors, appropriate sun exposure or supplementation at effective doses could help prevent an as-yet-undetermined percentage of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in children.

If you wish to learn more on vitamin D and its benefits, you can search my website for articles I have written in the past about it. You can also go to http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/ for extensive information on vitamin D and regular research updates. The fact is that, while excessive exposure to the sun has its dangers, it only takes a few minutes of daily sun exposure (without sun block) to provide all the vitamin D we need.

Diet is simply not an adequate source of this important vitamin, and most over-the-counter supplements have been designed with insufficient vitamin D because of old misconceptions concerning potential vitamin D toxicity. It seems now that supplementation in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day is a good starting point but several times this amount may be needed to correct a deficiency.

Tags: Cancer, Vitamin D | Comments Off on Vitamin D Update

If there is one thing Iíve learned, itís that when it comes to diet and nutrition, what we’ve been told all along is often wrong. One such thing is that to protect our bones we need more
calcium. It makes sense, right? Donít bones contain calcium? But maybe itís not so simple!

What always struck me as odd is that Americans already drink more milk and take more calcium supplements than just about anyone else and yet also have record rates of
osteoporosis and old age fractures. Could we be missing something?

An article recently published in the journal Medical Hypotheses provides a shocking new theory. According to the authors, a number of studies prove definitively that a lower lifetime
intake of calcium is associated with fewer – not more – fractures in old age and that this is not the result of genetic differences!

The authors then theorize that taking too much calcium somehow inhibits the innate ability of bones to heal tiny fractures that happen inevitably with aging. Once the bones lose the ability to repair these minor traumas, more severe ones ensue. (1)

Of course it is important to realize that if the intake of calcium fell below a certain threshold the number of fractures would increase again, so as for everything else in nature, there is
an optimal balance and more is not better. In my opinion this optimal balance not only relates to the total amount of calcium but, maybe even more importantly, to the ratio of calcium
with magnesium and other minerals.

But this is not all. A second article, also recently published in the same journal, points out that there is enough evidence from numerous published studies to recommend a dairy- and
calcium-restricted diet for people who suffer with atherosclerosis, or clogging of the arteries. (2)

Of course, atherosclesoris is calcification – or calcium buildup – that blocks the arteries, and I have always thought it strange that conventional medicine decided to only focus on cholesterol and never even consider that calcium could also be a culprit.

Aside from these articles, researchers are seeing atherosclerosis increasingly as the end result of a chronic inflammatory process in the artery walls. This process eventually leads to
abrasion and damage of the artery itself, which the body patches up by laying down calcium with cholesterol acting as glue.

Osteoporosis itself has been described as the result of chronic inflammation, since the inflammatory process needs calcium to perpetuate itself and ends up leaching it out of the
bones. A classic example of this is gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, which is known to eventually lead to osteoporosis in the jawbone and loss of teeth.

In this context, calcium is at least a two-edged sword. The calcium you might take to protect your bones could be instead fueling an inflammatory process that will eventually result in
both heart disease and osteoporosis!

My advice is not quite to throw all calcium out of the window, but to take moderate amounts of it with enough magnesium and other minerals as well as trace minerals that actually
have counter-balancing effects and help reduce inflammatory processes in the body.

1. “Lifetime high calcium intake increases osteoporotic fracture risk in old age.” Med Hypotheses, 2005; 65 (3): 552-8

2. “The case for dietary calcium restriction in patients with atherosclerosis” Med Hypotheses, 2005; 65 (3): 521-4

Tags: Calcium, Osteoporosis | Comments Off on Calcium, Osteoporosis and Heart Disease

I have often written about the harmful effects of chemicals on health and the importance of detoxification. A recent article provides a thought-provoking account of how pervasive
chemicals have become in our environment and how challenging it can be for authorities to conclusively prove cause and effect and take action in the face of huge commercial
interests. The article can be read in its entirety (although registration is required) at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051105/PLASTIC05/TPScience/

It discusses bisphenol-A (BPA), possibly the most ubiquitous chemical in our environment. BPA is classified as a “plasticizer.” It is used to make polycarbonates (clear shatter-resistant plastics), as well as coatings that line food containers, dental sealants and so on. We come in contact with it every day in baby bottles, tin can linings, CD’s, car interiors and the list goes on.

