Month: January 2010

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GE Attempts to Silence Doctor Who Warned About Dangers of Medical Imaging Drug

by: E. Huff

(NaturalNews) GE Healthcare, a British subsidiary of multinational giant General Electric, is suing Henrik Thomsen, a senior radiologist and professor of radiology, for sounding the alarm about the dangers of the company's medical imaging drug, Omniscan. After witnessing kidney patients who had received the drug develop potentially fatal conditions, Thomsen publicly exposed the drug's dangers which caused a firestorm of controversy.

In an effort to muzzle Thomsen, GE Healthcare has already spent more than 380,000 British pounds, or about $610,000, in legal fees pursuing litigation against him. Utilizing loopholes in Britain's libel laws, the company is alleging that Thomsen falsely accused GE of suppressing sensitive information about the drug's risks at an Oxford scientific congress presentation in 2007.

Investigation into these claims has shown that Thomsen accurately described his clinical experience and that no such misrepresentation took place. When questioned about this fact, GE spokesmen had no response other than to suggest that Thomsen indirectly slandered the company through insinuation.

Many in the scientific community have expressed outrage over the blatant misuse of British libel laws to silence honest and open debate and dissemination of unbiased information about medical procedures and drugs. Scientists and clinicians who act on behalf of patient safety by highlighting the facts rather than corporate talking points should not be gagged by powerful corporations who leverage their influence and money to manipulate the legal system for their own gain, say those who support libel reform.

Hundreds of people in both the U.K. and the U.S. have died from the side effects of Omniscan and two other similar medical imaging drugs. Filled with toxic contrasting agents like gadolinium, a toxic heavy metal, Omniscan is implicated in causing nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a skin condition that can cripple a person and possibly cause death.

Legal action is being taken against the companies that produce these drugs by patients in both the U.S. and the U.K. ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit news organization in the U.S. whose purpose is to serve the public interest, has been closely watching the effects of medical imaging drugs, divulging the truth about the dangers they pose.

Nevertheless, GE Healthcare is holding its ground in the fight against Thomsen. As it stands, the company has achieved success in silencing Thomsen as he now refuses to discuss the risks associated with Omniscan in public forums. Until libel reform is enacted, officials believe that companies will continue to misuse the courts to silence the truth and achieve their own ends.

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Ask Utopia Silver

Silver Necklace

Q:
Utopia Silver,

Is the fact that one's silver necklace tarnishes when worn next to one's skin a sign that one ought not to use colloidal silver? Thank-you.

Marie

A:
Hi C-Marie,

It isn’t unusual for silver to tarnish when in contact with the body. It can even tarnish in the air, especially in humidity.

So, no it isn’t an indication for not using it. Now if you have an allergic reaction to wearing silver jewelry, then it could be you shouldn’t consume it.

Ben in Utopia

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Natural Remedies

Got Gout: Try These Natural Therapies

by: Deanna Dean

(NaturalNews) Gout is one of over one hundred forms of arthritis. Fortunately it is highly treatable. In recent years natural remedies for gout have become very popular. The primarily reason for this is that most gout medications have severe side effects, or are not safe long term. Natural remedies are safe to take and have no side effects. As an added benefit, most natural treatments contain ingredients that will help improve the bodies overall health. For these reasons, many medical professionals believe that natural remedies for gout are your best alternative.

Gout occurs when levels of uric acid are abnormally elevated causing severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation. Needle shaped uric acid crystals stab their way into joints rendering lightning bolts of pain. Over time, these episodic attacks can eventually lead to joint damage.

Obesity and an improper diet increase the risk of developing gout. It has been called the rich man`s disease because of its association with overindulgence of rich food and alcohol. But in fact it affects people of all ages, from all walks of life. It may be inherited or brought on by crash dieting, certain medications, overeating, stress, surgery or injury to a joint.

The best way to get a diagnosis of gout is for a physician to insert a needle into the affected joint, remove some fluid and examine it for uric acid crystals.

