Keith Connects The Dots

Swine Flu A Dud—Unless You’re Big Pharma

2010-03-15T12:32:00Z

Swine Flu A Dud—Unless You’re Big Pharma

Posted By Bob Livingston On March 15, 2010 @ 12:01 am

The great swine flu hoax is finally fizzling out.

Aside from an occasional public service announcement there is almost no mention of swine flu—or H1N1—in the media today. No more Kathleen Sebelius telling you to cough into your bent arm, no more government hucksters urging you get vaccinated.

And curiously, in the mainstream media there is no reflection on the “pandemic” as we approach the one-year anniversary of the first reports coming out of Mexico. Or maybe it’s not so curious after all.

It was last April that the outbreak began in Veracruz, Mexico. The mainstream media went nuts, providing daily tallies of infections and deaths from around the globe as it followed the spread of the so-called deadly disease. There were quarantines in Hong Kong and people wearing surgical masks in South America, China and Japan.

It wasn’t long before the World Health Organization (WHO) was proclaiming it a crisis in the making and predicting deaths in the millions worldwide—2 million in the United States alone.

Billions of tax dollars were sent to the largest drug manufacturers—GlaxoSmithKline, Roche and Novartis—to develop a vaccine. Governments quickly passed legislation absolving Big Pharma from any liability if people were harmed in the taking of the vaccines. And then Big Pharma foisted a harmful vaccine on the public.

Officials from all levels of government went to the media first encouraging, the suggesting and, finally, threatening to order people to take the vaccines. Early on people lined up hoping to get vaccinated but became frustrated when manufacturers failed to meet their quotas. Later, people stayed away in droves. In the end, more people stayed away than were vaccinated.

If you invested in GlaxoSmithKline, Roche or Novartis a year ago, pat yourself on the back. Either you were lucky, prescient or in on the scheme. You and your companies have made a killing. The stock prices of these companies were in a precipitous slide at the end of March 2009, and have each almost—or even more than—doubled since, thanks to the multi-billion dollar injections they received from government.

If you were one of the gullible public that subjected yourself to the harmful vaccine ^[1] and came away unscathed, thank your lucky stars. Some weren’t so lucky and contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome and other afflictions. Many who had the vaccine saw no deleterious effects, but contracted swine flu anyway. However, the consequences of the harmful materials contained in the vaccines may not be known for years.

Here’s what we do know. The total number of swine flu-related deaths worldwide is around 14,000. And the number is only this high because WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed the way the deaths were classified. To put that in perspective, about 36,000 die in the U.S. each year from seasonal flu. And about 100,000 a year die in this country from the effects of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs.

And here’s something else to consider—and something the U.S. mainstream media isn’t telling you. In January 2010, Professor Ulrich Keil, the director of the WHO’s Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) “governments wasted huge amounts of money by investing in pandemic scenarios whose evidence base is weak.”

PACE’s Health Committee Chairman, Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, a former German lawmaker, medical doctor and epidemiologist, called the swine flu pandemic one of the greatest medical scandals of the century. Speaking on the Alex Jones radio program, Wodarg called it a hoax manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies in league with the WHO to make vast profits while endangering the public health. (prisonplanet.com)

And Wodarg told the U.K Daily Mail, “The governments have sealed contracts with vaccine producers where they secure orders in advance and take upon themselves almost all the responsibility. In this way the producers of vaccines are sure of enormous gains without having any financial risks. So they just wait until WHO says ‘pandemic’ and activate the contracts.”

Wodarg also told the Daily Mail that to further push their interests, leading drug companies placed “their people” in the “cogs” of the WHO and other influential organizations.

To its credit, Time magazine ran an article in January 2010, that touched on Wodarg’s comments. So its couple of thousand subscribers—and a few thousand more patients in doctor and dentist offices—had access to the truth. But the magazine also included the typical government propaganda that people should still be vaccinated and a third wave of the “pandemic” could be in the offing.

The Time article also contains this curious tidbit:

“The current glut of vaccines in rich nations may at least prove useful to the 95 countries in the developing world that have no access to vaccines, 86 of which have written to the WHO requesting help obtaining supplies. The WHO already has 200 million doses for such countries, and the first doses of that stockpile arrived in Mongolia and Azerbaijan this month. These doses will be supplemented by bilateral deals: France, for example, plans to sell 2 million vaccine doses at cost to Egypt and 300,000 to Qatar, according to a report in the Parisien newspaper.

It appears that even in developing nations, however, the need for vaccines is not overwhelming. Despite fears that H1N1 would hit developing nations hardest, the pandemic is unfolding in those countries “in a similar pattern” to that in the developed world, says (WHO’s special advisor on pandemic influenza Dr. Keiji) Fukuda—which is to say with relatively few deaths. In fact, some developing countries, particularly in West Africa, are reporting lower rates of infection than in the developed world.

Which begs the question: why would developing countries waste what little money they have on a useless vaccine to treat a disease that’s not infecting or killing people as predicted?

The scam has been a boon to at least one British official and one CDC official. The Daily Mail reports that Sir Roy Anderson, a scientist that advises the British government on swine flu, holds a well-paying job on the board of GlaxoSmithKline.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, the former head of the CDC, recently left that organization for a lucrative job as president of Merck’s global vaccine operations. With that in mind, watch for the announcement of the next pandemic and, when it comes, consider jumping on Merck stock. That company obviously doesn’t want to get caught out of the loop again.

Just don’t take the vaccine next time. As we’ve told you before, vaccines are useless, inefficient and dangerous ^[3].

And if you don’t believe me, maybe the words of Dr. Shiv Chopra will convince you. Chopra has worked for European drug companies and served for 20 years as an advisor to the Canadian equivalent of the FDA. He recently told Dr. Joseph Mercola (mercola.com):

“No flu vaccine has ever worked. Swine flu, we don’t even know there is such a thing. It’s a misnomer. Avian [bird] flu, these are all made-up things. The whole thing is a hoax. It has been for the last 10 years. First they started with the avian flu, and then swine flu.”

“Who is the Directorate General of the WHO to say that ‘I’m raising it to pandemic level No. 6?’ Based on what? At the same time, from the same sources, we’re receiving information that we think sooner or later, the virus is going to mutate. We don’t know when but it is going to. How did they know that? How do they come to that conclusion?

“Then we hear the new virus H1N1 has components: the bird flu, H5N1, or the other way around. When you use these kinds of numbers and technical words, it frightens people because they don’t understand what H or N stands for. They take people’s words for it and the media picks it up and then starts to say, ‘This is very different. This is entirely different. This has components of the 1918 flu and the bird flu. It also has the swine flu.’

“And you go around in Mexico and you get H1N1 in the swine right now. So you make six, eight or 10 different drugs, different vaccines as many as the companies, and then you say, ‘Some will be live and they’ll be given in the nose, some will be killed, some will have adjuvants like squalene oils.’

“…And some people are being given nasal vaccine, so that means a live virus. If you’re putting a drop in the nose like you put the drop of polio in the mouth, then those are the portals of entry that obviously mean this is a live virus. If it’s a live virus, then you actually may be creating a pandemic with whatever you manufactured in the laboratory. If it’s a live virus then that’s what could happen.”

How is that for government incompetence? They predicted a pandemic, they hyped it in order to scare people into taking an untested vaccine, they enlisted government hacks, celebrities and a willing media to spread their propaganda, they deliberately infected people with a live virus and still they couldn’t make their pandemic meet their goals.

URL to article: http://www.personalliberty.com/personal-liberty-articles/swine-flu-a-dudunless-youre-big-pharma/

URLs in this post:

[1] harmful vaccine: http://www.personalliberty.com/index.php?s=swine+flu

[2] Image: http://www.truehealth.com/landing/advancedartery/aas-yellow.asp?SC=TEC1576

[3] useless, inefficient and dangerous: http://www.personalliberty.com/health/vaccination-101-why-vaccines-are-useless-inefficient-and-dangerous/

[4] The Death of Obamacare: http://www.personalliberty.com/conservative-politics/the-death-of-obamacare/

[5] Medical tai chi grows popular as healthcare costs skyrocket : http://www.personalliberty.com/news/medical-tai-chi-grows-popular-as-healthcare-costs-skyrocket-19161483/

[6] Fish Oil May Help Prevent Psychotic Disorders In People With A History Of Mental Illness : http://www.personalliberty.com/news/fish-oil-may-help-prevent-psychotic-disorders-in-people-with-a-history-of-mental-illness-19593710/

[7] HRT elevates ovarian cancer risk, study says: http://www.personalliberty.com/news/hrt-elevates-ovarian-cancer-risk-study-says-19269701/

[8] New Study On Paralysis Will Focus On Vitamin B3 Precursor: http://www.personalliberty.com/news/new-study-on-paralysis-will-focus-on-vitamin-b3-precursor-19472171/

Dr. Gabriel Cousens reveals method for reversing diabetes with raw living foods

2010-03-11T10:38:00Z

Dr. Gabriel Cousens reveals method for reversing diabetes with raw living foods in exclusive interview

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) This is a "must listen" interview for anyone suffering from diabetes, obesity or blood sugar disorders. It's commercial-free and it's a free download of an MP3 file that will play on any computer or MP3 player. What you'll hear in this interview will absolutely astound you -- it rocks the world of conventional medicine and its failed diabetes treatments.

