Month: November 2012

"Dear Dr Dean,
Firstly we'd like to congratulate you on your recent award from the Heart Rhythm Society. (I was awarded The Arrhythmia Alliance Outstanding Medical Contribution to Cardiac Rhythm Management Services Award 2012 at The Heart Rhythm Congress organized by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Sept, 2012.) Well and truly deserved, in our opinion. And thank you for the wonderful advice and magnesium knowledge you are sharing with us all.

Well, we have a magnesium miracle, too, (thanks to you and my 'bible,' 'The Magnesium Miracle') – which we'd like to share with you – a bit long though, I'm sorry – but there's just so much good news.

Over three years ago, at age 59, my husband was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2, followed a few months later by a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Then, a month later (after many months of exploratory scans etc., trying to find the cause of his ongoing pain) he was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis – even though he had no prior pancreatitis attacks nor any history of gall bladder problems or alcohol abuse. The CT scan showed 'small' calcifications on the pancreas.

He collapsed in the specialist's office during the chronic pancreatitis diagnosis and was further diagnosed with arrhythmia. He did have a blood pressure issue for the prior 30 years. In the 1990s he had 2 liver biopsies due to ongoing elevated liver function blood tests – put down eventually to 'strange pathology' in the absence of anything untoward. He also had couple of heel spurs over the years.

But now, his body was just breaking down – and quickly.

Our family was astounded. We always ate 'healthily', loved our veggies, salads, fresh foods, cooked virtually all our food at home, and ate minimal junk, and minimal alcohol. Obviously we could have done a lot better but certainly weren't slack about how we lived. And apart from his blood pressure we thought he had nothing much else happening health wise.

Following his multiple disease diagnosis, the usual cocktail of meds was given to him (in addition to Ramporil & Noten for BP -2 x day for 30 yrs), Lipitor, 8 months before the chronic pancreatitis diagnosis, although he had no cholesterol problems, Metformin (Diabex 3 x day) for Diabetes, Creon Enzymes and Somac for the pancreatitis and codeine for pancreatic pain etc.

He was walking death. He had no energy, was out of breath as well as suffering great pain and losing weight dramatically and very, very scared as he watched himself deteriorating daily.

His GP of 10 years said he'd increase the meds and prescribe opiates as required. His attitude was 'What can you expect, you've got chronic diseases, there's nothing else you can do about it, they'll just get worse.' Nice guy!!

My husband was put on an Invalid Pension – this said it all from his point of view – he was totally gutted. We live in a regional area, a beautiful place, but a problem medically, as the good docs have years of long waiting lists, and the young, foreign doctors only stay 12 months or so to fulfill their obligations then go back to the cities to practice. So we make do with who we can get, in our case a doctor who doesn't believe the patient should be proactive in their treatment and totally closed minded.

My husband had a total meltdown one night – including hallucinations, anxiety, unable to sleep for fear of dying etc. We were able to get an emergency appointment with another Dr within his GP's practice as his usual GP was away. She spent 90 minutes reading his notes, consulting medical books etc., trying to find what was happening. Eventually she said that all his blood tests going back to 2006 showed consistently very low calcium levels. She made immediate arrangements for him to be seen at the local hospital for further testing (Saturday afternoon), where they also included mg testing and found him to have both hypocalcaemia (.47 mmol/L) and hypomagnesmia (1.86 mmol/L). They gave him IV magnesium, with immediate and virtually miraculous results. They took over with daily testing and gave him another magnesium IV two weeks later because levels went down again.

They also prescribed magnesium oxide (which we now know has very low absorption), and calcium. When we went back to his GP and asked him about the low calcium level for 3 years – he said it wasn't 'very low', and that magnesium was 'just a fad'. Meanwhile, he was getting light-headed and wobbly as his BP was getting lower on the magnesium.

Two weeks after the first IV magnesium, all BP meds were stopped and he hasn't had high BP since then. It's been over 3 years now since this journey began. The GP would still not recognize it as anything other than 'one of those things.' After 30 years of meds? We don't think so!

We left his surgery and made an appointment with a Naturopath – and had a totally different experience. Fortunately we had the foresight to ask the hospital doctor for copies of the blood tests they did, and we have copies of every report, scan and blood test he's had from specialists, GP etc., since. Our GP gives them grudgingly, but can't by law refuse. From this point and for 2 years, I kept an in depth daily journal of my husband's illness – which has been a fantastic help to refer back to when things go blip on the radar.

Between the time the arrhythmia was picked up in the specialist's rooms and the time his stress test was booked (about 2 weeks over Xmas), he had been given IV magnesium and started on oral magnesium with the Naturopath. He passed the stress test with no problems, so no meds were required. His GP had been warning him of cardio visits and possible stents being inserted.

At this point I'd started my own research on the net and found your website and book, 'The Magnesium Miracle' and bought 2 copies. I also have your e-book 'Death by Modern Medicine', your 'Future Health Now Encyclopedia' and am a member of your online wellness program, Completement Now. For a person like me, whose nursing experience and medical knowledge combined would fit on a postage stamp and still have space, discovering you was a momentous day in our lives, and life-changing. Sorry if that sounds gushy & corny – but it just was. I believe you saved my husband's life.

