Month: March 2012

Colloidal Silver

Professor Mariana Henriques and her colleagues from the University of Minho in Portugal evaluated the effects of a silver nanoparticle solution on oral thrush, dental stomatitis, and various other mouth infections caused by the two aforementioned strains of yeast. They came to the conclusion that, in all cases, the silver solution was effective at combating these infection-causing yeast strains, even when the size of the silver particles used varied dramatically.

"With the emergence of Candida infections which are frequently resistant to the traditional antifungal therapies, there is an increasing need for alternative approaches," commented Henriques about her findings. "So, silver nanoparticles appear to be a new potential strategy to combat these infections. As the nanoparticles are relatively stable in liquid medium they could be developed into a mouthwash solution in the near future."

To many in the natural health community, these findings may not necessarily be all that revolutionary as thousands of people have been using ionic and colloidal silver solutions internally to fight off disease and infection, and externally on wounds to boost healing and prevent infection. For centuries, in fact, silver has been used for medicinal purposes, that is until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began marginalizing it in favor of pharmaceutical drugs in the 1940s.
In 2000, researchers from China and Korea found that silver is also an effective treatment against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (staph infection). Tests revealed that silver effectively unhinges the cytoplasmic membranes from bacterial cell walls, and prevents the DNA of these bacterial mechanisms from replicating. In essence, silver was found to demobilize deadly bacteria and prevent it from spreading.

"Colloidal silver has a long history in medicine as a natural antibiotic," writes Walter Last in his book The Natural Way to Heal: 65 Ways to Create Superior Health. "It is very effective in killing bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and the cancer microbe, and no serious side effects from overdosing have been reported."

Senior study author Dr. Frank Pajonk, associate professor of radiation oncology at the Jonsson Center, reported that induced breast cancer stem cells (iBCSC) "were generated by radiation-induced activation of the same cellular pathways used to reprogram normal cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) in regenerative medicine." Pjonk, who is also a scientist with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine at UCLA, added "It was remarkable that these breast cancers used the same reprogramming pathways to fight back against the radiation treatment."

In the new study, Pajonk and his team irradiated normal non-stem cell cancer cells and placed them into mice. Through a unique imaging system, the researchers observed the cells differentiate into iBCSC in response to radiation treatments. Pjonk reported that the newly generated cells were remarkably similar to non-irradiated breast cancer stem cells. The team of researchers also found that the radiation-induced stem cells had a more than 30-fold increased ability to form tumors compared with non-irradiated breast cancer cells.

Despite mounting evidence, mainstream medicine clings to surgery, chemo and radiation and ignores natural solutions
Despite all the billions of dollars spent on cancer, the 40 year "war on cancer" has been a losing one by any honest evaluation. One hundred years ago, anywhere from 1 in 50 to perhaps 1 in 100 people could be expected to develop cancer. Now it is estimated that 1 in every 2 men and 1 in every 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. Despite more people around the world developing cancer and dying from cancer every year, mainstream medicine continues to cling to failed treatments which more often than not fail to eliminate the cancer and help cancer spread and return more aggressively than ever. Notably, two of the three major mainstream cancer treatments – radiation and chemo – are themselves highly carcinogenic.

One might think that the new study provided ample reasons to rethink using radiation. However, the study authors looked at the results as an opportunity to continue and enhance the use of radiation by finding ways to control the cell differentiation. What the scientists failed to note is that natural alternatives have already been found which prevent the development of cancer stem cells.

As just one example, Natural News reported in May 2010 that a University of Michigan study had found a compound in broccoli and broccoli sprouts which had the ability to target cancer stem cells.

The researchers failed to note how cancer cells fought against unnatural treatments. They also failed to take into account the mounting evidence that the best way to beat cancer as well as avoid it is to build and enhance our natural first line of defense – our immune system.

The safest and most effective way to enhance the natural immune system and fight cancer in general is by working with nature. It is also by far the least expensive way, and therein likely lies the rub. You can't patent and profit from nature like you can with mainstream drugs and treatments.

For many years now, Prof. Walker-Smith has had to endure having his reputation tarnished by the likes of freelance journalist Brian Deer, GMC, the British Medical Journal, and the lapdog American media who have together conspired to destroy the legitimate work of Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues on the gastrointestinal problems they observed in young children, many of whom had received the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. And caught in the fray of this malicious crusade against independent thought and honest medical inquiry was the life and career of Prof. Walker-Smith, who had already retired from his medical practice when the controversy began.

