Year: 2006

There is an organization that is offering “free mental health screenings” for SAD (seasonal affective disorder.) “SAD” is supposed to be brought on by the lack of sunlight during fall and winter months, and its symptoms include sleeping and eating in excess, extreme fatigue, weight gain, depression or irritability, and lack of interest in socializing and enjoyable activities. What the screenings really seem to do is sell drugs!

Free mental health screenings designed to promote psychiatric drug use, health author says

“Consumer advocate Mike Adams, author of ‘Take Back Your Health Power,’ calls the free mental health screenings “a thinly veiled patient recruiting scheme organized and funded by drug companies,” and urges patients who believe they are experiencing SAD to seek the advice of a qualified naturopathic physician for safe treatment options. ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder is really just sunlight deficiency,’ Adams said. ‘If you suffer from the symptoms of SAD, all you need is more sunlight or light therapy, not prescription drugs.’ In addition to getting more sunlight, SAD sufferers can consume specific foods and supplements for enhanced brain health, including fish oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw nuts, oily fish, raw fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.”

Be on the lookout for MORE “sneaky” methods to sell you prescription drugs! They are getting inventive!

When it is a re-packaged drug that claims to shrink cancer tumors, of course! This should be criminal. An old drug called “Taxol” is being “re-branded” as “Abraxane” and is being sold as a drug to shrink cancer tumors at $4,200.00 per DOSE! Yes, that is per dose, not per bottle!

Hope, at $4,200 a Dose

“CHARGING $4,200 a dose for a new version of an old cancer drug has helped make Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong a billionaire. The drug, Abraxane, does not help patients live longer than the older treatment, though it does shrink tumors in more patients, according to clinical trials. And the old and new medicines have similar side effects. An independent review of Abraxane published in December in a cancer research journal concluded that the drug was old wine in a new bottle. Still, Dr. Soon-Shiongs company, Abraxis BioScience, has promoted Abraxane as a major advance in treating late-stage breast cancer that is, for patients who have not responded to other treatments and are now close to death and is seeking approval for patients to use it earlier in their treatment. And, in at least one way, Abraxane is a breakthrough: it costs about 25 times as much as a generic version of the older medicine, which is best known by its brand name, Taxol. Because of the odd economics of the cancer drug market, though, Abraxanes price does not seem to be hurting its popularity. About 20,000 people have now been treated with the drug, and Dr. Soon-Shiong expects its sales to approach $200 million this year. By 2010, Abraxanes annual sales could reach $1 billion, analysts say.”

Now, as to side effects? Well, the article says that, “Both Abraxane and Taxol can kill white blood cells, leaving patients open to infection, as well as damage nerves in the hands and feet. Taxol causes more damage to white blood cells, while Abraxane causes more nerve damage.”

This is a very, very dangerous drug. And, to charge such monsterously high prices to do this kind of damage to people that already have such advanced conditions is inhuman, in my humble opinion!

The chemical compound used in many “air fresheners” DO NOT “refresh the air” they cause reduced lung function!

Chemical in many air fresheners may reduce lung function

“New research shows that a chemical compound found in many air fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, mothballs and other deodorizing products, may be harmful to the lungs. Human population studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, found that exposure to a volatile organic compound (VOC), called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB) may cause modest reductions in lung function.”

“A study in California, conducted by Loma Linda University researchers, found that the high vitamin E content of pecans might reduce the risk of heart disease by slowing blood oxidation.

The researchers split 23 men and women between the ages of 25 and 55 into two groups. One group was placed on the American Heart Association’s “Step I” diet while the other group was placed on a pecan-enriched version developed by the scientists, in which pecans made up 20 percent of the diet’s calories. After four weeks, both groups traded diets.”

Pecans found to lower risk of heart disease, reduce LDL oxidation

“Blood analysis of the participants found that the pecan-enriched diets reduced unwanted lipid oxidation in the blood by 7.4 percent compared to the Step I diet, which could potentially lower risk of heart disease. The study results, published in the August issue of Nutrition Research, theorized this may be due to the pecans’ high vitamin E (gamma tocopherol) content, which is thought to protect fats from oxidation, since oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol is linked to atherosclerosis, arterial blockage, heart attacks and strokes. ‘We concluded that even though the pecan diet was high in unsaturated fats, which one may think would increase blood oxidation, that did not happen,’ said lead author Dr. Ella Haddad, researcher at the Seventh-day Adventist institution’s School of Public Health. ‘We found the opposite result: the pecan diet showed reduced oxidation of blood lipids.’ ‘These data provide some evidence for potential protective effects of pecan consumption in healthy individuals,” concluded Haddad.’