This is an interview with Dr. Gabriel Cousens, founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona (www.TreeofLife.nu). In this audio interview, you'll hear Dr. Cousens describe why and how consuming raw foods really works to initiate dramatic reductions in fasting blood sugar levels, effectively reversing diabetes in a matter of just a few weeks.

This is essentially a cure for diabetes. Not coincidentally, Dr. Cousens is the author of the book There Is A Cure for Diabetes. The book documents the successes of eleven people who went on a raw foods diet and experienced rapid and remarkable improvements in physiology, including:

• Curing of both type-1 and type-2 diabetes.
• Rapid loss of body fat
• Rapid stabilization of blood sugar
• Remarkable improvements in cognitive function

Listen to the full interview here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcasts.html

This is a must-listen interview for anyone suffering from diabetes or blood sugar disorders.

For type-2 diabetes, the process described by Dr. Cousens in the interview boasts a 90% - 95% cure rate. This is truly astounding. Nothing from the world of conventional medicine can offer even a 1% cure rate for diabetes.

Diabetes is "incurable?"

Conventional medicine (and the American Diabetes Association) continues to insist that diabetes in incurable. The approach of conventional medicine, based on extremely toxic chemical medications and processed dead foods, simply does not work. It's actually quite toxic to patients rather than healing. Diabetes medications are well known to cause severe liver damage, for example.

But the conscious consumption of raw living foods turns on the body's innate healing processes. This creates a rapid healing response that allows the body to reverse many of the physiological degeneration processes that created disease in the first place. That's why juicing and juice feasting have become such popular self-healing therapies for weight loss, diabetes reversal and enhanced longevity.

Conventional medicine remains utterly ignorant of the healing power of raw living foods, preferring instead to rely on patented chemical medications that simply don't work to heal anyone or anything. No person suffering from diabetes has ever been cured of diabetes through pharmaceutical medications. It has never happened in the history of medicine. And yet type-2 diabetes can be cured at a rate of 90% - 95% with a raw living foods diet.

At the Tree of Life, Dr. Cousens offers a 21-day rejuvenation experience based on living foods. Learn more about the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center at www.TreeofLife.nu

Dr. Cousens' book There Is A Cure for Diabetes is available at booksellers everywhere, including Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/There-Cure-Diabetes-21-Day-Program/dp/1556436912/

Download the full audio interview right here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcasts.html

By the way, the best new juicing machine for making your own raw living juices in your own kitchen is the Hurom Slow Juicer. It's a truly revolutionary machine that juices fruits, vegetables and grasses. It also makes fresh raw almond milk, pumpkin seed milk, sesame milk and other nut milks. Read my review here: http://www.naturalnews.com/028128_Hurom_slow_juicer_juicing.html

Enjoy this amazing audio interview with Dr. Gabriel Cousens!

http://www.naturalnews.com/028341_diabetes_living_foods.html

Increased garlic consumption linked to lower levels of carcinogen

2010-03-09T10:57:00Z

Increased garlic consumption linked to lower levels of carcinogen

A small pilot study summarized in the November 15, 2009 issue of the journal Analytical Biochemistry found an association between a urinary marker of garlic intake and a biomarker for the conversion of nitrites to carcinogenic nitrosamines, a process known as nitrosation. Nitrites are compounds converted from nitrates, which occur in processed meats, vegetables, food prepared using high heat, and contaminated water. About 20 percent of consumed nitrates convert to nitrites.

Penn State University researchers gave volunteers a nontoxic form of sodium nitrate along with capsules containing 1, 3 or 5 grams fresh garlic, 3 grams aged garlic extract, or 500 milligrams vitamin C for 7 days. Urine samples collected during the treatment period were analyzed by Earl Harrison and colleagues for the garlic metabolite N-acetyl-S-allylcysteine and N-nitrosoproline, a marker of nitrosation.

Higher levels of N-acetyl-S-allylcysteine correlated with lower amounts of N-nitrosoproline. Three to 5 grams of fresh garlic inhibited nitrosation similarly to aged garlic and vitamin C.

“What we were after was developing a method where we could measure in urine two different compounds, one related to the risk for cancer, and the other which indicates the extent of consumption of garlic,” explained Dr Harrison, who is a professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University. “Our results showed that those were inversely related to one another – meaning that the more we had the marker for garlic consumption, the less there was of the marker for the risk of cancer.”

“The precise mechanism by which garlic and other compounds affect nitrosation is under extensive investigation, but is not clear at this time,” he added. “What this research does suggest, however, is that garlic may play some role in inhibiting formation of these nitrogen-based toxic substances.”

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2010_03.htm

Vitamin D marketing association is still very active :-)

2010-03-09T10:48:00Z

Vitamin D, vitamin D, vitamin D.

Seems like that's all we ever hear nowadays.

Before that, it was vitamin E, vitamin E, vitamin E.

Before that, it was vitamin A, vitamin A, vitamin A.

Before that it was vitamin C, vitamin C, vitamin C.

Now it seems like all we ever hear about is vitamin D. What happened to the fifty or so other required vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids?

Anyone that has ever studied chemistry knows that over loading on one chemical while not increasing the other chemicals involved in a reaction - does not produce more reactions.

Although vitamin D is a great vitamin - so are the 50 or so others.

So take a high quality "mega" multi-vitamin that contains a well rounded complement of most of the required vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin D deficiency common among kidney disease patients

2010-03-09T10:43:00Z

Vitamin D deficiency common among kidney disease patients

An article published online ahead of print in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reveals that the majority of patients undergoing hemodialysis for end stage kidney disease have a deficiency in vitamin D, which is “nearly universal” in a subgroup of these patients.

The research involved 908 men and women for whom serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured upon enrollment in the Accelerated Mortality on Renal Replacement (ArMORR) cohort of U.S. dialysis patients. Ishir Bhan, MD, MPH and his colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital found deficient vitamin D levels of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter in 79 percent of the subjects. Fifty-seven percent had levels less than 20 nanograms per milliliter and 20 percent had levels lower than 10 nanograms per milliliter. African Americans, women, subjects with low serum albumin levels, and those who initiated hemodialysis during winter were likeliest to be deficient in vitamin D. Having reduced albumin levels and beginning chronic hemodialysis during winter increased the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency from 66 percent to 92 percent in white males, from 82 percent to 94 percent in white females, and from 85 and 90 percent to 100 percent in black males and females.

According to the authors, the association of low blood albumin levels with vitamin D deficiency may be due to poor nutrition, chronic inflammation, or an increased loss of vitamin D binding proteins along with other proteins in the urine of kidney disease patients. The increased incidence of vitamin D deficiency during winter is likely to be due to reduced ultraviolet exposure, which results in less vitamin D being formed in the skin.

"This research identifies risk factors for nutritional vitamin D deficiency in the dialysis population and may provide clues to its biology in this population," Dr Bhan concluded.

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2010_03.htm

Vitamin D for diabetes and depression

2010-03-09T10:41:00Z

Vitamin D for diabetes and depression

A clinical trial is being planned at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) to test the effect of vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance and mood in diabetic women.

“Vitamin D deficiency continues to be a problem despite the nutrient’s widely reported health benefits,” noted Sue Penckofer, PhD, RN, who is a professor at the MNSON. “Chicago winters compound this issue when more people spend time away from sunlight, which is a natural source of vitamin D.”

Increased insulin resistance has been associated with depression, which, along with impaired blood sugar control, is more common in women than men. Higher vitamin D levels have been associated with a reduced risk of depression, diabetes and other ailments.

The University plans to administer 50,000 international units of vitamin D per week for 6 months to 80 stable type 2 diabetic women aged 18 to 70 with signs of depression. Participants will be evaluated at three time points for serum vitamin D levels and other factors. “There is evidence to suggest that vitamin D supplementation may decrease insulin resistance,” Dr Penckofer commented. “If we can stabilize insulin levels, we may be able to simply and cost effectively improve blood sugar control and reduce symptoms of depression for these women.”

"Vitamin D has widespread benefits for our health and certain chronic diseases in particular," she added. "Our research may shed greater light on the role this nutrient plays in managing two conditions that impact millions of Americans. If proven to be successful, vitamin D may an important addition to care for diabetes and depression."

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2010_03.htm

Vitamin D insufficiency associated with increased intramuscular fat

2010-03-09T10:38:00Z

Vitamin D insufficiency associated with increased intramuscular fat

Research conducted at Quebec’s McGill University found a high incidence of vitamin D insufficiency in a sampling of young women, which was associated with the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue. The infiltration of adipose tissue into muscle can cause muscle weakness and impact general health.

Dr Richard Kremer and colleagues reported online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism their finding of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter among 59 percent of 90 young women between the ages of 16 and 22. Among those with vitamin D insufficiency, 24 percent had deficient levels of 20 nanograms per milliliter or lower. Having a low level of vitamin D was associated with a higher percentage of muscle fat as quantified by computed tomography. Compared to women with normal levels, those whose vitamin D levels were insufficient had 24 percent more muscle fat infiltration.