Industry sources continue to hold that BPA is safe. However, many of the studies they quote are more than 15 years old and are the same ones that led to the approval of this
chemical in the first place. These studies found no evidence that BPA leaches in the body only because they were performed before the technology to spot tiny amounts of chemicals was developed.

However, newer studies are not only finding BPA in people, they actually found it in as many as 95% of Americans. New studies are also showing conclusively that BPA crosses the placenta where it is capable of affecting fetal development.

To get an idea of how complicated this research can be, consider that the amount of BPA found in humans is so tiny it is measured in parts-per-billion. However, unlike even the worst of natural poisons, scientists are finding that BPA can have harmful effects even at smaller concentrations than that. In fact, animal studies show that concentrations in the parts-per-trillion range are sufficient to cause harm.

In rat studies, BPA causes an increase in both prostate and breast cancer rates – two cancers that are reaching epidemic levels in our society. In addition, when rats are exposed to BPA early in life they tend to become overweight. Could it be that the dramatic growth of obesity rates is not just a result of more food being available? Finally, rats exposed to BPA during gestation tend to become hyperactive and slow to learn.

When it comes to news like this, it is very difficult to draw any practical conclusions. We simply can’t insulate ourselves from a chemical like BPA, and even if we could there are thousands more everywhere in our lives. There are a few things we can do to help protect ourselves, such as eating well, avoiding chemicals when possible, and being sure we are not deficient in vitamin D.

Tags: Chemicals & Environmental Issues | Comments Off on Our Chemical World

by Janice Welch

As we head into the holiday season you can’t help but be bombarded with fragrances in every store or home you enter. The rooms are filled with artificially scented cinnamon,
pumpkin, apple, etc. I don’t wish my home to smell like these places, yet I do yearn for a different smell in my home besides steamed broccoli and cauliflower (my son’s favorite
vegetables). Essence of Cabbage is not my idea of a Holiday Scent.

So in my quest for a delicious natural-smelling house, I have opted for the scents of essential oils. There are many great little oil heaters and ceramic rings for the oils, but none of these fit in well with my personal taste. I love candles. The warmth they add to a room at the holidays is unparalleled in my opinion.

The problem with candles is that 99% of what you find in stores is made from paraffin. Paraffin is the leftover by-product from the petroleum refining process. This petroleum by-product releases harmful carcinogens into the atmosphere when burned. It produces toxic black, sticky petrol-carbon soot, which I am sure you have noticed when a candle is burned next to a white wall. This same soot is also inhaled into your lungs. Couple this with the fact that many wicks are made with lead or zinc, neither of which should be inhaled, and you have your own health hazard.

Now if you find yourself fretting that you will never have the ambiance of a candlelit dinner, don’t despair. There are alternatives. Although I have not found many at stores (Whole Foods has a few), the Internet is full of healthy candle makers. I have ordered 100% soy, palm and beeswax candles and been very pleased with all of them. They all have either 100% cotton or hemp wicks, and they are very clean-burning with no oily soot emissions.

Many of these candles are sold already scented. Steer clear of artificial fragrances; inhaling these chemicals is not good for you either. If you truly want a scented candle try one scented with 100% essential oils. The only problem I have found with these is that they are not good at holding their essential oil fragrance and therefore are not very effective at scenting a room.

So my favorite way to scent a room naturally and enjoy my candles for the holiday season is to create my own scented candle. Simply purchase an unscented, undyed soy candle (or other vegetable wax candle) with a cotton or hemp wick. Burn the candle for at least five minutes or until there is a pool of wax at the wick and snuff out the candle. Add some drops of your favorite essential oils into the melted wax and carefully relight the candle with a match (not one of those powerful handheld lighters; they can ignite the oil). It is very important to add the oil to the melted wax, because the oils are very flammable and will burn immediately if added directly to the flame.

