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Featured Articles Silver Archives

Silver Clinical Case Studies

Following are a number of clinical studies concerning the use of silver in various forms, from silver anti-microbial wound dressings to anti-microbial silver polymer for the treatment of venous leg ulcers to the use of ionic silver to promote healing.

1. Gibbins, Bruce Ph.D., AcryMed, Inc., Portland, OR April 2000
Pre-clinical and Clinical Evaluation of a New Silver Anti-Microbial Chronic Wound Dressing ”

2. Nametka, Mary, RN, MSN, CS CWS, WCN, Associates in Wound Care, Kenosha, WI Oct. 2000
A Hydrophilic Silver Antimicrobial Wound Dressing for Site Preparation and Maintenance of Human Skin Equivalent Grafts to Venus Leg Ulcers: Technical and Clinical Considerations

3. Nametka, Mary, RN, MSN, CS CWS, WCN , Associates in Wound Care, Kenosha, WI May 2001
Antimicrobial Silver Polymer Contact Layer for Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers

4. Nametka, Mary, RN, MSN, CS CWS, WCN , Associates in Wound Care, Kenosha, WI June 2001
Clinical Protocol for use of Absorbent Silver Antimicrobial Polymer Dressings

5. Nametka, Mary, RN, MSN, CS CWS, WCN , Associates in Wound Care, Kenosha, WI April 2002
Silver Antimicrobial Hydrophilic Dressing Benefits Management of Recurrent Non-healing Wounds

6. Nametka, Mary, RN, MSN, CS CWS, WCN , Associates in Wound Care, Kenosha, WI Sept. 2002
Silver Antimicrobial Absorbent Wound Dressing Can Contribute to Cost Control in Home Care

7. Smith, Latisha M.D ., Ostomy Wound Management, Feb. 2003
Clinical Experience using Silver Antimicrobial Dressings on Venous Stasis Ulcers

8. Gibbins, Bruce Ph.D., Ostomy Wound Management, Feb. 2003
The Antimicrobial Benefits of Silver and the relevance of Microlattice Technology

9. Rose, Susan RN, BSN, CWOCN , Gentiva Health Services, Tuscon, AZ. April 2003
Importance of Assessment and Wound Bed Preparation in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds

10. Paz-Altschul, Oscar M.D., FACS , Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA April 2003
Silver Microlattice Uses in Chronic Wound Care

11. Tamulonis, Ruth RN, MS, CWOCN , Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center, Marshalltown, IA April 2003 The Use of a Unique Delivery Method of Ionic Silver: A Case Series

12. Brandy, J. Christopher, MD, FACS, Caromont Wound Center Gastonia, NC April 2003
Understanding the Role of Ionic Silver in Wound Bed Preparation

13. Tamulonis, Ruth RN, MS, CWOCN , Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center, Marshalltown, IA June 2003 A Paradigm Shift in Wound Management

14. Trowsdale, Helen RN, BSN and Olveda, Mary RN, BSN A-Plus Family Care, SanAntonio, TX
Meeting the Challenges for Wounds in Home Care with a Silver Amorphous Hydrogel and Collagen

15. Agbim, Salome ND CNS APRN BC and Miner, Kimberly ND CNS CWCN Wound Care Associates, Englewood, CO Bioburden Control through the use of Silve Anti-moicrobial Gel on Contaminated Stage IV Pressure Ulcer

16. McCord, Shannon MS, RN, CPNP, CNS, CCRN, WOCN, and Bookout, Kimberly BSN, RN, CWOCN, and McLane, Kathleen MSN,RN, CPNP, CWCN, COCN, and Helmrath, Michael MD Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX June 2004 “Use of Silver Dressing with Neonatal Abdominal Evisceration”

17. Marjorie Groom, RN, CWOCN, MSHCA, DAPWCA, Memorial Hosptial Belleville, IL April 2005 “Enhancing Venous Leg Ulcer Health with an Ionic Silver Hydrogel”

18. Barbara Conway Salerno, RN, BSN, CWOCN, Eddy Visiting Nurses, Troy, NY April 2005 “The Use of Controlled-Release Ionic Silver Hydrogel in the Management of Chronic Wounds”

19. Vickie Shuffitt, PT, Scott Hoskinson, MD and Carol Matsumoto, RN, CWOCN Wound Care Program, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Wailuku, HI “Silver Antimicrobial Hydrogel Eradicates Bioburden and Hastens Discharge for Acute Care Facility”

20. Gibbins, Bruce PhD and Karandikar, Bhalchandra PhD AcryMed, Inc., Portland, OR July 2005 “Novel Silver Antimicrobial Treatment”

21. Susan Girolami, BSN, RN, CWOCN Therapy Support, Inc., Cincinnati, OH April 2006 “Combining Ionic Silver Wound Hydrogel and Negative Pressure for Limb Salvage”

22. Cameron Field, DPM and Kenneth Morgan, DPM HealthOne Alliance Presbyterian/St. Lukes, Denver, CO April 2006 “External Fixation Pin Care Protocol Utilizing Ionic Silver Site Dressings”

23. Mary Webb, RN, BSN, MA, CIC San Mateo Medical Center, San Mateo, CA April 2006 “Use of Ionic Silver and Collagen to Reduce Bioburden and Promote Healing for Improved Quality of Life in a Complex Patient”

Man’s knowledge of and use of silver is as old as mankind’s history and there has been volumes of research on silver for many decades. Alfred B. Searle, the founder of Searle Pharmaceuticals, which later became Monsanto Chemical Co., did scientific studies on silver and wrote a book about his research in the 1920s. Anyone claiming that credible research has not been done concerning silver is either intentionally lying or is simply ignorant of the truth and should not be in anything resembling a position of authority.

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Featured Articles

Vitamin D is Now the Most Popular Vitamin

by William B. Grant, Ph.D.

(Orthomolecular Medicine News Service) There were 3600 publications with vitamin D in the title or abstract in 2012 according to PubMed.gov . This brings the total number of publications on vitamin D listed at PubMed to 33,800 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). This total compares to 35,100 on vitamin C or ascorbic acid, 21,700 on vitamin E, 19,100 on vitamin A, 17,600 on folate, and 12,000 on vitamin B12. However, since the beginning of 2000, there have been 20,500 publications on vitamin D but only 16,300 publications on vitamin C or ascorbic acid. Thus, vitamin D is the most popular vitamin even though strictly speaking it is not a vitamin. Instead, it is a necessary hormone that can be made in the body through the action of ultraviolet-B (UVB) light. However, it can also be obtained orally through the diet or supplements.

Vitamin D3-5 Cholecalciferol

Top 16 Vitamin D Papers of 2012

The following list of top vitamin D papers for 2012 was selected from a search at PubMed.gov at the end of 2012. The list started out with 60 of candidate papers. This list was then sent to a panel of vitamin D researchers and advocates, who added a few more papers, then voted on the entire list. The final list has papers from a variety of health effects. Many other fine papers could not be included due to space limitations.
4,000 IU vitamin D3 was of great help during pregnancy

A topic that generated considerable interest this year was the role of vitamin D during pregnancy. In a pair of papers, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina discussed the findings and implications of their randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy [Hollis et al., 2012; Wagner et al., 2012]. Over 300 women were enrolled in the study. Women were assigned to take supplements containing 400, 2000, or 4000 IU/d vitamin D3 or a placebo. No adverse effects were found such as hypercalcemia or hypercalcuria. This study found that it took 4000 IU/d to raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels to about 40 ng/ml (To convert to nmol/l, multiple ng/ml by 2.5.), a nearly optimal level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is the active or hormonal metabolite of vitamin D which among other things controls the expression of several hundred genes. (See Hossein-nezhad and Holick [2012] for a summary of the effects of vitamin D on fetal development.) In the study, those taking the higher vitamin D doses had significantly reduced risk of primary Cesarean section delivery and pre-eclampsia. Other adverse pregnancy outcomes occur with vitamin D deficiency such as premature delivery and low birth weight, but too few women were enrolled in this study to find statistically significant results on these conditions.
Mounting evidence that vitamin D deficiency is an important risk factor for autism