It is recommended that when an attack occurs, eat only raw fruits and vegetables for two weeks. Good idea to eat more of those anyway. Drink fresh or frozen juices such as cherry juice and celery juice diluted with distilled, not tap, water. Eat lots of cherries. A cup a day is said to stave off painful episodes. Strawberries and blueberries will neutralize uric acid. Other safe foods during an episode are rice, millet, starchy vegetables, green vegetables, corn, seeds and grains.

Foods to avoid and discourage another gout flare-up are: meat of any kind, sardines, scallops, shellfish, mushrooms, mussels, peanuts, mackerel, asparagus, alcohol beverages, and diet soda. Limit your intake of caffeine, cauliflower, dried beans and lentils, oatmeal, peas, spinach and yeast products.

Helpful herbs are: bilberry extract, turmeric, celery seed, chamomile, lady`s mantle (yarrow), peppermint or skullcap. Prescription for Nutritional Healing recommends 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams daily of alfalfa, a good source of minerals that reduces uric acid. Devil`s claw and yucca can aid in relieving pain. Other herbs to try are birch, burdock, colchicum tincture, hyssop and juniper.

Vitamin B12, vitamin E, folate, and the B family of vitamins are a part of nutritional home remedies for gout treatment along with regular exercise that improves circulation such as stretching, dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, and aerobics.

Drink as much water as you can to flush uric acid from the system.

Apply an activated charcoal poultice to draw out toxins. Combine 1/2 cup powdered charcoal with 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. Mix in warm water until it becomes a thick paste, apply to the joint, and then wrap securely. Caution, this will stain clothing.

Soak the affected joint for thirty to sixty minutes in a mix of hot water and activated charcoal.

Avoid taking high doses of niacin (over 50 milligrams daily.) Large doses of niacin can cause a build up of uric acid, triggering gout.

Your healthmate,
Deanna Dean

Advanced Colloidal Silver

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Featured Articles

90 Percent of Parents Misled by Food Nutrition Labels

by: E. Huff

(NaturalNews) Recent research conducted by the British Heart Foundation (NHF) has revealed that about 90 percent of British mothers do not properly understand food nutritional labels. Most of the women falsely believe that products claiming to be good sources of certain vitamins or rich in whole grains are healthy, despite the fact that many of them are actually chock full of unhealthy ingredients.

The most common labeling scheme identified by researchers was the front-labeling of foods that are high in fat and sugar with glowing health claims. While partially true in some cases, phrases like "naturally-flavored" and "no artificial ingredients" were found to be commonly used on breakfast products that are high in refined sugar and bad saturated fats. One cereal claiming to boost heart health and maintain a healthy body was found to have more sugar per serving than a doughnut. Another breakfast cereal bar claiming to be high in vitamins was found to have more saturated fat and sugar than a piece of chocolate cake.

Food manufacturers have received heavy criticism in recent years for alleged advertising strategies that target children with unhealthy foods. Reluctant parents often give in because of health claims that, when examined more closely, seem to contradict the nutrition label. Unfortunately, most busy parents fail to recognize advertising discrepancies.

When asked in the survey, participants indicated that they would prefer a nutrition labeling system that was consistent and placed entirely on the front of food packaging. As it currently stands, product manufacturers are not required to label their products in any specific manner other than the mandatory nutritional facts label located on product backs. This is true both in the U.K. and in the U.S.

Spokesmen from various food companies countered the claims of the study, indicating that the labeling on their packaging is both truthful and transparent. All ingredients can be found on the nutrition label as can the amounts of fat, salt and sugar. Food producers are continually adjusting their product formulations to meet the demands of their customers, they say, cutting things like sodium and saturated fat and including healthier ingredients.

Researchers from BHF, however, continue to demand that stricter labeling laws be put in place in order to alleviate some of the confusion over food nutrition. They believe that a standardized system of labeling will help to clarify how healthy a product really is and lead to a more informed consumer base.

