(HealthDay News) -- There may be another good reason to floss each day: A new study finds that gum disease could raise the risk for cancer.
"Men with history of periodontal disease had a 14 percent higher risk of cancer than those who did not have periodontal disease, and the increase persisted among never smokers," said lead researcher Dominique Michaud, a cancer epidemiologist at Imperial College London, in the U.K.
People with gum infections do have an increased amount of inflammatory markers circulating in their blood, and inflammation has been linked to cancer, experts say. But the exact link, if any, between gum disease and cancer remains unclear.
This new finding needs to be examined in other populations and among women, but it at least suggests that oral health may have some impact on cancer risk, Michaud said.
"If other data can support this association, then it will have implications for prevention and may provide some new clues on the role of the immune function in cancer development," Michaud said.
The report is published in the June edition of the journal The Lancet Oncology.
In the study, Michaud's team collected data on more than 48,000 American men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up study, which included health professionals aged 40 to 75.
During an average of 17.7 years of follow-up, 5,720 cancer cases were reported. These cases excluded non-melanoma skin cancer and non-aggressive prostate cancer. The most common cancers reported were colorectal, melanoma, lung and bladder and advanced prostate cancer, Michaud's group found.
After taking into account other risk factors, such as smoking and diet, the researchers found that men with a history of gum disease had a 14 percent higher risk of developing cancer compared with men did not have a history of the condition.
While the overall risk was 14 percent, the risk for specific cancers was typically higher. Compared to men with healthy gums, men with a history of gum disease had a 36 percent increased risk of lung cancer, a 49 percent hike in risk of kidney cancer, a 54 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer, and a 30 percent increased risk of white blood cell cancers.
In addition, men who had fewer teeth at the beginning of the study had a 70 percent increased risk of developing lung cancer, compared with men who had 25 to 32 teeth, Michaud's team found.
However, the association between gum disease and lung cancer disappeared among men with gum disease who had never smoked, the team noted. Men with gum disease who did not smoke still had a 35 percent increased risk for blood cancers, however, and a 21 percent overall increased risk for cancer.
One expert believes that the increased risk found in the study is too small to conclude that gum disease is a major risk factor for cancer.
"I am not very impressed with the finding," said Dr. Eva S. Schernhammer, an assistant professor, medicine and public health at Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health. "It's a really modest increased risk. I am not sure I would make too much out of it," she said.
"If this is a true association, it could be a marker of socioeconomic status, or a marker for some inflammatory process that leads to cancer," Schernhammer reasoned. "Given the small increase in risk, I'm not sure it would lead to major, dramatic changes in anything" in terms of public health policy, she said.
More information
For more on cancer risk, visit the American Cancer Society.
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Puberty At Age 8 for US Girls
(HealthDay News) -- It's called the "widow" or "widower" effect, and doctors have long been familiar with this curious but very real phenomenon: When a husband or wife dies, there's a greater likelihood that the surviving spouse will pass soon afterward.
Now, researchers are gaining a better understanding of the forces at work, realizing problems often start with the hospitalization of a spouse.
New findings suggest that having a husband or wife who needs to be admitted to a hospital with a serious illness poses health risks for the partner. The culprit: The stress and upheaval the partner experiences while enduring the hospitalization of an ailing husband or wife.
"It's not like your spouse's sickness somehow magically makes you worse," said Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy. "We believe it works by imposing some kind of burden."
To unravel the connection, Christakis and co-researcher Paul D. Allison, a University of Pennsylvania statistician, examined records of more than a half million couples who were in enrolled in Medicare from 1993 through 2001. Their findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrate the ripple effect of a spouse's hospitalization -- across various illnesses -- on the partner's health.
"What this work shows is that illness in one person -- in a spouse -- can affect the health, the mortality, of another person," Christakis explained. "And this, in turn, means taking better care of someone who's sick not only benefits the sick person, but also benefits other people, such as their spouse."
In the United States, at least 44 million adults, including spouses, provide care for a loved one, the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates. Yet, few of these individuals are adequately prepared to cope with the rigors of caring for another person or the toll it can take on their health, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.
Overall, Christakis' study found that a spouse's hospitalization boosted the risk of a man's death by 22 percent compared with the death of a spouse. A husband's hospitalization increased a woman's death risk by 16 percent.
