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FDA Set to Approve Genetically Engineered Animals

by Susan Thixton

(NaturalNews) Genetically Engineered grains have been in existence for several years, amidst many concerns from various organizations and individuals. Now, the FDA is set to approve Genetically Engineered Animals to be introduced into the food chain.

Ever since the beginning of Genetically Engineered grains, controversy has surrounded their safety. The Sierra Club initiated a national petition against Monsanto's genetically engineered wheat.

The Organic Consumers organization is equally against genetically engineered grains stating "Campaign activists are also demanding that corporations and governments heed the concerns of consumers, North and South, and remove genetically engineered corn and other foods and crops from the market, unless they can be proven to be safe for human health and the environment. Recently hundreds of US consumers have reported allergic reactions to the FDA after eating Kraft and other brand name products likely containing genetically engineered corn." http://www.organicconsumers.org/corn/in…

The Organic Consumers website also brings into light a potential cover-up by Monsanto not noticed by the FDA. A German court ordered Monsanto to make public a controversial 90 day study on rats that reported the animals fed genetically modified (GM) corn developed "allergies (increased basophils), in response to infections, toxins and various diseases including cancer (increased lymphocytes and white blood cells), and in the presence of anemia (decreased reticulocyte count) and blood pressure problems (decreased kidney weights). There were also increased blood sugar levels, kidney inflammation, liver and kidney lesions, and other changes."
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Monsant…

Now, the FDA is set to approve genetically engineered animals into the human food chain. From the FDA website: "Genetic engineering generally refers to the use of recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques to introduce new characteristics or traits into an organism. When scientists splice together pieces of DNA and introduce a spliced DNA segment into an organism to give the organism new properties, it's called rDNA technology. The spliced piece of DNA is called the rDNA construct. A GE animal is one that contains an rDNA construct intended to give the animal new characteristics or traits."

The FDA plans to classify GE animals as a 'drug' until food products from these animals are recognized as safe. Currently the FDA website is accepting input from organizations and individuals on GE animals. To learn more and post your comments: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008…

The FDA tells consumers: "GE animals currently being developed can be divided into six broad classes based on the intended purpose of the genetic modification: (1) to enhance food quality or agronomic traits (e.g., pigs with less environmentally deleterious wastes, faster growing fish); (2) to improve animal health (e.g., disease resistance); (3) to produce products intended for human therapeutic use (e.g., pharmaceutical products or tissues for transplantation; these GE animals are sometimes referred to as "biopharm" animals); (4) to enrich or enhance the animals' interactions with humans (e.g., hypo-allergenic pets); (5) to develop animal models for human diseases (e.g., pigs as models for cardiovascular diseases); and (6) to produce industrial or consumer products (e.g., fibers for multiple uses)." http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Guidance/guide187.htm

The same FDA document acknowledges the risks involved with GE animals. "A primary goal during the investigational phase of development of the GE animal is to ensure that edible products from the GE animals do not enter the food or feed supply without prior FDA authorization. Edible products include, but are not limited to milk, honey, eggs, muscle tissue, as well as other tissues such as liver, kidney, skin, and fat. We encourage you to provide a disposition plan for all classes of investigational animals and animal products. We recommend that all surplus investigational animals and their biological products be disposed of by incineration, burial, or composting, and that appropriate records be kept of animal identification and disposition. In some special cases, alternative disposition may be appropriate provided that our safety concerns are met (see Section III.C). 21 CFR 511.1 (b)(5)."

GE animals have probably already entered the food supply; the pet food supply. Please notice the wording of the following sentence quoted above 'We recommend that all surplus investigational animals and their biological products be disposed of by incineration, burial, or composting, and that appropriate records be kept of animal identification and disposition.' The words 'We recommend' should make pet owners very concerned. Since currently, despite Federal law that opposes this, the FDA allows 4-D animals (dead, dying, diseased, and disabled) and euthanized animals including expired laboratory test animals to be processed into pet food. There is little doubt GE test animals, including GE test animals 'gone bad', are as well processed into pet food. Pet owners can only guess at how long and how many GE animals have already been rendered becoming pet food ingredients.

Pet food should not be the dumping ground for waste materials of science or the processing of human food. Equally as disturbing is the FDA's blind eye to Federal regulations prohibiting this. Millions of pet owners unknowingly purchase dog food, cat food, or pet treats every single day that could contain a genetically engineered animal experiment gone bad, genetically modified grains, dead, diseased, dying or disabled animals, and animals that have completed their research use, including the test drugs within the animals; all labeled as 'premium', 'choice', or 'healthy' pet foods.

