Health Solution Secrets » Featured

How Many More Needless Deaths?

Mark — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:50:33 +0000

By Melanie Segala
Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

Several months ago we had the pleasure of introducing heart surgeon, Dr. Dwight Lundell to our readers. The response to his highly controversial two-part article was overwhelming. Dr. Lundell has taken the courageous stand of exposing the mainstream myth that high cholesterol is the cause of heart disease.

Now in this revealing interview, he explains why this great lie was perpetuated for so long and how the medical profession actually made heart disease and diabetes a national epidemic.

Melanie: Dr. Lundell, you had a very impressive and successful medical career as a cardiac surgeon. You certainly were steeped in traditional medicine. You made a change from repairing hearts every day to being a crusader of truth in medicine. Why did you take this step?

Dr. Lundell: There’s a great quote by Albert Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” I was beginning to feel like that when patients kept returning for second operations and some were returning multiple times. Most of these repeat patients had normal cholesterol levels. So cholesterol couldn’t be blamed for blocked arteries and heart attacks. Something wasn’t quite right with the accepted thinking.

What I was seeing every day in patients on my table though, were classic signs of inflammation. At the same time, research began emerging that cholesterol was entering the artery wall because of underlying inflammation.

I guess it’s fair to say I reached a point where it wasn’t possible for me to continue doing the same thing and hoping for better results. I felt strongly medicine had to change the way we were treating coronary heart disease. I wanted to see this disease prevented and save countless premature deaths and disability.

Melanie: So, what did you do?

Well several things. I knew my role had to change in how I treated heart disease. I began speaking to my colleagues and questioning our hospital committees on current methods we were using. I spent 25 years in the medical arena yet was quite surprised to learn hospitals and physicians do not take criticism or new suggestions very well.

I began to see the extent of control that device and drug companies have on the medical establishment and regulators. The FDA, the National Cholesterol Education Program, The American Heart Association and most of the medical journals are basically controlled by the device and drug industry.

The US Department of Agriculture food pyramid is the product of lobbying and influence by the big food makers. What I was saying was hardly welcomed. If I was going to expose inflammation as the cause of heart disease, it wouldn’t be in this setting where my freedom of speech was being threatened.

I think it is important for readers to understand that back in the early 2000’s my opinions about inflammation and heart disease were seen as heresy. Then and even now, treating cholesterol is the standard of practice, and a deviation from this is a threat to what every doctor had been taught and was practicing.

So, in 2003, I made the decision to close my surgical practice. I spent the next year in my clinic developing a program of supplementation, lifestyle and dietary changes geared to reduce inflammation. My testing confirmed these simple changes could radically alter the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other inflammatory diseases.

The changes my patients experienced on this program were as dramatic as open heart surgery. Only these changes were forever, as opposed to surgery’s temporary fix. And they were very inexpensive.

Melanie: This must have been a very pivotal moment for you when you learned the critical role inflammation played in heart disease and so many other diseases. You’ve been on quite a crusade since, haven’t you?

Dr. Lundell: Yes, you could say that. This information had to be shared with as many people as possible so this epidemic of heart disease could be stopped. But we have a difficult task. A nation of people has been told for 40 years cholesterol caused heart disease.

It is sad yet true that health takes a back seat to profits when medicine is controlled by the pharmaceutical industry. Their profits from statin medications are staggering. When you add food industry profits from packaged low fat foods that create inflammation, it’s a combined mighty force.

For six years, I’ve taken every opportunity to share the truth about cholesterol and heart disease. I’ve written articles and books and done dozens of radio interviews. I now have an upcoming TV show that will reach 80 million households.

Melanie: Is it fair to say the dietary recommendations of the last 40 years that complied with the cholesterol theory created inflammation?

Dr. Lundell: It is very fair to say those dietary recommendations caused the epidemics of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. The good news is — we know this now. By knowing the foods that cause inflammation and eliminating them from our diets, we can get rid of those epidemics and be far healthier.

Melanie: Do you think mainstream medicine will one day acknowledge inflammation causes heart disease and take its focus off cholesterol?

Dr. Lundell: Yes, but it will take a very long time. Medicine changes very slowly and economic influences at the moment are so great and pervasive that it will take time. I say, rather than wait for that to happen, let everyone begin now by becoming better informed and taking control of their health.

People vote every day with their wallet. If we continue to buy bad food, that is what we will get. If we buy good food, that is what we will get. Food makers will try to influence us to buy foods with the most profit for them. But we have tremendous buying power. Wal-Mart now carries loads of organic fruits and vegetables. Is it because they believe in it? No. It’s because the consumer demanded it and they responded.

We register a vote, so to speak, every day with our purchases. My goal is to get everyone to use their purchasing power and vote for real foods and avoid those that cause inflammation.

Melanie: Thank you for this candid interview, Dr. Lundell. We’re happy to help you reach as many people as possible with this life-saving message.

Note to readers: Dr. Lundell will take his message to the TV show “Living in Style” beginning in September. It will air several times on select cable networks and local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX or I-Network affiliates. Please urge your friends and family to watch. It’s time we put a stop to The Great Cholesterol Lie.