Some diseases posed more of a burden than others. For example, a woman's hospitalization for stroke, congestive heart failure or hip fracture raised her husband's death risk by 6 percent, 12 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Similarly, a man's hospitalization for colon cancer did not significantly influence his wife's death risk, but other diseases did have a major impact.
A spouse's hospitalization for dementia proved most stressful, raising risk of death 22 percent for men and 28 percent for women, Christakis said. "In fact," he added, "we show that having a demented spouse is as bad for you as having a dead spouse."
Some diseases are deadly, but don't pose as much of a burden on the caregiver, be it physical, psychological, financial or some combination of these, he explained.
The study also identified certain time frames during which caregivers are particularly vulnerable, including immediately after a hospitalization and again three to six months into the illness.
Suzanne Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association, said the study offers additional proof that the stress of caring for a family member can have negative health consequences.
"The findings should frighten family caregivers," she said, "but more importantly, hopefully, help them give priority status to their own health needs."
Spousal family caregivers' risk of depression is six times greater than that of non-caregivers, Mintz noted. And, they are less likely to reach out for help, she said. To protect their health, Mintz urges family caregivers to spread the work load.
"Caregiving is much more than a one-person job, especially when both the family caregiver and the care recipient are elderly," she said. "Often, spousal caregivers do not want to ask for or take help from their grown children, but that really is the first place we should all turn."
More information
To learn more, visit the National Family Caregivers Association.
Now, researchers are gaining a better understanding of the forces at work, realizing problems often start with the hospitalization of a spouse.
New findings suggest that having a husband or wife who needs to be admitted to a hospital with a serious illness poses health risks for the partner. The culprit: The stress and upheaval the partner experiences while enduring the hospitalization of an ailing husband or wife.
"It's not like your spouse's sickness somehow magically makes you worse," said Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy. "We believe it works by imposing some kind of burden."
To unravel the connection, Christakis and co-researcher Paul D. Allison, a University of Pennsylvania statistician, examined records of more than a half million couples who were in enrolled in Medicare from 1993 through 2001. Their findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrate the ripple effect of a spouse's hospitalization -- across various illnesses -- on the partner's health.
"What this work shows is that illness in one person -- in a spouse -- can affect the health, the mortality, of another person," Christakis explained. "And this, in turn, means taking better care of someone who's sick not only benefits the sick person, but also benefits other people, such as their spouse."
In the United States, at least 44 million adults, including spouses, provide care for a loved one, the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates. Yet, few of these individuals are adequately prepared to cope with the rigors of caring for another person or the toll it can take on their health, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.
Overall, Christakis' study found that a spouse's hospitalization boosted the risk of a man's death by 22 percent compared with the death of a spouse. A husband's hospitalization increased a woman's death risk by 16 percent.
Some diseases posed more of a burden than others. For example, a woman's hospitalization for stroke, congestive heart failure or hip fracture raised her husband's death risk by 6 percent, 12 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Similarly, a man's hospitalization for colon cancer did not significantly influence his wife's death risk, but other diseases did have a major impact.
A spouse's hospitalization for dementia proved most stressful, raising risk of death 22 percent for men and 28 percent for women, Christakis said. "In fact," he added, "we show that having a demented spouse is as bad for you as having a dead spouse."
Some diseases are deadly, but don't pose as much of a burden on the caregiver, be it physical, psychological, financial or some combination of these, he explained.
The study also identified certain time frames during which caregivers are particularly vulnerable, including immediately after a hospitalization and again three to six months into the illness.
Suzanne Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association, said the study offers additional proof that the stress of caring for a family member can have negative health consequences.
"The findings should frighten family caregivers," she said, "but more importantly, hopefully, help them give priority status to their own health needs."
Spousal family caregivers' risk of depression is six times greater than that of non-caregivers, Mintz noted. And, they are less likely to reach out for help, she said. To protect their health, Mintz urges family caregivers to spread the work load.
"Caregiving is much more than a one-person job, especially when both the family caregiver and the care recipient are elderly," she said. "Often, spousal caregivers do not want to ask for or take help from their grown children, but that really is the first place we should all turn."
