Month: March 2011

Massachusetts rainwater has also been found to be contaminated with low levels of radiation from Fukushima, indicating just how widespread the radioactive fallout has become. It's not just the West Coast of North America that's vulnerable, in other words: even the East Coast could receive dangerous levels of fallout if Fukushima suffers a larger release of radioactive material into the air.

Rolling blackouts are now continuing throughout Japan due to the drop in power production from Fukushima diminishing Japan's electricity generating capacity . The only reason Japan isn't experiencing widespread power blackouts right now is because so many factories were damaged or swept away from the tsunami itself. Once a serious rebuilding effort gets underway, Japan is going to find itself critically short of electrical power.

The radiation leaking from Reactor No. 2 is now measured at 1,000 millisieverts an hour — more than enough to cause someone's hair to fall out from a single exposure event. Radiation sickness can begin at just 100 millisieverts. The extremely high levels of radiation are, in fact, making it nearly impossible for workers to continue working at the reactor. "You'd have a lot of difficulty putting anyone in there," said Richard Wakeford, a radiation epidemiology expert at the Dalton Nuclear Institute in Manchester. "They're finding quite high levels of radiation fields, which is impeding their progress dealing with the situation." Taiwan looking to ditch nuclear power?

The worsening Fukushima situation is also starting to spook nearby nations such as Taiwan, which also depends on nuclear power. The DPP opposition party there announced today that it wanted to see nuclear power phased out by 2025. Taiwan is a relatively small island nation, and a Fukushima-like catastrophe would leave most of the island residents with nowhere to go. And like Japan, Taiwan is also vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis (as well as hurricanes).

In Germany, massive demonstrations (200,000 people in four large cities) have brought the nuclear safety issue to the forefront, contributing heavily to the defeat of Merkel and the rise to power of the Green Party in southwestern Germany (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/w…). Germans tend to have very strong opposition to nuclear power, in much the same way that most Europeans despise genetically modified foods.

The nuclear power industry turns out to be just as corrupt as Big Pharma
The truth is that many nations are rethinking nuclear power right now, thanks to the corruption, cover-ups and outright deceptions that we're now finding out were behind the Fukushima power plant catastrophe. The nuclear industry, it turns out, is one big profit incest fest where the regulators are deeply in bed with the very industry they're supposed to regulate (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100…).

Then again, what rich, powerful industry isn't in bed with its regulators? It's true with Big Pharma and the FDA just as much as it is with the nuclear power industry and its corrupt regulators. Every government-run regulator eventually becomes a marketing extension of the industry it was supposed to regulate.

That's why Big Government never really works: Most of the regulators who are supposed to protect the people inevitably end up operating as industry whores. This entire Fukushima incident is a direct result of that deep-rooted corruption coming back to haunt humanity.

Watch for more reporting on this incident here at NaturalNews.com, and subscribe to our daily email alerts to be kept up to date on the situation: http://www.naturalnews.com/ReaderRe…

The Fukushima situation is nowhere near over. Now regulators are saying this might take not just weeks or months to sort out, but even years to fully rectify.

The half life of plutonium, it turns out, is a whole lot longer than the entire history of human civilization (24,000 years) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium). We would be wise to remember what we're playing with when we attempt to harness the power of fission.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031871_radiation_rainwater.html#ixzz1HuGfgOua

Vegan Diet

In 607 BCE, Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylonian armies and surviving Jews were taken as exiles to Babylon. The prophet Daniel was one such exile. He and 3 of his companions were singled out as young men of aptitude and were to undergo a 3 year training program in which they were learn, among other things, the Chaldean language and literature.

The young men refused to "pollute themselves with the delicacies of the king's table and with his drinking wine." The Babylonian diet likely consisted of a variety of meats such as pork, rabbit, beef, shellfish, lobster and so on, probably cooked in rich and oily sauces.

Instead of this fare, the teenagers insisted on a diet of only vegetables and water. The result? "Their countenances appeared better and fatter than all the children who were eating the delicacies of the king". Academically, they surpassed all the other learned men in King Nebuchadnezzar's realm. Daniel chapter 1.

Drinking wine

The bible does not prohibit drinking in moderation. But it does have much to say on the subject of drunkenness and gluttony.

"Who has woe? Who has uneasiness? Who has contentions? Who has concern? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has dullness of eyes? Those staying a long time with the wine, those coming in to search out mixed wine." Prov 23:29 – 35

"Do not come to be among heavy drinkers of wine, among those who are gluttonous eaters of flesh." Proverbs 23:20

"Do not be getting drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery." Ephesians 5:18

Cleanliness, food prohibitions and disease

The laws given to the Israelite nation were penned approximately 3 500 years ago. These laws, found in the Old Testament of the Holy Scriptures, contributed to the health of the nation:

Any person, who touched a dead animal or body, was to wash his/her hands and garments and not to come near anyone else until evening time. Leviticus 11:39 – 40

Excrement was to be correctly disposed of and buried. Deuteronomy 23: 12,13

Quarantine for infectious diseases such as leprosy was strictly enforced. Leviticus chapter 13

Israelites were expressly forbidden to eat the blood or fat of an animal. Leviticus 7:22 – 27.