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

The Risks of the Fast-Tracked Flu Vaccine

Mark — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:16:22 +0000

August 26, 2009

By Melanie Segala
Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

Most of us in the alternative health field have reservations about the government’s rush to inoculate nearly everyone with the swine flu vaccine this fall and winter. With the possibility of adverse effects from the vaccine itself and the heavy metals that are used as preservatives, we must continue to ask ourselves, “What is the greater risk… the flu or the vaccine?”

Read on to learn more about why these concerns continue to mount…

Last week Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Los Angeles County’s health officer remarked at a news conference that three shots of the vaccine may be needed for adequate protection of the swine (H1H1) flu. He also urged medical personnel to sign up for the vaccine before treating the public.¹

Meanwhile, the CDC is recommending that the most at-risk populations receive the vaccine first. These groups include pregnant women, healthcare workers, parents and caregivers for children under 6 months old, people ages 6 months to 24 years, and those ages 25 through 64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

It sounds like a well-thought out plan — provide sufficient vaccine to cover all strains of the flu and protect the most vulnerable. That is, until you read an August 15 article from a major British newspaper, with the following headline:

Swine flu jab link to killer nerve disease:
Leaked letter reveals concern of neurologists
over 25 deaths in America

The confidential letter was sent from British government officials to 600 senior neurologists. It was written by the British Health Protection Agency and leaked to The Mail On Sunday.² The cause of concern is the possibility that the vaccine could trigger a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

GBS attacks the lining of the nerves and causes tingling in the legs followed by temporary paralysis. In many people, the arms and upper body are also affected. Most people recover, but GBS can be fatal if the whole body becomes paralyzed and the affected person cannot breathe.

But that’s not the only worry. According to Dr. Tom Jefferson, one of the additives in the swine flu vaccine is a substance called squalene. It’s a naturally occurring enzyme on which there is no research to support its use as a vaccine filler. That means there could be as-yet unknown side effects.

And the 25 US deaths mentioned in the headline?

That refers to 1976 when the swine flu vaccine killed 25 people —more than the virus itself. It also triggered 500 cases of GBS and increased the risk of contracting the condition eightfold.¹ The vaccine was recalled after only 10 weeks and the government paid out millions to people that were affected. In the short time the vaccine was available, 40 million people were vaccinated.

The British government is obviously very worried they may face the same health disaster with the latest swine flu vaccine.

Why?

The most obvious answer is that the H1N1 vaccine has been fast-tracked for testing and approval in both the US and Europe. While this will prove its effectiveness against the flu, it won’t prove its short and long term safety — and many like Dr. Arthur Schafer of Canada are worried.

He is asking publicly if the long term risks of the vaccine in healthy people are justified —especially when the evidence shows the H1N1 flu itself is only a mild strain.³ And he says, many other health professionals are contacting him to voice the same concerns.

Back in May, Dr. Lisa Forgione wrote a great article on protecting yourself from the swine flu —through common sense prevention and boosting your immune system. You can read it again by clicking here. And don’t forget to boost your intake of vitamin D. My July 15 Undercover tells you why.

References

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-swine-flu20-2009aug20,0,4256379.story.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern
-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html#.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090815/vaccine_safety_090816/20090816/.

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Can This Supplement Cure Cancer?

Mark — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:34:25 +0000

By Al Sears, MD

CoQ10 is the one supplement I take every day, without fail.

New evidence of an even greater benefit is pouring in. And over the next couple of weeks, I’ll tell you about some of the amazing discoveries happening in CoQ10 research.

CoQ10 is a powerful cancer fighter.

Researchers in Tokyo gave rats a carcinogen that promotes colon cancer. The rats were divided into three groups. One group was fed a regular diet. The second group got a low dose of CoQ10. The third got a medium dose.

The results were amazing.

Both of the groups that received CoQ10 had reductions in abnormal crypts (an early sign of colon cancer) of up to 77%. Ultimately, the results of this study suggested that CoQ10 held cancer in check even when exposed to this carcinogen.¹

Another study done at the University of Texas at Austin documented 10 cases of cancer patients who unexpectedly survived when treated with CoQ10.²

It works by blocking the free radicals that can ultimately damage the DNA in your cells. It also helps re-energize the immune system cells that get suppressed by cancer. It restores their ability to fight back and attack the cancer cells.

Researchers in Denmark studied a group of breast cancer patients. They gave them CoQ10 plus a combination of other antioxidants and essential fatty acids. The result?

The entire group had a partial remission of the cancer. But here’s where things get very interesting…

Two of the patients received larger doses of CoQ10 (390 mg). Their tumors disappeared. Here’s what the researchers said regarding one of the patients:

“After three months, the patient was in excellent clinical condition and there was no residual tumor tissue.”³

Remarkable isn’t it?

Yet CoQ10 is one of the most overlooked nutrients. The government doesn’t even have a recommended daily intake for it. And in my practice, I’ve found that most of my new patients are deficient.

