Month: February 2009

On November 16, 2008, The Seattle Times published an article claiming that Washington hospitals, through lack of basic testing and safety protocols being followed, have unleashed a MRSA epidemic in that state. The Times did an investigation that analyzed millions of computerized hospital records and state files that revealed 672 previously undisclosed deaths attributable to MRSA. They found that, over the past decade, the numbers of hospital patients infected with MRSA jumped from 141 cases to a whopping 14,723 cases annually.

One federally-funded study conducted from July, 2004, through December, 2005, on nine "program sites" with a total estimated population of 16,439,000 revealed 8,987 MRSA cases just in that 18-month time period. If we consider their population sample as about 5 percent of the total U.S. population of 300 million people and then multiply the cases in their study to account for the rest of the people in the U.S. during that time frame, we get an estimate of 164,006 cases. According to this study, 20 percent of those infected with MRSA, or approximately 32,800 from July, 2004, through December, 2005, die in the hospital [See Journal of the American Medical Association, October 2007;298(15):1763-1771].

Dr. Joseph Mercola stated, "To put that number into perspective, HIV/AIDS killed 17,000 people that year. The numbers are even more staggering when you include ALL hospital infections, not just MRSA, as approximately 1.7 million Americans contracted infections during hospital stays in 2007, and a subsequent 100,000 people perished from these infections, according to the CDC."

(NaturalNews) Organic food is now the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture. In 2007, the value of retail sales from organic food was estimated at more than $20 billion. According to the Food Marketing Institute, more than half of Americans now buy some organic food product at least once a month. The industry is expected to grow at a rate of 18 percent per year until 2010, making organic food sales one of the fastest growing sectors in the generally sagging U.S. economy. Cutting organic food from their budgets is just not an option for many people who are struggling to make ends meet.

According to the National Organic Standards Board:

"Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

"The word organic is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

"Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.

"Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."

This definition gently shades the meaning most people associate with the term, such as the use of non-chemical fertilizers and pesticides as the food is being grown. Canada`s recently instituted organic regulations specifically prohibit synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically-modified organisms (GMO).

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts it this way: "Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones."

The USDA allows a sliding scale that reduces some of the rigors of their own definition. According to this scale, only goods that are made entirely of certified organic materials and methods are labeled as "100 percent organic", while those whose makeup is only 95 percent pure are labeled organic. Both categories provide a USDA seal. Salt and water are exempted from consideration as ingredients.

Then there is another category that permits the use of up to 30 percent non-organic materials and methods in production, but which may be legally labeled "made with organic ingredients". Products that are less than 70 percent organic are not allowed to call themselves organic in any way. However, organic ingredients may be listed as such.

Just reading these definitions and finding out what cannot be included in a product labeled as organic is a powerful inducement to buy only organic products.

Organic farming offers a difference

In the U.S. alone, more than one billion pounds of pesticides are released into the environment as a result of non-organic practices. Some of these are very persistent and remain in the environment long after application. Extensive pesticide residue testing by the USDA found that conventionally produced fruits and vegetables are three to over four times more likely to contain pesticide residues than organic produce, and these are eight to eleven times more likely to contain multiple residues and residues at levels three to ten times higher than corresponding residues found in organic samples.

A recent study reported in Environmental Health Perspectives found that by substituting organic fresh fruits and vegetables for corresponding conventional food items, the median urinary metabolite concentrations of malathion and chlorpyrifos pesticides could be reduced from a high level to a level of non-detected or close to non-detected.

Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. Beginning in 1995, a network of environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, began testing tap water for herbicides across the Corn Belt, and in Louisiana and Maryland. The results revealed widespread contamination of tap water with many different pesticides at levels that present serious health risks. In some cities, herbicides in tap water exceeded federal lifetime health standards for weeks or months at a time. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching by the use of organic farming methods, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination and to protect and conserve water resources.

The term "natural" has no real meaning

The parameters of the word "organic" are fairly well defined and specified. Many other food producers wish to gain the appeal and higher price tag of organic foods without going through the rigors to obtain organic certification. Instead, they label their food products as "natural". This term does not in any way mean that the product meets the criteria met by organic products.