Although the eating of meat was permitted, certain animals were deemed unclean and therefore the meat of such animals was considered unfit for human consumption. An example of this is pork. Interestingly, modern research has shown that, because of their indiscriminate feeding habits, pigs can carry up to 200 different diseases and 18 different parasites and worms, including tapeworms and the deadly worm called trichinella spiralis.

CRKP, also known as Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, is not actually a new superbug. As early as 2006, it was known to have spread throughout an Israeli hospital, and shortly thereafter to every hospital in Israel. And now, it is becoming a serious problem worldwide.

ABC 7 in Los Angeles quotes its own Dr. Richard Besser who stated that CRKP is "very fatal" and that it kills roughly 40 percent of people who contract it. And reports indicate that 350 people in the Los Angeles area already became infected with CRKP within a seven-month time frame last year.

Some experts are blaming a lack of new antibiotic drug development as the reason why CRKP and other superbugs are allegedly incurable. But inquiry into superbugs has actually revealed that overuse of antibiotics is to blame for their existence in the first place, whether it is humans taking too many antibiotics for minor ailments, or factory farmers giving them to animals to accelerate their growth and cover up filthy, disease-ridden conditions.

Last year, a study published in the journal Science revealed that superbugs appear to be the direct descendants of mutated bacteria created as a result of the introduction of synthetic antibiotic drugs. By analyzing the course of mutation of MRSA over the years, scientists were able to pinpoint antibiotics and their overuse as the primary culprit.

When taken by humans, antibiotics actually destroy all the good bacteria in the gut along with the bad, which ends up destroying proper immune function. Without balanced and healthy gut flora, the body is essentially crippled from being able to ward off harmful pathogens, including deadly superbugs

Dr. Jose Dorea and his colleagues conducted an extensive, peer-reviewed analysis of various studies and available information in major databases that address the effects of low-dose Thimerosal, or ethylmercury, on neural tissue and behavior. They found conclusively that Thimerosal accumulates in brain tissue, negatively affects brain development, and harms brain cells.

"Mercury is known to cause serious harm, especially to fetuses and children because of their smaller size," said Lisa Sykes, president of the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs (CoMeD), a non-profit group dedicated to removing mercury from medicine. "Why remove Thimerosal from pediatric vaccines only to inject it into pregnant women and children with recommended flu shots? They removed Thimerosal from other vaccines, so it should also be removed from flu shots."

Several other recent studies confirm the numerous dangers posed by mercury, including one recently published in the Folia Neuropathologica that links the toxin directly to autism. Mercury is also known to disrupt proper immune function, damage DNA, inhibit healthy embryonic development, and cause cancer.

The vast majority of the flu shots administered in the US still contain Thimerosal, as they come from multi-dose vials that require a preservative in order to prevent contamination. However, CoMeD says there is no reason to continue using Thimerosal since safer alternative preservatives already exist and are currently in use in many pediatric vaccines that used to contain Thimerosal.

According to reports, Texas has gotten only about 4.7 inches of rain since September, which is the lowest average on record since 1967. While areas in the north that include North Dakota and parts of Canada have been getting too much rain in recent days, Texas and surrounding states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado — all of which are also heavy producers of cattle and wheat — are barely holding on as they hope and pray for rains to come.

"We're probably already seeing some damage, but in the next couple of weeks, we'll surely go downhill major if we don't get some rain," said David Cleavinger to Bloomberg, concerning the continued decline in his wheat crop. He is currently only able to irrigate about 75 percent of his 1,000 acre wheat crop due to the drought, and conditions could get even worse.

National Weather Service data shows that within the past month, most of the southern-central plain states have received less than 25 percent of their normal precipitation for this time period. Such conditions have only exacerbated the already bad wheat yields, which have driven wheat prices at the Kansas City Board of Trade up 71 percent throughout the past year.

As far as beef is concerned, many cattle ranchers have had to reduce their herds because there simply is not enough grass for them to eat. Wholesale beef prices in the US have jumped 17 percent throughout the past year, and in February, retail beef prices were up 9.4 percent compared to what they were last year.

Scientists have known for a long time that diets high in antioxidant-containing foods are associated with a lower risk of cancer. This effect is widely attributed to the fact that antioxidants remove DNA-damaging free radicals from the body.

"Reactive oxygen species [free radicals] are formed in vivo during normal aerobic metabolism and can cause damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids, despite the natural antioxidant defense system of all organisms," writes Erich Grotewold in the book The Science of Flavonoids.

"Diets high in flavonoids, fruits, and vegetables are protective against a variety of diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer," he writes.