The only natural source of CoQ10 is red meat, especially organ meat. But today’s commercially-raised, grain-fed beef is a poor source.

Even worse, many popular drugs — especially cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins — cause your levels of CoQ10 to plunge.

I recommend getting 50 mg of the new form of CoQ10 daily. It’s called ubiquinol CoQ10. That’s equivalent to 400 mg of regular CoQ10.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, M.D.

References

Sakano K, et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2006 Oct; 7 (4): 599-603.
Folkers K, et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1993 Apr 15;192(1): 241-5.
Lockwood K, et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1994 Mar 30;199 (3):1504-8.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]

“This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com“

Enjoy Your Doctor Visits While You Can

Mark — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:53:28 +0000

By Melanie Segala
Managing Editor, Total Health Breakthroughs

Are the President and Congress cooking up a plan to dump helpless seniors and disabled persons into “medical homes” in order to reduce costs to Medicare and HMOs?

That’s the worry of some private citizens and healthcare professionals including the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI).

Buried in the Obama health care reform bill is a proposal to establish a “medical home pilot program” to care for elderly and disabled citizens. As pitched by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the plan would provide a medical home for every citizen while the country transitions from a sickness-based to a wellness-based health system.¹

While it may sound compassionate at first glance, the medical home would be run by nurse practitioners and physician assistants who would dole out treatment to residents without the supervision of a physician. Instead, they would follow the guidelines of EBM (evidence-based medicine) — a formulaic approach that is based on statistical and clinical research.

According to CMPI, while EBM is a valuable tool in the hands of an experienced practitioner, it is now being “distorted by government bureaucrats and HMOs in ways that impose top-down, one-size-fits-all restrictions on patients and their healthcare providers.” ² In other words, cookie-cutter medicine will be practiced by partially trained medical personnel in order to save the government and private insurance companies money.

American Life League’s Judie Brown is even more blunt when she says, “the nationalized health-care system appears more and more like a behind-the-scenes project based on government control over who lives and who dies.^“3

There may be some shocking truth to this when you consider the fact that the pilot program will be targeting Medicare recipients with a high medical “risk score” or who require continual monitoring or treatment. Does this sound like the type of person whose sole medical treatment should be coming from a nurse?

Along with the lack of physician care for individuals that may need it most, I have some serious reservations about the government implementing and overseeing this huge healthcare undertaking. There are currently 22 million people that are eligible for the medical home program³ — the combined populations of Michigan and Pennsylvania!

Can the government really implement a workable program to care for this staggering number of people? What kind of oversight will there be and who will take the ultimate responsibility for their well-being? Will we simply be adding jobs to the already bloated government payroll or is there real cost-savings in this plan? Our current health care system needs a major overhaul, but is this too much of a risk to ourselves and our loved ones?

It’s up to us as concerned citizens to ask these questions and get satisfactory answers before we agree to support the proposed health care reform bill. You can check out the website Free Republic, for a breakdown of some of the hidden points of the bill. If you’re like me, you’ll be shocked at how much government control and rationing there will be over every area of health care.

If these measures concern you then join other activists in your area to demand honest answers from your congress person.

And maybe most important of all, now is the time to be proactive about your own health. The Total Health Breakthroughs website and e-letter are filled with cutting edge articles from Dr. Al Sears and other THB experts on how to improve your diet, choose the right supplements, and stay muscular and lean well into your golden years.

If you’d like a good starting point, read Dr. Tim Reynolds recent THB article on Why You Need a Personal Health Plan. It may mean the difference between walking briskly past a government-run medical home or being wheeled in.

References

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine
/20090515sebelius-paradigm.html
http://www.cmpi.org/in-the-news/in-the-news/house-bill-would-establish-medical-homes-
for-the-elderly-and-disabled/
http://jaxhawk.blogtownhall.com/2009/07/31/does_america_want_to_substitute_medical_
homes_for_hospitals_for_the_old_people.thtml

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Some Other Articles You May Enjoy

A Simple Way to Cut Your Heart Attack Risk

Mark — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:42:19 +0000

Joseph McCaffrey, MD, FACS

Most of us know we should reduce the salt (sodium chloride) in our diet to help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. While the amount of sodium we eat is important, it’s not the whole story. A recent study has confirmed what other studies have suggested for years: sodium intake alone isn’t as important as the ratio of sodium to potassium.

The study was reported in the January issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.¹ It evaluated the records of 2275 patients who are being followed as part of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) studies begun in the early 1990s.

What the study showed was that over a 10-15 year period, 193 participants had a serious cardiovascular episode (heart attack, stroke, need for coronary artery bypass or death due to stroke or heart attack).

They then compared the risk of these problems to the level of both sodium and potassium in the diet. They measured these levels by looking at how much of each was excreted in the urine each day. This is an easier and more accurate way to get a handle on how much potassium or sodium someone is taking in than recording everything they eat. It works because our bodies maintain their internal balance of sodium and potassium by excreting any excess in the urine.

The researchers found that there was little relationship between the levels of either sodium or potassium and the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

What did make a difference was the ratio of sodium to potassium.

