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Marijuana Decriminalized In Washington And Colorado As Voters Reject Police State

by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) Here's some good news in the election results: Voters in Washington and Colorado have decriminalized small quantities of marijuana for recreational use. This is an attempt to end the insane waste of law enforcement resources on small-time pot users who pose no threat to society.

Although I'm personally not a pot user and I don't advocate the smoking of pot for recreational use, this is nonetheless a victory for freedom in a nation that's increasingly crushing freedom on most fronts. It does, however, set the stage for state versus federal conflicts over the enforcement of federal drug laws.

Federal government mistakenly thinks it rules over states
According to President Obama, the federal government rules the nation and can bypass state laws to make arrests of pot users or growers, even when marijuana possession been deemed perfectly legal by the states! This is, of course, government arrogance and a gross overstepping of the limits of federal government as outlined in the United States Constitution.

But Washington D.C. does not seem to care about any constitutional limits of power. And the DEA, as always, is far more interested in expanding its own power than abiding by state laws. So watch for the DEA to specifically target marijuana users in Washington and Colorado in the near future in order to demonstrate some tyranny in the face of these new laws.

Government as gangs
The federal government is, after all, a lawless, tyrannical collection of three-lettered gangs: DEA, ATF, FDA, CDC and so on. Each of them has a "territory" of power and control, and when voters decriminalize marijuana, they threaten the territory of the DEA.

DEA agents don't like that. And as they are all half-cocked crazy sons of bitches, they will lock and load wherever it takes to prove they're still in charge.

Trust me on that point. I know some ex-DEA guys, and they're insane to the core. To them, it's not about law, it's about street power. It's about the rush of conducting an armed raid on a pot grower's house, and the thrill of being written up in the newspaper for a "marijuana bust." It's also about those shiny new AR-15 toys and the IR non-visible laser sights that only government agents can buy.

To these guys, being a DEA agent is like being paid to act like a modern-day cowboy and play with government guns being directed against the People. These guys won't give up their power (and their pensions) easily.

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Obama Signed Executive Order Merging Homeland Security With Private Sector

by: Ethan A. Huff

(NaturalNews) While all eyes were on Hurricane Sandy in the days leading up to the storm's breach on the mainland of the Northeast, the White House was busy devising new ways to enslave Americans under the guise of protecting national security. On October 26, 2012, Barack Obama quietly signed an Executive Order (EO) establishing the so-called Homeland Security Partnership Council, a public-private partnership that basically merges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with local governments and the private sector for the implied purpose of giving the Executive Branch complete and limitless control over the American people.

One of the most effective ways by which the federal government has been able to spread its tendrils into every level of state, regional, and local governments in years past has been to continually convince the people that terrorism lurks around every corner, and that the federal government is needed to provide safety. This, of course, is how blatantly unconstitutional provisions like the Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) were able to get passed with relative ease — without these draconian expansions of federal control over American affairs, the terrorists will win, we were all told.

White House forming nationwide secret police to monitor lives of Americans
This is precisely the angle being taken with the new EO, except it goes even further in conflating federal power structures with local governments and the private sector. Based on the eery language contained in the EO, the federal government appears ready to begin rapidly expanding its command and control operations at the local level by establishing a vast network of homeland security "partnerships" throughout the country, which will be tasked with reporting back to the central command center and feeding "intelligence" information as requested by federal officials.

"[W]e must tap the ingenuity outside government through strategic partnerships with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, and community-based organizations," says the EO. It goes on to add that the merger between the federal government and the private sector is necessary to facilitate the government's desire to better "address homeland security priorities," which includes things like "responding to natural disasters … (and) preventing terrorism by utilizing diverse perspectives, skills, tools, and resources."

An official Steering Committee will be established with representatives from virtually every single three and four-letter federal agency, and this committee will be guided by a separate council on how to best incorporate the federal government and DHS into every nook and cranny of American society. Once established, this council will maintain control over presumably all aspects of society by overseeing a secret police force comprised of spies from schools, community groups, churches, and various other local institutions.

"[W]e must institutionalize an all-of-Nation effort to address the evolving threats to the United States," adds the ominous EO, which was flown under the radar of the mainstream media.

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Health & Freedom

Proposition 37 Appears To Have Failed In California

by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) Proposition 37 appears to have failed at the ballot box in California, according to the California Secretary of State ballot measures results. The GMO labeling ballot measure, which would have required food companies to label the GM content of foods, was defeated with the use of over $45 million in fraudulent advertising and dirty tricks funded by Monsanto, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kellogg, General Mills, DuPont, Bayer and other food and pesticide companies.