More information
To learn more, visit the National Family Caregivers Association.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Marijuana Bad for the Gums
(HealthDay News) -- Pot smokers face many of the same health consequences that tobacco users do, such as an increased risk of heart disease, but until now, it wasn't known that marijuana use could also destroy gum tissue.
In the Feb. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers reported that heavy marijuana users have as much as three times the risk of developing serious gum disease compared to those who haven't smoked pot.
"We found in our study that long-term heavy [marijuana] smokers had a greater risk of gum disease by the time they reach their early 30s," said study lead author W. Murray Thomson, a professor of dental epidemiology and public health at the Sir John Walsh Research Institute at the School of Dentistry in Dunedin, New Zealand.
"The gums in a person's oral cavity before the age of 35 seem to be a pretty sensitive marker for adverse lifestyles," said Philippe Hujoel, a professor in the department of Dental Public Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Hujoel wrote an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal.
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Smoked like tobacco, it has many similar ill health effects. Marijuana use has been associated with increases in the risk of heart disease, head and neck cancers, problems in the lungs and infection. Marijuana has also been associated with social behavior problems, according to NIDA.
For the study, Thomson and his colleagues used data from a group of 900 New Zealanders who have been followed from birth into their early 30s. The group members have been assessed 11 different times since they were 3 years old. The researchers began asking about marijuana use at age 18, and then again at 21, 26 and 32. Dental examinations were conducted at 26 and 32 years of age, according to the study.
Thomson acknowledged that it's sometimes difficult to get people to accurately report illicit drug use. But, he's confident in this case that the use of marijuana was honestly reported, because this group has been participating in this study for so long and knows that its answers will remain confidential.
The researchers identified three marijuana "exposure" groups: No exposure, 32.3 percent; some exposure, 47.4 percent; and high exposure, 20.2 percent.
After adjusting the data to account for tobacco use, gender and a lack of dental care, the researchers found that those in the high-use group had a 60 percent increased risk of early periodontal disease, a 3.1 times greater risk of more advanced gum disease, and a 2.2 times increased risk of losing a tooth due to gum disease, compared to those who didn't use marijuana.
"We think that it is the same as with tobacco smoke: That is, the effect is not directly on the gums as smoke is inhaled. Instead, it acts through toxins being absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs and then affecting the body's ability to heal itself after bursts of destructive inflammation in the gums," Thomson said.
The bottom line, he said, is "don't smoke, whether it's cannabis or tobacco -- it's not a rational thing to do, and it has far-reaching effects on your health."
If you're concerned about the health of your gums, Hujoel suggested that you avoid risk factors, such as smoking, and ask your dentist or periodontist what additional steps you can take to protect them. If you have early periodontal disease, he said that regular periodontal maintenance care is generally recommended, but there may be other treatments, depending on your individual periodontal health.
More information
To learn more about marijuana and its effects on the body, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
In the Feb. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers reported that heavy marijuana users have as much as three times the risk of developing serious gum disease compared to those who haven't smoked pot.
"We found in our study that long-term heavy [marijuana] smokers had a greater risk of gum disease by the time they reach their early 30s," said study lead author W. Murray Thomson, a professor of dental epidemiology and public health at the Sir John Walsh Research Institute at the School of Dentistry in Dunedin, New Zealand.
"The gums in a person's oral cavity before the age of 35 seem to be a pretty sensitive marker for adverse lifestyles," said Philippe Hujoel, a professor in the department of Dental Public Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Hujoel wrote an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal.
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Smoked like tobacco, it has many similar ill health effects. Marijuana use has been associated with increases in the risk of heart disease, head and neck cancers, problems in the lungs and infection. Marijuana has also been associated with social behavior problems, according to NIDA.
For the study, Thomson and his colleagues used data from a group of 900 New Zealanders who have been followed from birth into their early 30s. The group members have been assessed 11 different times since they were 3 years old. The researchers began asking about marijuana use at age 18, and then again at 21, 26 and 32. Dental examinations were conducted at 26 and 32 years of age, according to the study.
Thomson acknowledged that it's sometimes difficult to get people to accurately report illicit drug use. But, he's confident in this case that the use of marijuana was honestly reported, because this group has been participating in this study for so long and knows that its answers will remain confidential.
The researchers identified three marijuana "exposure" groups: No exposure, 32.3 percent; some exposure, 47.4 percent; and high exposure, 20.2 percent.