People with high sodium levels compared to their potassium levels fared the worst. They were the most likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

Those with low sodium and higher potassium levels did the best. They stayed the healthiest.

What does this mean to you? Cut out the salt and increase your potassium.

To reduce the sodium in your diet, you’re going to need to read the labels on any prepared foods you buy. Most packaged and canned foods are extremely high in sodium (although I did finally find a brand of crushed tomatoes that doesn’t have any salt added).

When it comes to increasing potassium, many people think about bananas. Bananas are relatively high in potassium, but they also are calorie dense and high on the glycemic index so they aren’t my first choice to add potassium to my diet.

Here’s what I do.

I drink tomato juice or a tomato-based vegetable juice. One cup has about 500 mg of potassium, about the same as in a banana.

Tomato juice also contains lycopenes as well as a host of other nutrients. The positive effect of lycopenes on prostate health is well established so I want to be sure to get them in my diet.

Unfortunately, manufacturers usually add a lot of salt, but low salt and no-salt versions are available if you look for them. If you buy organic, so much the better.

I add a little potassium chloride (NoSalt is one brand) to my tomato juice because I think it improves the taste and it adds some more potassium. If you do that, be a little careful — too much potassium can be toxic.

Anyone who has kidney disease needs to be especially cautious and shouldn’t add potassium to their diet without talking to their doctor.

Also, I enjoy the taste of horseradish and there are some studies that show the glucosinolates in horseradish support liver function and suppress the growth of some cancer cells, so I add that to my tomato juice drink as well.

Cut your salt intake and have a glass of tomato juice every morning and you’ll reduce your risk of stroke and heart attacks. You’ll also be eating one of the nine servings of fruits and vegetables you should have every day.

Reference

Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(1):32-40.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information, click here.]

Blood Pressure Meds for All?

Mark — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:12:54 +0000

By Al Sears, MD

I just finished reading the British Medical Journal … there was an article by a group of researchers telling doctors they should put everyone over 40 on blood pressure drugs — even if they don’t have high blood pressure!¹

According to the study’s authors, “Guidelines on the use of blood pressure lowering drugs can be simplified so that drugs are offered to people with all levels of blood pressure. Our results indicate the importance of lowering blood pressure in everyone over a certain age, rather than measuring it in everyone and treating it in some.”

Can you imagine? Taking drugs every day when you’re in perfect health? This is a sign of things to come. Drug companies aren’t satisfied with controlling medical schools, the media and the FDA… now they want all of us to take a drug every day whether you need it or not.

Are they kidding?

Why You Need Ubiquinol CoQ10

Traditionally, all CoQ10 supplements use the active ingredient ubiquinone. But once this gets into your system, your body must convert ubiquinone into another substance called ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 that works miracles. But there’s a problem… Your body’s ability to convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol starts to decline after age 45. As a result, your body doesn’t get the full effect. And in many cases — if you’re 50 or older — traditional CoQ10 won’t give you the same disease protection it gives to younger people.

But Japanese researchers have discovered a reliable way to skip the conversion process and take ubiquinol straight on its own. The idea has been around for some time. But until now, no one could figure out how to make ubiquinol stable enough to take on its own.

This new option provides 8 times higher absorption of CoQ10 and keeps your blood levels high over an extended period.

Just 150 mg of ubiquinol CoQ10 elevates blood levels to almost 4 mcg/mL. You would need 1,200 mg of the traditional form to match that effect.

What may be even more important is how long ubiquinol stays in your body compared to the old ubiquinone. In one study using mice, the new ubiquinol was present in the blood at a 3.75-fold greater concentration after 8 hours. (A blood level of 4.5 mcg/mL after 8 hours of taking 100 mg.)⁶

This high concentration staying in your system for 8 hours is one of the keys to its blood pressure-lowering potential. The same amount of traditional ubiquinone dropped to a low level (just 1.2 mcg/mL) after 8 hours — too low to have a powerful effect.

The truth is that you may not need blood pressure drugs — even if you have high blood pressure. I see this all the time. Patients come into my office looking wrecked and demoralized, drugged up on blood pressure meds like beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.

Most folks don’t realize these things make you fat… you blow up like a balloon. They can even cause heart failure.

Worried about high blood pressure? Today I’ll show you what I’ve been using with my patients for years and the results are amazing. Here’s what you do: check your blood pressure; start the simple strategy I mention below and then test again a few months later. You’ll see what I mean.

Steer Clear of Dangerous Pills
Case in point: One of my patients, Roxanne, had been on an ACE inhibitor for 4 years. She had gained 10 lbs. and was tired all the time. And at 140/85, her blood pressure was still on the high side, even on the drugs.

I told her to stop taking the blood pressure pills immediately. They weren’t working anyway. And I put her on a simple nutrient. After 9 months, her blood pressure was back to a healthy 118/80.

Plus, she told me she had more energy and was already working on losing the weight she had gained.

Roxanne’s story isn’t unique. Blood pressure pills typically make you weak and tired. Some patients have nasty side effects like depression, impotence, joint pain, and even kidney and liver damage.