“Vitamin D insufficiency is a risk factor for other diseases,” explained Dr Kremer, who is a professor of medicine at McGill. “Because it is linked to increased body fat, it may affect many different parts of the body. Abnormal levels of vitamin D are associated with a whole spectrum of diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes, as well as cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders.”

“We are not yet sure what is causing vitamin D insufficiency in this group,” he added. “High levels of vitamin D could help reduce body fat. Or, fat tissues might absorb or retain vitamin D, so that people with more fat are likely to also be vitamin D deficient.”

“In the present study, we found an inverse relationship between Vitamin D and muscle fat,” Dr Kremer concluded. “The lower the levels of Vitamin D, the more fat in subjects’ muscles.”

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2010_03.htm

Elderly patients aggressively over-treated with pharmaceuticals

2010-03-08T12:40:00Z

Elderly patients aggressively over-treated with pharmaceuticals

Monday, March 08, 2010 by: E. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration research group have determined that seniors over the age of 80 are being given too many drugs and in too high of doses. Particularly with high blood pressure, doctors are too aggressively treating the elderly with pharmaceuticals which is doing them more harm than good.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly a quarter of all Americans between 20 and 75 have hypertension while roughly 70 percent of those over 75 have it.

The conventional approach to treating high blood pressure is to prescribe a variety of drugs that, together, doctors hope will achieve a target of 140/90 mmHg. However after scouring several studies to see if such treatments are actually working, Dr. James Wright, head of Cochrane, found that too many drugs in very large doses is having no positive effect. In fact, he found that the more conservative the approach, the more beneficial the results.

The 80-plus age category has been progressively increasing over the years as is the number of people with high blood pressure. Guidelines in both the United States and the United Kingdom recommend that people with high blood pressure receive various drug cocktails to treat their symptoms, even past the age of 80. Dr. Wright believes this is a mistake.

Rather than trying to achieve a level of 140/90 mmHg, doctors should realistically pursue 150/80 mmHg. He believes that maybe half of elderly patients will actually achieve this and that doctors should be content with that, leaning on the side of giving too little drugs rather than too many.

When high blood pressure is allowed to persist, it can severely damage the kidneys which can lead to nutrient and mineral deficiencies, bone disease, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Aside from cancer, heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of death in the U.S., indicating that hypertension is a serious problem among the population.

A detoxification program is a great first step for naturally treating high blood pressure. Cleaning out the colon, liver, and kidneys does wonders for health by ridding the body of toxic buildup. Eliminating junk food, bad fat, refined sugar, excess alcohol, and caffeine from the diet should be the next step because they are enemies of the cardiovascular system. Instead, they should be replaced by whole foods, fresh juices, and other living foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

Sources for this story include: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8... http://www.ehow.com/how_4488978_tre... http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/h...

http://www.naturalnews.com/028321_elderly_patients_pharmas.html

Cautions while detoxing fasting

2010-03-08T12:38:00Z

Sidestep Toxins and Fast Safely

Monday, March 08, 2010 by: Kal Sellers, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Fasting can be an amazing healing experience. It can also be very dangerous. In this article, we will explore what happens and why. We will also explore how to make fasting work.

Timeless rules about fasting have not changed, but they are more important because the toxins today are more dangerous than they used to be. An article recently appeared in Life University's "Vital Source" that expressed in detail the problem with fasting.(1) A student had been persuaded to do a "Master Cleanse" and decided to actually document her health as she went. She got various assessments from MD's and DC's at the School who wanted to help her. She also got blood tests to determine internal health. She found that as the cleanse went on, she actually developed evidence of liver damage. She ultimately stopped the experiment early.

She is not alone. "DD" entered her naturopath's office where it was determined that she needed some liver and blood cleansing. She was sold a cleansing formula. She called the author after three days because she had broken out in hives over her entire body. In only one week she was able to resume the formula after following simple rules.

What was a mystery to these two women was actually answered by two great herbalists from the 1940's. (2)(3) Dr. John R. Christopher warned about cleansing the blood or liver without first opening the channels of elimination. He had a favorite story about a man who had 12 cats and he had 12 cat doors. One day a neighbor visited him and asked incredulously about the 12 doors: "Why not make them all go in and out one door?"

The man who owned the cats replied, "When I say scat, I mean scat!"

What would you get if you had 12 cats trying to get out with no exit? You would get a horrible mess! This is precisely the error made when people fast or juice or use Master Cleanse. These things do not starve the person, actually, but it is vital to understand that fat cells contain loads of toxins. If one wishes to lose fat instead of muscle, it is important to keep the elimination channels open, open, open! It is noteworthy that the more toxic the environment, the more important it is to do radical opening of the elimination channels.

"CB" came in to the Author's practice one day and announced that he had done a 20 day juice fast. He stated, "After 6 days, I felt so good I wondered why I ate!" Then he confided: "The key to fasting is enemas."

This is precisely the answer. Either some herbs that are good cathartics or else regular colonics/enemas must be used to keep elimination flowing easily. Even toxic gasses and liquids will be released which may not be visible, but they are important to remove. Before any fasting is done, the person should use liver cleansing herbs and before liver cleansing herbs are ever used, the person should use bowel cleansing herbs. With these approaches applied wisely, fasting, juicing and master cleanse can be very healing very rapidly. If a person has troubles,she or he should seek help of someone who knows the way and discover how to be successful. Inability to fast and cleanse pleasantly indicates deeper rooted problems that should be addressed.

Thanks for reading,
Kal Sellers, MH

References:
(1)"Don't Get Caught Drinking Lemonade." Vital Source [Marietta]. 09 Dec. 2009: vol 3. Iss 4.
(2)Kloss, Jethro. Back to Eden. Loma Linda: Back to Eden Publishing, 1995
(3)Christopher, Dr. John R. The School of Natural Healing. 11th ed. Springville: Christopher Publications, 1996

http://www.naturalnews.com/028319_toxins_fasting.html

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) recall leaves food consumers wondering: What is this stuff?

2010-03-08T12:33:00Z

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) recall leaves food consumers wondering: What is this stuff?

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) is one of most common soy-based food "fillers" used to make literally thousands of processed food products. It's found in veggie burgers, gravy mixes, soups and many other grocery products. Last Thursday, one of the largest producers of HVP in the United States, Las Vegas-based Basic Food Flavors Inc., was the subject of an FDA consumer safety warning announcement. Salmonella had been found contaminating the company's HVP production equipment, the FDA said, and a nationwide recall was initiated that now includes products from Trader Joe's, Safeway, McCormick and many other companies.

See the FDA list of recalled products here:
(http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/)

Most Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein isn't purchased directly by consumers; it's used by food production companies as an ingredient in mainstream processed foods. So it shows up in thousands of grocery products -- and most consumers are not aware they're eating this ingredient. In fact, many consumers are, for the first time, asking, "What is HVP?"

Beware of what's in your groceries

I wrote about HVP in my 2004 book, "Grocery Warning," which warned consumers about a dozen potentially hazardous food ingredients. HVP was just one of many ingredients mentioned as a potential source of hidden monosodium glutamate (MSG).

MSG, of course, is a potentially dangerous neurotoxin used to flavor countless processed food products. It's used in soups, salad dressings, processed meats, gravy mixes, flavored snack chips and virtually every popular brand of beef jerky. It is considered an "excitotoxin" by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon who has written extensively about MSG and its damaging effects on human neurology.

According to Blaylock, MSG can promote eating addictions, obesity, brain cancer, endocrine system disorders, infertility and many serious neurological disorders. That's why it's so disturbing that MSG is hidden in so many natural-sounding ingredients.

In my Grocery Warning book, I warned readers to avoid all ingredients that contain the words "hydrolyzed" or "autolyzed." In addition, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) can also be a source of hidden MSG.

But the most common source of hidden MSG is yeast extract -- a sneaky little ingredient found in huge numbers of so-called "natural" foods.

The dirty little secret of the "natural" foods industry

HVP, TVP and yeast extract are very common ingredients in the natural / vegetarian food industry. Most of the popular veggie burgers, for example, contain HVP, TVP or yeast extract. And that makes them a suspected source of hidden MSG.

Even the big snack food companies get in on this act: A bag of "Natural Doritos" is made with yeast extract, too. (http://www.naturalnews.com/019355.html)

Also see MSGExposed.com: http://www.msgexposed.com/doritos-extreme-msg-dangerously-bold-indeed/

As far as veggie burger companies go, I'm going to say this bluntly and boldly: In my opinion, many of the larger corporate foods companies are selling little more than chemical additives and unhealthy fillers while calling them "vegetarian" foods. This is why I personally avoid virtually processed veggie burgers and other vegetarian "meat" alternatives. There are a few exceptions to this -- just read the ingredients labels to see who's using HVP, TVP or yeast extract.

The twisted minds at the FDA...

What's really interesting about this HVP recall is that the FDA only considers HVP dangerous when it's possibly contaminated with salmonella. When HVP is sterile, on the other hand, the FDA considers it "safe."

The FDA is so ignorant about the safety of food additive chemicals that it actually believes aspartame and MSG are safe for human consumption. It's bizarre: While tens of millions of Americans are poisoning their brains with diet sodas, the FDA goes crazy over a virtually miniscule risk of salmonella contamination in TVP -- an ingredient that's usually cooked anyway (which destroys the salmonella).