Prof. Walker-Smith had been head of the department of pediatric gastroenterology at the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) in London where Dr. Wakefield was making observations about children's health that would later be published, and retracted, by The Lancet. During this time, Prof. Walker-Smith was helping to treat these suffering children, the parents of whom had directly approached both him and Dr. Wakefield for help after being ignored by their own general practitioners.

"There has been a great burden on me and my family since the allegations were first made in 2004 and throughout the hearing that ran from 2007 to 2010," said Prof. Walker-Smith in a recent statement about the case. "I am relieved that this matter is now over."

Since GMC's handling of the entire case has been proven fraudulent, it is now Dr. Wakefield's turn to be exonerated
Mr. Justice Mitting's scathing indictment of GMC's unprofessional and dishonest handling of the Dr. Wakefield case is telling, as it once again calls into question the legitimacy of any of the claims made against Dr. Wakefield and his colleagues concerning their observational, peer-reviewed study. It only further reinforces what has already come to light about the blatant fraud that is the continued witch hunt against Dr. Wakefield for his independent work.

"The welcome decision to exonerate Prof. Walker-Smith is a clear indication that the GMC's case against the Royal Free doctors was manufactured to discredit any association between bowel disease, autism conditions and some of the parents' reported link to the MMR vaccine," writes Age of Autism. "The allegations leveled at Prof. Walker-Smith and the Royal Free team now have to be viewed with total skepticism as nothing more than a witch hunt by vested interests at the highest levels in government, media and the pharmaceutical industry."

Colloidal Silver

If your toothache comes from an abscess or other infection, combine the use of 1) oil of oregano topically and internally; 2) colloidal silver topically, internally and for swishing; and 3) warm salt water for alternate swishing as follows:

1. Take several drops of oil of oregano under the tongue. Hold for a few minutes and then swish with lots of colloidal silver as frequently as once every hour.

2. Spit out the colloidal silver and then swallow additional colloidal silver (up to 8 ounces total in a day).

3. Gently rub some colloidal silver into the gum area around the tooth.

4. After a few minutes, rub oil of oregano onto the gum area.

5. In between the colloidal silver swishes also do a fairly vigorous warm salt water swish (preferably sea salt) and follow that up with more oil of oregano rubbed into the gums.

More natural remedies which can relieve and heal painful toothaches

1. Purchase some ginger root. Cut off a piece of the ginger root and remove the skin. Put the piece in your mouth on top of the painful tooth and bite down on it. The pain should subside very quickly. Keep the rest of the ginger in a container in the refrigerator and replace the piece in your mouth periodically as needed.

2. Relieve a throbbing tooth with clove essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum). The aromatic chemical in clove called eugenol numbs pain and kills bacteria. To apply the clove oil, soak a cotton ball or swab with the oil and use it to wipe on and around your sore gums and tooth. Repeat as needed.

3. Take one teaspoon of blackseed oil (Nigella sativa) and 1/2 cup of vinegar and boil. Cool and then use as a mouth rinse to reduce inflammation and infection. Rinse every couple of hours until the pain and/or swelling is gone.

4. For tooth abscess and infection, put two level teaspoons of salt in a cup. Pour a small amount of boiling water on the salt in a cup to dissolve it and then fill the cup with enough cool water to make the solution warm. Rinse your mouth slowly and well, using all the salt water. Repeat at least twice a day (the more often the better). If this does not work at first, try increasing the amount of salt.

5. Use a cold pack or other cold items to relieve pain. When you have a toothache, pressing something cold on the outside of your mouth can often give temporary relief, especially if you are having problems sleeping. If you don't have a cold pack, no need to worry about ice that will melt in the middle of the night – simply grab anything from your fridge or freezer. You can use a jar of mustard, a bottle of water, you name it. If the container is frozen, cover with a wash cloth before placing on the skin. Note: Do not take a food item to bed which will spoil.

6. Supplements which may help clear infection and speed healing include olive leaf extract and bromelain.

Note: If your tooth pain worsens or persists more than a few days, see a qualified dentist – preferably a holistic one.

Dr. Charles Lee, a senior advisor to FDA stated, “Exposure to mercury can have serious health consequences. {Mercury} can damage the kidneys and the nervous system and interfere with the development of the brain in unborn children and very young children.”

The article points out that if a product contains mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, mercurio, or mercury it is wise to stop using the product.