Over the last month, this cabal of deceptive companies has funneled money into a campaign of criminal fraud which, among other crimes, fabricated a fake FDA quote and sent out mailers that fraudulently used the FDA seal. A criminal complaint has already been filed with the FBI.The “No on 37” campaign also used fabricated front groups and impersonated a police organization (among others) to send out yet more fake mailers to voters, claiming that the police oppose GMO labeling. That fraudulent claim, of course, is entirely false.Huge victory in terms of GMO awareness and grassroots support
The grassroots effort to pass Proposition 37 was supported by the efforts of millions of activists, plus financial donations from Mercola, Nature’s Path, Amy’s, Dr. Bronner and other companies. Natural News donated $10,000 to the effort and provided comprehensive editorial coverage of the grassroots effort. Click here to see a chart of who gave money to the effort.

And click here to see some of the “natural” brands that betrayed consumers with the “No on 37” deception.

Those brands include Kashi, Silk, Cascadian Farm, Larabar and more.

In many ways, the YES on 37 campaign was a huge victory for awareness. The campaign organized over 10,000 volunteers in California alone and succeeded in achieving a massive social media presence.

The YES on 37 campaign also forced Monsanto and the biotech giants to spend $45 million to defeat the measure. That’s a record expenditure by the world’s largest toxic pesticide companies to try to prevent consumers from knowing what they’re buying. Remember: GMOs are the only products that consumers accidentally purchase without knowing what they’re buying.

What’s clear from all this is that GMO labeling has a foothold in the minds of American consumers, and this effort to label GMOs is going to be repeated state after state, year after year, until victory is achieved.

The biotech industry can no longer keep its dirty little secret: There’s poison in your food, folks, and the big food producers absolutely do not want you to know that you’re eating it.

The GMO labeling battle has only just begun
Monsanto and other companies appear to have won this showdown in California, but they are going to lose the war of deception against consumers. As awareness of GMOs continues to spread, people will demand honest labeling in increasing numbers.

The huge burst of awareness on Prop 37 has a lot of people asking the questions: Hey, what are GMOs? And why aren’t they labeled on foods?

That question will ultimately spell defeat for Monsanto, Kellogg, General Mills, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and all the other evil, deceptive corporations who bankrolled the “No in 37” criminal fraud that deceived a majority of California voters.

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White House Owes Preppers And Survivalists A Massive Apology

by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) In the wake of superstorm Sandy, preppers are the new prophets. Those who failed to prepare are the new homeless. For as long as we can all remember, preppers and survivalists have been derided by the mainstream media, labeled "kooks" and "wing nuts" for stockpiling food, water, ammunition, medical supplies and emergency gear. Only paranoid conspiracy theorists engage in evil preparedness activities, we were told by the sellout mainstream media, and they've convinced many that preppers may even be terrorists.

The very word "stockpiling" has been used in a derogatory manner, as if it's somehow bad for private citizens to stockpile food, medicine and emergency supplies that might save lives in a crisis. Never mind that the government stockpiles all these things for its own survival; citizens are routinely taught that stockpiling is bad!

Suddenly all that has changed. In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, preppers are the ones who aren't starving, freezing or begging the government to come save them with emergency supplies. Those who failed to prepare are now subjected to the chaotic, incompetent actions of the federal government which is, predictably, operating in a never-ending state of logistical failure.

An one example, in response to the ongoing scarcity of gasoline, New York announced that the Defense Department would be opening up free gas stations near areas hardest-hit, but that residents should stay away and let first responders fuel up ahead of them.

This, of course, set off a wave of confusion. It was then announced that those "civilians" (a derogatory term against citizens, used only in a police state) who were already in line could stay in line, but no "civilians" could join the line. Many people waited up to six hours for gasoline. Tempers flared, fist fights were commonplace, and state troopers had to be sent to gas stations to keep the peace.

Preppers, of course, already stored away spare fuel at home and therefore didn't need to wait in line and subject themselves to the chaos and desperation.

FEMA runs out of water
This one was easy to see coming: FEMA has run out of water to distribute to Sandy victims and is now desperately trying to find a private contractor that will deliver millions of bottles of water to the region.

That this could happen in the aftermath of a storm that everybody saw coming at least a week ahead of time is nothing short of bewildering. How could FEMA, whose only job is to plan for crisis, not have stockpiled some supplies in advance of the storm?

