Category: Featured Articles

by Sherry Baker

(NaturalNews) It's no secret that Americans are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in droves.

In fact, last December the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released new findings that revealed about 38 percent of adults (four in 10) and approximately 12 percent of children (about one in nine) are using some form of CAM. What's more, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has invested more than $2 billion into CAM research over the past ten years.

However, a new study just published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a large number of American health practitioners, including MDs, simply aren't aware of the serious scientific attention being given to CAM by the federal government. The report concludes only one in four practicing clinicians are aware of two major federally funded clinical trials of alternative therapies — and many doctors don't seem to have confidence in their ability to interpret results of CAM research. This could be keeping many physicians from incorporating helpful alternative therapies into their practice.

"For evidence from clinical research to have an impact on medical practice, health care professionals must first be aware of the research. Once aware, health care professionals must be able to interpret these findings, judging both their validity and their implications. Finally, they must apply the scientific evidence to their own practices," the authors of the study wrote.

To gather information about health care professionals' awareness of CAM research, Jon C. Tilburt, M.D., M.P.H., of the NIH and Mayo Clinic and his research team surveyed 2,400 internists and rheumatologists as well as practicing acupuncturists and naturopaths about their awareness of CAM research and their attitudes toward findings in this field.

Out of the total of 1,561 clinicians (65 percent) who completed the survey, 59 percent were aware of at least one of two major clinical trials recently published on CAM therapies for osteoarthritis of the knee (one researched acupuncture and the other studied the impact of the supplement glucosamine). However, only 23 percent were aware of both trials. Acupuncturists (46 percent) and rheumatologists (49 percent) were more often aware of the acupuncture study than the naturopaths (30 percent) and only 22 percent of the general internists knew about the research. But alternative health practitioners aren't always aware of the latest in CAM research, either. When it came to the glucosamine trial, more internists (59 percent) and rheumatologists (88 percent) were aware of the study than the acupuncturists (20 percent) and naturopaths (39 percent).

A minority of clinicians in all groups said they were "very confident" in their ability to critically interpret CAM research literature (20 percent of acupuncturists, 25 percent of naturopaths, 17 percent of internists and 33 percent of rheumatologists); more described themselves as "moderately confident" (59 percent of acupuncturists, 64 percent of naturopaths, 67 percent of internists and 59 percent of rheumatologists).

Bottom line: the translation of CAM trial results into clinical practice appears to vary widely and the researchers say this is most likely based on the health practitioners' training, attitudes and experiences. "For clinical research in CAM (and conventional medicine) to achieve its potential social value, concerted efforts must be undertaken that more deliberately train clinicians in critical appraisal, biostatistics and use of evidence-based resources, as well as expanded research opportunities, dedicated training experiences and improved dissemination of research results," the authors concluded.

Related article Death By Medicine

by Barbara Minton

(NaturalNews) Hot peppers are great for spicing up food. They may be even better for keeping the human body feeling in the spice of life. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in hot peppers and the one that turns up the heat.

Capsaicin is the active ingredient in hot peppers and the one that turns up the heat. It is a compound useful in nature for preventing pepper plants from being eaten by insects and animals. When capsaicin is consumed by humans in the form of hot sauce, chili peppers or cayenne pepper, it offers a wealth of health benefits. One that has received much recent attention is the ability of capsaicin to make prostate cancer cells commit suicide.

Moderate dose of capsaicin makes 80 percent of prostate cancer cells die

In 2006, a team of researchers from the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, found that capsaicin induced 80 percent of human prostate cancer cells growing in mice to follow pathways leading to certain death. They also found that prostate cancer tumors in mice fed with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of tumors in non-treated mice. Additionally, capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on cultured human cancer cells according to a scientist at the UCLA School of Medicine. It dramatically slowed the development of prostate tumors formed by cells from the same lines as those grown for the mouse models.