I have learned so much to help him from my little, very dog-eared 'Magnesium Miracle' bible, and the information relating to his illnesses I've gleaned from reputable sites and forums on the net. From what I've read in your book, it wasn't hard to work out that magnesium deficiency was probably the cause of ALL of the medical problems he now has, and had in the past (BP, spurs, even the calcifications of his pancreas), and his body couldn't cope any longer.

The Naturopath agrees. It makes me very angry, but in the big pharma world – just a bit of collateral damage, I guess. How many others who never find this information… grrrr!

Unfortunately, just as he was starting to make great progress, we went through another failed experiment in allopathic medicine. He fell into depression; he was always a bit anxious in nature, but never needing meds, and never had depression before. He became so depressed his psychiatrist couldn't find a drug that worked without huge side effects. They asked if he would consent to hospitalization to find something to help him. Huge mistake.

They tried massive doses of anxiety and anti-depressives, not taking into account his Parkinson's, which up until then wasn't bad enough to warrant meds. He was doped out of his brain, so sick, and developed severe Parkinson's symptoms – couldn't hold a cup, cutlery, dress himself etc. And on top of all that they wouldn't believe me that he had a magnesium deficiency despite the evidence from previous blood tests. And they wouldn't allow any of the naturopathic meds as they considered the amount he was taking excessive. And of course we didn't have a GP to back us.

By the time they did their own tests and found he had a huge and on-going magnesium deficiency, worsened by the anxiety and antidepressant meds they were feeding him, the damage had been done. He ended up on Sinemet because the symptoms were too severe to reverse.

Three years later, my husband has long ago ditched Lipitor, Metformin, BP meds, Somac, codeine etc. He is now basically non-diabetic with normal blood sugars every 3 months for the over 2 years. He still has no cholesterol problems; liver function tests are normal for the first time since the 90's; no problems with his pancreas although he does take enzymes. His Neurologist, who saw him at his worst, now says he makes his day whenever he attends his 6 monthly check-ups with in-house PD physical tests – and tells him, whatever he's doing, just keep doing it. His psychiatrist said he couldn't believe the change in him – he thought he was going to die. Unfortunately probably because of the Parkinson's disease, the depression still persists if he's off the SRRI (Citalopram), so we have to accept and work with some of the meds, and increase his magnesium, which isn't so bad, considering how he used to be. Maybe soon he might be able to reduce the SRRI gradually seeing as he's doing so well.

A recent comparative CT scan of his pancreas taken at our request, showed that the small calcifications are still there, but nothing has worsened – so that's a real bonus. And no further heel spur problems, so the magnesium is keeping the calcium properly dissolved and the calcium is now doing its proper job and not attaching itself to the soft tissues.

My husband has no problems with either constipation or insomnia, which are so common with Parkinson's disease. And with his vitamin B supplements he has so much energy I find it difficult to keep up with him. People can't believe how well he is and many have said they thought he was dying. This year has been his best yet. My husband takes approximately 1700mg elemental magnesium every day – and 500mg calcium. It's a lot. I use extra Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil when he used to complain of muscular and pancreatic pain which gave him relief in conjunction with heat packs.

In your book you mentioned that when consuming large amounts of magnesium, over time the body would be saturated and the dose may need to be lowered slightly. He was starting to get loose bowel movements that I couldn't put down to anything else but too much magnesium. But his mg serum levels are never any higher than .8mmol/L. (towards the bottom end of 'normal').

To test the saturation theory, I held back a dose of magnesium and this worked to normalize his bowel movements. This situation coincided with the psychiatrist deciding to get an EKG to check his heart Q-T intervals following the release of new information on possible side effects of taking Citalopram in excess of 40mg/day – even though his dose doesn't exceed this. This was followed by an echocardiograph. The echo showed arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation) and he was referred to a cardio specialist.

A routine blood test taken at this time showed mg levels had dropped to .7mmol/L. His GP said that he'd spoken to the cardio who would be putting him on Warfarin. We couldn't believe he'd come this far only to have it all come crashing down, and we both worried for 6 weeks until the appointment. In the meantime, after again consulting your book, I started to rub his back with 20 sprays per day of Ancient Minerals, (and still withheld the dose of oral magnesium to stop the laxative effect) and after about 10 days, I could no longer hear his irregular heartbeat. Everything was normal, strong and regular to my ear on his chest anyway.

The cardio did another ECG. It was perfect – no problems and as a compromise to the Warfarin asked him to take one half aspirin/day instead with a review in 6 months. Not perfect, but way better than Warfarin, and we may be able to delete this too in due course.

The next blood test shows the magnesium level rose again back to .8mmol/L. Proof that we have to keep his mg levels to this number or he develops arrhythmia. We did try taurine because you suggest it for heart problems, but unfortunately he was not able to tolerate it!

We grow most of our own veggies and copious herbs organically with the addition of magnesium into the soil and a fertilizer. Living in a sub-tropical climate we grow beautiful fruit – mangoes, macadamia nuts, citrus, berries, figs etc – and coffee, which we process ourselves and limit to 1 cup/day. I'm fortunate to have a man who loves good, healthy food so everything we can possibly make at home is done here – that way we know what's in it and can tweak it to suit us and without unknown additives, preservatives, or refined products. We aren't puritans but just try our best.