Yet now researchers have shown that antioxidants may not just prevent, but also treat cancer. The Thomas Jefferson University researchers had previously discovered a protein called Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) that, when present in the human genome, suppresses tumor growth. Indeed, the presence or absence of the Cav-1 protein is the single best predictor of breast cancer outcome. Women with triple-negative breast cancer – the most deadly kind – are more than 75 percent likely to be alive 12 years after diagnosis if they have the protein, and less than 10 percent likely to be alive five years after diagnosis if they lack it.

The researchers further verified that Cav-1 plays an antioxidant role in the body. In the current study, the researchers confirmed that when Cav-1 is removed, oxidative stress in breast cancer tumors increases, leading to a 300 percent increase in tumor mass and volume.

"Antioxidants have been associated with cancer reducing effects – beta carotene, for example – but the mechanisms, the genetic evidence, has been lacking," lead researcher Michael P. Lisanti said. "This study provides the necessary genetic evidence that reducing oxidative stress in the body will decrease tumor growth."

The findings may actually cast doubt on the effectiveness of many chemotherapy drugs, which are actually known to increase oxidative stress. They also suggest that many antioxidant drugs used to treat other conditions, such as diabetes and malaria, may be effective in treating cancer.

Researchers now understand that heart disease risk is much more a factor determined by LDL particle size and oxidative status than the total serum LDL level. Pecans contain one of the critical vitamin E fractions called gamma tocopherol known to be important in raising antioxidant blood levels, along with other naturally occurring phenolic substances that enhance the free radical scavenging ability of the nut.

The finding from the study showed that gamma-tocopherol levels in the body doubled with pecan consumption and unhealthy oxidized LDL levels dropped by a third. Researchers found that eating pecans each day significantly increased the amount of antioxidants available to neutralize free radicals and to lower systemic inflammation. The risk of developing heart disease and cancer was lowered by regular consumption of this single functional food.

The study included 16 men and women aged 23 to 44 who ate from one of three specially prepared diets. The first group ate a meal consisting of 3 ounces of whole pecans while a second group ate the same quantity of nuts mixed with water. A third group ate a controlled meal with no pecans. Blood samples were taken prior to eating the first meal and at regular intervals for a period of 24 hours after eating.

Researchers found that vitamin E gamma-tocopherol levels doubled eight hours after eating either of the meals containing pecans and the antioxidant capacity increased by up to 12% measured using the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capability) scale. The oxidized LDL cholesterol reduction peaked at 30% two hours after eating and continued at a sustained level for more than eight hours.

The lead study author Dr. Ella Haddad found that pecans are a powerful ally in the prevention of chronic disease and noted: "Previous research has shown that pecans contain antioxidant factors. Our study shows these antioxidants are indeed absorbed in the body and provide a protective effect against diseases." Health-minded people will want to add a healthy handful of organically grown pecans to their daily menu to control the risks associated with oxidized LDL cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.

Many scientific studies have proven the importance of Omega-3 fish oils in the prevention of cardiac disorders and in specifically lowering the risk of sudden death from a heart attack. Research conducted by the Division of Cardiology and Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland found that the DHA fraction of fish oil dramatically alters the mitochondria in the heart muscle increasing healthy heart energy production. Researchers found that DHA activates the gene PPAR to help prevent the increasing incidence of heart failure and of risk from a deadly heart attack.

Another key component in the progression of cardiovascular disease is systemic inflammation that leads to unstable plaque known to rupture and cause a heart attack. Further evidence of the importance of DHA in lowering heart diseases risk is published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Researchers found that DHA influences the action of immune system macrophages. Working at the genetic level, DHA is shown to control the release of cellular antioxidants that inhibit the damage caused by excessive and chronic inflammation to the coronary arteries.

DHA is an important tool in the prevention of stroke. Many of the mechanisms that increase incidence of a heart attack also contribute to stroke risk. DHA becomes incorporated into the cell wall structure where it stabilizes existing plaque, making it less likely to break off and cause a stroke. DHA has been shown to help blood flow easier, lower the risk for clotting and reduce blood pressure. High levels of DHA can prevent hardening and thickening of the arteries that result in vascular decay.

The journal Science Translational Medicine reports the result of research that demonstrates how DHA regulated genes that can prevent blindness. DHA is highly concentrated in the retina and can control the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye that cause visual degradation. By halting unnecessary growth, DHA regulates vessel formation so that healthy blood vessels form and undesirable ones do not.

Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout are ideal sources of Omega-3 fats including the DHA fraction. Due to the ever-increasing problem of mercury contamination in fish, supplementation is well advised. Nutrition experts recommend a molecularly distilled, dosage-controlled supplement that supplies 250 to 500 mg of DHA (not EPA and DHA combined, read labels carefully) daily to dramatically lower the risks from heart disease, heart attack, stroke and blindness.