The answer is that FEMA is just flat-out incompetent. As described in an article by Michael Patrick Leahy:

…the agency appears to have been completely unprepared to distribute bottled water to Hurricane Sandy victims when the storm hit this Monday. In contrast to its stated policy, FEMA failed to have any meaningful supplies of bottled water — or any other supplies, for that matter — stored in nearby facilities as it had proclaimed it would on its website. This was the case despite several days advance warning of the impending storm.

Once again, preppers who had stockpiled water in advance of all this were sitting pretty, living on stored water supplies. Those who invested in water filters were even able to use water that would not have been drinkable otherwise.

No electricity = no heat for cooking
Even today, the power grid is down in many areas, and for all those residents using electric stoves and toasters, that means no ability cook anything… not even to boil water!

Most people simply have no backup plan for when the power grid goes down. So they become yet another victim who needs to be rescued by a government that has a terrible track record on rescues.

Preppers, on the other hand, own non-electric cookstoves such as this Zoom Dura cookstove which can burn paper, wood, small branches and almost anything flammable. It boils water, cooks meals, and kills bacteria. No batteries required.

In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, people who own emergency campstoves or cookstoves have been able to cook meals if they also stored some food. Something as simple as a few cans of chili can be priceless in the middle of a grid down scenario. Or some quinoa, oatmeal, rice or whatever.

I know for a fact that we shipped a large number of 40-day organic survival food pails to the Northeast in the days before the storm hit. Those people have no doubt been sitting pretty with plenty of food to eat, compared to their neighbors who didn't prepare and are therefore starving or dumpster diving for food scraps.

Arming up with bows, machetes, firearms and baseball bats
Looting has been widespread in some areas, thanks mostly to the fact that police are spread too thin and can't cover all the territory. At first, the looting targeted commercial buildings, where looters made off with TV projectors, flat panel displays and valuable electronics, but it soon shifted to the looting of private homes by criminals dressed as Con Edison workers.

Citizens quickly realized they would need to fend for themselves. As the NY Daily News reports:

Ever since Sandy strafed the Queens peninsula and tore up the boardwalk, it's become an often lawless place where cops are even scarcer than electrical power and food. Locals say they are arming themselves with guns, baseball bats, booby traps — even a bow and arrow — to defend against looters.

"We booby-trapped our door and keep a baseball bat beside our bed," said Danielle Harris, 34, rummaging through donated supplies as children rode scooters along half-block chunk of the boardwalk that had marooned into the middle of Beach 91st St.

"We heard gunshots for three nights in a row," said Harris, who believed they came from the nearby housing projects.

Preppers, of course, already have firearms and ammo. In fact, many preppers today are investing in firearms proficiency training in order to gain combat skills. I know several firearms instructors, and they tell me their classes are jam packed, with waiting lists increasingly common.

A typical prepper owns not only a handgun, but also a combat rifle (typically an AR or AK) and a shotgun for close quarters defense. In addition, preppers stockpile at least 1,000 rounds of ammo for each. It's not uncommon to talk to preppers who have stored 10,000 rounds of ammo for each firearm they own.

These firearms, far from causing violence, are used in the defense of life and property in communities struck by disaster. People who legally own firearms are law-abiding citizens who typically work with local law enforcement to restore peace and security to local communities and help stop criminals and looters.

That states like New York restrict private citizens from owning firearms is, in a very real sense, denying them the ability to protect themselves during a crisis when the police can't protect them, either. Using machetes and bows is no match for a Glock 17 or an AR-15. While anti-gun people like Bloomberg or Obama like to say that guns "have no place on the streets of America," they are wrong. Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens are an essential part of restoring peace and order following any crisis. In a disaster scenario, more guns in the hands of responsible citizens really does equal less crime.

It's just common sense: When the cops are nowhere to be found, and the National Guard isn't helping out, and FEMA's lack of preparedness has made the local population desperate for supplies, a privately-owned firearm is the only remaining defense against criminal-minded looters and violent opportunities who try to prey on the weak. That's why I even published a tactical home defense guide designed to stop looters and criminals from targeting innocent victims of superstorm Sandy.

The media owes preppers a massive apology
One of the realizations emerging from all this is that the media's portrayal of preppers has been not just malicious and highly inaccurate. Preppers are not the "kooks" you see on TV shows (which the media admits are laced with pay-for-placement messages provided by the White House); they are intelligent, forward-thinking members of society who are truly a national treasure capable of saving lives in any disaster.

Preppers pick up where the police and the government drop the ball. Preppers provide food, water, emergency medicine and even local neighborhood security. They do it without being paid and without even being thanked for their contributions to society.