Why isn't the FDA worried about MSG, aspartame, sodium nitrite (causes cancer) or yeast extract? The FDA's position on food safety boils down to this:

The FDA's philosophy of food safety:

#1) Dead foods are safer than living foods, so KILL IT!

#2) Chemicals are safe, but bacteria are dangerous.

This philosophy explains how the FDA ends up trying to outlaw raw milk while allowing MSG and aspartame on the GRAS list (Generally Recognized As Safe).

Raw milk is dangerous, they say. Why? Because there might be something living in there. You know, probiotics and that kind of thing. Scary! So the FDA wants everything as dead as possible. (Including you, most likely.)

In fact, the FDA describes instant, ready-to-eat food mixes as substances that have not gone through a "validated kill process."

Once the foods are dead, they're presumed safe even if they're loaded with neurotoxic chemicals and cancer-causing substances. So a hot dog made with sodium nitrite (a cancer-causing chemical found in most hot dogs) is considered perfectly safe as long as the hot dog is dead!

But raw almonds are considered a threat to public health and must now all be chemically fumigated or irradiated in the USA. (http://www.naturalnews.com/022035.html)

Are you getting the picture yet? HVP, TVP, MSG, aspartame, sodium nitrite and other chemical additives are all A-okay with the FDA. They're only scrutinized when they become contaminated with bacteria. It's the bacteria that freaks out the FDA, not the chemicals!

The lesson to the food companies in all this is quite simple: You can stuff practically any hazardous, cancer-causing, brain-damaging chemical you want into processed food products as long as the whole mixture is cooked until its dead. At that point, you may sell it for human consumption, even if it causes cancer.

The FDA's outright failure on food safety

Have you ever seen the FDA take urgent action to ban an unsafe food ingredient used by the big food corporations?

It almost never happens. And the really bizarre part is that many of today's most dangerous food additives were never subjected to safety testing by the FDA or any other agency -- they were simply grandfathered in and labeled safe (GRAS) solely because they had been historically used by the food companies for such a long period of time.

This is how poisons like MSG got into the food supply. Aspartame, of course, is a whole different story of corruption and collusion. But the truth is, there remain hundreds of dangerous chemicals used in food products that are never scrutinized by the FDA. HVP just barely scratches the surface of this story.

Action items: What you can do right now to protect yourself

#1) READ all food ingredients labels.

#2) AVOID foods made with any of the following ingredients:
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
• Textured Vegetable Protein
• Yeast Extract
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Aspartame
• Sodium nitrite

#3) PROTECT your nervous system with superfoods and nutritional supplements that support healthy brain function: Omega-3 oils, antioxidants, trace minerals and of course astaxanthin (http://www.naturalnews.com/026325_astaxanthin_Amazon.html).

#4) SHARE this story with family and friends who need to know the truth about what's really in the foods they buy. Most consumers have no idea what's found in the foods they're eating. Most people don't read food labels, and as a result they end up eating all kinds of chemical ingredients that would shock them if they learned the truth.

#5) LEARN more by reading stories here on NaturalNews about common chemical food additives:

MSG:
http://www.naturalnews.com/MSG.html

Yeast Extract:
http://www.naturalnews.com/yeast_extract.html

Aspartame:
http://www.naturalnews.com/aspartame.html

Sodium Nitrite:
http://www.naturalnews.com/sodium_nitrite.html

Hydrogenated oils:
http://www.naturalnews.com/hydrogenated_oils.html

Sources for this story include:
Associated Press:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzu0iJeLESgexkPMAXUTSyFMnj3gD9E8Q0F00

CNN:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/04/flavor.enhancer.recall/?hpt=T2

FDA list of recalled products:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/

http://www.naturalnews.com/028323_Hydrolyzed_Vegetable_Protein_HVP.html

Gene Test Indicates Who Will Benefit From Low-Carb or Low-Fat Diets

2010-03-07T11:49:00Z

Genes Point to Best Diets

Gene Test Indicates Who Will Benefit From Low-Carb or Low-Fat Diets

BY RON WINSLOW

SAN FRANCISCO—In the long-running debate over diets—low-fat or low-carb—Stanford University researchers reported Wednesday that a genetic test can help people choose which one works best for them.

In a study involving 133 overweight women, those with a genetic predisposition to benefit from a low-carbohydrate diet lost 2 1/2 times as much weight as those on the same diet without the predisposition. Similarly, women with a genetic makeup that favored a low-fat diet lost substantially more weight than women who curbed fat calories without low-fat genes. The women were followed for a year.

"Knowing your genotype for low-carb or low-fat diets could help you increase your weight-loss success," said Christopher Gardner, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford and a co-author of the study.

Data from a separate study indicate that 45% of white women have a low-carb genotype while 39% are predisposed to a low-fat diet, suggesting the test has the potential to yield a useful result for much of the population. The test is based on variations in three genes known to regulate how the body metabolizes fat and carbohydrates.

The findings need confirmation in a larger study, and additional research is also necessary to more clearly determine the usefulness of the test, including how it applies to men and different racial groups.

The results help explain a common phenomenon in the weight-loss wars: why two people decide to lose weight and go on the same diet and exercise plan, only to have one succeed while the other is frustrated.

The results suggest even strict adherence to a diet won't matter if people's diets are out of synch with their genetics, he added.

The test was developed by Interleukin Genetics Inc., a Waltham, Mass., developer of genetic tests that sponsored the study. The test uses a cheek swab to obtain cells for DNA analysis, and is on the market for $149.

In the past decade, about a dozen studies pitting low-fat vs. low-carb diets have been published in major medical journals. For the most part, no winner has emerged, and none of the diets resulted, on average, in weight loss exceeding 10 pounds in a year. Experts began to believe the type of diet didn't matter.

"This makes the whole topic relevant again," Dr. Gardner said.

Researchers said that determining a person's genetic predisposition could become a new tool in the battle against overweight and obesity.

"This is one step forward to realizing personalized nutrition for weight loss," said Mindy Dopler Nelson, a researcher at Stanford and lead author of the report. The researchers said they didn't have any financial interest in the Interleukin Genetics test.

"To match individuals with a diet type will help us to better target interventions and help them be successful," added Sachiko St. Jeor, a professor in the division of endocrinology, nutrition and metabolism at University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno. Dr. St. Jeor wasn't involved with the study.

The study, presented at the American Heart Association's annual epidemiology and prevention conference, has just been submitted to a medical journal and thus hasn't yet cleared rigorous peer review that precedes publication. But it was reviewed by a committee that approves papers for presentation at the meeting.

Despite the relatively small number of participants, the findings achieved strong statistical significance, researchers said, meaning it isn't likely they were the result of chance. The findings are also based in part on an earlier paper, called the A to Z weight-loss study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007.

Click to see how a genetic variation affected weight loss in a study of four popular diets.

Just matching the right diet with your genes doesn't guarantee significant weight loss for everyone, Dr. Gardner cautioned. If low-carb people make a diet out of low-carb cupcakes, he said, they're unlikely to see the results they want on a scale.

"It's not the end of the obesity epidemic," Dr. Gardner said. "But we need every leg-up we can get."

The 133 women were among 301 participants in the A to Z study, which compared the effects of four popular weight-loss diets: the Atkins and Zone diets, which are low-carb, and the Learn and Ornish diets, which call for curbing fat calories.

In that study, the Atkins diet was slightly more effective than the other three, but on average, the total weight loss after one year was only about 10 pounds.

Yet, Dr. Nelson pointed out, within each diet group, a handful of women lost more than 30 pounds, while some others gained about 10 pounds. The new study examined whether genetics could explain part of the more than 40-pound swing.

Kenneth S. Kornman, president and chief scientific officer at Interleukin, said the company asked if the Stanford team could use its genetic test on the A to Z participants to see if their genetic makeup predicted their weight-loss experience.

Since Stanford researchers hadn't obtained any DNA samples in the study, Dr. Nelson led an effort to track down the original participants. She said over 130 agreed to submit cheek swab samples to determine their genetic predisposition. The researchers re-analyzed the study based on the genetic results.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703862704575099742545274032.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

New trend in healthcare - genetics based medicine

2010-03-07T11:38:00Z

I'm weird. In order for things to make sense to me - it seems that I have to connect several unrelated stories / events and then connect them.

Recently I had a discussion with a patent attorney that was telling me that medicine has shifted and they are now creating drugs that work - or don't work - based on genetics.

Then a study came out the other day about whether a person should be a low carb diet or a low fat diet based on their genetics.

It took those two stories for me to understand the significance of what the patent attorney told me.

I've often thought that one day - you will go to the doctor - and the doctor will hook you up to a machine that will draw blood out of one arm, analyze your genetics and your health problems, automatically correct the problems, and inject the corrected blood back into the other arm.

Conversations with Cedric - Fourth and Final Part

2010-03-06T15:02:00Z

Part One:

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2010/02/28/conversations-with-cedric-part-one.aspx

Part Two:

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2010/03/01/conversations-with-cedric-part-two.aspx

Part Three:

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2010/03/04/conversations-with-cedric-part-three.aspx

Cedric:

Keith I have been looking at writings by the man named "Bear", did he advocate eating cheese and drinking milk and cream?

Keith:

Not sure who "Bear" is?

