Month: January 2011

Protein Damage Contributes to High Blood Pressure
For the first time, researchers have discovered the actual underlying cause of high blood pressure and the best way to alleviate the problem at its source. The result of a study published in the journal Nature demonstrated that a key regulatory protein that controls blood pressure is damaged by the normal wear and tear caused by free radicals. The protein angiotensinogen becomes damaged through free radical assault and leads to hypertension.

Researchers found that a low antioxidant status was indicative of increased blood pressure. Insufficient circulating antioxidants allow damage to angiotensinogen protein molecules and loss of blood pressure regulation. The study determined that simply increasing antioxidant status was not enough to fully lower blood pressure readings, and it found that other mitigating factors such as stress, being overweight, and insulin resistance generated high levels of free radical damage. When these factors were addressed and controlled, increased intake of antioxidants from natural food sources and supplementation effectively lowered blood pressure levels.

Antioxidants Lower Risk of Stroke by 60%
Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality in western society, largely due to damage to the delicate vascular network and the movement of blood clots through the body. Free radicals cause the endothelial lining of delicate blood vessels to become unstable and inflamed, greatly increasing the risk of an ischemic stroke. A study released in the Journal of Nutrition found that individuals with the highest antioxidant status were 60% less likely to suffer from a stroke. Vitamin C alone was found to lower the risk by 40%.

Lipoic Acid Rejuvenates Antioxidant Status During Aging
The human body functions at an advanced metabolic rate and our cellular mitochondria generate large amounts of free radicals that wreak damage in the process. Mitochondria are the energy producing structures in each cell and are particularly vulnerable to free radical damage. Details of a study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science demonstrated how lipoic acid is able to prevent damage to the mitochondria by providing a powerful antioxidant shield to the cellular structure. They found the `R-lipoic acid` form to be most effective.

Energy production within our body generates large numbers of free radicals that are known to be the cause of aging and chronic conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. In addition to controlling external factors such as stress, weight and insulin resistance, increasing antioxidant status from raw foods and supplements is shown to slow the aging process and dramatically lower the risk of disease.

The Chinese children were drinking well water with naturally occurring fluoride. However, in the U.S., governments often mandate water fluoridation. Seventy percent of the water in the U.S. is fluoridated and even by drinking purified water, most people absorb a gallon of fluoridated water in each shower.

In the low fluoride village, about 28 percent of the children had IQs indicating bright normal or high intelligence. However, in the high fluoride village less than a third of that number – only about 8 percent – had bright normal or high intelligence. In the village with more fluoride, over 15 percent of the children had IQs indicating mental retardation or borderline retardation; whereas, only about 6 percent in the low fluoride village had this problem. The results were clear: the children drinking more fluoride were about two and a half times more likely to have mental retardation.

In either of the villages, the children with scores showing mental retardation or borderline retardation had more fluoride in their blood than any of the other children. The researchers state, "As the fluoride level in children's serum increased, the children's IQs fell and the rates of borderline or lower intelligence increased." Of course, it's impossible to say what the children's IQs would have been, even in the low fluoride village, if they – and their parents – haven't been exposed to fluoride in their water at all. One can bet they would have been much higher.

In the high fluoride village, the average fluoride in the water was 2.47 mg/L (milligrams per liter). In the low fluoride village, the average was .36 mg/L. In the U.S., the CDC recommends water fluoridation between 0.5 to 1.2 mg/L and considers water with 0.7 mg/L or higher to have "substantial" fluoride. The EPA's maximum for fluoride in our water is 4 mg/L – which is well over the amount causing retardation in these children. In the U.S., about one in ten children has a learning disability.

According to the CDC, over forty percent children from 12 to 15 also have dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is caused by high exposure to fluoride (some would say fluoride poisoning) and is characterized by visible white stains on the teeth. About two dozen human studies link fluoride with low IQ and over a hundred animal studies link fluoride to brain damage. Still more research connects fluoride with thyroid disease and cancer. Many countries around the world add fluoride to the salt, if it's not easy to reach the population through the water supply.

Vitamin D is not a true vitamin, but rather a vitamin-steroid thought to play a key role in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. It is likely not coincidental that obesity is also a risk factor for many of these diseases.

Vitamin D is vital to the regulation of calcium. Studies have shown that calcium deficiency increases the production of synthase, an enzyme that converts calories into fat. It has been shown that calcium deficiency can increase synthase production by up to 500 percent. Vitamin D has also been shown to play a role in the regulation of blood sugar levels; proper blood sugar regulation is vital to the maintenance of a healthy weight.

Vitamin D is produced from sunlight and converted into various metabolites. It is stored in fat tissue. According to Lagunova, obese people may take in as much Vitamin D as other people; however, because it is stored in fat it may be less available. This may result in lower circulating levels of Vitamin D.