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Featured Articles

247 Americans Die Every Day from Doctors not Washing Their Hands

by: David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) A study commissioned by the lead hospital accrediting agency in the United States found that doctors and nurses fail to wash their hands with alarming frequency, contributing to the 247 deaths caused each day by preventable hospital infections.

The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, has joined with eight major hospitals to address low hand washing rates nationwide. The program began in the spring, when the hospitals conducted rigorous assessments of hand washing compliance among their staff. They found that doctors and nurses washed their hands only 30 to 70 percent of the time that they entered or exited a patient's room, averaging 50 percent.

Hand washing upon entering and exiting a room is a key part of the Joint Commission accreditation requirements and has been recommended by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Hospitals or other facilities cited for more than two violations must be cited.

The hospitals then assessed what obstacles were preventing health care providers from adequately washing their hands. In some cases, the problems were logistical and easy to fix by means such as moving hand washing stations to more convenient locations or adding stands where workers could put down objects they might be carrying. In other cases, problems seem to stem from an attitude of impunity and are harder to fix.

"Certainly there are some individuals who believe they are above the law,'' Joint Commission President Mark Chassin said, "and their peers and others are reluctant to call their omissions to their attention."

Hospitals have tried to address these problems through techniques such as constant monitoring and reorganizations of hospital hierarchies.

"It seems really simple, but even this one turns out to be complicated," Chassin said.

Since the implementation of corrective strategies, hand washing compliance at the participating hospitals has risen to 74 percent, still short of the long-term goal of 90 percent.

"The acid test is sustainability," Chassin said. "They want to be above 90 percent all the time, consistently with no variation."

Utopia Naturals

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Featured Articles

Nigerian’s Assault on Sawdust Makes Lives Healthier

by: Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sawdust is a menace in Nigeria. People burn it for lack of a better use, and it clogs waterways. The situation troubles Rufus Idris because people in his country suffer the health effects of smoke, particles and toxic gases.

He made a pitch in a competition to World Bank three years ago to get funding to turn wood waste into products. Though he didn't win, the idea made it to the finals and gained support, he said. As a result, a small business that makes sawdust briquets is under way in Nigeria, he said.

Mr. Idris, co-founder of the Union Of African Communities in Pittsburgh, is in Washington, D.C., today as a finalist in the African Diaspora Marketplace competition. He wants to help Nigerians — and ultimately people throughout Africa — start businesses making water filter vessels modeled on the ones made in the basement of Braddock's Carnegie Library.

The Braddock Pot Shop is home to the first water-vessel factory in North America. There, Jeffrey Schwarz makes ceramic cones from clay, sawdust and colloidal silver. When the cones are fired at 1,700 degrees, the sawdust burns off and the vessel becomes something like a colander through which the water filters. A coating of colloidal silver kills E. coli and other bacteria when water is poured through it.

Mr. Idris learned about the factory from a professor at La Roche College.

"He showed up last summer and said 'I have a problem with sawdust,' " said Mr. Schwarz.

The factory was set up in the fall of 2008. At the urging of Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, AmeriCorps established Mr. Schwarz as a paid staffer to run it. The factory was the brainchild of Slippery Rock University ceramics instructor Richard Wukich, Mr. Schwarz's former teacher.

Since word has spread about the factory, it has become a resource and training center for people who want to take the expertise to their homelands. It doesn't make sense to pay to ship vessels when people can make them where they're needed, said Mr. Schwarz.

The cones last about two years, and the materials for one cost about 75 cents; total production of one cone costs about $2.50, he said.

Mr. Idris gets money from the Heinz Endowments to develop economic improvement programs for African immigrants under a nonprofit he runs, Christian Evangelistic Economic Development.

"I was trying to make a connection between immigrants in business here and people in Africa and to apply a technique used here to save lives there," he said.

Mr. Idris has a bachelor's degree in aquatic sciences and a master's in environmental management and toxicology from Nigerian universities. He is working toward a physical therapy degree in a joint program of Duquesne University and La Roche College.

He was among 733 applicants for USAID/Western Union funding. If his project is selected, it could receive $50,000 to $100,000. He is also working on a collaboration that includes the University of Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock University, Rotary International and other nonprofits.