We're always tweaking recipes to make them as nutritious as possible without him missing out on the foods he's always loved, and enjoyed including Thai curries and similar foods by tweaking and so far no further pancreatic problems. To this end I'm following the Weston A Price/Sally Fallon concepts, within reason – i.e. olive and coconut oils, fats, grains, nuts, seeds, etc – but nowhere near as much fat as they use; and small portions of meat, chicken, fish and huge salads or veggies and herbs.

Also starting to experiment with fermented veggies using whey that sounds like an alternative to the probiotic properties of kefir to which my husband is sensitive, though I put it into my breads and cooking without a problem. Over time he has put on some of the weight he lost (which the GP said he wouldn't because of pancreatic insufficiency) and has stabilized.

We're still on the lookout for an open-minded GP who will work in with us and the Naturopath, and at least take an interest in what my husband is taking rather than telling us to please ourselves what he takes or who he see. But perhaps because of his dis-interest, we're learning so much about how to read the med reports and tweaking to get things back on track, so it's not without its plusses. And if we can slow these chronic illnesses down as long as possible – we're winning – thanks so much to you Dr Dean."

What an incredible story!

It's quite possible that this gentleman has a case of magnesium wasting. It's diagnosed by doing a 24-hour urine for magnesium and then getting a measured amount of magnesium in an IV after which you do another 24-hour urine to see how much your body flushed out. Magnesium wasters flush out a lot of magnesium, and may need four times the normal dose – or more!

The couple asked about my ReMag product that I'm private labeling and if it would work with her husband's current magnesium regime. ReMag is a Pico-Ionic magnesium that's absorbed directly at the cellular level. I use this form of magnesium because you can use high amounts and not get the laxative effect until all the storage sites of magnesium are saturated. When dealing with serious magnesium deficiency, many other forms of magnesium will cause the laxative effect long before magnesium saturation. For example, I've used four times the recommend dosage for atrial fibrillation and other heart conditions and found it just as effective as IV magnesium. ReMag is also in a base of 72 other ionic trace minerals, which I'm sure the body uses in ways we haven't even studied yet.

As for the 500 mg of supplemental calcium. I ask people to consult food lists and check the amount of calcium they are getting in their diet and even in their water. If it's close to 700mg, then they don't require a supplement. Even drinking a cup or two of bone-broth every day can give you enough calcium for all your body functions.

I recommended that her husband continue with Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil because Dr. Norm Shealy says that transdermal magnesium stimulates DHEA receptors in the skin and helps balance that hormone. You can also use 2 cups of Epsom salts in the bath for transdermal magnesium absorption. If there are any issues of sluggish bowel movements, I recommend Natural Calm magnesium citrate powder to be taken in water.

Also, for the treatment of depression and to help wean off SSRI's I recommend EMPowerplus at www.truehope.com. This natural formula is 90% effective compared with antidepressants which are only 40% effective. This means that drugs are even less than the 50% effectiveness rate show with placebo!

Truehope has funded 20 clinical trials in hospitals and universities with the results published in peer reviewed journals. I know the "inventor" and owner of the company, Tony Stephens. He formulated it with a friend, David Hardy, who is a pig farmer! At church one day, Tony told David he was desperate for a solution because his wife had committed suicide on Prozac and two of his kids were also depressed and he didn't want to lose them too! David told Tony that he put together a vitamin/mineral formula for his pigs when they got depressed! So, Tony and David formulated a similar product for humans and in the process have saved thousands of lives and minds.

About diet, I agree with the writer's summation that the Weston A. Price approach is the most sensible out there but I also don't use as much fat as they recommend. It's a high protein diet with the focus on natural foods. You can find out more by going to the Weston A Price website.

I think this letter speaks for itself. It shows the supreme arrogance of allopathic medicine that makes people believe it's got all the answers when it doesn't even know the questions! My magnesium-genius friend, Morley Robbins just asked me why there is no curiosity in doctors that makes them not ask why their patients aren't getting better, why they are getting fatter and why drugs don't work.

The basic answer is that in medical school we were told that our training would teach us ALL there was to know about the diagnosis and treatment of disease and if we came across something that wasn't taught in medical school then it was either a lie or quackery! That means nutrition, homeopathy, herbalism, acupuncture, naturopathy – all lies and quackery. How else can a supposedly-educated doctor say that the most important mineral in the body IS A FAD!

Unless a doctor has a mystical revelation (which sometimes occurs when he/she or a family member gets sick) they never leave the confines of allopathic medicine. There is also the very serious threat of losing their license if they step outside the standard practice of medicine that keeps doctors in check. The current monopoly in medicine of allopathic drugs and surgery as the only treatments is crippling our society and is unsustainable. People have to learn how to take care of themselves in very basic ways to avoid doctors, hospitals and drugs.
Besides the fact that magnesium is deficient in the soil, cooked and processed out of our food and we're eating a fifth of the amount we got 100 years ago, the most shocking fact is that all drugs deplete magnesium. Drugs that doctors prescribe to help you are just as likely harming you. Here's what I wrote in my book, 'The Magnesium Miracle'.