A study from Saudi Arabia examined the relation between serum 25(OH)D level and anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG) auto-antibodies in autistic children near the age of eight years [Mostafa and Al-Ayadhi, 2012]. There was a very strong inverse relation between the two levels (r = -0.86, p<0.001). The serum 25(OH)D levels in autistic children averaged 19 ng/ml, while that for healthy children averaged 33 ng/ml. Both autistic and healthy children had about six hours of sun exposure per week. The reason that MAG is relevant to autistic children is that MAG is a compound that promotes regeneration of young neurons. Anti-MAG auto-antibodies appear to play a role in some autoimmune disorders relating to neurons through attacking cells that maintain a healthy nervous system. Serum anti-MAG auto-antibodies are strongly related to autism measured with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. This provides very strong evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated in some way with autism. Whether increasing serum 25(OH)D levels for those with autism reduces the symptoms of autism remains to be determined.
Low vitamin D during pregnancy is associated with childhood language impairment

A study in Perth, Australia measured serum 25(OH)D levels at 18 weeks into pregnancy, and then measured language impairment of the offspring at 5 and 10 years of age. It found that women with serum 25(OH)D levels below 18 ng/ml had children with twice the risk of clinically significant language difficulties compared to those with 25(OH)D levels above 28 ng/ml. Exactly why is not currently known, but there are many possibilities. It is noted that in the United States in the early 2000s, white women of childbearing age had mean 25(OH)D level of 26 ng/ml while black women of childbearing age had mean 25(OH)D level of 14 ng/ml. Both of these levels are low by current standards. As explained below, skin color is directly relevant to serum vitamin D levels produced by exposure to sunlight.
Higher vitamin D is associated with lower all-cause mortality rates

A topic of interest at the other end of life was the relation of mortality rate to serum 25(OH)D levels. A meta-analysis of 11 observational studies and 60,000 individuals found a reduction in risk over about 10 years for highest vs. lowest category of 25(OH)D level of mortality of 29% [Zittermann et al., 2012]. Comparing graded levels of intake, the reduction in risk was 14% for an increase of 5 ng/ml, 23% for an increase of 10 ng/ml, and 39% for an increase of 20 ng/ml in plasma levels of 25(OH)D, starting from a median of ~11 ng/ml. The participants starting with the lowest levels of serum 25(OH)D received the greatest benefits. Those who started with higher serum levels, closer to optimal (30-40 ng/ml), received less benefit from additional vitamin D. This relation between starting serum 25(OH)D levels and health outcome is not surprising because it is similar to many other health studies. Since 25(OH)D levels likely changed over the duration of the studies, and some participants died of unrelated causes, the actual effect of serum 25(OH)D level on mortality rate is greater than these estimates.
And less cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease is an important contributor to mortality rates. A study of 11,000 patients in Kansas was reported. The patients had a mean age of 58±15 years, a body mass index of 30±8 kg/m2, and a mean serum 25(OH)D level of 24±14 ng/ml [Vacek et al., 2012]. Serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/ml was significantly associated with several cardiovascular-related diseases, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. After a period of 5.5 years, those with serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/ml had twice the mortality rate of those with higher 25(OH)D levels.
And less risk of diabetes mellitus type 2

In a 2.7-year study of 2000 prediabetics, participants with the highest third of 25(OH)D levels (median, 30.1 ng/ml) had a reduction in risk of 28% for developing diabetes mellitus type 2 compared with participants in the lowest third (median, 12.8 ng/ml) [Pittas, 2012].
. . . and less diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM)

An observational study on insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (T1DM) was based on 1000 U.S. military service personnel who developed this disease between 2002 and 2011 [Gorham et al., 2012]. They had provided blood samples between one and ten years prior to developing T1DM. They were carefully matched with another thousand service personnel who did not develop T1DM. There was a reduction in risk of 78% for developing T1DM for those with serum 25(OH)D levels above 24 ng/ml compared to those with levels above 24 ng/ml. This finding is highly statistically significant and is one of the strongest studies of its type.
Fewer bacterial and viral infections

The effect of vitamin D in reducing risk of infections is a topic of increasing interest. Vitamin D reduces risk of infections primarily by strengthening the innate immune system, primarily by inducing production of cathelicidin, a polypeptide with antimicrobial and antiendotoxin properties. It also shifts production of cytokines, a type of cell signaling molecule, away from proinflammatory ones, and has a number of other actions on both the innate and adaptive immune system [Lang et al., 2012]. While the effects of vitamin D have been found mostly for bacterial infections, some have also been reported for viral infections such as influenza, HIV, and hepatitis C [Lang et al., 2012]. In a supplementation study in Sweden involving 140 patients with frequent respiratory tract infections (RTIs) using 4000 IU/d vitamin D3, those in the supplementation group increased their serum 25(OH)D level to 53 ng/ml while those in the placebo group had levels near 27 ng/ml [Bergman et al., 2012]. Those taking vitamin D3 had a 23% reduction in RTIs and a 50% reduction in the number of days using antibiotics.
The benefits of vitamin D in reducing risk of cancer

One of the important and well-documented effects of vitamin D is reduced risk of cancer and increased survival after cancer diagnosis. There were 400 publications on vitamin D and cancer in 2012 according to PubMed.gov. Evidence from ecological, observational and laboratory studies have identified over 15 types of cancer for which higher solar UVB light and/or serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with reduced risk. Two of the papers are especially noteworthy. One, a study from Norway involving 658 patients with either breast, colon, lung, or lymphoma with serum 25(OH)D levels determined within 90 days of cancer diagnosis were followed for up to nine years [Tretli et al., 2012]. Compared to those with levels <18 ng/ml, those who originally had levels >32 ng/ml had a reduction in risk for dying from cancer of 66%. To a cancer patient, this would be a lifeline.

Another cancer paper reported the results of supplementation with 4000 IU/d vitamin D3 of those with low-grade biopsy-assayed prostate cancer [Marshall et al., 2012]. Forty four patients successfully completed the one-year study. Twenty four of the subjects (55%) showed a decrease in the amount of cancer; five subjects (11%) showed no change; 15 subjects (34%) showed an increase. In comparison, with a historical group of 19 patients, only 4 (21%) had reductions in the amount of cancer, 3 (16%) showed no changes, and 12 (63%) showed an increase in cancer. Thus optimal vitamin D supplementation appears to be useful for treating those with cancer.
Falls and fractures

The classical role of vitamin D is to regulate calcium and phosphate absorption and metabolism, leading to strong bones. A pooled analysis of 31,000 persons (mean age, 76 years; 91% women) participating in randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation who developed ~1000 incident hip fractures and ~3800 nonvertebral fractures found that those with the highest intake (median 800 IU/d; range 792-2000) had a 30% reduction in risk of hip fracture and a 14% reduced risk of nonvertebral fracture [Bischoff-Ferrari et al., 2012]. The role of vitamin D in neuromuscular control also plays an important role in reducing risk of falls and fractures.
Skin pigment adapts slowly to changed ultraviolet environment

Jablonski and Chaplin have published a series of papers on human skin pigmentation and its relation to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) [Jablonski and Chaplin, 2012]. Their primary thesis is that human skin pigmentation has adapted to UVR conditions where a group of people live for 50 generations, or about a thousand years. UVR from mid-day sunlight produces vitamin D, which provides important protection against many diseases, but sunlight also causes skin cancer and destruction of folate. Dark skin protects against free radical production, damage to DNA, cancer, and loss of folate. Thus, dark skin is best in the tropical planes regions while pale skin is best at high latitude regions. Those with skin adapted to UVB between 23° and 46° have the ability to tan, which is an adaptation to seasonal changes in solar UVB doses. However, in recent times, people have moved or traveled to regions where their skin pigmentation is not suited to the local UVR conditions. They discuss three examples: nutritional rickets, multiple sclerosis and melanoma. Their abstract concludes with this observation: “Low UVB levels and vitamin D deficiencies produced by changes in location and lifestyle pose some of the most serious disease risks of the twenty-first century.”
Vitamin D levels for traditionally living Africans

A study on traditionally living Africans near the equator provides information on “normal” 25(OH)D levels. A paper was published on serum 25(OH)D levels of the Masai and the Hadzabe living near 4° S in Tanzania [Luxwolda et al., 2012]. They have skin type VI (very dark), wear a moderate amount of clothing, spend the major part of the day outdoors, but avoid direct exposure to sunlight when possible. The mean serum 25(OH)D levels of Maasai and Hadzabe were 48 (range 23-67) ng/ml and 44 (range 28-68) ng/ml, respectively. This finding suggests that serum 25(OH)D levels in the range of 40-50 ng/ml may be optimal for human health, which is generally consistent with observational studies for a number of health outcomes.