What’s worse is that blood pressure meds don’t even work for the majority who take them. Only 42.9% of patients ever see acceptable blood pressure levels.²

Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals just how worthless they are. In the group given the placebo, 30% lowered their blood pressure below the set goal. Apparently, just doing nothing will help close to a third of those with high blood pressure.³

Of course, I wouldn’t advocate that you do nothing if you have high blood pressure — it does raise your chances of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. But you can treat your high blood pressure effectively without exposing yourself to the side effects that come with these drugs.

Get the One Nutrient That Eliminates Hypertension

The first thing I instruct my patients with high blood pressure to do is take 50 mg of ubiquinol CoQ10 every day. It’s the only thing I told Roxanne to take. She made no other changes and watched her blood pressure return to healthy levels.

You’ll probably never hear it mentioned by the medical establishment, but it’s highly effective at reducing blood pressure without any dangerous side effects.

Over 50% of patients coming to my office with high blood pressure taking blood pressure drugs have been able to stop those drugs with CoQ10. Several double-blind clinical trials have corroborated CoQ10’s blood pressure-lowering effects. For example, a team at the University of Texas found that CoQ10 is so effective, it enabled them to safely take patients off blood pressure medications.⁴

A double blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension followed two groups of people with high blood pressure. One group took CoQ10 for eight weeks while the other took a placebo. The CoQ10 group showed a significant reduction in blood pressure.⁵

A meta-analysis of studies that looked at CoQ10 and hypertension revealed that CoQ10 can lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg without side effects.⁷

No matter what your blood pressure, insist on blood testing for CoQ10. If your levels are low, start with 50 mg of ubiquinol CoQ10 a day. After that, monitor your levels after three months.
If you only do one thing for healthy blood pressure, take CoQ10.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

References

Law MR, et al. BMJ. 2009; 338: b1665.
Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, May 2000; www.mercola.com/2000/may/28/blood_pressure.htm.
Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1449-1454.
Langsjoena, P et. al. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. Volume 15, Supplement 1, 1994, Pages s265-s272.
Singh, et al. Journal of Human Hypertension, 13(1999):203-208.
CoQ10 reducing activity in rats. Unpublished data provided by Dr. Mae.
Rosenfeldt FL, et al. J Human Hypertension. 21: 297-306, 2007.

Restless Legs Syndrome: Forget the Media Hype

Mark — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:46:32 +0000

By Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

Do you have restless legs syndrome? Maybe you just think you do thanks to the advertising savvy of pharmaceutical companies who make millions exaggerating this rare condition. They’ve been so successful, that it’s become an epidemic in a population of restless yet inactive people who may really just be suffering from a common mineral deficiency.

I’ll discuss that deficiency with you in just a moment. But first, I’d like to explain why you should avoid if at all possible the popular prescription drugs that are being marketed to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).

The main RLS drugs fall under the category of tranquilizers, sleeping aids and pain relievers — substances that are highly addictive and are only masking the true problem.
The worst of the batch is Requip (ropinirole) which plays with your brain chemistry in the way drugs for Parkinson’s disease and ADHD do — by increasing or decreasing your production of dopamine (which regulates most of your bodily functions).

In fact, Requip is so powerful, it is often prescribed to lessen the effects of Parkinson’s disease. “Hallucination” is listed under significant adverse effects of the drug.¹

Here’s what you really need to know about RLS but will not learn from any TV commercial. The most common cause is usually a simple deficiency of the mineral magnesium in the muscle cells.

Magnesium is the key component that allows cells to absorb other minerals like calcium, iron and potassium that are needed by your muscle cells. Magnesium also allows your muscles to relax and even combats insomnia. These are three darn good reasons why this miracle mineral makes an easy solution for RLS.

One hundred years ago the average person consumed 500 mg of magnesium a day through their diet. Thanks to modern soil depletion, the average person is lucky to get 150 mg through food alone. Unless you’re juicing bunches of collard greens each day, supplementation is the best alternative.

I recommend taking magnesium in three forms:

Magnesium Citrate Powder: This may not absorb as well as the other forms but it still offers its own unique benefits. It also tastes the best. You can find a powdered drink mix called Natural Calm at most health food stores. It can be added to water for a fizzy soda-like drink sweetened with organic stevia.

Magnesium Oil: This is a combination of supersaturated magnesium chloride in distilled water. You can massage this into your legs. It’ll absorb through the skin into the muscles. Good sources of magnesium oil can be found at www.globallight.net and www.magneticclay.com.

Angstrom Liquid Ionic Magnesium: Scientists have found that minerals enter cells through extremely narrow channels about 5 billionths of a meter wide. We normally would rely on plants to break magnesium down to this size. The company www.123minerals.com however, uses a process that breaks down magnesium into a highly absorbable form to enter these narrow channels. Usually one 75-mg dose of angstrom magnesium will have the same effects of 750 mg of citrate.

You can’t overdose on magnesium (unless you have kidney failure problems) so take as much as feels good for you. If you’re prone to loose bowel movements, get most of your magnesium through the oil and the angstrom minerals. If you’re prone to constipation, you may prefer to focus on the citrate powder which has a slight laxative effect.