In the wake of superstorm Sandy, the national media — and especially the liberal media which expresses intense hatred for preppers — owes preppers a massive apology. Preppers create stability, safety and security in any crisis, and they deserve to be portrayed as the upstanding members of society they truly are.

The White House owes preppers a huge apology as well. Preppers and survivalists have, in the last few years, been characterized as "terrorists" by the Obama administration. The message is that anyone with a gun, some ammo and a stockpile of food is somehow "dangerous" or a threat to society. In reality, that person is the guy sharing food with neighbors and helping protect the neighborhood from violent criminal looters.

Famously, a prepper was recently put on a "no-fly list" and stranded in Hawaii because he was classified by the government as a "prepper." So hold on: Stockpiling emergency supplies makes you synonymous with a terrorist now?

Preppers are actually on the target list of the U.S. government. As an active duty National Guard member named "Soldier X" has recently revealed, the Guard is being trained to "treat preppers as terrorists."

According to Soldier X, the government is compiling lists of preppers and intends to confiscate their guns and treat them as enemy combatants in any crisis situation. So the very group the government should be thanking for providing local community stability and order is the group being targeted for arrest, detainment and possibly being sent to Obama's secret military prisons under the provisions of the NDAA.

The federal government WANTS chaos and panic, get it?
The reality of all this is that the federal government is trying to eliminate preppers and survivalists precisely as a way to create more panic, fear and chaos. Why? Because it is from that scenario that the government can justify yet more funding for itself, more police state crackdowns and more dependency among the citizen slaves.

Remember: Every government wants to become like North Korea, where it dominates everything in society, controls all the resources and commands citizens as if they were slaves. The U.S. government is no different: Like every government, it thirsts for unlimited power.

Preppers and survivalists interfere with the growth of government power because they demonstrate the far greater power of individual preparedness. When preppers take care of themselves and don't need to be rescued by the government, they send a "dangerous" message to the rest of society: Emergency preparedness is YOUR responsibility, not the government's.

The White House doesn't like people sending that message. Neither does the liberal media which persistently pushes citizen victimization and government dependence. The very idea of thinking for yourself, taking care of yourself and being self-reliant is alien to the liberal media. And that's one reason why the liberal media is ultimately so dangerous: Many people who followed the advice of, say, the New York Times, are now DEAD in Jersey.

The bottom line: Preppers are the future of human civilization; deniers are dead
Hurricane Sandy was a walk in the park compared to what we'll see in a national grid-down scenario. As I've explained many times here on Natural News, a single solar flare (or a high-altitude EMP burst weapon) could knock out most of the national power grid.

That would thrust virtually the entire nation into the scenario we've recently watched unfold on Staten Island and certain parts of NY. Imagine fuel scarcity, starvation, water scarcity and looting unleashed on a national scale. That's what we will sooner or later face in America (and everywhere else, too).

When that scenario unfolds, it's a simple matter of fact that we're going to see the mass death of liberal media worshippers and Big Government worshippers who refused to prepare. The survivors will, by and large, be the preppers who planned ahead.

It's Darwinism at work, backfiring on people who call themselves "Darwinists" (who almost universally do not believe in preparedness). It's natural selection doing its thing. People who cannot adapt to survive do not tend to reproduce, while those who can adapt and survive are the ones left remaining to repopulate the planet.

In fact, the domination of the planet by the "prepping gene" is one of the most scientific ideas of our time. That's because crisis strikes our planet on a regular basis: Solar flares, asteroids, the spread of infectious disease and even the threat of widespread nuclear war or nuclear facility failures.

Each "wave" of crisis weeds out the ignorant unprepared masses through mass death. While those people may be in a majority right now, they and their lineage have no real future.

Interestingly, modern humanity hasn't faced a real crisis yet. By "modern," I mean the version of civilization that has bet everything on complex electronics, food supply logistics and the continued restocking of the artificial living zones known as "cities." This modern civilization has only existed for about seventy-five years — a blink of an eye in terms of the big picture. So it hasn't been tested yet with a true global survival scenario. We are one solar flare away from being thrust back to the early 1900's.

Another mass extinction event is inevitable
Sixty-five million years ago, a single rock from space wiped out the dinosaurs. It was the most violent mass-extinction event planet Earth had ever experienced. So far, there have been five mass extinction events in the known history of our planet.

Human beings are likely going to be the sixth, through the careless proliferation of nuclear power plants, the toying with GMOs and the genetic pollution of the planet, or even through the accidental release of a military bioweapon with a 98% fatality rate.

The next mass extinction event will quickly eliminate from the planet all organisms poorly adapted to survive, which includes most New York Times subscribers. It will leave behind only those humans, plants and animals with remarkable survival adaptation skills.