Most low carb people would eat cheese and sour cream and skip the milk. Milk has more (a lot of) sugar in it.

I can only tolerate so much dairy and then my system throws a fit.

Then there is the whole raw milk thing ... but I don't drink milk - so I don't really care about raw versus pasteurized milk

I love making "nachos" out of pork rinds, chili with hamburger meat (no beans), smothered in cheese. Then lots of sour cream when they are served.

BTW - you keep asking about fruit and vegetables. Remember it is protein that builds lean body mass.

Cedric:

Yes honestly, I have had about enough with the fruits and veggies; I believe I just kept them in my diet to maintain my weight. But, what I noticed was my muscles seem to put a better workload in the gym when I would go zero carb; my skin would look better, but it is just hard breaking a habit that I have been practicing for so long.

As for the fats, I have to really include these in my diet if I want to be successful. Would butter and cheese be ok?

The Bear is the guy Charles Washinton often quotes on his site; the Bear has been on this zero carb diet for 47 years and those looking to go this route often look to his writings for some sort of guidance. In addition, I think the addition of cheese and butter may help in keeping the weight on and muscle growth, what do you think?

Keith:

Regarding Bear - okay - I remember now.

Eggs, cheese, sour cream, butter, heavy cream, are all good in unlimited quantities - if you aren't allergic/intolerant to them. Milk - if you are near normal weight - then milk is fine. I would recommend whole milk. Raw milk would be even better - but not necessary.

Fats are good - but I don't normally like a really high fat diet. I eat a lot of fat - but if I have a steak with fat on it - I usually trim off the huge chunks of fat instead of eating it.

The foods I eat are high fat foods. So I don't avoid high fat foods - just cut out hunks of fat.

Plus I take like 8 grams of a mega fish oil

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Mega-EFA-Omega-3-EPA-DHA-2126-mg-240-Softgels

Cedric:

Thanks Keith and for the cheese and butter is there anything in particular that I should be looking at when buying them?

On Charles Washington's site he lists the following:

On diary: avoid milk and yoghurt (heavy carbs- lactose), use only pure (not thickened - heavy) cream (read the label), cheese and unsalted butter

Keith:

Yes milk and yogurt can have a lot of sugar in them.

Remember Charles is extremely strict. Me - not so much. I don't care about unsalted or salted butter, sour cream is fine with me, I agree that the milk, yogurt and ice cream can have a lot of sugar.

The main thing about butter is - make sure it is butter. No margarine, no other stuff - 100% butter.

Sam's Club and other places usually carry organic butter. If you want - try that. Not sure if the increase in price is worth it or not?

Cedric:

It has been a long time since I have eaten butter, as I was always told to stay from it. I used to just put on certain items. How do you eat it Keith, I know it may seem like a silly question, but it is genuine?

Keith:

I mean - don't try to eat butter like cheese ...

But if you are cooking some meat - you can rub some butter on it. Try frying some eggs in butter. Use it to keep things from sticking in a pan or dish.

What I really like is to cook a ton of bacon, and then in all the grease that is left over - deep fry some eggs. Yummy.

Bacon fat and lard are really good.

Funny thing is - 30 years ago everyone used bacon fat and lard. Now people use margarine or something and complain it is not as good as lard.

Cedric:

Thanks Keith for all the help, I really appreciate it, I will keep you informed on my results

Keith:

Have you recorded all your measurements?

Cedric:

No not as of yet, but will do so today; I have just recorded my weight in which I might be in the minority on this diet in that I am actually trying to gain weight.

Also, random question but those little butter condiments at restaurants, I am guessing those are not real butter, right?

Keith:

Reason I keep on you about measurements - I think that your progress will be very slow. But if you take all your measurements and see a little improvement here and a little improvement there - it will keep you motivated.

Getting an accurate body fat percentage would be nice. Not for the body fat number - but for the lean body mass number.

Most of the stuff at restaurants - especially the low end restaurants and fast food restaurants - are fake. Fake butter, fake sour cream, fake bacon bits, not sure what is in the cheese, etc.

However, it’s better than the high glycemic stuff.

For example, if I have to eat fast food breakfast - I usually pick Hardees and their low carb breakfast bowls. Problem is - while I am eating it - I look at the cheese and bacon and wonder how real it is.

But you do the best you can ...

Cedric:

I know this topic has been beaten to death, but I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate cheese into the diet to get some protein and some fats maybe from some creams. In doing some further research, I came across this site:

http://www.biblelife.org/vitamins.htm#foods

This site essentially allows only cheese, Swiss cheese at that, but does not allow other kinds of dairy even what I was considering a good source of fat which was high fat cream as it has too much sugar. Is this true? Even high fat cream should not be allowed as its similarities to milk is too great? Thanks

Keith:

I don't have an answer for that.

I tried to check a couple of glycemic index / load websites - but sour cream and cheese don't show up. Then again, neither does steak. So I assume that the GI and GL are so low - they are practically zero - and therefore not published.

Unless your body tells you otherwise - I think it does not matter

Cedric:

In regards to the best fat one can include in their diet, would say it is butter?

Keith:

I would not pick just one fat to focus on. You can only eat so much butter without getting sick.

I like your idea - things (in this case - fats) in moderation. Don't just pick one fat – pick multiple fats.

Eat butter, sour cream, fat from beef, pork, and chicken,

Tons of distilled fish oil (omega 3s)

Most foods have a huge supply of omega 6s already in them - hence why no one usually takes omega 6s supplements.

Omega 9s would be okay in small quantities - but you usually don't hear anyone calling for them

A handful of almonds would give you good fats

Stick mainly with omega 3s and saturated fats

The opposite question should be - which fats to avoid?

Trans fats, hydrogenised fats, most plant and vegetable oils, never eat soy,

Women sometimes do good with a mix of like flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, etc.

Men - just stick with saturated fats and tons of omega 3s.

There is actually a "fat flush" diet where you eat a diet about 80% fat. I think it is designed for overweight people trying to lose fat. I know - backwards from what most people think. But eating fat does not make you fat - it makes you skinny.

I don't recommend that YOU do the "fat flush" diet - because you need mostly protein in order to add weight. But if you wanted to see the different types of fat to eat - check out the fat flush diet to see what they normally eat.

Dermatologists Discover Sun Protection Under The Sea

2010-03-05T10:48:00Z

Sunscreen In A Pill

Dermatologists Discover Sun Protection Under The Sea

November 1, 2007 — Dermatologists recognize the benefits of a compound called astaxanthin. Found in red ocean plants and animals such as salmon, astaxanthin is the most effective and efficient free radical sponge in nature, which works to combat the free radicals created by skin exposed to ultraviolet rays. It is a powerful antioxidant that also reduces the pain and inflammation that occurs with sunburn. It is not a substitute for sunscreen, but a supplement provides the benefits of eating one to three pounds of salmon a day.

For years you’'ve heard about the dangers of sun exposure. Now, instead of just relying on sunscreen -- more help could soon come from a pill.

Timothy Marr is an extreme athlete -- an Ironman!

“It’s a long day and there’s so many things that can happen out there, that you have to be able to fight through mentally and physically, there’s so many challenges.” Marr told Ivanhoe.

Tim is quickly sprinting to the top of his game -- ready to prove he’s the best in the world. He plans to win the Hawaii Ironman in just four years.

“It’'s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run, it’s a long day. It’s the biggest race in the world,” Marr said.

It’s also a lot of time in the sun. With all the swimming and sweating, wearing sunscreen is nearly impossible. But a pill called Bio Astin along with sunscreen could help protect him from harmful rays.

“We are understanding how tissue damage occurs in the body at the molecular level that’s where the Bio Astin appears to work,” Robert Childs, M.D., anesthesiologist in Honolulu, Hawaii, told Ivanhoe.

UV rays can damage skin's DNA, increasing its risk of developing skin cancer. But dermatologists say that Bio Astin, also know as Astaxanthin, acts like a sponge absorbing UV rays. It also reduces pain and inflammation from sunburn. It's a powerful antioxidant, more than 500 times stronger than vitamin E and 10 times stronger than vitamin A.

"Astaxanthin exists primarily in the oceans," Dr. Childs explained.

It’'s commonly found in red ocean plants and animals, including salmon. But you'’d have to eat one to three pounds of salmon a day to get the same effect. Which for Marr wouldn'’t leave much time for training.

"I want to be as good as I can, we’re given one chance ... right now is the time for me,” Marr said.

The drug is not a cure all. Doctors say to be completely safe from the sun, it should be used with other sun protective measures such as sun glasses, hats, protective clothing, and sunscreen. There are no known side effects and it can be found at local vitamin stores or on the Internet.

BACKGROUND: A natural substance found in marine life may help you minimize the sun’s damage, if used in combination with sunscreen and limited exposure to sunlight. Patients who already had skin cancer saw a marked improvement after taking the supplement, called Astaxanthin. It is found in marine plants and animals that eat those plants, such as salmon. Any ocean plant or animal with a reddish color contains astaxanthin.