Please consider contacting your Representatives in Congress asking them to insist the FDA abide by Federal law and properly monitor the ingredients in pet food. Visit http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/pages/… to read more about letters to Congress for safe pet food. Call the manufacturer of every pet food and treat that your pet consumers and ask if the meat ingredients are human grade/quality. Anything less than human grade meats could be from animal sources you would never consider feeding your pet.

When final approval of GE animals is set (it is sure to be approved just as GM grains were), no consumer will know if they are purchasing or consuming a GE burger, chicken wings, or steak. Just as right now consumers have no idea if a food or food ingredient is from a GM grain. At the very least, every U.S. consumer deserves to know if their food, or their pet's food, is a science experiment. Please visit the FDA website and post your comments to GE animals. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008…

Wishing you and your pet the best,

Susan Thixton

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Living By Grace

Balanced Fitness Begins With God

By Linda Goldfarb

“And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:1-2, NLT).

Back to the Basics

Self image is one thing, God’s image is everything.

As an introduction to my health & fitness column, I would like to take you on a journey back to the basics. God is very deliberate in His attitude about His children and how they should behave, think, love, eat, sleep, and interact with one another. Psalm 139 illustrates this for us quite well.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in  the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139: 13-16, NIV).

Have you ever taken the time to sit down and really ponder what God is saying through this piece of Scripture?  Allow me the liberty to give insight into how God may want us to view His Word and ourselves in the process.  Let’s take a few bites out of this wonderful offering and taste the saltiness of our loving God.

…you knit me together…  Our manufacturers tag would read “Made by God.”
…I am fearfully and wonderfully made… A lot of thought went into our creation.
…your works are wonderful I know that full well…   We trust that God is truthful.
…My frame was not hidden from you…  God is fully aware of our physical limits.
…your eyes saw my unformed body… Even as dust, God knew us.
All the days ordained…written in your book… God is always aware of our life’s journey.

Now that we have a more intimate picture of God’s view of our lives, let’s look at how we can make a difference every day to be what He wants us to be physically, spiritually, and relationally.

The 'I-Zone' : Our Spiritual Battleground

There are many things in life we have no direct control over—the weather, other peoples' opinions, sale prices at the local mall, etc.—but we can control what we allow into our influence zone. Advertising, literature, television, movies, friendships—those very things that guide our thoughts and desires also impact our spiritual vision of others and ourselves. What we allow to come into our I-Zone can be used by Satan to hold us away from God and His Glory.  Satan’s visual images can be very strong and deceptive. If we fail to stand up for what we believe as Christians to be truth, we will fall for all that Satan dishes out. Our emotional appetites are affected both physically and spiritually by what comes into our I-Zone.

It is imperative that we continually seek God’s will in our lives and the lives of our children. Spiritual discernment comes through the reading of God’s Word; it will prepare our hearts to be sensitive to Satan’s handiwork. Let’s look at a very simple example of how Satan can use unsuspected means to make a negative impact on our lives. Consider the bathroom scale. Quiet and unassuming, this is a perfect tool used to set your mood. Instead of “waiting” on the Lord to give us direction every day through prayer/quiet time, we jump on the scale and allow that kind of “weighting” to determine our mindset for the day.  Our whole outlook is controlled by a piece of manmade metal. If my weight is down, the day is good; if my weight is up, “Get out of the way!”  Once again, we make the choice to allow negatives into our I-Zone where it has a good shot at affecting our vision. A better way to start the day is trusting in our steadfast Lord, who only provides truth through His Word.

As we cover issues of health, fitness, and nutrition over the upcoming months, keep in mind that in order to begin a successful attempt toward optimum health, we must have a solid relationship with Jesus Christ to make it work.  A verse close to my heart, James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (NIV),” helps us to remember that our action causes the plan to work.

Understanding God’s view of our lives helps us to set aside the negative factors that block our abilities to love ourselves. When we invest time, energy, and a new sense of purpose in our daily walk, we will rekindle the loving relationship He desires with us. Plan each day to spend time with the Father; He will be faithful to bless your efforts.

About Linda

Linda Goldfarb is a certified physical fitness specialist, speaker, and syndicated radio talk show host. You can download her weekly “Not Just Talkin’ the Talk” radio broadcasts, a one hour variety talk show based out of San Antonio, Texas, at www.lindagoldfarb.com. Linda’s show encourages listeners to “walk the walk” spiritually, physically, and relationally each and every day.