Now, I have nothing bad to say about this update. Mercury should be avoided at all costs as it is the second most toxic item known to mankind.
What irritates me about the FDA’s update is there was no mention about the danger of mercury fillings. Mercury fillings, the dark material that dentists use to fill cavities, contain 50% mercury by weight. The American Dental Association (ADA) has stated that mercury fillings are perfectly safe. The ADA is very wrong. Mercury fillings are poisonous and should never be placed in any living being’s mouth.

If the FDA was looking out for us, they would ban the use of mercury fillings. There should be a class-action lawsuit against the ADA for its defense of mercury fillings. I have treated many patients for mercury toxicity. It is the most common toxicity that I see.

What can you do? Avoid all sources of mercury. This includes refusing mercury fillings and vaccines preserved with mercury (such as the flu vaccine). Also, it is wise to limit your intake of fish as all fish is contaminated with mercury. It is best to avoid high mercury-containing fish such as white tuna and swordfish. To help the body excrete mercury it is important to take vitamin C (3-5,000mg/day) and alpha lipoic acid (300mg twice per day).

Another study revealed that prolonged, high intake of fluoride can increase the risk of brittle bones, fractures, and crippling bone abnormalities. Longtime readers may recall our 2008 article on the effects of fluoride on teeth and bones (harming kidney patients worst of all); we also noted that fluoride is a known neurotoxin, and can have detrimental effects on the thyroid, which could affect intelligence.

Moreover, fluoride can combine with other chemicals in the water to make them even more harmful. For example, when chloramines combine with the fluoride in water, they work together to extract lead from old plumbing systems, which leads to the accumulation of lead in the water supply.

EPA and HHS now recommend the level of fluoride in drinking water to be set “at the lowest end of the current optimal range”—that is, no more than 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water instead of the current recommended range which goes as high as 1.2 milligrams.

Despite studies so compelling that the federal government has started back-pedaling, the states of New Jersey and Vermont are attempting to mandate the fluoridation of water supply. Unfortunately, the New Jersey bill is very close to being passed. By contrast, Illinois and New Hampshire have introduced bills to prohibit fluoride in drinking water.

In New Jersey, both S959 in the Senate and A1811 in the Assembly are on red alert—they have been reported out of committee and are already on the floor, so they can be voted upon at any time. These bills mandate the fluoridation of water. At minimum, this is a freedom of choice issue—citizens should be able to choose whether they want to ingest fluoride or not. Write your legislators and ask them to oppose these bills—take action now!

In Vermont, H615 (currently in the Health Care Committee) contains many provisions to do with oral care—so we are specifically opposing section 108a, which mandates fluoridation of water. It requires that any municipality, government agency, or other entity that owns or controls a water system shall maintain fluoride in the water supply. Write your representative and request an amendment to strike out that part of the bill—take action now!

In New Hampshire: HB1529 would amend current law to say, “No fluoride, nor any chemical containing fluoride, shall be introduced into the public water supply,” as well as other specific provisions against the the use of herbicides within ten miles upgradient (that is, uphill) from a water intake of a domestic water supply. Write your representative and express your strong support for this bill—take action now!

In Illinois: HB5383 would do one thing: repeal the current fluoridation mandate. The bill is now in the Environmental Health Committee. Write your representative and express your strong support for this bill—take action now!

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego discovered a correlative relationship between higher rates of lung cancer and less exposure to the sun.

Cancer and vitamin D
The study compared data from national and international databases and compared the lung cancer rates in 111 countries. It found a correlation with smoking, lung cancer and significant lower UVB exposure. Although the current study focused only on lung cancer, research conducted on other cancers have pointed to the fact that most cancer cases are seen in subjects living far from the equator, suggesting that lower levels of vitamin D also account for a high risk of colon and other cancers.

Traditionally, vitamin D was thought to be mostly responsible for bone health and was the medical answer to the rickets phenomenon decades ago. More recent findings have shown that the body has cells and tissues which contain vitamin D receptors necessary for its proper functioning, spurring a lot of interest in the potential of what it can do. The fact that it has just been discovered to prevent a spectrum of chronic diseases, cancer included, has stimulated a debate about whether it is the answer to the cancer problem that has plagued the world.

As early as 2001, the British Journal of Cancer featured a study revealing that cooked and raw fish lowered the risk of lung adenocarcinoma among the Japanese. In a more recent study of Norwegian men and women, consumption of cod liver oil was also found to protect against lung cancer. Fish and cod liver are some of the richest food sources of vitamin D.

What is vitamin D?
Curiously, vitamin D is not a vitamin but a hormone that, as earlier mentioned, affects a lot of physiological processes.