It sounds strange, but it is true! Chitosan from shellfish is the main component for this new bandage!

A shrimp bandage?

“The HemCon bandage contains chitosan (pronounced KY-ta-san), an organic substance found in crustacean shells. Scientists have long known that chitosan stops bleeding, but Wiesmann and Gregory were the first to develop a chitosan bandage. HemCon’s process starts with chitosan processed in Iceland from shrimp shells. After mixing it with acetic acid and turning it into a gel, the material is cast into tiles, each four inches square and a bit more than half an inch thick. The squares are then freeze-dried in a vacuum chamber, compressed to about half their original thickness, and backed with a thin sheet of brown plastic. Now looking like a square beer coaster-and smelling slightly of vinegar-each bandage is sealed in foil and sterilized by gamma radiation. When placed on a wound, the chitosan bandage sticks to surrounding tissue and creates a seal that blocks the flow of blood. The bandage also promotes clotting because blood cells and platelets carry a negative electrical charge and are attracted to chitosan, which bears a positive charge. Chitosan even has antibacterial properties, so it helps ward off infection until a patient reaches a medical facility, where the dressing can be peeled off easily. The bandage has stopped severe bleeding from combat wounds more than nine times out of ten, according to an Army study. Unlike a coagulant powder used by the Marine Corps, which might burn healthy tissue, the HemCon bandage causes no tissue damage.”

Strange… but true!

Normally, I try to do the Traditional Naturopath Podcast on Saturday… however, this past weekend I had to work and time got the best of me! I will get the podcast recorded in the next day or so… so stay tuned!

“A patent-pending compound isolated from fresh blackberries may inhibit the expression of genes that are associated with cancer-promoting agents. The purified compound, cyanidin-3- glucoside (C3G), inhibited tumors from growing and spreading when used in animal test models.”

Benefits of Compound in Blackberries Studied

“C3G is among a series of plant chemicals that are a subclass of flavonoids—water-soluble plant pigments known for their antioxidative and antimicrobial effects. For the study, the researchers tested mice that had skin tumors. In one group, they found a significant reduction in the number and size of skin tumors among the mice that had been supplemented with C3G, when compared to those that had not been supplemented. In another experimental model with immune-system-suppressed mice, the researchers studied lung cancer cells because of their relatively high tendency to spread to other organs. They found that the purified blackberry compound not only significantly reduced the amount of cancer cell growth in the mice, but also inhibited the spread of the cancer cells to other organs. C3G exhibited anti-cancer activity in this animal model, according to the researchers. The preventive effect of the extract may be due to the compound’s ability to control free radicals known as reactive oxygen species, which activate molecular signals involved in initiating, promoting and progressing cancer. The findings indicate a promising direction for understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of plant chemicals on human health.”

You can do it with a simple excercise that Dr. Joseph Mercola talks about in his Health Blog.

Deeply Relax and Sharpen Your Vision With This Simple Technique

“You’ve probably done it without thinking … placed your hands over your eyes when you were excited, frustrated, fatigued, or had other strong feelings. It turns out that ‘palming’ is one of the most relaxing things you can do for your eyes, and relaxation is a cornerstone of improving your vision naturally. Try this simple version of palming:

1. Rest your elbows comfortably on a table or desk.
2. Cover your eyes with your cupped palms as shown. (See the photo in Dr. Mercola’s Blog at the link above.) Add a pillow under your elbows if more height is needed to keep your back relaxed and straight.
3. Breathe deeply while you palm for a few minutes.

Over 80 years ago, ophthalmologist William H. Bates found ways to use relaxation, imagination, and other natural means to resolve nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and many other vision problems. The technique of palming to rest the eyes from all light stimulation was an integral part of his approach. He concluded from his study and treatment of thousands of eyes that tight muscles actually contort the eyes and restrict circulation. He found that palming helps those muscles relax and let go. Even Dr. Bates was surprised at what one man in his late 60’s accomplished with palming. This man had worn glasses for forty years for distance, and twenty years for reading. He was also developing cataracts. When he asked how long he could palm, Dr. Bates told him he could not overdo it.”