Vitamin D is made by exposure to sunlight to a significant degree only when the sun is 45 degrees or more above the horizon. At the latitudes of North America and Europe, this is summer midday sunlight between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. In the early morning or late afternoon, light-skinned individuals may tan but they hardly get any vitamin D from sunlight. And in the winter, nobody gets much vitamin D from the sun. This explains the health benefits of taking supplements of vitamin D.
Summary and Conclusion

Thus, the evidence that serum 25(OH)D levels above 30-40 ng/ml are required for optimal health continues to mount. It takes 1000-4000 IU/d vitamin D3 to reach these levels in the absence of significant UVB exposure. The evidence comes from a variety of studies including observational and laboratory studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). While RCTs are required to demonstrate effectiveness and lack of harm for pharmaceutical drugs which, by definition, are artificial compounds, they should not be required for vitamin D since it is a natural compound important for all animal life including humans. In addition, RCTs on vitamin D are difficult to conduct due to other sources of vitamin D and reduced conversion of vitamin D to 25(OH)D level at higher serum levels. It will take five years or more before large-scale RCTs testing vitamin D supplements are completed and reported. The adverse effects of oral intake of up to 4000 IU/d vitamin D3 and serum 25(OH)D levels up to 100 ng/ml are practically non-existent except for those individuals with conditions that may lead to hypercalcemia. However, some people have experienced hypertension, irritation and tachycardia at doses above 4000 IU/d. Thus, there seems to be little reason to wait for the RCTs before implementing vitamin D policies of higher oral intake and/or moderate UVB exposure and serum 25(OH)D levels. Everyone in North America and Europe should take a supplement of 1000-4000 IU/d of vitamin D in the winter, and those with dark skin or office jobs should take vitamin D all year long. Supplementation with vitamin D is an inexpensive and very effective way to produce huge health benefits.

For further information on vitamin D, the interested reader is directed to these websites: http://www.Grassrootshealth.net, http://www.VitaminDCouncil.org, and http://www.VitaminDWiki.com. Dr. Grant is director of http://www.sunarc.org .
Appreciation is expressed to all the scientists who have reviewed and contributed to this paper:

Barbara J. Boucher, M.D., Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Diabetes, Blizard Institute, London

John J. Cannell, M.D., Vitamin D Council, San Luis Obispo, CA

Brant Cebulla, Vitamin D Council, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cedric F. Garland, Dr. P.H., professor of Family and Preventive Medicine in the UCSD School of Medicine, and member of the Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center, LaJolla, CA

Afrozul Haq, Ph.D., Institutes of Pediatrics and Laboratory Medicine; Sheikh Khalifa Medical City; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Robert P. Heaney, M.D., Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

Perry Holman, Vitamin D Society, Canada

Johan E. Moan, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiation Biology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Stefan Pilz, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Jörg Reichrath, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Dermatology; The Saarland University Hospital; Homburg/Saar, Germany.

And, the Editorial Review Board of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, listed further below.

References:

1. Bergman P, Norlin AC, Hansen S, Rekha RS, Agerberth B, Bj”rkhem-Bergman L, Ekstr”m L, Lindh JD, Andersson J. Vitamin D3 supplementation in patients with frequent respiratory tract infections: a randomised and double-blind intervention study. BMJ Open. 2012;2(6). pii: e001663.

2. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Willett WC, Orav EJ, Lips P, Meunier PJ, Lyons RA, Flicker L, Wark J, Jackson RD, Cauley JA, Meyer HE, Pfeifer M, Sanders KM, St„helin HB, Theiler R, Dawson-Hughes B. A pooled analysis of vitamin D dose requirements for fracture prevention. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(1):40-9.

3. Gorham ED, Garland CF, Burgi AA, Mohr SB, Zeng K, Hofflich H, Kim JJ, Ricordi C. Lower prediagnostic serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is associated with higher risk of insulin-requiring diabetes: a nested case-control study. Diabetologia. 2012 Dec;55(12):3224-7.

4. Hollis BW, Wagner CL. Vitamin D and pregnancy: Skeletal effects, nonskeletal effects, and birth outcomes. Calcif Tissue Int. 2012 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]

5. Hossein-nezhad A, Holick MF. Optimize dietary intake of vitamin D: an epigenetic perspective. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012;15(6):567-79.

6. Jablonski NG, Chaplin G. Human skin pigmentation, migration and disease susceptibility. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2012;367(1590):785-92.

7. Lang PO, Samaras N, Samaras D, Aspinall R. How important is vitamin D in preventing infections? Osteoporos Int. 2012 Nov 17. [Epub ahead of print]

8. Luxwolda MF, Kuipers RS, Kema IP, Janneke Dijck-Brouwer DA, Muskiet FA. Traditionally living populations in East Africa have a mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 115 nmol/l. Br J Nutr. 2012;108(9):1557-61.

9. Marshall DT, Savage SJ, Garrett-Mayer E, Keane TE, Hollis BW, Host RL, Ambrose LH, Kindy MS, Gattoni-Celli S. Vitamin D3 supplementation at 4000 international units per day for one year results in a decrease of positive cores at repeat biopsy in subjects with low-risk prostate cancer under active surveillance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97(7):2315-24.

10. Mostafa GA, Al-Ayadhi LY. Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J Neuroinflammation. 2012;9:201.

11. Pittas AG, Nelson J, Mitri J, Hillmann W, Garganta C, Nathan DM, Hu FB, Dawson-Hughes B; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and progression to diabetes in patients at risk for diabetes: an ancillary analysis in the Diabetes Prevention Program. Diabetes Care. 2012;35(3):565-73.

12. Tretli S, Schwartz GG, Torjesen PA, Robsahm TE. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and survival in Norwegian patients with cancer of breast, colon, lung, and lymphoma: a population-based study. Cancer Causes Control. 2012;23(2):363-70.

13. Vacek JL, Vanga SR, Good M, Lai SM, Lakkireddy D, Howard PA. Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation and relation to cardiovascular health. Am J Cardiol. 2012;109(3):359-63.

14. Wagner CL, Taylor SN, Dawodu A, Johnson DD, Hollis BW. Vitamin D and its role during pregnancy in attaining optimal health of mother and fetus. Nutrients. 2012;4(3):208-30.

15. Whitehouse AJ, Holt BJ, Serralha M, Holt PG, Kusel MM, Hart PH. Maternal serum vitamin D levels during pregnancy and offspring neurocognitive development. Pediatrics. 2012;129(3):485-93.

16. Zittermann A, Iodice S, Pilz S, Grant WB, Bagnardi V, Gandini S. Vitamin D deficiency and mortality risk in the general population: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(1):91-100.

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

Find a Doctor

To locate an orthomolecular physician near you: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v06n09.shtml

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Featured Articles

Iodine Therapy For Thyroid and Immune Support

by Jonathan Landsman

(Internet) Did you know that doctors once considered iodine to be one of the most beneficial medicines on the planet? Naturally, this was before the pharmaceutical cartel seized control of conventional medicine.

A lack of iodine can make it difficult to properly detoxify the body; create thyroid dysfunction and promote cancer cell growth. In fact, Dr. David Brownstein, iodine expert suggests that most of the population is grossly deficient in this valuable mineral. Find out how iodine therapy can help eliminate dis-ease and promote optimal health – fast!

[Sponsor Products: Lugol’s Liquid Iodine, Thytrophin PMG,  Natural Cellular Immune Booster Protocol]

Is your modern lifestyle robbing you of iodine?

In the 1920s, goiter, or enlarged thyroid gland was a common health problem until we added iodine to salt. But, today, many people have reduced their iodized salt consumption and added chlorine, fluoride and bromide to their diets. The problem is – chlorine, fluoride and bromide lower natural iodine levels within the body by blocking iodine receptors.