"Ironically, one of the foremost magnesium experts, Mildred Seelig, M.D., began her research career in the 1960s working for drug companies. It was there she first noticed that many of the side effects of drugs were actually magnesium deficiency symptoms. It seemed to her that many drugs cause increased demand for and utilization of magnesium – for example, by creating acidity in the body, which then draws on available magnesium from the cells to try to neutralize the acid and minimize its toxic effects. Other drugs seemed to deplete magnesium from the body or, conversely, manifest their positive effects because they pulled magnesium from storage sites and increased the level of magnesium in the blood."(14

So, in effect, when you take a drug, magnesium, like the true heroine she is, will rush in to help offset the drug. In doing so, you can experience some magnesium benefits. IN FACT, the so-called "beneficial" effects of many drugs may be due to this flood of magnesium. Of course, that can only happen for so long before a person's magnesium stores are totally depleted. THEN, after 6-8 weeks the drug side effects really take hold. Sounds familiar doesn't it. Drug companies MUST know this. They were told by Dr. Seelig in the 60's what was happening. But they obviously didn't listen to her. That's why she quit and went full-time into magnesium research.

I thought magnesium supported 325 biological enzyme systems on the body but the count if more like 1,440, or 80% of the 1,800 we know about. So, magnesium makes your body work well and it also makes most other supplements work properly in as well. Please make it a point to save someone's life today – simply tell everyone you know to investigate magnesium as a solution to dozens of symptoms they may be having!

Milder cases of urinary tract infections can be treated and eliminated through the use of kitchen remedies that include baking soda, cranberry juice, blueberries and even pineapple juice. High doses of Vitamin C, preferably in a naturally occurring form, can also treat the problem. It is absolutely important, to eliminate all forms of concentrated sugars. Raw greens should also be used liberally in order to alkalize the blood.

In the more severe cases of cystitis the problem can be eliminated by using either D Mannose or the right combination of medicinal herbs. D Mannose is a naturally occurring simple sugar which differs from ordinary sugars in that it interferes with the ability of certain bacteria and particularly the e coli bacteria to stick to the walls of the urinary tract.

The most stubborn urinary tract infections can be eliminated by using powerful infection fighting herbs that specifically target the location of the infection. Herbs such as Buchu and Uva Ursi are good. Chinese medicinal herbs such as Pyrossia, Dianthus, Gardenia, Scute and Gentian represent a powerful cystitis fighting combination. The traditional formula Long Dan Xie Gan Tang or Gentian Combination is highly effective. Complimentary Prescription's Acti Biotic is good, ITM's Pyrossia 14 is effective and Traditional Botanical Medicine's Clear Bladder Formula contains ingredients that have proven to be effective in treating even the most stubborn infections.

Dosing is critical when using herbal medicine. Medicinal herbs must be taken in high doses during the acute phase. The dose can then be lowered once the infection clears but must be sustained for at least two weeks in order to eliminate all bacteria and prevent reinfection.

(NaturalNews) Whooping cough (pertussis) has reached epidemic levels in the U.S. — the highest in five decades. Considering a majority of those who contract the disease are vaccinated, the absurdity of the call for increased pertussis vaccinations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is yet another example of our broken medical system. Even more disturbing, scientists now suspect that vaccines are actually causing this upsurge in whooping cough — contributing to mutations of the original bacterium into more virulent forms.

Bacterium mutation linked with whooping cough vaccine
The CDC would like to keep the American population ignorant about this startling fact: Our current pertussis epidemic is caused by a deadly new strain of Bordetella pertussis bacterium (ptxP3) and its emergence is directly connected to the whooping cough vaccine.

According to the article, Whooping Cough Epidemic Caused by Virulent New Pertussis Strain — And it's the Result of Vaccine, research by Frits R. Mooi offers a theory about the recent increase of pertussis:

"The Mooi report focuses on the virulence of the new whooping cough strain and makes a direct association with the vaccine. It points out that the strain was first isolated in the United States in 1984, and that the virulent ptxP3 strains have been replacing the vaccines' ptxP1 strains. They also note that the greater prevalence of whooping cough in older age groups (that is, adolescents and adults) is directly related to the new ptxP3 strains."

This may explain why whooping cough rates are sky high in those who have been vaccinated — bacteria are adapting to the vaccine and mutating, much like antibiotic resistant superbugs, becoming more pronounced and lethal. The dangers of this new mutation include a 10-fold increase of illness and death.

The research paper Bordetella pertussis Strains with Increased Toxin Production Associated with Pertussis Resurgence, found on the CDC website, states the following:

"In this period [1989 -2004], ptxP1 [original pertussis bacterium] was gradually replaced by ptxP3, which increased in frequency from 0% in 1989 to 100% in 2004."

"The persistence of pertussis in the face of intense vaccination is unexpected because B. pertussis is extremely homogeneous, implying a limited ability to adapt. However, the Ptx promoter showed a relatively high degree of polymorphism…"

"…ptxP3 strains were not found in the pre-vaccination era."

"Vaccination against two avian viruses, the Marek disease virus, and the infectious bursal disease virus, were associated with the emergence of more virulent strains."