The scientists estimated that the dose of pepper extract fed to the mice was equivalent to giving 400 milligrams of capsaicin three times a week to a 200 pound man. This would be about the amount found in three to eight fresh habanero peppers, depending on how hot the peppers were. The hotter the pepper, the greater the capsaicin content. Habanero peppers, which are native to the Yucatan, have the highest amount of capsaicin. On the Scoville Heat Index, habaneros score 300,000 heat units. Jalapeno peppers, popular in the U.S., score between 2,500 and 3,000 heat units.

In 2008, these results were corroborated by researchers in Madrid, Spain who identified ten genes that were down-regulated and five genes that were up-regulated upon capsaicin treatment in human prostate cancer cells. They found that blocking the action of one of the up-regulated genes significantly reduced capsaicin-induced cell death. From these findings they concluded that the mechanism by which capsaicin causes prostate cancer cells to die had been identified.

In those prostate cancer cells that depended on the predominant male sex hormone, testosterone, for their growth, capsaicin reduced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Prostate cancer cells that were not dependent on testosterone for their growth responded to capsaicin in a similar manner.

Capsaicin reduced cancer cell production of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein that is a marker for the presence of prostate cancer. Production of PSA is regulated by male sex hormones.

Capsaicin is effective against other types of cancer

Research from India recently investigated the effect of capsaicin on fat metabolism during induced lung cancer in mice showing abnormal changes in tissue and serum lipids, lipoproteins, and lipid metabolizing enzymes. Treatment of 10 mg per kg of body weight showed an ability to reduce all of these alterations and restore normality that they described as "remarkable". (Archives of Pharmacal Research, February).

In another study investigating how oxidative stress mediated lung cancer, lysomal damage was found to be an indispensable event in the development of some lung cancers. Capsaicin was able to completely prevent lysomal damage, and was effective against induced lung cancer. (Fundamental Clinical Pharmacology, February).

Scientists investing the effects of capsaicin against human breast cancer noted that the compound has been shown to exert powerful biological activity including anticarginogenic, antimutagenic and chemoprotective effects against many cancer cell lines. When they tested it against a highly malignant breast cell line, they found that treatment with capsaicin for 24 hours resulted in dose-dependent death of the cancerous cells. (Oncology Report, March).

A recent study investigating capsaicin on highly metastatic melanoma cells found its anti-mutagenic activity inhibited the migration of melanoma cells at low doses without showing obvious cytotoxicity. The scientists concluded that capsaicin administration should be considered an effective approach for the suppression of invasion and metastasis in malignant melanoma. (Experimental and Molecular Medicine, October, 2008).

In an earlier study at M.D Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, researchers tested capsaicin on human skin cancer cells to analyze how the cells would react. They found that the majority of skin cancer cells exposed to the substance died. Capsaicin seemed to kill cancerous cells by damaging their membranes and limiting the amount of oxygen that could reach them. Drug companies have long searched for a drug that could do just that. Any compound that could limit oxygen in targeted cells would be highly effective against many forms of cancer.

High intake of capsaicin correlates with lower death rates from cancer

In countries where high intake of capsaicin is the dietary norm, cancer death rates for men and women are significantly lower than they are in countries with less chili pepper consumption according to statistics from the World Health Organization. Experiments have shown that capsaicin seems to be able to detoxify a wide range of chemical carcinogens which, if left to roam the body, could create mutations leading to full blown cancers.

Lose weight by eating chili peppers and hot sauce

Researchers have found that adding capsaicin in some form to breakfast foods or appetizers at lunch causes people to eat less during meals and for hours afterwards. Thirteen women, who ate breakfast foods spiced with red pepper ate less than normal at breakfast and during the day. Ten men who ate appetizers laced with red pepper consumed fewer calories at lunch and during a mid-day snack hours later. In addition to acting as an appetite suppressant, red pepper seems to increase the number of calories burned, particularly after high-fat meals. This is because capsaicin is a thermogenic agent, meaning it increases metabolic activity that results in calories and fat being burned. Several popular fat-burners on the market contain capsaicin.