The most likely survivors, it turns out, are going to be well-stocked preppers who have practiced the skills of self-reliance and sustainable living.

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Omega-3 Supplements Again Shown To Extend Natural Lifespan

by: John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Despite a continual assault on the health benefits of omega-3 fat supplementation by the mainstream media and Big Pharma drug manufacturers, solid evidence is released by the scientific research community to vindicate the critical importance of the long-chain fatty acids. The omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA have repeatedly been shown to help prevent chronic diseases ranging from cancer and dementia to heart disease and stroke. It is an indisputable fact that these essential fats are necessary for the human body to assimilate the billions of cellular structures that form our organs and tissues and aid DNA replication.

Flax Oil

Researchers from Ohio State University have published the result of a study in the journal, Brain, Behavior and Immunity that demonstrates how taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements can change the balance of oils in the diet to slow a key biological process linked to aging. The study team found that most healthy, middle-aged and older adults who took omega-3 supplements for four months altered the ratio of their fatty acid consumption in a way that helped preserve tiny segments of DNA in their white blood cells.

Telomeres naturally shorten over time as a consequence of poor diet, stress, environmental and household pollutants. Many consider telomere shortening to be a normal part of the aging process. Scientists know that telomeres shorten faster as a result of increased oxidative stress, a process induced by consuming foods laden in trans or hydrogenated fats and sugars and by chronic disease.

Omega-3 fats lower systemic inflammation to slow and reverse telomere shortening
This research is important because it supports the notion that telomere shortening can be prevented and even reversed by lifestyle improvements including supplementing with the omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA to alter the blood ratio with inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Lead study author, Dr. Jan Kiecolt-Glaser commented "The telomere finding is provocative in that it suggests the possibility that a nutritional supplement might actually make a difference in aging."

To implement the study, researchers broke participants into three groups (106 disease-free adults, average age of 51) and were supplemented with 2.5 grams of active omega-3 fats (combined EPA/DHA in a 7:1 ratio), 1.5 grams of the long-chain fats or a placebo. Both groups of participants who took omega-3 supplements showed, on average, lengthening of telomeres compared to telomere stability or decline in the placebo group. When the scientists reviewed the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in the overall diet, they found a direct relationship to telomere lengthening, where a lower ratio was clearly associated with lengthened telomeres.

The research team concluded that improved omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratios obtained with fish oil supplementation resulted in a reduction in total body systemic inflammation. Telomere shortening was reduced and even reversed to lower risk of chronic disease in the cohort group. Based on the findings of this study and numerous other prior research bodies, most adults will want to supplement with 1,200 to 2,400 mg per day of a molecularly distilled fish oil (in a 7:1 EPA/DHA ratio) to extend natural lifespan as part of a total health maintenance program.

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Sugary Beverages Increase Stroke Risk By 83 Percent

by: Jonathan Benson

(NaturalNews) New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) suggests drinking sodas and other sugary beverages may significantly increase stroke risk, particularly among women. The study out of Japan found that, compared to women who drink virtually no sugary beverages, women who drink about one a day are 83 percent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke, the most common form of stroke, and the type that involves a blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain.

Chromium GTF

Dr. Hiroyasu Iso from Osaka University and his colleagues evaluated data collected on 40,000 people who filled out questionnaires at three time intervals, once in 1990, and again in 1995 and 2000. These individuals shared details about their dietary and lifestyle habits, including how many sodas or sugar-sweetened juices and other beverages they consumed daily. Excluded from consideration were so-called "diet" sodas and 100 percent fruit juices.

Upon analysis, the team observed that ischemic stroke risk increased progressively depending on how many sugary beverages participants consumed in a given week. At lowest risk were women who drank virtually no soft drinks or sugary beverages at all — out of 11,800 in this group, only 205, or 1.7 percent, had an ischemic stroke in the followup years. At the same time, 28 women out of 921 who drank at least one sugary beverage per day went on to have a stroke, representing a three percent stroke rate for this group.

"It makes sense, if (sugar sweetened beverages) increase the risk for obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation, then it should, in fact, raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, and that's what we're seeing," said Dr. Adam Bernstein from the Cleveland Clinic, who was not directly involved with the research, about the study. "No single strategy is going to solve the problem, and I think a multi-pronged approach is going to work."

Earlier study finds diet sodas increase stroke risk, too
Much to the confusion of the research team, stroke risk did not appear to rise among men using the same parameters as for women. Dr. Bernstein suggests that this may be a result of other factors, such as men choosing to drink fewer sodas after learning that they are already at risk of having a stroke down the road. Another factor may include the fact that men typically have faster metabolism rates than women, which means their bodies process sugars differently.