Keep in mind, chlorine is commonly used to help “purify” the water in place of iodine. According to conventional dentists – who have been brainwashed by the biggest corporations in the world – fluoride will help “strengthen our teeth” – yeah right. And, bromines replaced iodides in most commercially sold baked goods – since the 1980s. All three of these elements are extremely toxic for the thyroid and dangerous for the rest of our body.

Did you know that bromide can cause depression, headaches, hallucinations or even schizophrenia? And, by the way, there are no long-term studies that show fluoride has any beneficial effect on human health.

The connection between Iodine and breast cancer rates

Observational studies suggest there is a strong connection between thyroid dysfunction and breast cancer. Currently, one in seven American women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. Yet, thirty years ago, when iodine consumption was much higher than it is today – one in 20 women developed breast cancer. Need I say more?

It’s interesting to note that women in Japan, that consume high levels of dietary iodine, have much lower rates of breast cancer and thyroid problems. But, when those women move to the United States and adopt a Western diet, including much less iodine – their rates of breast cancer and thyroid diseases increase dramatically! Vitamin D; iodine supplementation and fresh, organic whole foods would turn a sick nation around – overnight! It’s time to wake up humanity to a better way of living.

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Saccharin and Sugar Found More Addictive Than Cocaine

by Sayer Ji

(GreenMedInfo.com) Sugar and artificial sweeteners are so accessible, affordable and socially sanctioned, that few consider their habitual consumption to be a problem on the scale of say, addiction to cocaine.  But if recent research is correct their addictive potential could be even worse.

Almost 40 years ago, William Duffy published a book called Sugar Blues which argued that refined sugar is an addictive drug and profoundly damaging to health.  While over 1.6 million copies have been printed since its release in 1975, a common criticism of the book has been that it lacked sufficient scientific support.

Today, William Duffy’s work is finding increasing support in the first-hand, peer-reviewed and published scientific literature itself. Not only is sugar drug-like in effect, but it may be more addictive than cocaine.  Worse, many sugar-free synthetic sweeteners carry with them addictive properties and toxicities that are equal to, or may outweigh those of sugar.

Back in 2007, a revealing study titled, “Intense sweetness surpasses cocaine reward,”  found that when rats were given the option of choosing between water sweetened with saccharin and intravenous cocaine, the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin. This preference for sweetness was not attributable to its unnatural ability to induce sweetness without calories, because the same preference was found with sucrose; nor was the preference for saccharin overcome by increasing doses of cocaine.

A common argument against the relevance of animal studies like this to human behavior is that rats differ too profoundly from humans. However, even insects like forager bees have been found to respond in a similar way to humans when given cocaine, experiencing an overestimation of the value of the floral resources they collected, with cessation of chronic cocaine treatment causing a withdrawal-like response.

Researchers believe that intense sweetness activates ancient neuroendocrine pathways within the human body, making obsessive consumption and/or craving inevitable. The authors of the cocaine/saccharin study summarized this connection as follows:

“Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals. We speculate that the addictive potential of intense sweetness results from an inborn hypersensitivity to sweet tastants. In most mammals, including rats and humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars and are thus not adapted to high concentrations of sweet tastants. The supranormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a supranormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.”

In a previous article, “Is Fructose As Addictive As Alcohol?”, we looked at the addictive properties of isolated fructose in greater depth, including over 70 adverse health effects associated with fructose consumption. It appears that not only does fructose activate a dopamine- and opioid-mediated hedonic pathway within the body, but like excessive alcohol consumption, exacts a significant toll on health in exchange for the pleasure it generates.

The drug-like properties of common beverages and foods, have been the subject of a good deal of research over the past few decades. Wheat and related grains, for instance, are a major food source of opioid peptides. These pharmacologically active compounds, also found in milk, coffee and even lettuce, may even explain why ancient hunters and gatherers took the agrarian leap over 10,000 years ago.  Likely, the transition from the Paleolithic to Neolithic was motivated by a combination of environmental pressures and the inherently addictive properties made accessible and abundant due to the agrarian/animal husbandry mode of civilization. For more on this, read our essay “The Dark Side of Wheat.”

As far as synthetic sweeteners, an accumulating body of toxicological research indicates they have a wide range of unintended, adverse health effects beyond the aforementioned problem of addiction. For a comprehensive list, view our Artificial Sweetener Research page.

One clear implication of these findings is that one is best served consuming natural sweet foods, including honey, or fruit like apples. Not only are these easier to consume in moderation, but they have a profound set of “side benefits” as well. To learn more read our recent explorations of the following alternatives:

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Featured Articles Silver Archives

SILVER RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY

This amazing bibliography was assembled by Dr. A. Bart Flick, the developer of the silver infused wound bandaging material Silverlon.

1. Addicks, L. et al.: Silver in Industry, Reinhold Pub. Corp., NY 401-450, 584-597 (1940). Extensive bibliography on silver for water purification.
2. Akiyama, H. and Okamoto, S., Prophylaxis of indwelling urethral catheter infection: clinical experience with a modified Foley catheter and drainage system, J. Urol., 121, 40, 1979.
3. Avakyan, Z.A., Comparative toxicity of heavy metals for certain microorganisms, Microbiology, 36, 366, 1967.
4. Baenziger, N.C., Description of the structure of three silver-containing drug complexes, First International Conference on Gold and Silver in Medicine, Bethesda, MD, May 13-14, 1987.
5. Barranco, S.D. and Colmano, G., Electrical Inhibition of Staphlococcus aureus, Virginia Medical, 646, 1976.
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About:

Dr. Flick has been a leader in the creation of noninvasive healing technologies for more than thirty five years. After receiving his Medical Degree he continued with specialty training in Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. Following his orthopedic residency Dr. Flick received advanced training in Pain Management, and Wound Management.

Over the years Dr. Flick’s multidisciplinary approach to healing has resulted in numerous patents and the development of innovative medical products that speed the healing process, alleviate pain and reduce swelling. He has worked with the Food and Drug Administration to achieve regulatory approval for numerous medical devices.

As an Senior Research Scientist at the University of Georgia, Dr. Flick has developed several new antimicrobial products that have been shown to be effective in eliminating harmful microbes, bacteria, viruses and fungi from open wounds and ulcerations.

Categories
Featured Articles Healing Protocols

Pheromone and Testosterone Enhancement Protocol

by Ben Taylor (Reviewed by Dr. Ken O’Neal)

There are many different products on the market which claim to enhance sexual vitality and attraction between men and women. Most are derived from either animal or insect pheromones of which I am very skeptical. It is unlikely that pheromones from non-people species will translate to products that enhance the sexual attraction between men and women. Rather than wasting money on such questionable products, why not take the route of producing and enhancing your own pheromones with more natural means while at the same time improving your overall health? I believe this can be accomplished effectively through a combination of proper nutrition and diet, exercise, vitamins, minerals and sometimes herbal supplementation. It will thus trigger your own body to internally produce that which a healthy man’s body should be doing anyway.

This protocol can enhance your body’s own pheromone production and therefore its natural attraction, but it will not fix any character flaws that may make you unattractive to the opposite sex. Therefore don’t be under the misconception that having a healthy amount of pheromone production is going to cause the opposite sex to be following you down the street as if you’re the Piped Piper. Between men and women, there generally must be a visual and personality attraction before pheromones even come into play. This initial attraction may include any number of traits and factors. Perceived physical attractiveness is usually the first and foremost factor for men, especially younger men, who generally are drawn visually to a woman, often at the exclusion of all else. Hence, it is usually left to the woman to sort out the factors that really matter, although as males mature, this short-sightedness may diminish. Although I say this somewhat tongue in cheek, I think we all know by experience that there is a lot of truth to it. Younger women can be just as foolish as men in choosing a mate, but women tend to be less blinded by the visually superficial. They are more inclined to factor in such things as physical health and vitality, personality, and often even a perceived ability to provide some degree of security, whether financial and/or environmental. After these filters are passed through is when pheromones can effectively come into play.

Back to overall health for a moment. It is highly unlikely that a man who is tired, sickly, and exhibiting low energy levels will be producing enough pheromones to attract any more than the most tired and sickly women. Therefore the best way for a man to attract a woman is to exhibit and have good health. I’m not talking about just thinking or claiming you have good health. Men have an unusual ability of being able to lie to themselves about their health. In health surveys the majority of men rate their health as very good or excellent when actually their health is generally far below what it should be. The best indicator of excellent health is energy levels.