"Based on mathematical modeling, vaccines designed to reduce pathogen growth rate and/or toxicity may result in the evolution of pathogens with higher levels of virulence."

CDC solution – Increase vaccinations
Even though the CDC is aware of the link between vaccination and a new super-strain pertussis bacterium, their 'solution' for the epidemic is to increase vaccine use. True to form, the mainstream medical establishment actually perpetuates whooping cough through their harmful, propaganda-riddled recommendations. In the end, the pertussis vaccine could land unsuspecting individuals with the very disease they are attempting to avoid.

"The average American may consume more than 4,500 calories and a whopping 229 grams of fat from snacking and eating a traditional holiday dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. And these figures don't even include breakfast or the late evening munching on leftovers!"

While some have challenged that this is actually true, as few humans are actually physically capable of ingesting this much food in one sitting, and modest calculations on a typical holiday feast come in at roughly half that calorie quantity, the Calorie Control Council insists on spreading obesity fear mongering.

Interesting; seeing that there is very little evidence that calorie consumption or lack thereof is the primary determinant of body weight and body composition, and an extremely large mountain of evidence showing that conscious manipulation of dietary calories is a completely ineffective and perhaps even counterproductive approach for losing weight. In fact, obesity scholar Paul Campos refers to frequent conscious attempts at restricting calories – traditional dieting, as "perhaps the single best predictor of future weight gain."

Thus, the very scientific foundation that the Calorie Control Council rests upon is very shaky. Interestingly, in an informational video on their website, they reveal what is a much more likely motivation for their existence other than vehemently promoting a disproven stance on body fat regulation, or to turn people's attention away from the communion with family members on Thanksgiving and towards the calorie content of the food they are served.

The Calorie Control Council – Conflict of interest?
One of their proposed holiday solutions for excess calorie consumption is to switch from drinking regular soda to a diet soda sweetened with aspartame, which they go on to champion as if they are doing a brief infomercial on its benefits – throwing out specific claims like "you could lose 15 pounds if you did that." "That" referring to replacing one regular soda with a diet soda every day for a year – a completely false and thoroughly disproven line of reasoning.

Interestingly, the Calorie Control Council allegedly is the publisher of the website "The Truth About Aspartame," a site defending aspartame's safety and potential health benefits. Both entities are owned by the Robert H. Kellen Company. Robert H. Kellen, and two of his former company vice presidents, have all at one time been listed as the president of the Glutamate Association, a grouping of powerful international food conglomerates in support of the use of the amino acid-derived monosodium glutamate, which is a close cousin to the amino acid-derived aspartame.

In short, it's probably not advisable to panic about the calorie content of your Thanksgiving meal based on an entity that supports minimizing calorie intake to promote its commercially-driven artificial sweetener agenda. In shorter, don't let aspartame steal your Thanksgiving.

The second part of the study was a meta-analysis which combined the data of several past similar studies with the above new study, and this showed the protective effects of magnesium to be even more impressive. For the general population, every additional 100 mg/day of magnesium reduced the risk of colorectal adenomas by 13 percent, and reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 12 percent. Importantly, the data showed both cases to be linear relationships, which means greater intakes of magnesium are assumed to offer proportionally higher levels of protection.

The EPIC Cohort study on pancreatic cancer
The most recent study on magnesium for pancreatic cancer was the EPIC Cohort from Europe, which included 142,203 men and 334,999 women with an average 11.3 year follow-up. Stratified analysis showed that every 100 mg/day increase in dietary magnesium reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 21 percent for those with a BMI of 25 or greater. Importantly, these results closely echoed the outcome of an earlier study from the UK (done on men only), which showed that men with the highest magnesium intakes (423 mg/day) had a 33 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer than those with the lowest levels (281 mg/day). Again, this risk reduction was only valid and statistically significant for men with a BMI of 25 or greater. A 14 percent risk reduction was seen for the general male population (highest to lowest quintile of magnesium intakes) but the effect was not statistically significant.

The role of magnesium in cancer
It shouldn't be surprising that magnesium plays a role in cancer. It takes part as a co-factor in over 300 enzyme systems and is found in every tissue of the human body. And relevant for cancer, it plays a critical function in DNA repair, cell differentiation, proliferation and angiogenesis. Magnesium deficiency has also been linked directly to inflammation and oxidative stress, and now, to increased cancer risk. Unfortunately, 79 percent of American adults don't get enough in their diets (the current RDA is 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men).

Dietary sources of magnesium
Magnesium supplementation is an easy way to obtain the RDA, but eating magnesium-rich foods is a healthier way to get there, because they often contain other beneficial factors which also fight cancer. An exhaustive list of magnesium-rich foods (from the USDA nutrient database) is available at the last link below. Note that magnesium deficiency is more likely in seniors, heavy drinkers, and those with hyperglycemia, gluten sensitivity, and Crohn's disease.

Dr. Gerson used his nutrition therapy protocol, eliminating the toxic elements from Lilly's diet. Eventually, she made a full recovery and even took up dancing.

It seemed that applying the universal law of cause and effect was too logical for conventional medicine, who attacked Dr. Gerson for curing Lilly in order to generate publicity for himself. Their attacks seemed lacking in logic as well!