The body needs sufficient sun exposure to produce vitamin D . It can even be stored in the skin until the time when body needs it again. Strangely, it is impossible to get an overdose from sun exposure since the body has a mechanism that controls the amount it needs.

Getting vitamin D from dietary sources may not be enough, as there are not many foods naturally containing vitamin D. This leaves supplementation, which can be an option for those who may not get enough sun exposure.

The recommended intake by the US government is set at 600 IU for children and adults until 70 years of age. Adults above 70 are recommended to take 800 IU a day. A recent study appearing in the Anticancer Research Journal suggests that to be able to take advantage of cancer protection benefits, higher levels are required, or as much as 4,000 to 8,000 IU for adults per day.

Vitamin D controls cancer cells
The likely explanation for this is that vitamin D locally controls genes that help keep cancer at bay by keeping cellular proliferation in check. It has also been suggested that it can induce cell death and regeneration, reducing the potential for malignant cells to survive. Once it has done its job, it initiates its own destruction to guarantee that it does not enter circulation to influence calcium metabolism.

Andreas Moritz, a practitioner of alternative medicine and author of "Cancer is not Disease – It's a Survival Mechanism," describes cancer as the body's healing attempt when all other measures of self-preservation have failed. According to him, the reason the body allows some of its cells to become abnormal is because it attempts to heal itself. Thus, blocking its healing attempt can destroy the body while supporting it in its healing mechanisms can save it.

If Moritz is correct, how we approach cancer may hold a vital clue to its solution. The present treatment of cancer involves procedures such as chemotherapy, invasive procedure and use of pharmaceuticals. This narrow-minded focus on finding a cure practically ignores other options which have been around far longer than conventional medicine – such as the concept of a nutritional cure.

A look at the current trend in cancer treatments has seen such debilitating side effects in a patient's quality of life that it may appear to hasten a patient's decline rather improve his or her health. A patient may as well not undergo chemotherapy, as his chances of surviving without the procedure may well be higher than when he is undergoing treatment.

Nutritional care, on the other hand, seeks to work with the body's needs by providing the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to properly function. It is actually the natural way of keeping the body in balance and the best way to prevent diseases. In the event that the body's system is compromised due to illness, the body's immune system may be strengthened by taking food that naturally boost its immune system.

The alternative option, in the face of emerging research, has supported the idea of nutritional care – an empowered approach to disease that has seen many succumb to the influence of conventional medicine instead. Perhaps, it can now be said that to properly beat cancer, a needle may no longer suffice, and all that it may take is the enjoyment of life with good vitamin D-rich food and a lot of play under the sun.

			----------------------------------------------------         Primary Suspect Drug       PRR             ROR         ----------------------------------------------------               AMBIEN CR           49.72           84.72                AMBIEN             32.02           42.98               NEURONTIN            7.81            8.29                 XYREM              6.86            7.22                TYSABRI             6.10            6.35              PEG-INTRON            5.71            5.94                TOPAMAX             5.54            5.77                LIPITOR             5.43            5.64                 PAXIL              5.13            5.31               KLONOPIN             5.03            5.21         ----------------------------------------------------         

			----------------------------------------------------         Primary Suspect Drug       PRR             ROR         ----------------------------------------------------               PROPECIA            167.29          200.10                PROSCAR            84.01           91.69                AVODART            44.03           45.96           DEPO-TESTOSTERONE       37.19           38.62                 JALYN             26.04           26.72              COMBIPATCH           22.63           23.14                 PAXIL             17.53           17.80                 BEYAZ             15.23           15.46               ANDROGEL            14.18           14.37                NARDIL             12.02           12.15         ----------------------------------------------------                 

			----------------------------------------------------         Primary Suspect Drug       PRR             ROR         ----------------------------------------------------                MIRAPEX            51.79           79.45                REGLAN             42.17           56.61                LANOXIN            25.47           30.67                EX-LAX             14.45           16.01                REQUIP             12.71           13.88               PROPECIA            11.79           12.79              LITHIUM QD           11.61           12.58               REQUIP XL           10.67           11.47                 LUVOX             10.30           11.04                PERMAX              9.84           10.51         ----------------------------------------------------             

Anti-Inflammatory triad
On their own, turmeric, ginger and bromelain work as effective anti-inflammatory agents. Each works to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling. In combination, they provide a powerhouse of natural medicine. The three substances are synergistic to one another, each boosting the other's effectiveness and complimenting each other's medicinal action. Research has shown that turmeric works as well as any anti-inflammatory drug to reduce pain in the joints. Ginger has been used for centuries to treat various ailments from nausea to joint pain. Bromelain is an enzyme derived from pineapples that possesses potent healing pproperties, relieving sufferers from inflamed muscle, tendon and soft tissue pain. Take these in combination on an empty stomach twice a day for pain relief. All three substances can thin the blood, so those taking blood thinning medicine should first check with their health practitioners.