HOW IT WORKS: UV light causes chemical changes in the body that can suppress the body’s immune system and stimulate the growth of cancer cells by generating toxic substances known as free radicals. These substances, which attack and damage our DNA, are believed to be one of the factors that cause skin cancer. Certain molecules in some vitamin-rich foods can absorb these free radicals. Astaxanthin is proving to be one of the most effective and efficient free radical “sponges” found in nature, soaking up the toxic molecules to prevent them from causing further damage. A potent antioxidant, astaxanthin is more than 500 times stronger than vitamin E and 10 times stronger than vitamin A (betacarotene). It can also enhance the immune system, helping to reduce the inflammation that leads to sunburn.

HERE COMES THE SUN: The sun emits three forms of light: infrared (heat), visible light, and ultraviolet (UV) light. It is the latter that is responsible for skin damage: prolonged exposure can damage and kill skin cells, which then release chemicals that activate the body’s pain receptors. The reddening of sunburned skin is the result of increased blood flow to the damaged areas in order to remove the dead cells. The energy from UV light also stimulates the production of a pigment known as melanin, which causes the skin to darken, or tan. Melanin actually absorbs the UV radiation in sunlight, protecting skin cells from further damage. Melanin is produced gradually, which is why would-be tanners must build up levels of the protective pigment in their skin cells over the course of several days. It’s also why darker-skinned people are less likely to burn or suffer from skin cancer than those of fairer complexion: they possess naturally high levels of melanin. In contrast, albinos don’t have any melanin at all in their skin, hair, or irises because they are missing a critical enzyme required for its production.

ABOUT THE UV INDEX: The UV index is a standard measure of the amount of UV radiation striking the Earth’s surface, and the most accurate measure of sun exposure risk. In the US, the UV index starts to increase in March and April, peaking every year in June. The ozone layer in the Earth’s upper stratosphere absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation, but ongoing damage to that protective layer means that UV-related health risks continue to increase. NASA solar experts report that this year was the strongest and most active sun activity cycle in nearly 50 years, a state they expect to persist for the next 7-10 years. As a result, people will need more UV protection than ever before over the next decade.

Note: This story and accompanying video were originally produced for the American Institute of Physics series Discoveries and Breakthroughs in Science by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and are protected by copyright law. All rights reserved

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1108-sunscreen_in_a_pill.htm

Protein Shown to Be Natural Inhibitor of Aging in Fruit Fly Model

2010-03-05T10:40:00Z

Protein Shown to Be Natural Inhibitor of Aging in Fruit Fly Model

ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2010) — Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified a protein called Sestrin that serves as a natural inhibitor of aging and age-related pathologies in fruit flies. They also showed that Sestrin, whose structure and biochemical function are conserved between flies and humans, is needed for regulation of a signaling pathway that is the central controller of aging and metabolism.

The work, led by Michael Karin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology in UCSD's Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, is the cover story of the March 5 issue of the journal Science.

Sestrins are highly conserved small proteins that are produced in high amounts when cells experience stress. Sestrin function, however, remained puzzling until the Karin group found that these proteins function as activators of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), and inhibitors of the Target of Rapamycin (TOR). AMPK and TOR are two protein kinases that serve as key components of a signaling pathway shown to be the central regulator of aging and metabolism in a variety of model organisms, including the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and mammals.

AMPK is activated in response to caloric restriction, a condition that slows down aging, whereas TOR is activated in response to over-nutrition, a condition that accelerates aging. Activation of AMPK inhibits TOR, and drugs that activate AMPK or inhibit TOR can delay aging in several different model organisms including mammals. But how the body keeps the activity of these two protein kinases in balance to prevent premature aging was unknown. Additionally, the presence of three different genes encoding Sestrins in mammals made it difficult to identify their exact physiological function in live animals.

The new study took advantage of the finding that the fruit fly Drosophila, whose AMPK-TOR signaling pathway functions in the same manner as its mammalian equivalent, contains a single Sestrin gene. Using a variety of genetic techniques, first author Jun Hee Lee inactivated the Sestrin gene of Drosophila and found that although Sestrin-deficient flies do not exhibit any developmental abnormalities, they suffer from under-activation of AMPK and over-activation of TOR -- confirming that Sestrin is needed for keeping this pathway in check. Most importantly, the biochemical imbalance incurred by loss of Sestrin expression resulted in several age-related pathologies.

"Strikingly, the pathologies caused by the Sestrin deficiency included accumulation of triglycerides, cardiac arrhythmia and muscle degeneration that occurred in rather young flies," said Karin. "These pathologies are amazingly similar to the major disorders of overweight, heart failure and muscle loss that accompany aging in humans."

Lee and colleagues at UC San Diego and the Sanford-Burnham Institute in La Jolla, California, went on to demonstrate that feeding flies with drugs that either activate AMPK or inhibit TOR conferred protection against most of these early aging, degenerative symptoms. The researchers also found that over-activation of TOR is likely to accelerate aging of heart and skeletal muscles by disrupting an important "quality control" process called autophagy. Autophagy allows cells to rid themselves of and replace damaged mitochondria, the little power plants that provide all cells, especially muscles, with energy. However, when mitochondria get old, they produce high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals, that can lead to tissue damage.

Karin explained that the process of autophagy -- which counteracts aging -- allows the replacement of "old" and defective mitochondria with "brand new" mitochondria. Sestrin-deficient flies, however, were found to exhibit accumulation of damaged mitochondria and ROS several days prior to the detection of muscle degeneration. Feeding these flies vitamin E, an antioxidant which neutralizes free radicals, prevented premature muscle degeneration and heart failure.

In future work, the Karin group plans to examine whether the mammalian Sestrins also control aging and metabolism, and whether defects in proper Sestrin expression will provide the explanation to some of the currently unexplainable degenerative diseases associated with old age.

"Maybe one day we will be able to use Sestrin analogs to prevent much of the tissue failure associated with aging, as well as treat a number of degenerative diseases, whose incidence goes up with old age, including sarcopenia and Alzheimer's disease," said Karin.

Additional contributors to the study -- a collaboration between three laboratories at UC San Diego School of Medicine, UCSD Division of Biology and the Sanford-Burnham Institute -- are Andrei V. Budanov, Eek Joong Park, Ryan Birse, Teddy E. Kim, Guy A. Perkins, Karen Ocorr, Mark H. Ellisman, Rolf Bodmer and Ethan Bier.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Superfund Basic Research Program and American Cancer Society.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

Jun Hee Lee, Andrei V. Budanov, Eek Joong Park, Ryan Birse, Teddy E. Kim, Guy A. Perkins, Karen Ocorr, Mark H. Ellisman, Rolf Bodmer, Ethan Bier, and Michael Karin. Sestrin as a Feedback Inhibitor of TOR That Prevents Age-Related Pathologies. 2010: 327 (5970): 1223-1228, DOI: 10.1126/science.1182228

DHA destroys neuroblastoma cancer cells

2010-03-05T10:22:00Z

DHA destroys neuroblastoma cells

An article in the March, 2010 issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB Journal) reports the discovery by scientists at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, in collaboration with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, of the ability of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, to kill neuroblastoma cells in vitro. Neuroblastoma is a cancer that originates in the sympathetic nervous system of an embryo or fetus. Five year survival is high when the disease is diagnosed in infancy, but averages 35 percent in children who develop the disease at a later age. It is currently treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or bone marrow transplant.

Docosahexaenoic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, and is necessary for proper neural development of the fetus. Increased DHA intake is associated with a number of benefits, including protection against several types of cancer. Helena Gleissman, PhD of Karolinska Institutet's Childhood Cancer Research Unit and her colleagues tested the effect of DHA on cultured neuroblastoma cells and analyzed them for DHA's metabolic byproducts. They found that while DHA itself destroyed the cancer cells, the fatty acid's derivatives were even more effective at killing these cells.

The current study and previous research show that while DHA has been demonstrated to help protect neural cells from stress-induced apoptosis (programmed cell death), it also induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. The discovery may be of significance for the treatment of other cancers, including those of the colon and prostate. "We hope that this study can provide a deeper understanding of the actions of omega-3 fatty acids and their products in cancer cells, and why they can be of such high importance in treatment of the disease," Dr Gleissman commented. "Ultimately, we hope that we can be able to cure more children with neuroblastoma, and possibly other cancers."

"This is good news for those looking to stop cancer," FASEB Journal Editor-in-Chief Gerald Weissmann, MD remarked. "We now know that DHA plays both offense and defense when it comes to protecting our health. Its ability to help prevent numerous diseases is well documented, but now we see that DHA or one of its byproducts might serve as the starting point for a new class of anticancer drugs."

Complementary alternative cancer therapies

The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is popular among cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment (Hann D et al 2005; Molassiotis A et al 2005). Over 72 million patients used complementary alternative therapies in the past year (Tindle HA et al 2005) to help control their disease. In the United States, 91 percent of cancer patients implemented at least one form of CAM in addition to undergoing conventional cancer treatment (Yates JS et al 2005). The most popular forms of CAM were exercise, relaxation, and prayer (Yates JS et al 2005).

For centuries the Chinese have used garlic-containing herbal formulas to treat tumors, but scientists were challenged to find the mechanism that rendered it efficacious.