If it seems like there are more products labeled as natural, it is not your imagination. Almost everyone who is not an organic producer wants to cash in on American`s desire to eat healthier. One-third of all new U.S. food and beverage products in 2008 highlighted claims of being "natural" or otherwise healthy. But terms like these have nothing to do with the nutritive value of the final product. Even the term "organic" simply refers to how the product was grown or raised, and does not refer to the nutritional value of the product.

The USDA, the regulating body for meat and poultry, says those products can be labeled as "natural" if they do not contain any artificial ingredients or added color, and are only minimally processed (a vague requirement). But if the term is used, the label must also give an additional explanation, such as "no added colorings or artificial ingredients".

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the term "natural" to be used on food labels when the food contains no added colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. This leaves a large gray area. When asked in 2005 to be more specific in its definition of "natural", the FDA declined. Soon after, the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued Kraft Foods because of an "all natural" claim for its Capri Sun drinks. The suit was dropped when Kraft agreed to take the claim off the label. The makers of 7 Up tried to make the same claim but removed the term from its label under threat of court action.

Why does organic food cost so much?

Prices for organic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional items in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must also meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, resulting in a more labor and management intensive process. Organic farming is usually on a smaller scale. Mounting evidence shows that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production, like the cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care to farmers and farm workers, were factored into the price of food, organic foods would cost the same or even less than conventionally grown foods.

A July, 2008 survey found that among customers who reported buying organic products, 56 percent had household incomes of more than $100,000, and 36 percent had incomes of less than $25,000. This data shows that the decision to shop organically is a matter of priorities.

Although the organic industry is predicted to grow at 18 percent a year through 2010, the sagging economy may tempt some Americans to cut back on organic purchases they perceive as costing more. But in the long run this choice is clearly not cost effective considering the damage to health and productivity losses associated with a conventionally grown diet, as well as the hidden costs of buying conventional. And then, there`s the taste to think about.

Sources:

Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com.

Gregory McNamee, Just What Does Organic Mean, Anyway? Encyclopedia Britannica Blog.

Martha Filipic, Chow Line: `Natural`often means little on label, Ohio State University Extension.

(NaturalNews) The numerous medical treatments for candida all share one quality: they are ineffective. Prescription drugs for candida often don't work at all, or even if they do, it's generally just a matter of time before the candida flairs up again. If you've been struggling to treat your candida with prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs, it's time to turn to more effective natural remedies such as garlic supplements.

Garlic supplements are the most comprehensive way to take garlic regularly. Some people simply cannot tolerate eating garlic at all, and even if you like garlic, you might not want to eat it every single day. Supplements are an excellent way to achieve the regular garlic intake that is necessary to fight candida and prevent future occurrences.

Garlic in supplement form is easy to find and quite inexpensive. You can often find garlic capsules at your local grocery store or drug store, although higher quality garlic supplements might be found at a health or natural foods store.

Dosage varies depending on the severity of your candida problems, but generally 600-900 mg per day is adequate. This is usually about 6-9 capsules each day. Keep in mind some people are more sensitive to garlic supplements than others; adjust your dosage accordingly. Garlic will be most effective if it is consistently in the body, so spreading your supplements out during the day will boost results. After your candida symptoms have lessened considerably, you can adjust dosage down to just 2-4 capsules per day. This is also a good maintenance-level dosage to prevent candida from reoccurring.

Garlic capsules are recommended for avoiding the stomach upset and lingering garlic taste that sometimes occur with tablets. The best supplements are freeze-dried garlic that has been standardized to 1.3% alliin or 0.6% allicin. Alliin and allicin are the important antimicrobial and antifungal ingredients in garlic. If you do want to take tablets instead of capsules, be sure to get enteric-coated tablets as this will reduce unpleasant side effects.

Successful treatment of candida is often noted by a few days of heightened candida symptoms and sometimes flu-like symptoms in the very beginning. This is a reaction caused by excess amounts of yeast dying off in the body and should disappear quickly.

(NaturalNews) Recently revealed statistics show that the consumption of high sugar beverages is on the rise and so is the incidence of diabetes in the US. Adopting some simple changes in lifestyle and dietary habits could help you to lose weight and avoid becoming one of the next ill-health statistics.

The consumption pattern for sugar-sweetened drinks has shown a steady increase over the years. Unsurprisingly, the highest proportion of sugar sweetened sodas is consumed by the younger population with young African Americans consuming the highest proportion of sugar-sweetened beverages. But the contribution of calories from sweetened hot drinks, perhaps more commonly consumed by an older population should not be overlooked.