Stinging nettles
Homemade remedies from stinging nettles are numerous. A traditional herbal treatment, stinging nettles are used to relieve symptoms of joint pain, arthritis and gout. A tea can be made from the dried herb or the fresh leaves. Use caution and wear gloves if harvesting fresh nettles. As their name implies, the little hairs on the plant can cause serious skin reactions including hives and other painful outbreaks. These are neutralized when heated into tea or when the plant is dried. The tea can be consumed hot or cold or used as a topical soak for painful joints.

Cayenne pepper
Found in most spice cupboards and known for its spicy-hot taste, cayenne makes an excellent topical ointment that relieves joint pain. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper, tricks the brain by causing local irritation to skin where signals then travel along nerve pathways, distracting the brain from the true source of pain. In time, repeated topical applications of cayenne pepper will reduce arthritis pain significantly. To make topical homemade remedies, mix 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper with 1/2 cup of cocoa butter, lanolin or coconut oil. Apply it directly to the sore joint. Alternatively, mix 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and add to a foot bath with warm water. Soak hands or feet for 20 minutes, then rinse. Cayenne pepper can cause skin irritation.

Pectin Grape Juice
Homemade remedies made from fruit pectin and grape juice can relieve joint pain, and reduce swelling and stiffness. Pectin is found in the cells of many plants and acts as a thickener in preparations such as jellies. Grape juice is loaded with antioxidants, among them, anthocyanins, noted for its effect on reducing inflammation. Pectin regulates the flow of fluids in plant cells and is believed to act to relieve fluid buildup in the joints of arthritis sufferers. The best pectin is found at the health food stores and is free of MSG and other additives. Mix 1/2 cup of juice with 2 tablespoons pectin. Add water if needed and drink twice daily for 6 weeks. Reduce the frequency as symptoms disappear.

The study ex­am­ined bee die-offs in Eu­rope, and did­n’t ad­dress wheth­er si­m­i­lar causes are be­hind bee die-offs that have also af­flict­ed the Un­ited States. The af­fect­ed bees are crit­i­cal for pol­li­nat­ing food crops.

The re­search ap­pears on the eve of spring plant­ing sea­sons in some parts of Eu­rope where farm­ers use the tech­nol­o­gy and wide­spread hon­ey­bees deaths have oc­curred. The study ap­pears in the jour­nal En­vi­ron­men­tal Sci­ence & Tech­nol­o­gy, pub­lished by the Amer­i­can Chem­i­cal So­ci­e­ty.

The re­search­ers, An­drea Tap­paro of the Uni­vers­ity of Pa­do­va in Ita­ly and col­leagues, said seeds coat­ed with so-called neon­i­coti­noid in­sec­ti­cides went in­to wide use in Eu­rope in the late 1990s. The pes­ti­cides are among the most widely used in the world, pop­u­lar be­cause they kill in­sects by par­a­lyz­ing nerves but have low­er tox­i­city for oth­er an­i­mals.

But al­most im­me­di­ate­ly, bee­keep­ers no­ticed large die-offs of bees that seemed to co­in­cide with mid-March to May corn plant­ing, the in­ves­ti­ga­tors said. Sci­en­tists thought this might be due to par­t­i­cles of in­sec­ti­cide thrown aloft by drill­ing ma­chines used for plant­ing. These ma­chines force­fully suck seeds in and ex­pel a burst of air con­tain­ing high con­centra­t­ions of par­t­i­cles of the in­sec­ti­cide coat­ing, ac­cord­ing to the re­searchers.

In an ef­fort to make the pneu­mat­ic drill­ing meth­od safer, the sci­en­tists tested dif­fer­ent types of in­sec­ti­cide coat­ings and seed­ing meth­ods. But they found that all varia­t­ions in seed coat­ings and plant­ing meth­ods killed hon­ey­bees that flew through the seed­ing ma­chine’s emis­sion cloud. One ma­chine mod­i­fied with a de­flec­tor to send the in­sec­ti­cide-laced air down­wards still caused the death of more than 200 bees for­ag­ing in the field.

The au­thors sug­gest that fu­ture work on the prob­lem should fo­cus on a way to pre­vent the seeds from frag­ment­ing in­side the pneu­mat­ic drill­ing ma­chines.