Among those dedicated to validating garlic is Benjamin Lau, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Lau, focusing upon cancer biology and immunology, was motivated by an epidemiological study reported by the People's Republic of China. The study compared two large populations in the Shandong Province: Cangshan County and Qixia County (Mei et al. 1982). Residents of Cangshan County experienced the lowest death rate due to stomach cancer (three per 100,000), regularly consuming about 20 grams of garlic a day; the people of Qixia had a 13-fold higher stomach cancer death rate, eating garlic only rarely. It appears that lowering nitrite concentrations may be the protective mechanism resulting in fewer numbers of gastric cancers.

Garlic's anticarcinogenic effects are not restricted to gastric malignances.

Garlic (administered intralesionally to mice) was significantly more effective than BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guerin), a weakened form of the tuberculosis bacilli, in treating bladder cancer (Lau et al. 1986).
Diallyl disulfide, a sulfur compound, induced cell death (apoptosis) in non small cell lung cancer cells (Hong et al. 2000); Diallyl sulfide, a component of garlic oil, inhibited liver carcinogenicity following carcinogenic exposure (Hayes et al. 1987); S-allyl cysteine, (a derivative of aged garlic extract), inhibited human neuroblastoma cell growth in vitro (Welch et al. 1992); allixin, one of the compounds of aged garlic extract, inhibited the development of skin cancer (Nishino et al. 1990). Diallyl sulfide was highly inhibitory during the initiation phase of esophageal cancer (Wargovich et al. 1992).

http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/0305_DHA-Destroys-Neuroblastoma-Cells.htm

Zyflamend - Anti Inflammation supplement

2010-03-04T13:31:00Z

I've been meaning to post this for a while ....

If you have several problems that I list in Keith’s List of Pre Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms (located in the left column near the bottom)

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2008/07/13/keiths-list-of-pre-type-2-diabetes-symptoms.aspx

most likely you have an inflammation problem.

So what do you do about it?

1. Stop the source of inflammation. Which usually is (A) smoking ( heavy drinking (C) a diet high in high glycemic foods

2. Start taking proper nutrition. Meaning a high quality "mega" multi-vitamin plus tons of fish oil

I consider these two things the first things to do for any health problem that is not an emergency. But if you have an emergency why the heck are you sitting here reading some stupid blog? (just checking to see if you were paying attention

The two next best things I have found for inflammation are:

3. Take more fish oil and take tumeric (Curcumin) - both are excellent inflammation fighters. More antioxidants are also a good investment.

4. Detox. This makes problems worse while detoxing - but it really does flush a lot of the stuff from your body, so you feel better after you are done detoxing.

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2009/11/15/just-completed-round-1-of-detox.aspx

I just found a supplement in the war against inflammation - its called zyflamend by New chapter

http://www.newchapter.com/products/zyflamend

and you can buy it here

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?ss=1&Ntk=products&Ntt=zyflamend

But don't stop doing all the other stuff I told you to do ....

Conversations with Cedric, Part Three

2010-03-04T13:25:00Z

Here is part one:

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2010/02/28/conversations-with-cedric-part-one.aspx

Here is part two:

http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2010/03/01/conversations-with-cedric-part-two.aspx

Cedric:

Keith, I wanted to ask what are your general thoughts on fruit?

Keith:

I tend to stay away from fruit. Lot of sugar. But there are a lot of vitamins / minerals / antioxidants in fruit. So I prefer fruit supplements instead where they remove a lot of water and sugar.

But if you eat fruit instead of dessert - hard to argue with it.

One other tip - eat your protein first. Eat your zero carb foods first, low glycemic foods second. Fruit as dessert last.

This technique slows how fast the carbs and sugar in your meal are absorbed by your body.

If you think about a restaurant - they bring your bread out first! So that enters your body on an empty stomach and drives your blood sugar crazy! Whereas if you eat a big ol steak and then have some bread and fruit - your body has all these zero carb foods and sugary fruit to digest so your blood sugar rises more slowly.

If you work out a lot fruit for dessert (after a zero / low carb meal) woud probably be fine.

Cedric:

Hey Keith one of your posts you mention some toxic substances found in veggies like lettuce etc. Should I keep these veggies to a minimum?

Keith:
I don't remember exactly what you are referring to - but my comment was probably aimed at the vegetarians that claim only meat has bad stuff in it.

Most foods have toxins in them. That is why it is important to have a strong immune system, lymph system, detox, etc.

I will say that I think that veggies have stuff in them that may help the body detox.

I assume that you are a young guy and probably don't have to worry about detoxing.

You understand moderation and listening to your body. Eat all the low glycemic veggies you want, cut back on the mid glycemic veggies, and you might eat fruit for dessert instead of high glycemic veggies. Listen to what your body tells you.

Cedric:
This is where I am as of today:

1. I tried the trial and error process. I tried to incorporate eggs back into the diet, as I was not sure if they were the culprit, as I always ate eggs with another veggie or some other kind of food condiment. However, this time, I know for sure, not only did I get tired, I had these foul smelling burps coupled with a feeling as if the egg was kind of stuck near the middle of my body. Thus eggs will eliminated indefinitely.

2. As for the rest of my diet, well I think fruits are a must for me nutritionally and to help me maintain a healthy weight. As for my blood sugar problems, I found if I eat fruits by themselves at one meal, and keep the fruits low on the GI scale, I should be ok; however, right now I am just eating apples and berries. Are there any other safe fruits I could include?

3. In terms of protein: I stick to fish, steak (is this ok?), chicken, and ground turkey. I am thinking of including the hamburger patties, but I am not sure.

4. Veggies, I try to stick the list you told me about in your first email.

5. For a sample daily regiment, I try to do the following:
Breakfast: a couple of fruits

Lunch: protein with some veggies

Mid Afternoon- some fruits (meaning apples)

Dinner: Again Protein with veggies

Before Sleep: Some fruits

Keith, do you think this will be enough to maintain my weight of about 135 lbs if I am 5'5?

6. As for exercise, I started a weightlifting program as you suggested. I try to split training and separate the body groups in daily workouts? What I noticed was when I do an exercise extremely slow, even though I am lifting a significantly lighter weight, I can feel the burn much more than if I were just churning out sets.

Conclusion: Right now, I am feeling better, I think the trial and error process is somewhat over, now I am just looking to fine tune everything in the diet and in the exercise realm. My goals are not to fall victim to blood sugar crashes, and to maintain a healthy weight so I can add additional pounds of muscle in correlation with my workout program. In all I know there are a lot of fruits, but I am kind of using them as gateway foods right now.

Keith:

If that is what your body is telling you - then I would go for it. Try to keep the protein up as much as possible.

Do you have a way of measuring lean body mass? You might try recording all your measurements as well. Calves, thighs, waist, abdomen (this grows on muscular men) chest, biceps, forearms, etc.

Don't expect these to change over night! But over 3 to 6 months I hope you see an improvement.

Cedric:

Hey Keith, I was wondering are veggies less compatible for the human body than say fruits? I have been trying to find on your site where you talk about the toxins in veggie, could you point me in the right direction. Thanks Keith

Keith:

My thoughts are that meat and eggs (protein) are more men oriented and fruits and veggies are more female oriented.

Think about it. Men usually prefer a big ol steak.

Women usually prefer something more along the lines of the Mediterranean diet.

Meat and eggs are typically great for building muscle and testosterone

A lot of the plants have estrogens - or chemicals like estrogens in them

But based on what they feed cows and pigs today - most meat has antibiotics and estrogens in them also.

Women need protein and it won't kill men to eat some fruit and veggies.

The main reason for men to eat fruit and veggies is the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in them.

But that all depends on the soil. If they are using virgin soil with organic additives in the soil, and it is an all organic operation then you might see some vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

If you really were going to only eat fruits and vegetables for the vitamins and minerals, and each single piece depends on the soil it was grown in - then you would need to analyze each fruit and vegetable for its nutritional content.

Instead, most fruits and veggies today are grown in poor soil, with synthetic fertilizers and fungicides and pesticides that are not good.

Also, a lot of the safe practices / common sense that we have here in the US don't always apply to third world countries - which now do a lot of the world's farming.

My point of making that statement is - don't believe the vegetarians that go around saying that meat is filled with toxins but fruits and vegetables are pure as the driven snow.

People with political agendas will lie to you (i.e. a lot of vegetarians)

Ideally all meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables would be organic - but today - no one can agree what "organic" means. All the people that sell meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables want the organic label to charge more - but don't want the additional costs and lower yields of organic farming.

Granted, any low glycemic diet (i.e. the Mediterranean diet, low carb diet, zero carb diet) is better than any high glycemic diet.

But to answer what I think your question is:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=vegetables+declining+nutrition

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vegetables+e+coli

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vegetables+diseases+that+sicken+people

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/more_people_are_getting_sick_from_eating_fresh_fruits

<Salmonella, E. coli, shigellosis, hepatitis A, and Norwalk>>

Cedric:
There is no doubt I feel great when I go zero carb essentially limiting the veggies and fruits. I have been kind of been doing experiments on myself.

Essentially, I have been following the TNT diet, but when I introduce fruit in the mix, I have gas and often it smells wretched. On the flip side, when I am eating according the TNT standards, I am rarely get a bowel movement, but I don't have gas. So I am not sure what may be occurring here; I theorized the fruit enzymes in these fruits may not match up well with the meat. In addition, I notice my fruit intake often results in an acne outbreak.