He said the vessels in Nigerian households can have a ripple effect on the quality of peoples' lives.

Safe water will make people healthier, and income from the factories will afford them better food.

He estimates that in the first year of funding, 35 people could be put to work and that, over three years, 39,000 filters could be in use in Nigerian households.

"The major materials are in abundance and the machinery needed is simple," he said. "It is such a simple way to solve so many problems."

Advanced Colloidal Silver

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Featured Articles

Pesticides Are Killing Birds, Bees, and Bats By The Millions

by: Ethan Huff

(NaturalNews) Estimates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicate that millions of birds and fish die every year from pesticide exposure. Scientists are now discovering that even low level exposure is disrupting the animal kingdom and causing new diseases to develop, threatening many species with extinction.

Roughly 90 percent of the nation's rivers and streams are contaminated with pesticides, affecting more than 80 percent of fish. More than 30 percent of the nation's aquifers are contaminated as well, affecting the drinking water of millions of people.

In recent years, scientists have been observing the decimation of many species of bees, amphibians, and bats due to pesticides. In just a few years, over one million bats in the northeastern United States have died from diseases caused by pesticide exposure. More than 1,800 species of sea creatures face extinction from exposure and many researchers suspect that colony collapse disorder (CCD) among bees is being caused by pesticides as well.

Some of the smallest sea creatures being affected are spreading disease all the way up the food chain. Seals that eat contaminated herring are dying by the thousands, illustrating how even limited exposure can have widespread consequences.

Carlos Davidson, a conservation biologist from San Francisco State University, believes that pesticides directly inhibit immune function in animals exposed to them, causing them to act as hosts for diseases. Novel diseases that have left scientists at a loss for an explanation are likely developing in part from the overuse of antibiotics in the general population. Together, a deadly combination is formed that threatens both animal and human life.

Back in the 1970s, scientists discovered that insecticides were being carried by the wind from crops in the San Joaquin Valley of California up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains where they contaminated air, water, and snow in this otherwise pristine area. Eventually, researchers found that amphibians living in lakes and streams were wrought with the same pesticides. Because the amphibian population declined heavily between the 1970s and the 1990s, the same time that those pesticides were used in the valley, Davidson believes that pesticides were the culprit in those deaths.

Many see the obvious connection between pesticide exposure and vulnerability to disease; however, proving it without a doubt is a difficult task. Many concerned scientists recognize the problem but do not know what to do about it. Unless something is done to greatly reduce pesticide use, the entire existence of the animal kingdom is at stake.

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The Best Years In Life

More Bad News for Paxil: New Study Says Antidepressant Drugs Next to Worthless

by: Tony Isaacs

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the antidepressant drugs paroxetine and imipramine do not help patients with mild, moderate and even severe depression much more than an inactive placebo.

"They would have done just as well or just about as well with a placebo," concluded Robert DeRubeis, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia who performed the meta-analysis along with colleagues.

The meta-analysis combined data from six studies with over 800 combined patients. Those with initial depression scores of 23 or below dropped an averaged 8 points when given antidepressants compared to a drop of 7 points for those given a placebo. According to DeRubeis, the study should give pause to doctors and patients weighing antidepressants, and he suggested that consideration be given to other alternatives such as exercise, psychotherapy, and even "self-treatment".

Paroxetine is one of a widely sold class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and is better known as the brand name sold by GlaxoSmithKline: Paxil. Imipramine is an older tricyclic antidepressant drug which was developed in the 1950s.
Glaxo spokeswoman Sarah Alspach responded by saying that the study "contributes to the extensive research" into antidepressants, noting that Paxil received U.S. government approval in 1992. She continued to maintain that Paxil has helped "millions of people battling mental illness".

The study is the latest in a long string of bad news that has been reported about Paxil. Since Paxil`s introduction on the market in 1993, the potentially dangerous drug has been plagued with complaints of serious adverse medical events including an increase in suicide rates and attempts, addiction, and birth defects.