A review from earlier this year found similar results from soda consumption. Researchers from both Harvard University and the Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute determined that both sugary and diet sodas increase stroke risk among both men and women. Dr. Bernstein, who was involved with this earlier research, suggested at the time that perhaps caramel coloring, a synthetic chemical often added to soda beverages, may be a cause of chronic inflammation, which in turn leads some to suffer heart disease and stroke.

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Aspartame Is Linked To Leukemia And Lymphoma

by: Ethan Evers

(NaturalNews) As few as one diet soda daily may increase the risk for leukemia in men and women, and for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in men, according to new results from the longest-ever running study on aspartame as a carcinogen in humans. Importantly, this is the most comprehensive, long-term study ever completed on this topic, so it holds more weight than other past studies which appeared to show no risk. And disturbingly, it may also open the door for further similar findings on other cancers in future studies.

Detox Protocol

The most thorough study yet on aspartame – Over two million person-years
For this study, researchers prospectively analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study for a 22-year period. A total of 77,218 women and 47,810 men were included in the analysis, for a total of 2,278,396 person-years of data. Apart from sheer size, what makes this study superior to other past studies is the thoroughness with which aspartame intake was assessed. Every two years, participants were given a detailed dietary questionnaire, and their diets were reassessed every four years. Previous studies which found no link to cancer only ever assessed participants' aspartame intake at one point in time, which could be a major weakness affecting their accuracy.

One diet soda a day increases leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphomas
The combined results of this new study showed that just one 12-fl oz. can (355 ml) of diet soda daily leads to:

– 42 percent higher leukemia risk in men and women (pooled analysis)
– 102 percent higher multiple myeloma risk (in men only)
– 31 percent higher non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk (in men only)

These results were based on multi-variable relative risk models, all in comparison to participants who drank no diet soda. It is unknown why only men drinking higher amounts of diet soda showed increased risk for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Note that diet soda is the largest dietary source of aspartame (by far) in the U.S. Every year, Americans consume about 5,250 tons of aspartame in total, of which about 86 percent (4,500 tons) is found in diet sodas.

Confirmation of previous high quality research on animals
This new study shows the importance of the quality of research. Most of the past studies showing no link between aspartame and cancer have been criticized for being too short in duration and too inaccurate in assessing long-term aspartame intake. This new study solves both of those issues. The fact that it also shows a positive link to cancer should come as no surprise, because a previous best-in-class research study done on animals (900 rats over their entire natural lifetimes) showed strikingly similar results back in 2006: aspartame significantly increased the risk for lymphomas and leukemia in both males and females. More worrying is the follow on mega-study, which started aspartame exposure of the rats at the fetal stage. Increased lymphoma and leukemia risks were confirmed, and this time the female rats also showed significantly increased breast (mammary) cancer rates. This raises a critical question: will future, high-quality studies uncover links to the other cancers in which aspartame has been implicated (brain, breast, prostate, etc.)?

There is now more reason than ever to completely avoid aspartame in our daily diet. For those who are tempted to go back to sugary sodas as a "healthy" alternative, this study had a surprise finding: men consuming one or more sugar-sweetened sodas daily saw a 66 percent increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (even worse than for diet soda). Perhaps the healthiest soda is no soda at all.

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Boost Immunity This Cold And Flu Season With These Vitamins And Herbs

by: Danna Norek

(NaturalNews) The cold and flu season is right around the corner so it's a good idea to get a head start on improving your immunity before it hits. There are plenty of vitamins and supplements that are currently known for possessing immune-enhancing properties. After all, washing your hands frequently and avoiding contaminated surfaces will only carry you so far in preventing infection.

Colloidal Silver

Echinacea
This is perhaps the most well known herb for enhancing the effectiveness of the immune system. The plant has purple, cone-shaped flowers and grows easily in many climates making it an affordable herbal remedy.

Some studies have supported the hypothesis that Echinacea helps to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of flu and cold symptoms. The herb must be taken as soon as symptoms manifest and must be a high quality "standardized extract" according to most studies.

Some people may even choose to take Echinacea through an entire flu season or at least periodically as a preemptive move to prevent the onset of symptoms. The compounds found in Echinacea which are attributed to its immune-enhancing and healing qualities are polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids.