After adjusting the data to account for tobacco use, gender and a lack of dental care, the researchers found that those in the high-use group had a 60 percent increased risk of early periodontal disease, a 3.1 times greater risk of more advanced gum disease, and a 2.2 times increased risk of losing a tooth due to gum disease, compared to those who didn't use marijuana.
"We think that it is the same as with tobacco smoke: That is, the effect is not directly on the gums as smoke is inhaled. Instead, it acts through toxins being absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs and then affecting the body's ability to heal itself after bursts of destructive inflammation in the gums," Thomson said.
The bottom line, he said, is "don't smoke, whether it's cannabis or tobacco -- it's not a rational thing to do, and it has far-reaching effects on your health."
If you're concerned about the health of your gums, Hujoel suggested that you avoid risk factors, such as smoking, and ask your dentist or periodontist what additional steps you can take to protect them. If you have early periodontal disease, he said that regular periodontal maintenance care is generally recommended, but there may be other treatments, depending on your individual periodontal health.
More information
To learn more about marijuana and its effects on the body, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Combo Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Brain Tumors
(HealthDay News) -- Implantation of radioactive seeds and chemotherapy wafers following surgery shows promise in treating malignant brain tumors, a new study finds.
The early-phase clinical trial, led by researchers at The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, included 34 patients who had the combination therapy after surgery to remove recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
The study, designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of simultaneous use of radioactive seeds and chemotherapy wafers, found that median patient survival was 69 weeks. Almost 25 percent (eight) of the patients survived two years. Patients with recurrent GBM who receive conventional treatment (chemotherapy) have a median survival of about 26 weeks.
About 25 percent of patients developed brain tissue death, which was treated with surgery or hyperbaric oxygen and did not affect survival. That rate of brain tissue death appeared to be higher than what's seen in patients treated with either seeds or wafers alone.
"Treatment of recurrent GBM presents a major challenge to neurosurgeons and neuro-oncologists," study author Dr. Ronald Warnick, a professor of neurosurgery, said in a prepared statement.
"Glioblastoma is an aggressive, highly malignant tumor with unclear boundaries. Because of its diffuse nature, surgeons are unable to remove it completely, and it regrows in the majority of patients. Our aim is to find a way to keep the infiltrating glioblastoma cells from growing into adjacent, health tissue," he said.
The radiation seeds, each about the size of a grain of rice, deliver radiation to the targeted area for six months. The chemotherapy wafers, which are about the size of a nickel, are placed along the surface of the brain.
Compared with the use of either one alone, the combination of the seeds and wafers appeared to further delay disease progression and increase length of patient survival, Warnick said.
However, he noted that the effectiveness of the combination therapy is not definitive, because this study did not include a control group.
The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about brain tumors.
The early-phase clinical trial, led by researchers at The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, included 34 patients who had the combination therapy after surgery to remove recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
The study, designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of simultaneous use of radioactive seeds and chemotherapy wafers, found that median patient survival was 69 weeks. Almost 25 percent (eight) of the patients survived two years. Patients with recurrent GBM who receive conventional treatment (chemotherapy) have a median survival of about 26 weeks.
About 25 percent of patients developed brain tissue death, which was treated with surgery or hyperbaric oxygen and did not affect survival. That rate of brain tissue death appeared to be higher than what's seen in patients treated with either seeds or wafers alone.
"Treatment of recurrent GBM presents a major challenge to neurosurgeons and neuro-oncologists," study author Dr. Ronald Warnick, a professor of neurosurgery, said in a prepared statement.
"Glioblastoma is an aggressive, highly malignant tumor with unclear boundaries. Because of its diffuse nature, surgeons are unable to remove it completely, and it regrows in the majority of patients. Our aim is to find a way to keep the infiltrating glioblastoma cells from growing into adjacent, health tissue," he said.
The radiation seeds, each about the size of a grain of rice, deliver radiation to the targeted area for six months. The chemotherapy wafers, which are about the size of a nickel, are placed along the surface of the brain.
Compared with the use of either one alone, the combination of the seeds and wafers appeared to further delay disease progression and increase length of patient survival, Warnick said.
However, he noted that the effectiveness of the combination therapy is not definitive, because this study did not include a control group.