In 2005, after Glaxo had denied repeated reports of Paxil causing addiction and severe withdrawal effects, a federal judge ordered the maker to stop all television commercials nationwide that say the drug is not habit-forming. The ruling came after a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 35. According to the judge`s ruling, the commercials were "misleading and created inaccurate expectations about the ease of withdrawal from the drug". It is reported that Glaxo has settled nearly 3,200 cases involving addiction-related complaints and complications.

Glaxo has also reportedly settled 150 Paxil-related suicide cases and 300 Paxil-related suicide attempts thus far. In most instances, Glaxo attempted to blame the suicides on the underlying depression and not the drug itself. Paxil has also been linked to severe birth-defects in children whose mothers took the antidepressant while pregnant. Last October, a Philadelphia jury found that Glaxo negligently failed to warn doctors of Paxil`s risk to pregnant women and awarded $2.5 million to the parents of a three year old boy. According to reports, this case was the first of some 600 lawsuits against Glaxo for failing to warn of Paxil`s dangers to pregnant women. Reports also indicate that Glaxo has settled at least 10 other birth-defect cases to date.

Paxil lawsuits and settlements have been estimated to cost Glaxo a staggering $1 Billion in settlements thus far, an amount that is nevertheless dwarfed by the many billions of dollars in profits Glaxo has received from Paxil sales.

Meanwhile, despite all the deaths, injuries and lawsuits, Paxil continues to have FDA approval, continues to downplay harmful side effects and continues to be highly promoted, the same as happened in the Vioxx scandal and with other harmful drugs. The Associated Press reported in August of last year that GlaxoSmithKline commissioned sales reps to recruit doctor-authors for ghostwritten articles supporting Paxil use. Glaxo even named the program after everyone`s favorite friendly ghost and called it the "CASPPER" program..

Advanced Colloidal Gold

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Featured Articles

Six Deadly Chemicals You’re Carrying in Your Body

by: E. Huff

(NaturalNews) A recent biomonitoring study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, has revealed that out of 212 chemicals tested, all 212 were found to be in the blood and urine of most Americans. Six chemicals in particular, found in virtually every person, were identified by the CDC as probable health hazards.

Every two years the CDC conducts the chemical study which identifies human exposure to toxic chemicals. This year 75 new chemicals were added to the assay that had never before been studied in the U.S. population. Every chemical tested in the study, including the 75 new ones, was found to be present in most or all of the study participants.

The six most widespread chemicals identified, all of which are also highly dangerous, include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDEs), bisphenol A (BPA), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), acrylamide, mercury, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

Flame retardant PDEs are chemicals added to all sorts consumer products that are meant to decrease fire risk. They are known to build up in human fat tissue, causing damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys. Studies also implicate PDEs in causing sexual dysfunction, thyroid problems and brain disorders.

Bisphenol A, a chemical that has received much attention recently, is another toxin added primarily to plastic products and can linings that contributes to many of the same problems that PDEs do. More than 90 percent of those tested in the CDC study were found to have BPA in their bodies.

Perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical first developed by 3M and later used by DuPont, is used in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, certain food packaging and other heat-resistant products. Studies verify that PFOA contributes to infertility and other reproductive problems. Liver and immune system dysfunction are also associated with the use of PFOAs.

Acrylamide is a chemical carcinogen that forms when carbohydrate foods are cooked at high temperatures. French fries, fried chicken, and even coffee are all examples of foods that have high acrylamide content. The chemical is also used in plastics, cosmetics and water treatment products. Perpetual exposure to acrylamides is responsible for causing cancer and neurological dysfunction.

Most people are aware of the dangers of mercury, another common toxin found in most Americans. Mercury can cause permanent brain damage.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive that is not used today, however it has been detected in water supplies as well as in most Americans' bodies. Second-hand cigarette smoke also releases MTBE which caused neurological and reproductive problems.

The report indicates suggestions to help avoid these chemicals and the products that contain them. Cleansing and detoxification regimens are highly effective at continually ridding the body of toxic build-up.

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