Astragalus
This herb is popularly used in Chinese medicine. It has traditionally been prescribed by herbalists primarily for its ability to enhance the activity of the immune system. Studies have shown that the herb stimulates the production of attack cells which seek out and kill invading viruses and bacteria. Not surprisingly, this herb is rich in many of the same compounds Echinacea contains.

Adaptogenic herbs ashwagandha and eleuthero
These two herbs are primarily known for being excellent adaptogens which strengthen the immune system by reducing the impact of anxiety and stress. Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest enemies of proper immune function. While some of this "fight or flight" response is healthy, chronic stress weakens the immune system. Since ashwagandha and eleuthero help the body cope with these stressors more effectively, they have the secondary effect of strengthening immunity.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C remains a staple of a solid immune-boosting nutritional and supplemental regimen. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant, but it must be replenished every day since it is water soluble and we rid our bodies of it on a daily basis.

Studies have shown that the vitamin is used up by the body in an accelerated manner when an infection is present. This suggests it plays a major role in fighting off infection and has furthered the assertion that it is a vital part of healthy and effective immune function.

Other studies have demonstrated vitamin C's ability to produce or act as a medium to produce crucial white blood cells as well as to increase levels of interferon. Interferon is the antibody that protects cells from invading viruses.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D, otherwise known as the "sunshine vitamin" has come to be known as a huge benefactor of the human immune system. This first came to be recognized after recorded increases in flu and cold infections during the months when solar exposure was at its lowest.

Further research uncovered several telltale findings which supported theories that vitamin D played a major role in strengthening immune response. It has also been revealed that vitamin D may play a very important role in preventing many types of cancer in great part due to this enhanced immunity.

The best way to get this vitamin is to get adequate sunlight on bare skin for at least 15 minutes per day. However, if you live in a climate where this is not possible, year round vitamin D supplements which use a fatty oil base are preferred as they support the best absorption of the vitamin.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1541262/
http://www.askdrsears.com
http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/44680902.html

About the author:
Danna Norek founded Aura Sensory All Natural Body, Skin and Hair Care. Visit the informative site to learn more about what chemicals & ingredients to avoid in your beauty and personal care products at Aura Sensory (Just added : A brand new Deep Hair Conditioner with argan oil, amino silk proteins and Pro Vitamin B5). Product line includes Sulfate Free Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo, an all natural deodorant, a naturally antibacterial lemongrass, lavender and tea tree oil acne soap, Warm Citrus Natural Soap, and natural body lotions.

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Roundup And Other Pesticides Directly Linked To Parkinson’s

by: Jonathan Benson

(NaturalNews) The dangers associated with pesticide exposure are much more far-reaching than previously thought, as illustrated by a shocking study recently published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. It turns out that chronic exposure to Monsanto's Roundup formula, the active ingredient of which is glyphosate, as well as too many other common pesticides and herbicides is one of the primary environmental factors responsible for causing neurodegenerative disorders in humans.

Detox Protocol

As originally reported by Sayer Ji over at GreenMedInfo.com, the study brings to light the intricacies of how pesticide and herbicide chemicals induce cell death, which can eventually cascade into a host of chronic neurological illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. Even at levels significantly lower than the government-established safety thresholds, these persistent chemicals, which are routinely sprayed on conventional food crops and produce throughout the U.S., can cause permanent brain damage.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Parkinson's disease alone is the 14th leading cause of death in America. Figures from 2010, which are the latest available, illustrate a 4.6 percent increase in the number of deaths from Parkinson's compared to the year prior. And a 2007 report put out by the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) estimates that by 2030, the number of people worldwide with Parkinson's will more than double

In this latest study, Monsanto's Roundup was determined to be a primary factor in causing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, which is particularly interesting in light of another recent study which found that, even when diluted by a factor of 99.8 percent, Roundup chemicals are still fully capable of destroying both human cells and DNA. Together, these findings speak volumes in regards to rising disease rates, and lend solid credence to the notion that crop chemicals are a primary cause of chronic disease in today's world.

"A previously healthy 44-year-old woman presented with rigidity, slowness and resting tremor in all four limbs with no impairment of short-term memory, after sustaining long term chemical exposure to glyphosate for three years as a worker in a chemical factory," cites a 2011 case study published in the journal Parkinsonism Related Disorders about glyphosate's toxicity.

"The chemical plant produced a range of herbicides including: glyphosate, gibberellins, and dimethyl hydrogen phosphite; however, the patient worked exclusively in the glyphosate production division. She only wore basic protection such as gloves or a face mask for 50 hours each week in the plant where glyphosate vapor was generated."