Today – nearly 100 years later – Taber's Medical Dictionary still lists no definitive cause of arthritis. How do you solve a complex problem without understanding what caused the problem? Look at the results produced by conventional medicine in the treatment of arthritis and it becomes clear. You don't.

Still, many modern physicians are beginning to agree with Dr. Gerson. Anna Barker, deputy director of the National Cancer Institute, explains:

Surprisingly, scientific literature is abundant with evidence that diet, exercise, thoughts, feelings and environmental toxins all influence the initiation, growth and progression of cancer. If a nutrition-poor diet full of sugar, lack of exercise, chronic stress, persistent pollutants and heavy metals can cause chronic disease, could it be that a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet, physical activity, changing thoughts and reactions to stress, and detoxification might treat the garden in which cancer grows? Treat the soil, not the plant.

The Path to healing arthritis
In her book, Healing Arthritis the Gerson Way, Charlotte Gerson explains that healing begins with recognizing and overcoming deficiency and toxicity. This is why Dr. Gerson found that nearly all degenerative diseases, including cancer, respond positively to a vegetarian, salt-free nutrition. The body needs an abundance of real nutrients and to be cleansed of the poisons in our modern food supply and environment. This is the path to healing according to Gerson.

Nutritional deficiency results from eating depleted, genetically engineered, pesticide-laden, salted, sugared, pre-made, pre-packaged, heat-and-eat, industrial foods, loaded with preservatives, dyes, artificial flavors and sweeteners that are devoid of the real nutrition your body needs.

Toxicity occurs from the "better living through chemistry" philosophy in the modern world where millions of tons of hazardous chemicals, poisons and drugs are dumped into our air, food and water, including:

• Fluoride and chlorine in the water
• Harsh chemicals in soap, shampoo, cleansers, laundry detergent, fabric softeners and so on
• Dangerous chemicals leached from plastics
• Pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers used in commercially grown food
• Out-gassing of formaldehyde, resin, and glue from carpet, pressed wood and so on.
• Exposure to electromagnetic radiation, microwave emission, radio waves and other electronic smog
• Inhalation of pollution, fumes, chemical fragrance, air fresheners, smoke and other airborne contaminants

Gerson Therapy
Gerson Therapy is a powerful and proven program that restores the immune system's healing properties by flooding the body with critical vitamins, minerals and nutrients and cleansing the body of chemicals with a powerful, natural process that flushes the liver and eliminates toxins at the cellular level.

As the immune system is restored to full strength, the body begins to repair itself and begins fighting any and all diseases. Over time, you recover. Identify and remove the cause of the problem and the problem loses its grip.

Uric acid forms from two major biochemical patterns. The most commonly discussed with doctors who treat individuals with gout is purine metabolism. Purines are molecules that are formed by a grouping of nucleic acids. They are prevalent in foods such as red meat and organ meats along with seafood and alcohol. Organ meats such as kidney and liver contain the most purines by far.

Gout and fructose metabolism
Recent research has linked gout formation with elevated fructose consumption. This second biochemical pathway indicated that fructose triggers the body's production of uric acid from an important energy molecule adenosine triphosphate.

In New Zealand, the Maori people rarely encountered gout. Now, 10 to 15 percent of their population has gout symptoms in their lifetime. Seafood seems to be the major trigger for these Pacific islanders; however, they have always eaten a lot of seafood. These people eat 50 times more sugar and fructose (much like typical Americans) than they did 100 years ago.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that individuals who drink one fructose-rich beverage a day are 74 percent more likely to develop gout than those who drink the same beverage once per month. Individuals who drank two or more fructose sweetened beverages are 97 percent more likely to develop the disease.

Fructose is a form of sugar molecule that is most often found in corn, fruit and many plant based sweeteners such as agave nectar and honey. It is important to reduce fructose consumption by avoiding anything with high fructose corn syrup and minimizing the consumption of fruit juices, agave nectar and honey. Minimize the use of all fruit other than low fructose fruits such as berries, avocados, lemons, limes and grapefruit.

The typical diet for individuals with gout should be low in sugar and grains. Instead, focus on anti-oxidant rich vegetables and healthy fat sources. The best fat/protein sources include coconut products, avocados, extra-virgin olive oil and sprouted nuts and seeds. Healthy protein sources include 100 percent grass-fed beef in moderation, 100 percent raw grass-fed cheese, organic poultry and wild fish.

Individuals with gout do much better when they stick to an 80 percent raw diet. Any cooked food should be reserved for the evening meal. The daytime meals should be liquid; in the form of shakes, cacao avocado mousse and vegetable juices. Salads, guacamole with veggies or raw, sprouted seed crackers are also great. Before eating any cooked food, a digestive enzyme with lipase, protease and amylase should be used to enhance digestion. Lots of clean water should be consumed during the day and intermittent fasting for periods of 16-24 hours is encouraged to help detoxify the kidneys, liver and colon.

Individuals with gout should use apple cider vinegar and fresh squeezed lemon on salads, grains and meat. This helps provide organic acids and more enzymes and anti-oxidants to help pre-digest the meal. Fermented foods such as non-processed sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, amasai, and coconut kefir are very helpful.