A previous study conducted by Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, showed that subjects who have higher levels of Vitamin D at the start of a weight loss diet lose more weight than those with lower levels. The study measured Vitamin D levels of 38 overweight men and women both before and after following an 11-week calorie-restricted diet. Vitamin D levels at the start of diet was an accurate predictor of weight loss…those with higher levels of Vitamin D lost more weight. It was found that for every nanogram increase in Vitamin D precursor, there was an 1/2 pound increase in weight loss.

Seventy-five percent or more of Americans, teenage and older, are Vitamin D deficient according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, 26.5% of American are obese. More research needs to be conducted into the exact role Vitamin D plays in obesity and weight loss and the possibility of increased Vitamin D consumption (through the form of supplementation and/or increased sun exposure) being a key factor to achieving a healthy weight.

Best Essential Oils for Acne Treatment

Choose only a therapeutic grade essential oil, although it may be more expensive. Cheaper, adulterated oils may exacerbate acne problems.

Essential oils effective in the treatment of acne include palmarosa, geranium, lemon and petitgrain, which help to regulate the control of sebum. Other useful oils include juniper, lavender, lime, neroli, rosemary and sandalwood.

Tea Tree Oil for Acne

Tea tree has antimicrobial properties which act on viruses, bacteria and fungi. Studies have shown a significant reduction in inflamed and non-inflamed lesions when applied topically.

Undiluted tea tree oil may cause skin irritation, redness, blistering, over-drying, and itching when applied directly to the skin.

A tea tree oil solution can be made by mixing 5 parts tea tree oil to 95 parts water (5ml tea tree oil, 95ml water), or by mixing a few drops of tea tree oil with a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil.

Lavender Oil for Acne

Lavender is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. It has a balancing effect on the skin, helps scar tissue to heal and can generally be used for all skin types. Lavender oil is one of the few oils that can be applied directly to the skin, or try mixing 5 drops of lavender oil and 15 drops of sweet almond oil to make a soothing serum for the skin.

Bergamot Essential Oil for Acne

Bergamot's antiseptic action and ability to promote skin growth makes it perfect for treating acne. It is great for oily skin types and is effective for other skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis.

Bergamot oil can be used in the treatment of depression, stress, tension, fear, hysteria, infection (all types including skin), anorexia, psoriasis, eczema and general convalescence.

Rose Oil

Rose is an antiseptic and very effective for treating acne. Rose essential oil softens and nourishes the skin. It is generally effective for all skin types. A bath taken with a few drops of rose oil can also help to reduce stress.

Fluoride is added to 70% of the U.S. water supply. Kids who drink this water suffer from decreased cognitive function, according to research published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The study followed 512 children between the ages 8 and 13, with varying degrees of fluoride exposure. One group lived in a Chinese village with high fluoride levels, and the other in a Chinese village with low fluoride levels. The scientists conducting the study even eliminated other variables that may have affected brain health, such as iodine deficiency and lead exposure. With these variables eliminated, researchers found that the number of intelligent children in the village with low fluoride levels was 350 percent higher than those in the high fluoride village. Even more disturbing, 15% of the highly fluoridated children scored low enough to indicate mental retardation, verses 6% in the other village.

According to Paul Connett, Ph.D., director of the Fluoride Action Network, "This is the 24th study that has found this association, but this study is stronger than the rest because the authors have controlled for key confounding variables and in addition to correlating lowered IQ with levels of fluoride in the water, the authors found a correlation between lowered IQ and fluoride levels in children's blood. This brings us closer to a cause and effect relationship between fluoride exposure and brain damage in children."

In the first ever public analysis of hexavalent chromium in drinking water, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) uncovered even more disturbing information regarding the quality of the country's drinking water. The EWG found that hexavalent chromium was present in the drinking water of 31 U.S. cities. This is a chemical that was labeled a "probable carcinogen" in 2008 by the National Toxicology Program. Despite causing cancer in laboratory rats, the federal government allows for a "safe" level of total chromium. This "total" chromium figure also includes trivalent chromium, which is a mineral that the body can actually utilize. What this means is that in many cases, hexavalent chromium could have made up the majority of total chromium in the water supply. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case for many of the 31 U.S. cities tested.

In Noman, Oklahoma, the water contained 200 times what California has declared to be the "safe" level of this carcinogen. California legislatures set this level at 0.06 parts per billion in their recent public health proposal, which means that Noman had around 12 parts per billion. Bethesda and Washington were next on the list with 0.19 parts per billion, more than three times the California limit. The rise in hexavalent chromium is most likely tied to its industry use, with Pacific Gas & Electric forced to pay $333 million in damages due to leaking the carcinogen into the water of a California town. The federal government, however, is not being forced to pay the millions of people in this country who are regularly consuming deadly tap water.