Contact Linda to speak at your next event: linda@lindagoldfarb.com  

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Featured Articles

U.S. Doctors Should Prescribe Vitamins Rather Than Placebos

by Dr. Phil Domenico

(NaturalNews) The New York Times reported recently that American doctors regularly prescribe placebos to patients. The survey involved 679 randomly chosen internists and rheumatologists, among them about half reported recommending placebos regularly. Doctors in Denmark, Israel, Britain, Sweden and New Zealand responded similarly. The American doctors doled out headache pills, vitamins, antibiotics and sedatives most commonly. Though these placebos are not really inert, they are used primarily for their psychological effect. This may confer some benefit, so it is thought. The study is being published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Ethically speaking, doctors deceiving patients with dummy pills is a little troubling, and not always harmless. Physicians are acting no differently than the "quacks" that they denigrate. Even worse, they dole out drugs with potentially dangerous side effects. Their drugs kill tens of thousands of people yearly, while vitamins harm virtually no one, and are often helpful. The doctor-patient relationship is supposed to be special, with high expectations about honesty and personal care. Yet, most of the time, it's ten minutes and it's out the door with prescription in hand. It doesn't matter what the scribble says, or what the health problem is, as long as we take our medicine gratefully. However, many people are not buying into the medical model anymore. In fact, to save money during the economic downturn, many patients are not renewing their prescriptions. Still, they would be wise to continue their vitamins.

Recent example of how vitamins beat placebos starts with a study on overweight women taking chromium picolinate. Compared to placebo, chromium supplements significantly reduced food cravings and hunger levels (Anton et al., 2008). Increased intake of vitamin K2 reduced the build up of calcium in arteries that leads to hardening of the blood vessels (Beulens, et al., 2008). L-Carnitine significantly reduced both physical and mental fatigue and increased cognitive function in older people (Malaguarnera M, et al., 2007). Zinc supplements activated the production of brain factor that wards off depression and keeps nerve cells alive (Sowa-Kućma M, et al., 2008). Women who received vitamin E supplements had a significant 21% reduction in blood clots (Glynn RJ, et al., 2008). Pantethine, an active form of vitamin B5, significantly reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol in several clinical trials (Binaghi, et al. 1990; Coronel 1991, et al.; Pins & Keenan, 2006). Overwhelming evidence on the incredible benefits of vitamin D, omega-3 fats, probiotics, and other important supplements are being reported, even by the medical "experts". So, rather than handing out placebos, physicians should be providing high quality multivitamins and mineral supplements, and teaching people about how to eat right to prevent illness. This is a much more intelligent and caring approach to patients than giving them placebos.

So, why do Americans buy into health care that has so little to offer? Why are we paying through the nose for medicine that ranks so low among nations? Despite enormous strides in food and vitamin science, the medical world is largely deaf to nutrition science. Profit-driven health care that preys on sickness is not where the best medicine can be found. Fortunately, efforts by the pharmaceutical industry to keep people ignorant of nutrition science are beginning to fail. People are seeking out naturopaths, nutritionists, or taking health into their own hands for many health concerns. Also, there are a few integrative physicians out there, who represent real health, if you're lucky to find one. Unfortunately, these practitioners do not accept most insurance plans, as insurance companies are also behind the times and do not cover dietary supplements or newer diagnostic tests.

What The New York Times report really says is that, at least 50% of the time, doctors have no clue how to help us. So, why not give people something that really helps, like vitamins or minerals.

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Featured Articles

Study Shows Grape Seed Extract (GSE) May Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) Supplementation grape seed extract can prevent the buildup of brain plaques that are associated with cell death and the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Alzheimer's Association, Constellation Brands' polyphenolics division, the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Japan Human Science Foundation, Mount Sinai Hospital, the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the University of California-Los Angeles, and published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Researchers orally administered grape seed extract  to rats that are genetically predisposed to develop beta-amyloid plaques in their brains. These plaques are known to increase the risk of cell damage and death, leading to cognitive decline and a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Rats that had been given the grape seed extract underwent significantly less cognitive decline and had less in the way of beta-amyloid deposits.

"Our study suggests that grape seed-derived polyphenolics may be useful agents to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease," the researchers wrote.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 13 million people across the world.

Lead researcher Giulio Pansinetti of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine speculated that grape seed extract might even stem cognitive decline in those who have not developed Alzheimer's disease.

The recent study is part of a growing trend to research the connection between diet and brain health. The largest food company in the world, Nestle, recently signed an agreement to jointly research the effects of nutrition on cognitive function with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Nestle has pledged to contribute as much as CHF 5 million ($4.8 million) a year for the next five years to the research institute. After four years, the company will review the project with the option of extending the agreement.