Broccoli sprouts, for example, are loaded with ITCs. There was a study done with rats that found that they more they ate the less likely they were to get bladder cancer and if the did, the cancer progressed very slowly.

Then, scientists discovered that the ITCs boosted the enzymes that protected the cells from oxidation. And we know that oxidation contributes to cancer. What happens is that the kidneys process the protective compounds and eventually flush them into the bladder, where they wait for you to go to the bathroom. This means that the ITCs spend lots of time in close contact with the bladder lining, where cancer is most likely to develop.

But cooked cruciferous veggies do not offer the same protection as raw because cooking can destroy the ITCs. What's good to do is to cut up a variety of these veggies, keep them in the fridge, and snack on them with a bit of hummus or tasty cole slaw.

Broccoli, again, could better your odds of beating breast cancer and radically cut your chance of getting it in the first place. This is what cruciferous veggies do best.

Also, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, kale, cauliflower and the other crucifers are rich in plant compounds called glucosinolates. The bacteria, in your gut, breaks them down into other substances like sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, and ITCs, to name a few.

What happens next is these compounds cause cancer cells to commit suicide. This process is known as apoptosis. They also help prevent cancerous changes in your cells and change the way your body uses estrogen, so that less of the hormone fuels cancer growth.

Okay, sulforaphane is an antioxidant that revs up an enzyme in the body that gets rid of dangerous toxins. Therefore, eating the cruciferous veggies rich in it links to lower cancer risk. The people that conduct the studies with sulforaphane, because of its slowing of the growth of breast cancer cells, are hopeful that one day it could prevent estrogen-positive breast cancer.

Then, indole-3-carbinol breaks down further into diindolymethane (DIM), which prohibits two proteins that help breast cancer and ovarian cancer spread through your body. One study found that treating cancer cells with DIM reduced their spread by 80 percent.

The experts say that this could make the current cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy more effective, since DIM could stop the cancer from spreading or at least slow it down. DIM also boosts immune function, which may prevent cancer from ever getting stated.

Personally, I cannot believe the "cancer business" would ever consider this because the compound could radically affect their profits.

There is new research that connects crucifers high in ITCs, particularly raw white turnips and bok choy (Chinese cabbage), to a lower risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Younger women benefitted as well, but for a different reason. Premenopausal women with certain types of genes faced a much higher risk of breast cancer than other women. But, if they ate cruciferous veggies, their risk dropped significantly.

You ladies that eat lots of things that had a face and a mother should take special care to pile on the crucifers. Grilling, pan-frying, smoking, barbecuing, and even broiling meat creates PAHs and HCAs, two carcinogens linked to breast cancer.
In one study, the more grilled, barbecued, or smoked meats women ate, the more likely they were to develop breast cancer. And God forbid they ate lots of meat but fewer fruits and vegetables, the cancer risk jumped even higher.

Oh yeah, an interesting note about barbecuing dead, rotting flesh – the fat from the dead whatever that drips down onto the charcoal instigates a chemical called benzoapryne that flows upward and covers the dead body. When you eat it it's as if you just smoked a carton of cigarettes at one time. Do you think that cancer could arise from this?

So, loading your plate with lots of fruits and veggies, particularly those rich in ITCs like crucifers, could possibly offset some of that risk if you are a meat-lover. White turnips, for example, are a great source. Raw, they contain an incredible 17 times more ITCs than bok choy.

Watercress comes in with a close second with 16 times more ITCs than bok choy.

Then there are Brussels sprouts. These along with broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can all protect you from colon cancer. They all contain a natural plant compound called glucobrassicin, which breaks down in your belly into indole-3-carbinol (I3C).
Yeah, it's hard to pronounce but gets digested even further, eventually turning into DIM. Evidence shows that DIM is behind the cancer-protection afforded by brassicas.

Tumors develop for two reasons:

1. Damaged cells multiply uncontrollably, forming tumors.
2. Damaged cells stop responding to signals your body sends them, telling them to die.

Certain compounds, such as DIM, help damaged cells to die when they should, so they don't keep multiplying and turn cancerous. That's why experts now think that eating brassicas like broccoli and Brussels sprouts may prevent colon cancer from developing and even slow the growth of existing cancer. That, in turn, could make traditional treatments more effective. Best of all, DIM does this without causing side effects, unlike medications.

How you eat them matters, though. The amount of protection you get from food depends partly upon how you prepare it.

Crucifers can lose 30 to 60 percent of their cancer-fighting compounds during cooking, but different methods yield different results. One study found that cooking red cabbage over low heat on the stove or lightly steaming it actually increased the cancer-fighting power.

Raw, however, may be the way to go. Rats that ate raw fresh watercress, green cabbage, and broccoli for nearly four months had fewer colon cancer markers than rats on regular diets.

Juicing does not work according to the study as vegetable juice had no effect on cancer in an animal study, nor did supplements made from the protective compounds in the vegetables.

Simple cabbage has surprising healing properties that combat infectious skin problems, strengthen weak bones, and lessen arthritis pain because cabbage and other cruciferous veggies have two nutrients that improve osteoarthritis pain and keep the disease from getting worse.