Capsaicin soothes digestive tract stress

Contrary to popular belief, a study has found that ulcer sufferers are helped by eating hot spicy foods. Capsaicin increases blood flow in the stomach's mucous lining, helping to heal stomach tissue. It is effective against H. pylori bacteria, and stimulates circulation sequentially, from the internal organs to the skin surface, and on throughout the entire body. A Duke University study has found that capsaicin may lead to a cure for inflammatory bowel disease. Eating chili peppers has also been shown to protect against the effects to the stomach of aspirin.

Capsaicin helps relieve congestion and prevent sinusitis

Potent antibacterial properties of capsaicin fight chronic sinus infections. Because it is so hot, capsaicin helps stimulate secretions that clear mucus from the nose, relieving nasal congestion. It may also be helpful for sinus related allergy problems.

Protect your heart with capsaicin

Capsaicin reduces cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It has shown evidence of being able to dissolve fibrin, which is necessary for blood clots to form. Tumors often develop a fibrin based protective coating. Dissolving this coating leaves the tumors highly vulnerable. Cultures around the world that engage in the liberal use of hot peppers have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not.

Red pepper makes food taste fabulous

Red pepper is widely available in capsule form, usually as cayenne. But eating it in pepper form or as hot sauce is so much more fun. Red pepper is a great addition to almost any dish and can add another taste dimension when used alone or with black pepper. Hot pepper sauce is a staple on many kitchen tables where it is sprinkled liberally on meat, fish, side dishes, and snacks. It is a natural to accompany Mexican foods.

Chili may be one the best foods for men trying to avoid prostate cancer. When it is made with fresh tomatoes as well as hot peppers, it offers the two major players against this form of cancer, lycopene and capsaicin. Spaghetti sauce can be spiced up with hot pepper sauce. Baked potatoes doused with hot sauce and a clove of smashed organic garlic added in just can't be beat. And hot sauce is the best friend of fish. Bake wild-caught cod or other whitefish, slice fresh sweet raw onions and get out the hot sauce.

The glories of fresh salsa defy description. Salsa is another way to blend lycopene rich tomatoes with capsaicin from peppers. Adding salsa to boring beans makes them get up and dance. Make a warm weather lunch of mashed avocados with lime juice, salsa and organic blue corn chips.

Saw Palmetto

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) The FDA admits that it negotiated a deal with pharmaceutical companies to recommend that over-the-counter cold-and-cough medicines should not be given to children under the age of four — rather than six, as recommended by pediatricians.

"The analysis that led to the under-four cutoff was performed by FDA," agency spokesperson Rita Chappelle said. "We suggested it, and then it was voluntarily adopted by industry. [They] did not come up with the proposal themselves."

Pediatricians had petitioned the FDA to impose a ban on the use of cold-and-cough drugs in children under the age of six, citing lack of scientific evidence that the products work at all in children, as well as a high risk of adverse effects. Advocates of such a measure point to studies finding that 7,000 children in the United States visit emergency rooms every year due to cold-and-cough drug overdoses.

An independent panel commissioned by the FDA to review the doctors' suggestion concluded that the recommendation was sound and should be adopted as a rule by the agency. Instead, the FDA ignored both groups and came up with a new rule.

The agency claims that its conclusions were based on a review of emergency room data on cold-and-cough overdoses in children, but it has refused to release the data it used in its analysis.

"There was no data suggesting that the drugs were effective in kids under 12," objected FDA advisory panel member Sean Hennessy of University of Pennsylvania. "I don't see how [the new policy is] a fully rational approach to the problem."

Baltimore Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, one of the pediatricians who initially asked the FDA for a new rule, agreed that the agency's actions in the case are questionable.

"There is a delicate dance between how much legal authority the FDA has and their use of the bully pulpit for getting some sort of compromise," he said.

The FDA has yet to impose any compulsory regulations regarding cold-and-cough drugs in children.

Sources for this story include: ap.google.com.

Buy Colloidal Silver

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) The number of serious injuries and deaths linked to the use of prescription medications reached a new high in the first quarter of 2008, according to a report issued by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

Researchers found mention of 4,825 deaths and approximately 21,000 serious injuries among voluntary adverse event reports submitted by doctors to the FDA between January and March. These numbers were 38 percent higher than the quarterly average for 2007 and a striking 200 percent higher than the first quarter of 2007.