This process lets you control the scent and the strength of the scent every time you light the candle. My favorite combination this time of year for my living area is equal drops of
cinnamon, clove, and peppermint oils.

Citrus oils are the easiest to burn, so you may want to stick to only the spicy and minty scents for candles. But feel free to use citrus or any of the essential oils in other simple
ways. For instance, add some drops to a cotton ball and drop in the bottom of the wastebasket, or in your dresser drawers, or add some drops to an old (but clean) washcloth and put it in the dryer with your clothes. Happy Scenting!

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I know that most people think cataracts are just a normal part of aging and can only be corrected by surgery, but this is another myth that should be dispelled. In fact, studies have long correlated excessive intake of sugar and other carbohydrates with cataracts, especially when these happen early in life. For more detailed information on this, I suggest you go to www.nancyappleton.com and also consider reading her book “Lick the Sugar Habit.”

A recent study analyzed data collected in connection with the Nurses’ Health Study and also concluded that there is a direct correlation between the development of cataracts and the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. Interestingly, this study did not find that sugar was any worse or better than other carbohydrates and the only correlation was with total carbohydrate consumption – another good reason to consider limiting carbs in a sensible way! (1)
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I have been preaching this for years but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So if you have a few minutes and the topic interests you, click on this link and watch a video of a child and his parents taped at his school: http://www.childrenscornerschool.com/video/jonathandiet2.wmv

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Humifulvate (HF) as a healing supplement is the ultimate gift from nature and provides yet more evidence that the secrets to health and recovery are most often found in nature and not in a chemist’s laboratory.

Having said this, HF has gained the nickname around my office as the “dirt” supplement because it originates from humus, a layer of organic material that covers the ground of all
forests and open fields. However, HF is much more than just humus.

Humus becomes HF through the action of bacteria and other organisms that form the soil’s natural microflora. This is a very slow process whereby microorganisms digest or ferment
the organic material, turning it into peat, which then accumulates in vast underground deposits sometimes thousands of years old. We can think of peat as a type of yogurt, which
also comes from bacterial fermentation, except in this case of milk not humus. Once purified, peat has been shown to be a mineral-rich substance that contains humic and fulvic acids, hence the name humifulvate.

HF has a long history of use as a fertilizing agent, although it has been largely abandoned with the advent of synthetic farming practices. Today it is still used in organic farms, where
it has been documented to help produce sturdier, larger and more disease-resistant crops.

In addition to the minerals it already contains, HF has been shown to bind to other minerals in the ground, thus making them readily available for plants to absorb. These minerals are as critical to plant health as they are to human health.

In the old days HF was also added to animal feeds and historical evidence indicates that it helped improve livestock reproductive cycles, resistance to disease and growth rates.

With this type of history it was only a matter of time before someone wondered if it could help people, too. Today we may only have had testimonials to go by, if there hadn’t been a
systematic effort to research the role of HF in human health carried out in Hungary for the past 30 years. A referenced report on HF research is presented in a document entitled “Some Humifulvate Science” that can be found on various sites including: http://www.enerex.ca/articles/some_humifulvate_science.htm.

HF has been found to help in various aspects of human health. One of these is mineral absorption and metabolism. For example, HF has been shown to correct anemia caused by
iron deficiency. While HF doesn’t contain meaningful amounts of iron, it improves absorption of this mineral from food when it is needed. Interestingly, HF has also been shown to help lower iron levels in people who have too much of it. This may seem contradictory but it is explained by the fact that HF works by normalizing the action of metalloproteins, a complex set of proteins found in the liver, and elsewhere in the body, that regulate mineral absorption, excretion and metabolism.

Because of its beneficial action on minerals, HF was also shown to help conditions associated with mineral deficiencies and imbalances. These include certain types of hair loss as well as eczema in children and adults.