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Seven Methods For Creating The Best Digestion Of Your Life

by: Jonathan Benson

(NaturalNews) Dealing with the symptoms of chronic digestive dysfunction can be discouraging for many people, especially when unknown dietary and environmental triggers constantly seem to create bloat, abdominal pain, gas, and other problems. But correcting the issue can also be as simple as eating certain foods while avoiding others, and learning to eat foods that promote healthy floral balance in the gut.

Enzymes and Digestion

Besides avoiding specific foods to which you may be allergic — consulting an allergist trained in naturopathic methods may be the best course of action for this — here are seven ways to naturally promote gut health and eliminate indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), intestinal inflammation, and other conditions that may be inhibiting proper gut function:

1) Probiotics. The importance of regularly taking probiotic supplements and eating probiotic foods cannot be stated enough, as these are the bedrock elements of strong digestion. When the bacterial balance in the gut gets thrown off due to poor diet, overuse of antibiotic drugs, toxic buildup and other factors, the digestive system is unable to properly digest and assimilate nutrients. For this reason, it is essential to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut using probiotics. (http://www.naturalnews.com/036642_probiotics_supplements_bacteria.html)

2) Fermented foods. Similar to probiotic supplements, fermented foods are teeming with beneficial bacteria that help prime the gut for optimal nutrient absorption. Raw sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha tea, raw milk, pickled vegetables, yogurt, and authentic miso soup are among the many cultured foods and beverages that help promote the proper enzymatic breakdown of food components within the gut, which in turn promotes healthy digestion and a well-functioning digestive tract. (http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/probiotic-foods/)

3) Aloe vera. When the colon becomes impacted with toxic waste as a result of poor digestion, conditions like ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, and spastic colon can result, all of which prevent the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. But eating aloe vera and drinking aloe vera juice regularly can irrigate and break down this impacted waste, and restore healthy diffusion throughout the intestinal tract. (http://www.desertharvest.com/physicians/documents/HB-43.pdf)

4) Zinc. Many people are unaware of the important role zinc plays in healthy digestion. An essential mineral for the production of digestive enzymes, zinc is one of the primary catalysts by which the body processes nutrients. Zinc is also a critical component in the renewal of regrowth of intestinal tissue, as well as the production of digestive bile and secretions of both the liver and pancreas. (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/ZINC.htm)

Many individuals with chronic bowel inflammation often end up also having zinc deficiency, as the two are closely related. Numerous studies have shown that zinc is a powerful gastro-protective nutrient with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, particularly when combined with the amino peptide L-carnosine. Simply upping your intake of zinc and L-carnosine, in other words, will help promote intestinal healing and healthy mucosal lining throughout the gut. (http://www.lef.org)

5) L-Glutamine. The amino acid L-glutamine is said to be the single most important nutrient for repairing the gastrointestinal tract. The most abundant amino acid in the body, L-glutamine has been shown to possess an incredible ability to repair colon and bowel tissues. L-glutamine provides energy to the cells in the digestive tract, effectively strengthening the gut lining and improving water absorption. Supplementing with L-glutamine can thus repair digestive function, reduce or eliminate allergies, improve mood and nutrient absorption, and ultimately boost immune function. (http://www.naturalnews.com/033532_l-glutamine_gut_health.html)

6) Avoid GMOs. In addition to eating the aforementioned foods and nutrients, it is also important to cut out foods that contain genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), as these toxic, man-made substance have been shown in numerous independent studies to disrupt digestion and destroy gut flora. Common GMOs throughout the food supply include ingredients made from non-organic soy, corn, canola, sugar beet, and cottonseed. (http://www.anh-usa.org)

Since an increasing amount of food crops are targets for genetic manipulation by the biotechnology industry, the best way to avoid inadvertently eating GMOs is to look specifically for certified organic or non-GMO project certified foods when shopping. Other hidden sources of GMOs include processed food ingredients like citric acid, vitamin C, ascorbic acid, maltodextrin, dextrose, sucrose, xanthan gum, yeast, lactic acid, vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, and flavors and flavorings, both "natural" and "artificial." (http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/gmos-and-your-family/)

7) Avoid wheat gluten. Since this common protein substance tends to disrupt and destroy the nutrient-assimilating fibers that line the digestive tract, wheat gluten is another food you will want to avoid when trying to repair your gut and restore proper digestive function. Gluten disorders are far more widespread than most people think they are because the hybridized wheat varieties commonly used throughout the food supply today are particularly damaging — one expert cardiologist has actually dubbed modern-day wheat a "chronic, perfect poison." (http://www.naturalnews.com/037133_wheat_gluten_poison.html)