Although this protocol may be of benefit to both men and women, it is primarily written as a male vitality and pheromone enhancement therapy. Any protocol involving hormonal issues are inherently more complicated in women because of menstrual cycles, child birth, and menopause and are too complex to effectively address in this article. This protocol is based simply on personal experience and research, resulting in opinions arrived at by the writer and reviewer.

Therapeutic Liver Flush– All health enhancing protocols should start with a liver flush using the 2 day protocol of Epsom Salts, olive oil and grapefruit juice. If that protocol is too much or not convenient (one must stay inactive and near a toilet for one and a half days), a 14 Day Liver Cleanse condensed into 7 days may be adequate. The liver functions similar to the oil filter of an automobile and must be cleaned periodically otherwise it becomes clogged with toxins and therefore inhibits the body’s ability to cleanse the blood of even more toxins.

Hair Mineral Analysis- If one can afford it, this analysis allows one to target the areas in which you are mineral deficient or out of balance. Mineral deficiency is the major cause of health problems and disease as documented by Dr. Linus Pauling. But almost as crucial as are deficiencies is having the proper ratios of minerals that work synergistically.

Vitamin & Mineral Formula-Notwithstanding a hair mineral analysis, first and foremost is providing your body with the essential nutrition required for energy and vitality. If you are always tired and don’t have the energy for physical activity and exercise, then you probably won’t have the energy needed to perform sexually on a consistent basis. A good overall vitamin and mineral formula is usually the best place to start for broad spectrum nutrient enhancement. IntraMax is our very best top of the line vitamin, mineral, and herbal formula. Liquid Life Complete Nutrition is a more economical and non-therapeutic product, but very good alternative.

DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone that is primarily produced by the adrenal glands and is the base from which most other key sexual hormones and substances, testosterone, corticosteroids, and progesterone are derived.

Drenamin is designed to rebuild the adrenal glands which are essential for the proper production of sex hormones. Adrenal glandulars have been used for many years by natural doctors to help those plagued with adrenal exhaustion or “burnout,” a common result of today’s lifestyles.

Thytrophin PMG, take one per meal for 1-2 weeks to test the body reaction and to allow it to adjust. If you do not experience an increase in nervousness or irritability during this period, you may want to increase to two tablets per meal for a month or two. After that, you may reduce to one tablet per meal for maintenance purposes.

Lugol’s Liquid Iodine is the basic substance of thyroid hormone and acute iodine deficiency is very prevalent in modern cultures. 2-10 drops per day may be used for ‘loading’ purposes in the case of iodine depletion. (See the Iodine Replacement Therapy video for more information.) Iodine is not only essential for proper thyroid function, but is also critical for normal heart rhythm. Some people have a difficult time absorbing enough iodine when taken orally. We recommend taking iodine by placing 2-10 drops on the stomach and absorbing through the skin.This bypasses any issues with the adequate digestive tract absorption of iodine. (Warning: In the case of Hashimoto’s Disease, Iodine should not be used.)

Orchex rebuilds and s upports healthy testicular function, the balanced function of the central nervous system, encourages mental clarity, lessens depression, enhances the ability to relax, and allows greater adaptability to stresses, helping to maintain emotional balance.

Taurine is an antioxidant amino acid that protects against free radical damage to cells, and aids in sperm motility, osmoregulation (maintenance of proper concentrations of ions) inside the cell, membrane stabilization, bile acid conjugation, neurotransmission and athletic performance. It acts as an insulin mimetic, to allow for better glucose deposition into muscles. It is the number one amino acid in skeletal & cardiac muscle.

Membrane Complex provides a balanced formula for magnesium, calcium, and potassium. These minerals are essential for proper muscular function and blood flow by creating an optimal intra-cellular and extra-cellular exchange of fluids to all areas of the body including sexually related organs. Magnesium is the major mineral that keeps the inside of cells in a healthy alkaline state.

Enzymes used s ystemically is one of the best ways to open veins and capillaries to enhance blood flow throughout the body. Healthy blood flow is essential for proper sexual function as erectile dysfunction (ED) is caused in part if not primarily by reduced or restricted blood flow.

(Caution: Do not use this protocol if you are doing any Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or if you have unresolved Prostate issues. We believe that except under extraordinary circumstances hormone replacement therapy using synthetic chemicals can potentially be very dangerous. Although this protocol may in some ways benefit the underlying issues of prostate problems, the inflammation and swelling associated with those problems should be resolved before using this protocol therapeutically. Some prostate issues may be a result of a lack of sexual activity in that semen is produced, but not released resulting in swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland.)

Here is also an interesting article on pheromones and how they relate to sexual attraction written by a very good health researcher and writer, John Morgenthaler. ******

The Pheromone Revolution—Sexual Attractants and Their Effects on Sex, Confidence and Health
by John Morgenthaler

In the 1870s, the noted French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre noted that male moths were flying for miles around to visit a female moth caged in his lab. {ads) Fabre speculated that the female moth was emitting a chemical scent that was attracting the males. Almost a century later, in 1959, the German chemist Adolf Butenandt ushered in the age of modern pheromone research when he successfully isolated the active chemical, bombykol, that proved so alluring to male moths.

Noted author Lewis Thomas examined the powerful effect of this remarkable chemical messenger on the male moth in his short essay, “A Fear of Pheromones.”

“The messages are urgent, but they may arrive, for all we know, in a fragrance of ambiguity. ‘At home, 4 p.m. today,’ says a female moth, and releases a brief explosion of bombykol, a single molecule of which will rattle the hairs of any male within miles and send him driving upwind in a confusion of ardor.

But it is doubtful if he has an awareness of being caught in an aerosol of chemical attractant. On the contrary, he probably finds suddenly that it has become an excellent day, the weather remarkably bracing, the time appropriate for a bit of exercise of the old wings, a brisk turn upwind. En route, traveling the gradient of bombykol, he notes the presence of other males, heading in the same direction, all in a good mood, inclined to race for the sheer sport of it. Then, when he reaches his destination, it may seem to him the most extraordinary of coincidences, the greatest piece of luck: ‘Bless my soul, what have we here!’ (“A Fear of Pheromones,” Lewis Thomas in The Lives of a Cell, 1974, Bantam Books)

The Sixth Sense?
Attraction, courtship and reproduction are among the most beautiful, complex and baffling of all human interactions. Why are we attracted to one person, but not another? Do we really fall in love at first sight? And how do we know when the “chemistry” is right? The processes that govern how, why and with whom we fall in love have eluded and frustrated artists, poets, philosophers and scientists through recorded history.

Now, modern research is beginning to shed light on some of the mystery surrounding sexual attraction. Researchers and scientists are now convinced that chemical signals, invisible to our five normal senses, play an important role in not only how we select a mate, but also whether we can bond and remain with that partner over a lifetime. And as it turns out, the long sought path to the human heart may be right under our nose.

Modern advertising employs an almost obscene range of erotic imagery to grab our attention—and for good reason. Millions of years of selective evolution have given modern humans a brain that is hard-wired to respond to visual sexual cues. Consequently, when we search for a prospective mate our initial selection is based on perceived visual attributes such as attractiveness, symmetry, fitness, health and social status. Once a suitable prospect has passed inspection and been allowed to approach to within arms’ length, a new set of biologically produced chemicals begin to exert a subtle yet profound effect on our desire. These chemicals, called pheromones, are sexual messenger molecules produced to convey a subconscious message of sexual interest and intent.

Isolating Human Pheromones
In the 1960s, a group of anatomists at the University of Utah began to investigate the chemistry of human skin using cells recovered from used arm and leg casts. During the course of their work one of the researchers noticed something unusual—when vials containing these chemicals where left open, the previously contentious and aggressive demeanor of the laboratory researchers began to give way to a cheerful sense of good will and camaraderie. Later, when these same vials were closed, the scientists drifted back to their previous habits of competition and isolation.
Over the next 30 years scientists embarked on a search for this odorless chemical with the power to turn a group of grouchy lab workers into a cooperative and energized team.
Pheromones
The word pheromone comes from the Greek words Pheran (to transfer) and Horman (to excite). Pheromones are complex organic compounds utilized by all animals, from protozoa to the higher primates, as a means of communication. In complex animal societies specialized pheromones facilitate the cooperation of individuals for a number of functions. Some examples:

• Insects such as ants and bees use alarm pheromones to trigger an instant and violent response if a colony comes under attack.
• Rabbits release dispersion pheromones to demarcate territorial zones and to disperse members of the group in the presence of a threat.
• And boll weevils produce aggregation pheromones to inform others of the presence of food or new habitats for colonization.