Your body was built to move and your mind to think. Sitting in front of the TV watching ads for RLS inspires neither physical fitness nor mental creativity. No wonder people are restless! Dose up on magnesium, get plenty of exercise and participate in projects that challenge you mentally. My guess is you won’t need any prescription drugs for RLS.

Reference

http://www.medscape.com/druginfo/dosage?drugid=4638&drugname=Requip+Oral&monotype=default.

[Ed. Note: Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is The Doctor of the Future and the author of 18 health books. She's the medical director for the Nutritional Magnesium Association. You’re invited to receive a free subscription to her Doctor of the Future blog, join a 48-week Future Health Now! wellness program or schedule a telephone consultation at www.DrCarolynDean.com.]

Why Drug Pushing Doctors Are Wrong About Your Brain

Mark — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:39:11 +0000

Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD

Attention: Your memory may be fading and the drug pushing conservative medical establishment wants you to wait for them to develop the next “magic bullet drug.”

This in the face of the fact that Alzheimer’s is a terribly complex disease and in my opinion no one drug will ever be able to prevent or reverse this mind-robbing illness.

I was recently on a conference call with a very important organization and their Capital liaison shared with us that in this time of health care reform, representatives of the major drug companies are going around speaking to senators and congress people telling them that:

“The cure for Alzheimer’s is right around the corner.”¹

Another leading organization is not only promulgating this same exaggerated story but is pursuing drug development almost to the complete exclusion of other methods.

Why This is Important
When I first started my work in Brain Longevity™ 17 years ago by founding the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Arizona (www.alzheimersprevention.org), the number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was 2.1 million. Now, according to the latest statistics, there are 5.3 million Americans suffering with it — more than twice the number.

Here are a few more dire statistics about this illness that highlight its now epidemic proportions: ²

Number of people with AD: 5.3 million
Dollars in annual costs: 148 Billion
Number of unpaid caregivers: 9.9 Million
Leading cause of death: 6th
Frequency of new cases diagnosed: every 70 seconds

That means that in the time it has taken you to read this article so far, approximately 5 people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

So what do the leading mainstream doctors want us to do?

Wait for the development of a drug, vaccine, or procedure that will save us.

Follow the Money
I have before me the March 2009 issue of the medical journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of The Alzheimer’s Association. In this edition the lead article is called Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease by 2020: A National Strategic Goal.

By the way, when you open the journal to begin reading, the first two pages are filled with an advertisement for Aricept, the same drug you see promoted in expensive television ads. As a clinician I can tell you that although the drug may have a modest effect in some patients for a short period of time, its efficacy is highly exaggerated.

Indeed the medical literature states:

“Four commercially available, FDA-approved treatments are intended specifically for Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, they are marginally effective for only a minority of patients, with effects at best lasting not much longer than 1 year, and they do not improve most patients’ illnesses or quality of life.”³

I recently heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Then why is it that the supposedly best and brightest in the field of Alzheimer’s research continue down the same path of searching for the ever elusive drug that’s going to do the job?

In fact one of the priorities established in the editorial of the journal is:

“Sustained investment of resources and funds to support the mission: one billion dollars a year in additional funds per year for ten years.”

Well I think that quote answers the question of why these folks are so into pushing drugs onto an unsuspecting public. Apparently that’s where the money is.

Drugs Are Not the Answer
At the same time the medical establishment is pushing its drug agenda, it has now been reasonably well-established that lifestyle choices are a clear risk factor for the development of cognitive decline, including:

Age- related loss of memory
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a probable early form of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease itself

It really is a continuum; one leads to the other.

Moreover, it is also well known that issues such as heart disease, depression, and diabetes, all lifestyle-related illnesses, are also risk factors for the development of AD.

Beyond that, we now know that cognitive decline may begin at least 20 years before a diagnosis is made and if you were to look at brain scans, perhaps memory loss begins 40 years ahead of time.⁴

Maria Shriver’s HBO Special
Drug discussion made up a large portion of the focus in the recent HBO special on Alzheimer’s disease produced by Maria Shriver, the first lady of California. Yet there were 2 interviews that were largely swept over by the media.

The first was with Carl Cotman, Ph.D., of the University of California-Irvine, who shared his research on the amazing regenerative power of regular physical exercise. To quote Dr. Cotman:

“No drug can do what exercise does.”

In another discussion, a professor from the University of Washington-Puget Sound discussed her very elegant work. She revealed that AD may be a form of diabetes and hence controlled by diet and exercise.

My own investigation and research have revealed that chronic stress is a very likely direct cause of brain cell death and, beyond that, the regular practice of a 12-minute mind/body meditation exercise can absolutely strengthen your brain and reverse symptoms of memory loss.^5,6

So here’s my question: In a time of financial crisis and need for some type of health care reform (please put your politics aside), why is it so hard to get the conventional medical establishment committed to low cost and side-effect free lifestyle interventions to prevent and treat memory loss?