At a personal level, if you have not improved upon your exercise regime or otherwise burn more calories through activity than you did two decades ago, your sweetened hot drinks and sodas could lead to a steady gain of five pounds, or more, in weight every year. So, middle-aged spread is an increasing likelihood if you are an average citizen who has not improved their general lifestyle habits since early adulthood. And let's face it, most of us are probably less active at 45 than we were at 25, which puts us squarely in the potential danger zone.

But the extra calories derived from drinking sweet hot coffee and tea, or a 'refreshing' soda-pop, and the potential associated weight gain is not the only problem consumers may have to contend with. Being overweight has long been associated with elevated health risks of various major kinds. Heart health is threatened and the risk of developing diabetes is much higher, and these are just two examples.

Increasing sugar intake undoubtedly contributes to the eventual development of a diabetic condition and recent studies confirm that the incidence of 'full blown' diabetes continues to rise inexorably in the US, which probably reflects the pattern in other developed countries with similar diet and lifestyle habits.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated, in January 2009, that recently analyzed statistics for 2007 indicate that there are now around 24 million US citizens with diabetes. This represents an increase in the incidence of diagnoses of diabetes of about 12.5%, or around three million cases, since just 2005.

A spokesperson tried to put some positive spin on other figures that apparently show that those who 'did not know' they had diabetes has decreased during this same period, from 3 to about 2.5 in 10. But this is small comfort as many have simply progressed from not knowing about it, to being confirmed as diabetic. So, this is hardly 'good news' in the real sense – except perhaps for the pharmaceutical companies who may now be profiting from providing medications to them.

Almost one third of the US population is now classed as pre-diabetic, which means that the number of Americans who may be progressing towards becoming diabetic is rapidly approaching 60 million. Because the occurrence of a full blown diabetic condition takes time to develop, in most cases, due in large part to maintaining long-term poor lifestyle and dietary habits, it is the older population that has the greatest number of diabetes victims. The 2007 statistics confirm that a full one quarter of US seniors over 60 years of age where diabetic.

There are also significant statistical differences in the incidence of diabetes occurring in various ethnic groups. In the Mexican American and non-Hispanic black populations there were double the number of cases of diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites. Whilst pre-diabetes cases remained more or less constant across the groups.

Diabetes is of course no lightweight health issue. The disease is classed as the seventh leading cause of death in the US. But on the way towards the death bed, sufferers of diabetes can face major health challenges such as developing coronary heart disease, failing kidneys, going blind and even having limbs amputated as blood flow problems become exacerbated.

Actively adopting lifestyle and dietary changes are increasingly recognized as important steps towards defusing the diabetic time-bomb, as well as reducing the likelihood of other health problems developing. Evidently a step as simple as cutting back those sweetened beverages will have some benefit. It is claimed that by removing those extra 300 calories from sugary-sweet liquids from the diet you could lose 2.5 pound in weight every month.

But the answer would not be to replace the sugar based drinks with artificially sweetened ones, no matter how much the tireless tirade of marketing and in-store merchandising tries to persuade you to do so. Rather it is a question of actively trying to re-educate your sweet tooth. It may be easier said than done, but even resisting the temptation to drink sweetened drinks for a week or so will help you gain some perspective on just how sickly-sweet a lot of products are should you then try them again.

Consumers palates have become 'perverted' by manufacturers heavy handed use of sugar in many processed products in daily use. Sugar is effectively addictive and many people know all too well the short-term buzz of the sugar-rush. Like any addiction it takes will-power and effort to overcome. But it is better to try and reduce your dependence on sugar by developing a taste for less sweet things, not by simply replacing sugar with another sweet and synthetic chemical poison, commonly referred to as artificial sweeteners.

Making 2009 the year that you actively fight your sugar addiction could be a major step, along with increasing your levels of activity, towards avoiding becoming one of the next 'pre-diabetic' statistics, or even worse being diagnosed as a full blown 'diabetic'.

For hundreds of years sugar has been used widely as a preservative in many food and drink items. But now that the true risks of a high-sugar diet are becoming so transparent, it has never been more important that we choose to combat our addiction to sugar in order to preserve our own health.