While specialized pheromones can serve a range of species-specific purposes, sexual pheromones play an identical role in all species—they convey sexual excitement and intent to potential mates.

The Vomeronasal Organ
Garden variety odors and scents are detected by cells within the nasal cavity by the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Pheromones, on the other hand, are perceived by a separate accessory structure known as the Vomeronasal organ (VNO). In 1813, the Danish anatomist Ludvig Jacobson described his discovery of this organ located in the nasal cavity of mammals. The VNO has been shown to be exclusively connected to specialized centers of the limbic system.

Once believed to be a purely vestigial organ in humans, research has confirmed the existence of the VNO in humans. In one study in 1958, histological examination of the nasal septum revealed the presence of vomeronasal cavities in approximately 70 percent of all adults. Later, microscopic examination in 1991 was able to clearly identify the presence of vomeronasal organs in 100 percent of adult subjects. This lead to the conclusion that the VNO is present in adult humans, and that this specialized chemosensory organ has evolved to do one thing: detect human sexual pheromones.
The Limbic Connection

Researchers have shown that the human VNO is connected directly to the limbic system, that part of the brain that is responsible for exploration, flight or fight, for identifying with the environment and reacting to it. The limbic system is also responsible for controlling emotional and behavioral patterns. As William Regelson, M.D., describes it, “You can tell when someone is paying attention or reacting to you with a deep connection, because their eyes glow. This is because they connected with their limbic system. You’re really limbic when you’re in love—your eyes glow. If you’re a religious fanatic, your eyes glow. If someone is in love with you, you can tell, because their eyes glow—they’ve formed a deep limbic connection with you. And this is why the eyes are, in a very real sense, the seat of the soul. And I think that pheromones are really the key limbic stimulants involved in love and lovemaking.”

Timing of Menstrual Cycles
Once the presence of a working pheromone receptor (VNO) in humans was proven, the next step lay in understanding how pheromones actually work on humans. Unlike insects, humans do not drop everything at the first whiff of a few delicious carbon molecules and assume the mating position. But for all our sophistication and Byzantine sexual cues and responses, an accumulating body of data has firmly established the working presence of these stealthy chemicals.

One of the first indications that humans produce and respond to pheromones was the discovery that women living in close proximity tend to synchronize menstrual cycles within a few short months. Researchers then discovered that chemicals produced in the armpits of females at different phases of the menstrual cycle influence the timing of their cycles. In a 1988 study by Stern and McClintock, researchers collected underarm perspiration from women at specific intervals during their monthly ovulation cycles. After the samples were treated to render them odorless they were applied above the upper lips of a second group of female volunteers. The results were that the onset and length of the ovulation cycles of the second group of volunteers were altered to synchronize with the first group.

Investigators speculate that the synchronization of menstrual cycles is an evolutionary trait with two important purposes: First, by closely timing their menstrual cycles, women would reject all the men of their group at the same time and force them to go out to hunt. Second, by synchronizing the menstrual and birthing cycles, women would give birth at the same time, allowing them to optimize available resources for the care and protection of their young.

“This study, I think, really is the first definitive study that shows that humans have pheromones,” said McClintock at the conclusion of the study. “We still need to know whether we use them on a regular basis, but they are there.”

Pheromones and Immunity: The Smelly T-Shirt Study
It is now recognized that pheromones play a role in conveying the genetic makeup and health of a prospective reproductive partner. Major histocompatibility complex (MCH) genes are among the most diverse of all genes, constituting, in essence, a genetic signature of the individual. MHC genes help the body to recognize its own healthy cells, to identify invading pathogens and to reject foreign tissues.

MHC genes also give each individual a unique odor that can be detected. Among mice it is well known that MHC genes play an important role in mate selection. Inbred mice, identical except for MHC genes, prefer the odor of closely related nest mates. Once they enter puberty these mice show a marked preference to mate with mice whose MHC genes are most unlike their own.

Once pregnant these mice revert to their early preferences and return to nest with males with similar MHC genes. Scientists speculate that nesting with relatives ensures not only help in nursing and raising the young but also offers protection from strange and potentially dangerous males. The preference for MCH-dissimilar mates is also seen as important for reducing the risks of inbreeding and genetic diseases.

To see if MHC genes play a role in human mate selection, Klaus Wedekind, a zoologist at Switzerland’s Bern University, conducted a unique experiment involving smelly T-shirts. Wedekinds’ team recruited 49 women and 44 men who were screened to assure they carried a wide array of MHC genes. Each man was given a clean T-shirt and instructed to sleep in the shirt for two nights to thoroughly saturate the material with his scent.
The shirts were then gathered and placed in cardboard boxes with sniffing holes in the tops. Each woman was brought into the lab at the midpoint of their menstrual cycles and presented with a choice of seven boxes to sniff. Three boxes contained T-shirts from MHC-similar males, three from MHC-dissimilar males, and the last box contained a clean shirt as a control. The women were asked to smell the boxes and rate them as smelling either pleasant or unpleasant. The researchers discovered that the women preferred the scent of men with dissimilar MHC genes. Many of the women also commented that the MHC-dissimilar shirts reminded them of their boyfriends, both past and present.

Breakthrough in Human Pheromones
Cosmetics purporting to contain pheromones have been around for a number of years, each promising to increase one’s sexual attractiveness and prowess. In fact many of these cosmetics, packaged as perfumes and colognes, did contain a real pheromone, called androstenone. Derived from pig saliva, androstenone has been shown to be extremely effective pheromone, causing an almost immediate and uncontrollable mating reaction —if you happen to be a pig. And though one may argue that humans often behave in a piggish manner, thankfully we do not respond to porcine pheromones.

Real Life —The Twins Test
To test the effectiveness of pheromones in real-life, ABC News conducted an impressive if somewhat unscientific test in March of 1988. Two sets of identical twins—two sisters and two brothers—were taken to a popular New York bar. Human pheromone was applied to one of the twins in each pair, while the other got plain witch hazel. Neither twin knew what they received. The only rules for the test were that they were to trade places throughout the evening, and they couldn’t make the first move toward contacting other bar patrons.

The results for the men came out about even—a handful of women approached each of them. This isn’t unusual, as fewer women will approach a strange man in a bar. But the results for the women were more dramatic. Shari, the twin wearing the witch hazel, was approached by 11 different men over the course of the evening. But Stasea, wearing the human pheromone, was chatted up by 30 different men, nearly three times as many as her identical twin sister.

Shari noted that “People didn’t even want to talk to me, and my sister got all the attention. It was incredible, truly.” Stasea’s reaction to the pheromone was that “They didn’t just talk, they were ENTHRALLED with me!”

Concluding the report, ABC News Medical Corespondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman asked “about the situation in the bar,” to which reporter Bill Ritter said, “The results astonished us. We can’t deny what we saw happen in the bar.”

Many factors influence our attractiveness to others. Physical attractiveness, age, health, fitness, social status and character are but a few components known to affect one’s perceived attractiveness by a potential mate.
[This article has been minimally edited for brevity and to remove any advertising.]

There is no guarantee of results and it is the responsibility of each protocol user to research, study, and then determine whether or not the above information is appropriate for them or not.

Categories
Featured Articles Healing Protocols

Natural Therapeutic Immune Booster Protocol

by Ben Taylor
(from resources by Tony Isaacs and Dr. Ken O’Neal)

(1) Put aside stressful situations in your life and put past traumas behind you. Focus on a positive outlook with healing your body, mind, and spirit as a priority. Research has shown that prayer, which puts the mind, body, and spirit into agreement with God and with the healthy actions you are taking is very helpful for optimum healing. God created a Universe of logic and order which has built into it “cause and effect”. We cannot expect regeneration of our physical mind and body if we continue to abuse them with unhealthy thoughts and worries.