I’d love to hear from you with your opinion.

Go to www.drdharma.com/opinion and share your views.

I can tell you one thing: If the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation had a sliver of that allocated $10 Billion research money, we could cure Alzheimer’s disease.

But for now, while we’re waiting for that magic bullet drug, make sure you’re eating well; supplementing your diet with B vitamins, fish oil and antioxidants; exercising daily; and using your brain in novel ways.

And perhaps most importantly, manage your stress, especially with daily mind/body exercises such as meditation.

Don’t let your memory fade away.

Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD

References

Confidential conference call. July 2009.
2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures: Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago, Ill.
Schneider, L. A Roadmap For The Prevention of Dementia. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 5 (2009): 172-179.
Snowden, D. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. May 7, 2001.
Khalsa, DS et al. Cerebral Blood Flow Changes During Meditation. Nuclear Medicine Communications. In Press. July 2009
Newberg, A, Khalsa, DS. Reversal of Memory Loss After 8 Weeks of Meditation Training. Submitted for publication July 2009.

[Ed. Note: Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. is the original creator of the Brain Longevity™ program and author of 7 best-selling books including the L.A. Times Best Seller, Meditation as Medicine. Dr. Dharma’s groundbreaking mind/body medical research reveals that meditation reverses memory loss in only 12 minutes a day. To claim your free newsletter, go to www.drdharma.com.]

Some Other Articles You May Enjoy

I Feel Like the Medicine is Killing Me Instead of Helping Me?

Mark — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:01:51 +0000

By Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

With the forced chemotherapy treatment of young Daniel Hauser from Minnesota in the news recently, the 15-year-old story of Billy Best and his survival from cancer has returned to mainstream media.

Billy Best suffered cancer of the lymph nodes. After one ineffective round of chemotherapy, he fled south from his home in Massachusetts leaving a note for his parents: “The reason I left is because I could not stand going to the hospital every week. I feel like the medicine is killing me instead of helping me.”¹

Billy explains in an interview with Mike Adams, that he only returned home after his parents agreed to alternative therapies.²

One of the therapies that Billy used was a natural immune enhancer injection called 7-X-14. I was excited to learn that it played a significant role in his recovery. I’ve used this same formula with many of my own patients.

7-14-X was created by Dr. Gaston Naessens, a French doctor living in Quebec, who believes it boosts the overall function of one’s immune system. I met Dr. Naessens at his home many years ago when Christopher Bird was writing The Galileo of the Microscope: On the Life and Trials of Gaston Naessens, in which I was quoted.

7-14-X is used widely in Western Europe and Mexico for a variety of degenerative diseases including AIDS. In Canada, it’s only available to Canadian citizens if requested by medical doctor on “compassionate grounds.” Hence, one of Health Canada’s many restrictions on Dr. Naessens’ is that you can’t even view his web site (www.cerbe.com) if you live in Canada.

Americans, however, can go to the site and order 7-14-X along with educational material on how to use it. International laws allow individuals to obtain medical and health products for personal use without a doctor’s signature.

The formula is not without its critics. The American Cancer Society says that 7-14-X has not been proven effective and may be dangerous.³ Dr. Gerald Batist, one of Canada’s leading cancer researchers, says people who’ve seen results with 7-14-X would have recovered without it.¹

While mainstream medicine cries out that no formal testing has been done on 7-14-X to validate its effectiveness — they’ve done little or nothing to prove or disprove it. Big Pharma appears to prefer investing money and time tweaking and rotating drugs already in their arsenal rather than pursue a real cure. They even deem drugs successful that may only add a few miserable days or weeks to a cancer patient’s life.

They claim, despite the complete recovery of patients like Billy Best, that 7-14-X had NO impact. That’s quite an assumption. It would seem more logical to assume that it had at least some effect.

When my father developed lung cancer I had access to the formula and put him on it. He saw a complete recovery (and also quit smoking).

A year later, however, my mother’s doctor told us that she had developed pancreatic cancer. It ended up being a gall bladder problem. Nonetheless, after the shock of such news and the fear of losing his life companion, my father’s lung cancer returned.

This time he refused to take 7-14-X.

I think, in a way, he felt he cheated death the first time. He couldn’t imagine life without my mother. He didn’t want to outlive her. He let the cancer take him away.

Should you use 7-14-X? It’s not something I can recommend without knowing the details of your case. What I can say is that you should work with a natural health practitioner and have them consider it as a cancer treatment option.

Oddly enough, it’s easier for an American, like Billy Hauser, to get hold of 7-14-X from the French-Canadian clinic than it is for a Canadian. In Canada, you have to obtain it from a doctor. In the U.S. you can order it directly from www.cerbe.com.

While it’s sad that Daniel Hauser must undergo all this media attention as he battles both a life-threatening disease and an oppressive government, he is making the general public aware of the limitations of conventional cancer care and the limitless alternative options available. We must remember that life is dynamic and multi-faceted and there’s rarely ever one black-and-white reason or cure for any given health issue.