*Vitamin C reacts with iron to build healthy joint cartilage and antioxidants like vitamin C also keep you from losing cartilage and slows the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). In one study, people who got lots of vitamin C were less likely to have knee pain or see their OA get worse, while those in another study had fewer and smaller bone marrow lesions, which are the markers of arthritis, joint pain, and worsening OA.

*Cabbage and its fellow crucifers are also chock-full of vitamin K, which regulates the growth of bone and cartilage. Seniors, for example, with higher blood levels of vitamin K had fewer signs of hand and knee OA, in one study. The researchers feel that too little vitamin K may lead to shrinking cartilage and the growth of bone spurs common in arthritis.

*If ever the time came that we could go back to manure as fertilizer, most of there afflictions could be alleviated. But since the Rockefellers control the petro-chemical fertilization, that chance is slim. Thousands of people are attesting to the fact that the organic sulfur crystals relieve one of this agonizing joint pain.

Besides building cartilage, vitamin C may directly affect your bone health. It is a key part of the proteins that form collagen, one of the building blocks of bone, ligaments, tendons, and teeth. Plus, it stimulates your body to make bone cells.
In postmenopausal women, higher vitamin C is associated with greater bone mineral density, an indicator of bone strength.

Vitamin K is essential in building osteocalcin, another major protein in bones. A shortage of vitamin K weakens your bones, and studies link low-K diets to lower bone mass density (BMD) and a higher risk of bone fracture.

If, however, you boost your vitamin K intake, it keeps you from losing calcium through urine, reduces the amount of bone your body breaks down, and increases the amount of bone in your body. In a 10-year study, women who got the least vitamin K in their diets were 30 percent more likely to fracture their hip, while other research found that men and women who got the most vitamin k were 65 percent less likely to fracture a hip.

As early as the 1930s, scientists realized vitamin C helped heal cold sores and other lesions caused by the Herpes simplex virus. Further research showed it could help heal outbreaks twice as fast as simply waiting, probably because it enhances your immune system and fights viruses.

When it comes to vitamin K, ordinary boiled cabbage is best. Just half a cup of cooked cabbage meets 100 percent of your daily K needs, not to mention almost half your vitamin C requirements, in only 17 calories.

If you want more vitamin C, start adding raw red cabbage to salads and cole slaws as a cup of chopped cabbage provides 85 percent of the day's vitamin C and about 40 percent of your vitamin K, all in only 28 calories.

Back to broccoli. It has two powerful cruciferous chemicals that can amp up your rundown immune system, to ward off viruses and keep you healthier throughout the year.

When you sit down to a meal with broccoli, cabbage, or kale, you are helping your immune system to fight off infections. DIM, one of the compounds formed when you digest these foods, pumps up your immune system by increasing cytokines, the proteins that help regulate immune cells, increase more macrophages, which are immune cells that help kill bacteria and tumor cells, and increase two-fold the number of white blood cells, which fight off infection by killing the bugs attacking your body.

Again, sulforaphane boosts the immune system as well. It increases the killer immune cells, helps produce more cytokines and lymphocytes, and stimulates other parts other parts of the immune system. What's more, certain crucifers like broccoli are excellent sources of vitamin C, another virus-busting nutrient. Try some broccoli or Brussels sprouts with a
meal to ward off a sickness instead of turning to synthetic meds.

Last but not least, cauliflower. Eating cauliflower at least once a week is effective in protection from deadly forms of prostate cancer. Crucifers are full of natural cancer-fighting compounds, including ITCs, indoles, and sulforaphane, which help protect the genetic material in your cells from damage.

What's more, broccoli is high in phenols, the plant substances that boost your immune system and stamp out dangerous compounds that can lead to cancerous changes in your body. Anyway, here are what crucifers like broccoli and cauliflower can do for your prostate.

They can evade aggressive cancers if eaten more than once a week and they can shrink prostate tumors. And if tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, they combine to create more of an impact because of the heavy natural cancer-fighting properties in them.

To gain optimum benefit you should eat about one-and-a-half cups of broccoli daily, along with two-and-a-half-cups of fresh tomatoes, or one cup of tomato sauce, or half a cup of tomato paste.

To be and stay healthy, it may be necessary to alter the way you eat.

First, you need to severely minimize your flesh intake. Next, you should eat as much organically grown produce as possible and eliminate all GMOs (bear in mind all flesh foods the walk or crawl are fed GMOs in their feed).

If you sprinkle some curry on your cauliflower it does wonders. PEITC, a compound in cruciferous veggies, and curcumin, a compound in curry seasoning, can stop new prostate tumors from developing and stop existing ones from spreading.

Then chew or chop your veggies because the PEITC and other ITCs form when the plant's cells get crushed up during chewing or chopping. Be sure to chew the crucifers thoroughly so they turn to saliva in your mouth and you wind up drinking them. That way you'll get the most prostate protection.

Last but not least, did you ever see Technicolor cauliflower?

You can now buy cauliflower in purple, orange and green. For real! The purple one are loaded with anthocyanin, the same phytochemical found in red grapes and red wine; the orange ones are loaded with beta carotene to the tune of about 25 times more than the white; and the green take the cake with more vitamins C and A.

Bon appetit!

Aloha!