While fluoride and hexavalent chromium are cause for concern, there are other substances in the country's drinking water that also warrant concern. The first of which is lead, which can enter the water supply through corrosive pipes or improper water treatment. Pathogens, which are infectious agents, can also be found in many cities worldwide. Chlorine, while a hazard itself, actually reacts with other chemicals to create even more poisonous substances. Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids are two such by-products, which have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. While it is not possible to discuss the long list of drinking water toxins in depth, as it is too extensive, arsenic and radon are among the other primary chemicals found in the water.

It is important to remember that exposure to these chemicals is not limited to simply drinking the water. Showering and bathing in tap water will lead to the absorption of these substances through the skin, and can account for even more toxic buildup than drinking the water.

The studies are conclusive, and the information is being compiled more steadily than ever before. Water fluoridation and pollution now stands as a mainstream issue that must be addressed. The solution is simple, and all it takes is activism. The citizens of many countries around the world have successfully eliminated water fluoridation through petitioning their respective governments, and the same can be done in the remaining countries. When the people loudly voice their opposition to the chaotic state of their drinking water, it will be the end of governmental water contamination.

It all started back in April 2009 when undercover agents tricked Bechard's daughters into selling them raw milk. Farmers can legally sell raw milk in the state of Missouri as long as they do so directly from the farm, but they cannot sell it from anywhere else. Customers can also legally pick up milk from "drop points", which Bechard had set up to deliver farm-purchased milk to customers. But agents pretending to be new customers were able to persuade Bechard's daughters to sell them extra milk right from the drop point, which landed the family in legal trouble.

In the summer of 2010, Bechard lost a municipal court case concerning the incident. At the time, he was represented by a public defender, but in the recent victory he represented himself. Judge Imhoff determined that since Bechard's daughters had sold agents the milk instead of Bechard, they would have to have been the subject of the case. So he flat out dismissed it.

But the ordeal is far from over. Despite having already lost thousands of dollars in lost business throughout the past year-and-a-half, Bechard must now face a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster over the same incident. This time, Bechard will be represented by a lawyer from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF), a group launched in 2007 to assist small farmers in protecting themselves while they conduct honest business.

by: Ethan A. Huff

(NaturalNews) Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have come up with a way to convert water into fuel using sunlight and an oxide of a naturally-occurring rare earth metal. Professor Sossina Haile and her team from Caltech were able to utilize cerium oxide to act as a renewable and inexpensive catalyst, effectively converting water or carbon dioxide into hydrogen or carbon monoxide.

Published in the journal Science, the report on the new fuel device explains that it uses cerium oxide to strip oxygen out of water and essentially convert it into a usable, liquid fuel. This is accomplished by heating water to over 1,600 degrees Celsius, or over 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, in the presence of the catalyst. And the conversion process does not deplete the cerium oxide, so the metal can be reused hundreds of times without being damaged.

"There is nothing cost prohibitive in our set-up," explained Haile to U.K. Guardian. "And there is plenty of cerium for this technology to make a major contribution to global gasoline supplies."

In its current stage of development, the team says a rooftop version of the device can produce roughly three gallons of fuel a day, which can be used to power vehicles or even generate reserves of solar energy to help offset home utility costs.

An earlier study on solar-to-fuel technology published in the journal Solar Energy in 2006 found the same effect when applying cerium oxide and heat to water. Scientists observed that the process produced pure hydrogen readily available for use directly in hydrogen fuel cells.

Other research involving the use of sunlight to produce liquid fuel has been undertaken by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at Imperial College in London.

The FDA ordered a new warning label for all drugs in the bisphosphonate family, including Merck's Fosamax (marketed generically as alendronate), Roche's Boniva, Novartis' Reclast and Warner Chilcott's Actonel. It is also requiring that consumer-friendly guides be distributed with every bisphosphonate prescription to make sure that patients understand the risks and how to minimize them.

The thigh fractures in question occur with little or no preceding trauma and may be preceded for months by a dull, aching pain in the thigh or groin. The agency said that patients experiencing such symptoms should visit a doctor at once to try and prevent a fracture.

"Today's label change is likely to raise the level of concern among patients about the safety of bisphosphonates significantly," said Geoff Porges, an analyst at Bernstein & Co.

The FDA also directed doctors to reassess whether patients should continue taking the drugs after five or more years. According to Felicia Cosman of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the drugs appear to offer little or no benefit after this time, while the rate of fractures seems to increase.

"If the safety profile is changing and the efficacy is not clear, then many people should consider having an interruption in continuous use of the drug," Cosman said.

Bisphosphonates are meant to stop the bone-thinning processes of osteoporosis by interfering with the mechanism by which the body normally breaks down old bone cells and replaces them with new ones. Some doctors now believe that interfering with this process may cause bones to weaken over time, however.

Analysts predicted that the new warning might provide a boost for Amgen's new osteoporosis drug Prolia, which is not in the bisphosphonate family.