The researchers estimate that because adverse event reports are voluntary, the numbers represent less than one-tenth of the actual prescription drug-related injuries and deaths taking place.

Together, 10 drugs were responsible for killing more than 100 people each, thereby accounting for more than 20 percent of all deaths. This contrasted with prior quarters studied, in which only one to three drugs killed that many people.

The two single most lethal drugs were the anti-smoking drug varenicline — marketed as Chantix — and the blood thinner heparin. While heparin was responsible for killing a 102 people and injuring 779, the vast majority of these cases were associated with a batch of contaminated medication imported from China. Since the discovery of the tainted drugs, injuries and deaths from heparin have dropped off.

Chantix, in contrast, continues to cause high rates of injury and deaths, accounting for 50 fatalities and 1,001 serious injuries in the first quarter of the year. Since its approval in 2006, the drug has been implicated in 112 fatalities and 3,325 serious injuries. Many of these injuries were self-inflicted and stemmed from the drug's psychiatric side effects, while others stemmed from seizures, blackouts, loss of consciousness and sudden heart arrhythmia.

Other drugs in the top 10 included the common over-the-counter painkillers acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as well as prescription pain killers and narcotics.

Related article Death By Medicine

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) The notorious drug thalidomide, which produced birth defects in the children of women who were prescribed it as a treatment for morning sickness, appears to have been developed by Nazi concentration camp doctors as a nerve gas antidote.

"It is now appearing increasingly likely that thalidomide was the last war crime of the Nazis," said Martin Johnson, director of the Thalidomide Trust and author of one of the papers.

Thalidomide, marketed between 1957 and 1961 by the German company Chemie Grünenthal, caused women to give birth to children with developmental deformities including brain damage and malformed arms, legs, hands and feet. Grünenthal has always claimed that its scientists developed the drug independently while searching for a new antihistamine formula, and the German government has consistently refused to compensate any victims without German citizenship.

An estimated 6,000 thalidomide victims are still alive, many of whom have never received financial compensation.

Among the new evidence presented by Johnson is an internal document proving that
Grünenthal purchased the trade name for thalidomide (Contergan) from Rhône-Poulenc, a French company controlled by the Nazis during World War II. Johnson notes that Rhône-Poulenc registered 14 chemically similar drugs after 1942 ending in the unique suffix "-ergan," and that thalidomide falls easily into that category.

"Not only is the name typical of the Rhône-Poulenc brand names of the 1940s; the action of thalidomide also belongs among this range of products," the report reads.

Johnson further notes that Grünenthal's 1954 patent on the drug implied that human trials had already been carried out, but no documentation was provided of those trials.

"The patents suggest that thalidomide was probably one of a number of products developed at [the chemical laboratory] Dyhernfurth or Auschwitz-Monowitz under the leadership of Otto Ambros in the course of nerve gas research."

This claim is supported by evidence unearthed by Carlos De Napoli for his forthcoming book on the Nazi scientists. De Napoli has uncovered a 1944 memo from an IG Farben executive to Hitler's personal doctor, referencing the development of a chemical with the exact same formula as thalidomide.

"There is absolutely no doubt of the Nazi development of and experimentation with thalidomide in the World War Two camps," De Napoli said.

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) More than one-third of patients receiving injected medication in the intensive care unit of a hospital may experience an error, according to a study conducted by researchers from Rudolfstiftung Hospital in Austria and published in the British Medical Journal.

"It is a really serious problem," lead researcher Andreas Valentin said. "The administration of injected medication is a weak point in patient safety."

The researchers examined 1,300 patients receiving injected medication in one of 113 intensive care units in 27 countries over the course of one 24-hour period. They found that 441 patients, or 34 percent, experienced at least one error in the administration of their medication. Nearly half of these experienced more than one error in the study period. Seven patients suffered severe harm from the errors, and in five cases the errors contributed to a patient's death.