References

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/06/22/48hours/main51587.shtml
http://naturalnews.com/index-podcasts.html
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_714-X.asp

[Ed. Note: Carolyn Dean, MD, ND has been called the Doctor of the Future. She’s not only a medical doctor, but also a naturopath, herbalist and acupuncturist. She’s authored 16 books including The Yeast Connection and Women’s Health, IBS for Dummies and The Magnesium Miracle. You’re invited to receive special reports, recipes, videos, and a new year-long health program from Dr. Dean — plus a free subscription to her Doctor of the Future blog. To subscribe or find out more go to www.DrCarolynDean.com.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Is Your Diet a Hidden Cause of Insomnia?

Mark — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:01:52 +0000

By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Most of us have heard that drinking a warm glass of milk before bed will help you sleep. Is there any research to back up this assertion? While milk is high in calcium and tryptophan, both nutrients that promote better sleep, according to MayoClinc.com there is little evidence that warm milk actually helps you to fall asleep.¹

But even though the old warm milk remedy isn’t backed by science, it is true that what you eat and drink can influence falling asleep and staying asleep.

If you are having trouble with sleep, let’s start with the obvious, caffeine. While this should be the first place we look, sometime that morning cup of Joe is just taken for granted, and we forget about all the other caffeinated foods and beverages we are consuming. Remember that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks and even some over-the-counter medications such as anti-histamines. Some weight loss supplements and non-cola sodas also contain caffeine, so be sure to read labels carefully.

If you are someone who drinks coffee or tea all afternoon long and you have trouble falling asleep at night, start by removing any caffeine sources after noon. If you still have trouble, you may even need to cut back your morning coffee, perhaps trying decaf for a week or two to see if this helps.

It can take hours for your body to eliminate caffeine, so it may take awhile to see the benefits.

Alcoholic beverages (your nightly beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink) can even cause sleep disruption. This seems surprising because alcohol can be sedating and people often use a nightly cocktail to help them fall asleep. But while alcohol may help you initially fall asleep, it can wake you up later on.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol can induce sleep disorders by disrupting the sequence and duration of sleep states, which ends up altering total sleep time.² Allowing time for the alcohol to metabolize out of your system can eliminate the problem. If you want an evening drink, try having it at least 2 or 3 hours before bedtime. If you are having trouble sleeping, eliminate alcohol altogether to gauge sleep tolerance.

Another sleep disruptor from the diet can be any food to which you may have a hidden allergy or sensitivity. Since cow’s milk proteins are a common food allergen, rather than drinking milk to help you sleep, you may find that eliminating cow’s milk dairy products actually improves your sleep.

When you take in foods that elicit an immune (allergic) response, your body increases its output of stress hormones. Stress hormones then down-regulate the neurotransmitter serotonin and also the hormone melatonin over time, both of which are needed for a good night’s sleep. Any food allergen can cause this to happen, wheat for example.

I can’t tell you how many of our patients say their sleep improves after eliminating foods to which they tested positive for allergies. If you don’t want to wait for testing, do an experiment and eliminate both cow’s milk products and foods that contain wheat to see if your sleep improves, especially if you have any of the other signs of allergies or intolerances, i.e., frequent gas and bloating, fatigue/low energy or environmental allergies.

Finally, at LMI we find that many patients have trouble sleeping because they just aren’t getting enough magnesium. A high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with high quality sleep time and fewer night-time awakenings.³ Waking up frequently, agitated sleep and insomnia are all symptoms of chronic magnesium deficiency. If you are experiencing any of the above, invest in a good magnesium supplement.

And finally, certain foods such as cherries, sunflower seeds and walnuts are natural sources of melatonin.⁴ Try eating small servings before bed to see if this helps. (If you suffer from acid reflux be sure to avoid big meals before bed.)

Eat, drink and be merry, but for better sleep choose your foods and drinks carefully!

References

Are there foods that help you sleep better? Found online at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/foods-that-help-you-sleep/an01582. Accessed July 2, 2009.
Alcohol Alert, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol and Sleep. Found online at: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm.
Werbach, M. Nutritional Influences on Sleep – Nutritional Influences on Wellness. Found online at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_249/ai_114820705/.
Reiter RJ, et al. Nutrition. Sep 2005;21(9):920-4.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute. Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet - containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body's chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace. To learn more click here now.]

Health Solution Secrets » Featured

How Many More Needless Deaths?

Related Posts:

The Risks of the Fast-Tracked Flu Vaccine

Related Posts:

Can This Supplement Cure Cancer?

Related Posts:

Enjoy Your Doctor Visits While You Can

Some Other Articles You May Enjoy

A Simple Way to Cut Your Heart Attack Risk

Related Posts:

Blood Pressure Meds for All?

Related Posts:

Restless Legs Syndrome: Forget the Media Hype

Related Posts:

Why Drug Pushing Doctors Are Wrong About Your Brain

Some Other Articles You May Enjoy

I Feel Like the Medicine is Killing Me Instead of Helping Me?

Related Posts:

Is Your Diet a Hidden Cause of Insomnia?

Some Other Articles You May Enjoy