(2) Stop all alcohol and tobacco use as well as food abuse (overeating of foods, especially processed foods) as they will lower your immunity even further and may well be the root cause of your health problems. Again, back to “cause and effect”, we cannot expect regeneration of our physical mind and body if we continue to abuse them with unhealthy practices. If you are unwilling to engage this step, you may be wasting your time.

(3) Discontinue consumption of most animal proteins (meat, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and fish) and sugars (except for raw fruit) whether in food or drink for 30-90 days. One of the best alternative sources of protein is unrefined, bio-active, 100% all natural grass pasture, no anti-biotics and no steroids, raw milk Whey Protein. Eat only starches, vegetables (excluding potatoes) and fruit. Raw organic carrots and apples and/or their juices are very good. Mega doses of Enzymes (4-6 capsules morning, noon, and night) on an empty stomach will enhance circulation and boost your overall immunity to pathogens.

(4) Drink non-chlorinated and non-fluorinated water (6 – 8 glasses per day). Be careful above 64 oz. per day; too much water can result in electrolyte dilution which can cause neurological and heart problems.

(5) Perform a pH saliva or urine test first thing in the morning after waking up for three days to get a normal average. A neutral pH is considered about 6.8-7.0; acidic is below that and alkaline is above that. Most people with health issues tend to be more acidic. If this is the case add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda, not baking powders) to 6-8 ounces of water and drink it once a day for 1 week. Check your pH level again, if it has not increased to a level near 7.5, continue the protocol for another week. This should adjust your body toward a more alkaline pH which is a less friendly environment within which pathogens, tumors, cancers, and other diseases can flourish. Remember, this is not a long-term cure for acidosis; it is best to eat adequate organic green vegetables to ‘naturally’ maintain a proper pH, but this can help you short-term to boost your immune system while utilizing other elements of this Immune Booster Protocol. The body responds with better health to a pH shading toward the more alkaline, in the 7.5 range, but be cautious; becoming too alkaline is not healthy either. Do not take Sodium Bicarbonate with meals or close to mealtimes as it reduces the acidity of the stomach acid needed for proper digestion.

(6) Get to bed by 10:30 pm even if you don’t go to sleep immediately. You can pray or meditate and relax until sleeps comes. If you require a sleep aid, take 1-3 L-Tryptophan capsules with 3-4 Membrane Complex (Magnesium) capsules. If you need an additional boost, 2-3 Drenamin tablets will usually enhance the effectiveness of the L-Tryptophan and Magnesium. This is much preferable to getting on the vicious rollercoaster of dangerous sleeping drugs.

(7) Before starting the IP-6 protocol do a 1-2 weeks therapeutic protocol of Membrane Complex (3 caps morning and night), Zinc Balance, (2 caps per day) and Lugol’s Iodine (5-6 drops per day). The reason for this is that in a small percentage of people (those severely deficient in these minerals); IP-6 tends to accelerate depletion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Membrane Complex is the best assimilated form of calcium, magnesium and potassium and along with iodine supports the heart in maintaining proper rhythms. Continue the Membrane Complex, Zinc Balance, and Lugol’s as long as you are using the IP-6.)

(8) Simultaneous with item (7) do a Liver Cleanse (7 or 14 day) to flush toxins from your liver and gall bladder and continue to do a liver cleanse every 4-6 weeks as long as you are using this protocol. If you are strong enough, you may want to do the 5 day liver cleanse detailed below.

(9) One of the most essential elements of successfully boosting the immune system is exercise. Without regular and vigorous body movement and muscle use, the lymphatic system is unable to function properly because it has no built in pump to force the flow of fluids as does the circulatory system. The heart pumps blood through the arteries and veins to bring nutrition and oxygen to the cells and the lymph system removes the waste, debris, and disease components such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The lymph system of organs consisting of the spleen, the tonsils, the thymus, lymph glands, and appendix are essential parts of the body’s detoxification and immune system. If you are unable to get out and walk vigorously on a regular basis, one of the best options is a small (about 36” in diameter) trampoline. The vigorous walking and the rebounding stimulates lymph flow so that toxins can be removed, so do not neglect exercise, one of the most important aspects of good health.

(10) Also with item (7) and (8), do a 1-2 week colon cleanse using a 50/50 mixture of Diatomaceous Earth and Calcium Bentonite Clay (1 tablespoon per day). If you are experiencing constipation or irregular bowel movements, you may also need to use an herbal aid such as Colon Klenz (2-8 caps per day depending on how your body responds).

(11) Next start either the Rose Laurel OPC protocol using as suggested below or the Inositol/IP6 protocol as suggested on the bottle. These protocols may be alternated every other month, but we do not recommend doing both simultaneously, especially if one is in a weaken state of health already. But should one choose both, even if still strong proceed with caution as doing so may intensify the flushing of toxins and cause a Herxheimer Effect which can result in flu like symptoms, diarrhea, and feeling bad in general. Always start with a minimum amount of either of these two products for 3-7 days. If your body responds reasonably well, you may then choose to gradually increase your servings. Always stay within your comfort level.

(12) After starting either the OPC or IP-6, take 1 tablespoon of Zeolite in 8 ounces of water per day on an empty stomach. Zeolite is a potent cellular detoxifier, often used for heavy metal and radiation poisoning.

(13) Take 2 N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) (600mg time release capsules) with fruit juice three times per day on an empty stomach (to aid the body synthesizing Glutathione). If weight loss is already advanced, these amounts can be doubled. Sometimes high dosages of NAC can lead to the loss of Zinc, Copper and other trace minerals and it may be advisable to take a Zinc/Copper Balance and a Colloidal Plant Mineral supplement to reduce this possibility.

(14) Take an anti-microbial supplement like Colloidal Silver (½ -2 ounces) or Olive Leaf Extract on a daily basis. It is reported that colloidal silver enhances both IP-6 and OPC effects.

(15) Organic Flax Oil (1/4 to 1/2 ounce per IP-6 serving) is used to enhance the IP-6 Protocol.

(16) If available Curcumin (as per the work of Dr. H. Kremer) and Black Seed Oil (Nigella Sativa) are good optional additions to this protocol used 3 times per day after meals.

(17) Vitamin D3 is essential to a healthy immune system. The best way to obtain it is exposure to sunlight. It takes at least 30 minutes per day with bare chest or legs and arms to get an adequate amount. For therapeutic use 10,000-20,000 IU per day is often suggested.

(18) Colloidal Silver has properties that aid in boosting the immune system against infections and inflammation, while regenerating healthy tissue. New research by British scientist also indicates that silver may be a potent killer cell fighter in its own right. (Note: When using therapeutic amounts of silver (1 or more oz. per day) for more than a week or two, be sure and take Probiotics an hour or so afterwards to replenish the colon flora to maintain proper digestion.)

Utopia Silver carries all of the linked supplements.

Rose Laurel OPC Dosages:
Suggested Rose Laurel OPC (Capsules) protocol by OPC researchers (Cancer, Hep C, Neurological problems).

(1) Start off by taking 1 capsule with breakfast for 2 days. (with Bromelain for better assimilation)

(2) Increase dosage to 1 capsule twice per day (2 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for a further 2 days.

(3) For more serious ailments increase dosage to 2 capsules twice per day (4 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for 1 month.

(4) If no improvement, increase dosage to 3 capsules twice per day (6 caps total) with breakfast and lunch for 2 months.

(5) When in remission, the dosage can be reduced to 2 capsules per day for at least a further 3 – 6 months

Case studies for oleander extract treatment.

Johanna Budwig Mix:
This can be done as an addition to the above protocol if you are able.

(1) Blend 6 Tbsp of cottage cheese (organic if possible) and 3 Tbsp of Organic Flax Oil. You can mix higher quantities at a time but keep the ratio 2 Tbsp of cottage cheese to 1 Tbsp of Flaxseed oil. Add 2 Tbsp of freshly ground up Flaxseed (in a coffee grinder). Add half a teaspoon of cayenne. You can also add a bit of garlic. You can add fruit to this blend. Blend all this together. If the mixture is very thick, add 2 or 3 Tbsp of fruit juice like grape or apple.

(2) Take the above mixture during the day. Make a fresh batch every 2nd or 3rd day.