The most common errors involved medication being given at incorrect times, or a scheduled dose not being given at all. Other errors included incorrect dosages or administration of the wrong drug altogether. A full 69 percent of the errors occurred during routine, rather than emergency, care.

Among the drugs involved were insulin, blood thinners and sedatives.

Medical staff attributed one-third of the errors, in part, to stress and tiredness. Other factors leading to errors included recent changes to the names of drugs, failure to follow hospital protocol and poor communication between staff members.

Responding to the study, the Intensive Care Society called for improved training and protocols to reduce the error rate in high-stress medical settings.

"The urgency of treatment can … mean that these drugs have to be located rapidly, prepared efficiently and administered quickly to prevent further deterioration," the group said. "Unfortunately, this pressure does mean that the combined total incident rate is almost inevitably higher than in care areas where fewer medicines are required."

Valentin agreed that changes to hospital procedure could significantly reduce error rates.

"With the increasing complexity of care in critically ill patients, organizational factors such as error reporting systems and routine checks at shift changes can reduce the risk of such errors," he said.

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

Related article Death By Medicine

For the past six months I have watched various people convert their automobile cooling systems from 134a refrigerant to Duracool 12a with what I would call fairly dramatic results. When cool air output is measured before conversion and then after conversion; the results I’ve seen have ranged from an 8-11 degree drop in cool air output. I finally decided to make the switch myself along with four other friends and a family member. I contacted a friend who is a Duracool distributor and the five of us had a ‘refrigerant changing party’ on six vehicles, which included both my car and my pickup.

Of the six, one of them had an 8 degree temperature drop, 2 others had a 10 degree drop, and my car had an 11 degree drop before and after Duracool . One vehicle had a slow leak over the winter and was totally depleted so we couldn’t measure it and we forgot to measure another. It works equally well in any vehicle. The vehicles converted were a Nissan 4×4, a Lincoln LS, a Lexus, a 20 year old Ford pickup, a Nissan Titan, and an older model Toyota.

Since that time we at Utopia Silver have been considering selling the Duracool line of products, and last week we decided to do so. The advantages of these products are simply too many to ignore. The refrigerant used in most vehicles in the USA, 134a, auto-ignites at approx. 1300 degrees; for Duracool it is over 1600 degrees. The colder air output of Duracool and more efficient cooling require less compressor running and therefore saves on gasoline. The molecules of Duracool are over 3½ times larger than 134a, reducing the chance of costly leaks. Additionally, Duracool doesn't deteriorate compressor and cooling system parts as does 134a, extending the life of your unit and making future repairs less frequent. Duracool is more environmentally friendly and non-toxic; unlike 134a which can cause cardiac arrest if breathed.

You may first want to find an automobile A/C man who will either order the Duracool for you or who will allow you to provide your own coolant. The old 134a needs to be evacuated from your system before recharging it with Duracool. If you have a system that has already leaked out due to a small, slow leak, you may want to use the Duracool DuraDry to remove the moisture in the system and then add Duracool System Seal to reseal the leak. Consult an A/C technician to determine whether or not this is feasible. If you decide that the leak is not too bad and is repairable, then you can add the Duracool 12a. If you are interested in these products, please go to the Duracool page to order.

Ben Taylor

Silver Bullet-in Readers and Utopia Silver Customers,

Below is a 'press release' from a fledgling natural health and current events magazine put together by my friends, Sarah, Andrea, and Thomas that has many relevant and interesting articles.

Please note, Sarah Cain is the best 18 year old writer on the Internet.

To read an interview they did with me in a past issue, go to, http://naturallygoodmagazine.com/archive/naturally_good_magazine_issue_2.pdf

Please check them out and let me know what you think.

Ben Taylor
Silver Bullet-in Publisher

***
Past Issues of Naturally Good Magazine Available Free!

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There are cheap and truly safe remedies for even the worst chronic conditions; including cancer, diabetes, and heart-disease.  You have been prevented from knowing this, because the cures use all-natural methods, which are not patentable, profitable, and cannot be easily regulated (for monopolizing a market).  Naturally Good Magazine will provide you with something that you are not used to hearing: the truth.  We hope that you can handle it.

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