In addition, HF has been shown to have beneficial actions in both hindering the absorption of toxic metals and promoting their excretion from the body. In a head to head comparison, HF was shown to perform as well as a prescription medication in removing lead from the body. In separate studies HF was also shown to effectively eliminate body stores of mercury and other toxic metals.

Finally, HF has been studied intensely for its benefits in cancer. In this context it was found to be a powerful antioxidant and to help reduce the risk of cancer developing or spreading by absorbing and promoting excretion of cancer-causing chemicals. It was also found to help reduce the side effects of cancer treatments, making them easier to tolerate while not interfering with their effectiveness. Finally, HF was shown to limit the anemia and drop in white blood cells associated with many cancer treatments.

It is important to note that all these studies were performed on Hungarian HF that comes from a 3,000 to 10,000-year-old peat deposit located in a remote spring-fed valley. This HF is tested for purity and consistent quality and has been available as a supplement in Europe for the past 10 years. Other types of HF may have contamination problems or may lack the consistent quality of the Hungarian product. I am not saying that there are no other good sources but that they should be screened carefully.

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Everybody knows that MSG is a flavor-enhancing additive and we have all heard of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” a reaction to MSG that causes sensitive people to get headaches, dizziness or other symptoms. Few of us realize, however, that MSG has been finding its way into most – if not all – packaged foods in steadily increasing amounts.

The reason is simple: start with bland, highly processed food, add some MSG and you end up with something that is sure to sell.

But MSG in infant vaccines? This sounds outrageous but somehow it’s true. The reason it’s added is not taste but some other stabilizing effect it is reported to have. If you are having trouble believing this, read about it on the government’s own website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/gen/additives.htm. You might also like to know that MSG is in flu shots as well (along with mercury).
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by Janice Welch

We have had quite an adventure in the last month. My son, who has an incredibly high tolerance for pain, hit his limit. He came to me rubbing the side of his mouth and when we pried his jaws open and used a flashlight we saw the unthinkable – a very bad cavity. We brush Nathan’s teeth every day, but it is not easy, and getting the back molars is next to impossible. I still was somewhat surprised because of the fact that Nathan eats no refined sugars and no starches. His basic diet is meat, vegetables, fruit, and homemade goat yogurt.

I did a lot of panicking and pondering. “How in the world did this happen?” and I think I now have a good idea.

You don’t have to tell me that water is the best drink for everybody. The problem is that Nathan thinks water is for spitting and without some slight taste to the water he will not swallow. So in our quest for health and wellness, we decided to juice fresh pineapples (great enzymes, etc.) and mix it 1/3 juice to 2/3 water.

After all this tooth decay was discovered, I realized that the juice, although diluted, still contains a lot of sugar. After consumption of sugar there is acid production for 20 minutes, which feeds the streptococcus mutans that dissolves tooth enamel and demineralizes teeth. Add this to the fact that he carried around his sippy cup ALL day long, and you have constant breeding ground for decay.

So now we were on a mission to lightly flavor water using xylitol as a sweetener. Xylitol is a naturally sweet 5-carbon sugar alcohol that can be used exactly like sugar, but is not digestible and actually has the added benefit of being a natural antibacterial. Because of these antibacterial properties Xylitol actually reduces tooth decay rates. 4 to 12 grams daily is the optimal intake for dental cavity prevention. Large amounts (35 to 40 grams) can produce diarrhea or intestinal gas, so watch the intake level. Also, look for birch tree-sourced Xylitol (as opposed to corn-sourced).

The favorite drink ended up being Santa’s Candy Apple Herbal Tea by Celestial Seasonings (don’t worry there is no sugar added). Steep one tea bag in a cup of boiling water for 8 minutes. Remove tea bag and stir in 2 teaspoons Xylitol (8 grams). Add 3 to 4 cups cold water. This mixture yields a lightly flavored drink that I am happy to let him carry around and sip on all day. It took two weeks, but now Nathan loves it too (and we are glad to not be juicing pineapples nightly!)

Tags: Dental, Enzymes, Recipes | Comments Off on Drinks and Teeth