In terms of my cognitive abilities when on the TNT diet, I notice if I don't include the meat and eggs with the veggies listed on the diet, I don't get the racing feeling in my head. For example, yesterday I had a chicken salad, and then I attempted to read the newspaper, but I had a very difficult time going from one article to the next. I am not sure if there is some correlation here, I noticed in your blog that you had similar cloudy feelings, do your "foggy" feeling return after you cheat and eat a salad with mushrooms?

Keith:

Most people get extremely constipated on a zero / low carb diet. That is what the potassium and magnesium are for.

I take one of these per day - in addition to 200 mg magnesium in my multi-vitamin

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Magnesium-Ultra

Remember though - I weigh 250 pounds - which is one-and-one-half times your weight. In other words the amount of potassium and magnesium I take may be 1.5 times what is right for you. Then again each of us is different so you'll have to figure it out for yourself.

When I was eating a low fat / high carb diet - I had a hard time focusing and concentrating, was tired and sleepy.

I don't think that eating a salad with mushrooms does much too me. It's more like 3 big candy bars or a huge bowl of ice cream, a couple of desserts, etc. I want to go lay down in the corner.

When I go zero carbs - it takes a day or two or three - but I am very motivated, energetic, focused, and can concentrate however long I want to.

But you are doing the right things - experiment and find out what is best for you.

Multi-nutrient supplementation reduces body fat and lipids in obese women

2010-03-02T10:26:00Z

Multi-nutrient supplementation reduces body fat and lipids in obese women

An article published online on February 9, 2010 in the International Journal of Obesity reports a positive effect on fat loss and lipid lowering in obese women who consumed a daily multi-nutrient supplement.

In a double-blinded trial, C. H. Sun and associates at Harbin Medical University in China randomized 96 obese Chinese women aged 18 to 55 years to receive a daily placebo, a tablet containing 162 milligrams calcium, or a multivitamin and mineral supplement providing the following nutrients: vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E and K1, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, chloride, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, nickel, stannum, silicon and vanadium. Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass, fat free mass, resting energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, and lipid levels were measured at the beginning and end of the trial. Participants' diets, which were evaluated prior to and following the treatment period, did not differ significantly at either time point.

After 26 weeks, women who received the multi-nutrient supplement had significantly lower body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass, respiratory quotient, and total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with baseline levels. When compared to the placebo group's values at the end of the study, body weight, body mass index, fat mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and total and LDL cholesterol were significantly lower as well in the multi-nutrient supplemented group. Resting energy expenditure and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were higher in the group that received the vitamin and mineral supplement compared to both baseline levels and to the placebo group's 26-week values. Triglycerides, glucose, insulin and fat free mass remained unchanged in all groups.

Participants who received calcium alone had lower LDL and higher HDL levels than the placebo group at the trial's conclusion. This group was included in the study due to the previously determined benefit of the mineral on fat and lipids; however, the current trial showed that supplementation with multivitamins and minerals was more effective than calcium alone to improve these areas. "The findings of this study support the notion that besides calcium, obese individuals need other vitamins and minerals for balancing energy metabolism, controlling body weight and for improving lipid profiles," the authors note.

In their discussion of possible mechanisms, Dr Sun and colleagues remark that the vitamins and minerals used in the study could lead to a higher level of fat oxidation and greater use of fat for energy. "To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on lipid profile in obese subjects," they write. "These findings have implications for the development of intervention strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and other obesity-related disorders."

Obesity

The Life Extension (LE) weight loss plan begins with comprehensive blood testing to help determine which hormones are low and whether thyroid function needs to be supported.

The recommended blood tests include:

Thyroid blood tests. Several blood tests assess thyroid function. If any of these tests indicate a thyroid deficiency, a physician should consider prescribing the appropriate dose of the drugs Cytomel® (T3) or Armour™ desiccated thyroid to bring the thyroid level into the normal range.

TSH. If your blood test shows an increase in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), this indicates your pituitary gland is over-secreting a hormone to stimulate thyroid function because of an apparent thyroid deficiency. The normal range for TSH can vary from 0.2 to 5.5 mU/mL. However, if TSH levels are above 2.0 mU/mL, you may be deficient in thyroid hormone and could benefit from Cytomel® or Armour™ drug therapy.

T4. A total thyroxine (T4) test measures the actual hormone being secreted by your thyroid gland. If T4 is deficient, most physicians will prescribe Synthroid®, a synthetic T4 hormone. However, LE recommends Cytomel® (T3) or Armour™ desiccated thyroid instead of Synthroid® (T4) because T3 is the more metabolically active form of thyroid that aids in fat burning.

T3. Measuring the level of triiodothyronine (T3) is a way to determine how much metabolically active thyroid hormone is available to tissues. Normal T3 range is 2.3 to 4.2 pg/mL (LabCorp 2005), but to lose weight, LE believes you should consider a range of 3.2 to 4.2 pg/mL. If your level is below this, Cytomel® drug therapy is suggested. Most individuals begin at 12.5 mcg of Cytomel® twice a day. The dose can be increased if blood T3 levels do not return to a normal range or if symptoms of thyroid deficiency persist.

Thyroglobulin. A less frequently used blood test to assess thyroid function measures thyroglobulin (normal range, 0 to 55 ng/mL; LabCorp 2005). If thyroglobulin is decreased, hypothyroidism is indicated.

Thyroxine-binding globulin. Another less commonly used blood test to assess thyroid function measures thyroxine-binding globulin (normal range, 13 to 39 mcg/dL). If thyroxine-binding globulin is increased, an individual is usually deficient in thyroid function (hypothyroid) (LabCorp 2005).

http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/0302_Multinutrient-Supplementation-Reduces-Body-Fat-Lipids-in-Obese-Women.htm

Gene links to celiac disease may help drug search

2010-03-02T00:08:00Z

Gene links to celiac disease may help drug search

Last Updated: 2010-03-01 11:04:13 -0400 (Reuters Health)

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified new genetic links to celiac disease and say their findings could speed the search for better ways to diagnose and treat the gluten-intolerance disorder.

British researchers scanned the genetic maps of more than 9,400 celiac patients and found areas of immune system disturbance which lead to the development of the auto-immune disease, which affects around one percent of people.

The researchers also found "substantial evidence" that genes associated with celiac disease may also be linked to many other common chronic immune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

"We can now shed light on some of the precise immune disturbances leading to celiac disease," said David van Heel, a professor of gastrointestinal genetics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, who led an international team of researchers in conducting the study.

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and many other everyday items like medicines and vitamins. The disease damages structures in the lining of the small intestine called villi, impairing the body's absorption of nutrients.

It can lead to severe health problems including anemia, poor bone health, fatigue and weight loss. There is no cure, and the only treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet.

Van Heel said his findings meant scientists could now see that many of the genetic risk factors for celiac disease work by altering the amount of immune system genes made by cells.

"The data also suggests that celiac disease is made up of hundreds of genetic risk factors, we can have a good guess at nearly half of the genetic risk at present," he wrote in the study published in the Nature Genetics journal on Sunday.

SOURCE: Nature Genetics, online February 28, 2010.

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2010/03/01/eline/links/20100301elin009.html

Keith Connects The Dots

Swine Flu A Dud—Unless You’re Big Pharma

Dr. Gabriel Cousens reveals method for reversing diabetes with raw living foods

Dr. Gabriel Cousens reveals method for reversing diabetes with raw living foods in exclusive interview

Diabetes is "incurable?"

Increased garlic consumption linked to lower levels of carcinogen

Increased garlic consumption linked to lower levels of carcinogen

Vitamin D marketing association is still very active :-)

Vitamin D deficiency common among kidney disease patients

Vitamin D deficiency common among kidney disease patients

Vitamin D for diabetes and depression

Vitamin D for diabetes and depression

Vitamin D insufficiency associated with increased intramuscular fat

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Elderly patients aggressively over-treated with pharmaceuticals

Cautions while detoxing fasting

Sidestep Toxins and Fast Safely

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) recall leaves food consumers wondering: What is this stuff?

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) recall leaves food consumers wondering: What is this stuff?

Beware of what's in your groceries

The dirty little secret of the "natural" foods industry

The twisted minds at the FDA...

The FDA's outright failure on food safety

Action items: What you can do right now to protect yourself

Gene Test Indicates Who Will Benefit From Low-Carb or Low-Fat Diets

Genes Point to Best Diets

Gene Test Indicates Who Will Benefit From Low-Carb or Low-Fat Diets

New trend in healthcare - genetics based medicine

Conversations with Cedric - Fourth and Final Part

Dermatologists Discover Sun Protection Under The Sea

Sunscreen In A PillDermatologists Discover Sun Protection Under The Sea

Protein Shown to Be Natural Inhibitor of Aging in Fruit Fly Model

Protein Shown to Be Natural Inhibitor of Aging in Fruit Fly Model

DHA destroys neuroblastoma cancer cells

DHA destroys neuroblastoma cells

Complementary alternative cancer therapies

Zyflamend - Anti Inflammation supplement

Conversations with Cedric, Part Three

Multi-nutrient supplementation reduces body fat and lipids in obese women

Multi-nutrient supplementation reduces body fat and lipids in obese women

Obesity

Gene links to celiac disease may help drug search

Sunscreen In A Pill

Dermatologists Discover Sun Protection Under The Sea