5-day Liver Cleanse
This liver cleanse is highly recommended and should be done prior to doing the protocols above.

It is best to have day 4 and 5 on a Saturday and Sunday or at a time when you can stay at home.
Day 1: Drink 32 oz. of organic apple juice during the day. Eat as normal otherwise.
Day 2: Drink 32 oz. of organic apple juice during the day. Eat as normal otherwise.
Day 3: Drink 32 oz. of organic apple juice during the day. Eat as normal otherwise.

Day 4: Do not consume any solid food after lunch time.
6 pm: Take one level tablespoon of Epsom salt in a glass of water
8 pm: Take another tablespoon of Epsom salt in a glass of water. You may find that you already have to take a trip to the toilet before the 8 pm Epsom salt.
10pm: Mix one half glass of olive oil and three quarter glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice by shaking it very well in a jar with a lid so that it mixes well and immediately get into bed after drinking the mixture. You will probably make more than one trip to the toilet during the night as well as during the next day.

Day 5: 6 am: Take another tablespoon of Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) in a glass of water
8am: Take one final tablespoon of Epsom Salts in a glass of water.
12 Noon: At noon, you may eat a light meal and a normal evening dinner.

You may find that many gallstones will be passed and will be noticeable in your stool. They will vary in size from about pin head size to 3/8” in diameter. Gallstones in the liver are a major cause of many health problems as they inhibit the flushing of toxins from the liver and gall bladder. This liver cleanse can be repeated every month until one finds that for two months in succession no more gallstones are passed. We also have a gentler Complete Liver Cleanse that is designed for 2 weeks, but it can be compressed into 7 days.

There is no guarantee of results and it is the responsibility of each protocol user to research, study, and then determine whether or not the above information is appropriate for them or not.

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Purple Carrots Boast Ancient Roots

by Margie King, Health Coach

Carrot in the English lexicon has become a synonym for bright, vibrant orange. But that wasn’t always the case. Back a few millennia, calling someone a “carrot top” might have conjured more of a dark Goth image. That’s because the original carrots were not at all orange, but purple.

The second most popular vegetable after the potato, carrots are related to parsnips, fennel caraway, cumin and dill. There are over 100 different varieties that vary in size from as small as two inches or as long as three feet, and ranging in diameter from a half inch to over two inches.

Carrots originated as a wild root 5,000 years ago in Afghanistan where they were also first cultivated prior to 900 A.D. The original crops were purple or yellow only. The purple carrot spread into the Mediterranean region in the 10th century and together with the yellow variety later spread into Europe. Orange carrots are thought to be mutations of yellow forms, and were actually developed in the Netherlands. The orange variety made its way to North America in the 17th century with English settlers.

In general, orange carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, compounds that are converted to vitamin A in the body. They also contain phytochemicals that have antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other health enhancing properties.

Not only do purple carrots contain all of the phytochemicals found in orange carrots, they also contain anthocyanins, the same antioxidant compounds that are responsible for the red, blue and purple colors of fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins also have been shown to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, as well as to maintain urinary tract health and provide protection against cancer, memory loss and abdominal obesity.

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Anthocyanins are so powerful that a recent study from Harvard University found that young and middle-age women who ate high levels of anthocyanins had a 32% reduced risk for heart attack compared to women eating lower levels.  The researchers concluded that it wasn’t just eating more fruits and vegetables that conferred the benefit but eating more anthocyanin-rich foods like blueberries, strawberries, eggplants, blackberries and blackcurrants.  Add purple carrots to that list.

Purple carrots may be almost completely purple or may have a white, yellow or orange core, making them a colorful addition to many dishes. They are slightly sweeter and softer than the traditional orange variety. You can even buy purple carrot juice for your children (or yourself for that matter).

Try some if you get the chance, but don’t go overboard. You know how some people turn orange from eating orange carrots? It raises an unanswered question about the purple variety.

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Vitamin D Deficiency Observed In Critically Ill Children

by: Jonathan Benson

(NaturalNews) There is something to be said for allowing your children copious amounts of free time outdoors to ride their bicycles, engage in sports activities, and play with their friends, especially if you want them to grow up to be healthy, strong, and vibrant members of society. And a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics clearly illustrates this point, having found that many of the most critically ill children are also the ones with the most severe vitamin D deficiencies, which means these young ones are not getting enough natural sunlight exposure to maintain proper health.

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For their study, Dr. Kate Madden, M.D., and her colleagues from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston evaluated 511 children, all of whom were severely or critically ill, and who had been admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for treatment between November 2009 and November 2010. Each of the children was also given a blood test, which was evaluated for concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), a marker that is considered to be the most accurate indicator of vitamin D levels.Upon evaluation, the team observed that the more ill a child was, the more likely he or she was to have inadequate or deficient levels of 25(OH)D. Similarly, the team noticed that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with fewer cases of illness. Children admitted to a PICU during the summer, for instance, or who had already been taking vitamin D3 supplements were far less likely to be critically ill compared to children admitted during the winter and not taking vitamin D3.”We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill children, which was associated with higher critical illness severity,” wrote the authors in their abstract. “Vitamin D is essential for bone health and for cardiovascular and immune function. In critically ill adults, vitamin D deficiency is common and associated with sepsis and with higher critical illness severity.”You can view the complete study here: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/3/421What these findings ultimately reveal, of course, is that children need sunlight in order to build immunity and stay healthy. Thanks to all the extensive research that has been conducted in recent years on the prohormone, we know that maintaining optimal blood levels of vitamin D between 50-80 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) is essential for deterring a myriad of chronic health conditions, including influenza, bacterial and viral infections, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders, among many others.
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Toxic Amounts Of Aluminium Found In Infant Formulas

by: Helen Davies MSc

(NaturalNews) Although the unacceptably excessive presence of aluminium in infant formulas has been scientifically documented and proven since the late 1990s and the manufacturing companies are sufficiently warned and very well aware of the health problems it causes, it looks like commercial infant formulas still contain too much of this neurotoxic element.

Milk substitutes are sophisticated products that aim to nutritionally support newborns and infants of several years of age. Dr Weintraub and his team were some of the first scientists that investigated the presence of toxic amounts of aluminium in commercial infant formulas in 1986. They found that popular formulas had up to 150 times more aluminium than fresh breast milk, tap water or pasteurized cow’s milk. The problem with aluminium is that it accumulates in the bones and neural tissues. Although there are no clinical studies investigating the impact of aluminium overload in healthy infants, preliminary research shows that aluminium causes significant oxidative stress in the brain of newborn rats, while it compromises the cellular antioxidant defenses.In the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (1996), we find the description of several cases of young children suffering from aluminium intoxication, which was closely associated to subsequent encephalopathies, leading to progressive degeneration of brain functions and bone abnormalities, mainly osteomalacia, which results in soft and flexible bones. Overexposure to aluminium combined with poor kidney function are the most important factors that determine to which extent toxic amounts of aluminium will accumulate in the body tissues. FDA has determined that newborn babies can tolerate up to five micrograms of aluminium for every kilogram of their weight on a daily basis. Even if we accept this limit as legitimate, an interesting study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition found that on average, preterm babies receive three times more aluminium than this arbitrary safe limit allows.There is still too much aluminium
Revisiting this important child health topic, Professor Chris Exley, from the University of Keele, UK, tested several brands of ready-made milks and powder formulas for aluminium content in 2010. Surprisingly, the samples studied, especially the ready-made preparations, were heavily loaded with aluminium, containing several times higher amounts than the ones allowed in the drinking water. The study reveals that the maximum concentration measured was 700 micrograms per liter, which was found in a milk product (Cow and Gate Nutriprem 1) destined for preterm newborns. Overall, all the commercial brands tested had alarmingly high concentrations of aluminium (200-700 micrograms/lt) resulting in the ingestion of up to 600 micrograms of aluminium on a daily basis. Professor Exley reports that infant formulas contain 40 times more aluminium than breast milk; these amounts constitute these products inappropriate for human consumption, let alone for nutritionally supporting newborns. Although the sources for this consistent contamination are hard to find, there is a considerable amount of responsibility for the manufacturing companies. Based on these facts, parents should be well aware of the potential dangers of giving commercial infant formulas to their babies or younger children.