The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about brain tumors.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Healthy Lifestyle Key To Cancer Prevention
(HealthDay News) -- While the number of deaths from cancer have been declining, many malignancies could be prevented by exercising, eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking, a new federal report finds.
The President's Cancer Panel issues a report every year that focuses on one aspect of what is happening in the United States in terms of cancer.
This year's effort "centers on lifestyle changes, and two issues that are actually quite different," said panel member Margaret L. Kripke, executive vice president and chief academic officer at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.
One issue is nutrition, exercise and the fight against obesity, and the other is the battle to cut tobacco use, Kripke said.
"We tried to think of what would have the biggest impact on reducing cancer mortality," she said. "If you consider that 15 to 20 percent of cancer deaths are related to obesity and another 30 percent of cancer deaths are due to tobacco use, that's 50 percent of all people with cancer."
And quitting smoking and avoiding obesity are things that people can do themselves, Kripke noted. But, as she and other experts know, it's not easy to get people to make the lifestyle changes they should.
"The most serious lack, in terms of what we know, is what motivates people to live a healthier lifestyle," she said.
The experts call for a move toward a "culture of wellness" in the United States. This culture would embrace healthy living as a goal and promote a healthy lifestyle as a way of achieving wellness.
Despite progress in diagnosis and treatment, cancer continues to account for more than a half million deaths each year in the United States, with almost 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually. Two-thirds of these deaths, and many thousands of new cases, could be avoided through lifestyle changes, according to the report.
Tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer, but it's also responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus and bladder. In addition, it is a cause of kidney, pancreatic, cervical and stomach cancer, along with acute myeloid leukemia. "We really need to get rid of tobacco," Kripke said.
Obesity has been linked to a variety of cancers, including colon, breast, kidney, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. "There are very definitive studies showing that moderate exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer," Kripke said.
In addition, living a healthy lifestyle lowers a person's risk of cancer recurrence and improves outcomes after cancer, Kripke said.
The causes of the obesity epidemic in the United States are complex, Kripke said. The epidemic started in the 1970s about the time that food makers started using high fructose corn syrup as an additive. In addition, portion sizes in restaurants increased as schools cut back on exercise programs.
The obesity problem has grown steadily over the past 30 years. "I don't think there is going to be a quick fix," she said.
One recommendation the panel made in the report is to have subsidies for corn farmers curtailed. "There doesn't seem to be coordination between agricultural subsidies and public health policy for diet and nutrition," Kripke said.
"Subsidies for corn make corn syrup very cheap and it's not nutritionally what you want in all of your foods," Kripke said. "It might make more sense to make agricultural subsidies for fruits and vegetables that would be more healthy for the population."
Although the White House doesn't usually comment on the report, Kripke hopes that it will spur government officials to develop programs that help people make necessary lifestyle changes.
One expert agreed that societal changes are to blame for ever-heavier Americans.
"Obesity has been brought about by changes in our environment, not by any increase in the number of susceptible people," said Eugenia Calle, director of Analytic Epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.
Calle argues that while once fats and sugars were relatively expensive, they are now cheap. "It used to be impossible to buy a great deal of calories for $2.99, and now it is possible to buy one day's allotment of calories for less than $10," she said. "So now calorie-dense foods are cheap."
In contrast, fruits and vegetables are more expensive than they used to be, Calle said. "So, it becomes economically more difficult to make good food choices, especially if you don't have a lot of income," she said. In addition, people have become more sedentary, she added.
"The best idea in the report is implementing a culture of wellness in the U.S., so that the social and cultural norm is one of health," Calle said.
More information
For more information on cancer and lifestyle, visit the American Cancer Society.
The President's Cancer Panel issues a report every year that focuses on one aspect of what is happening in the United States in terms of cancer.
This year's effort "centers on lifestyle changes, and two issues that are actually quite different," said panel member Margaret L. Kripke, executive vice president and chief academic officer at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.
One issue is nutrition, exercise and the fight against obesity, and the other is the battle to cut tobacco use, Kripke said.
"We tried to think of what would have the biggest impact on reducing cancer mortality," she said. "If you consider that 15 to 20 percent of cancer deaths are related to obesity and another 30 percent of cancer deaths are due to tobacco use, that's 50 percent of all people with cancer."
And quitting smoking and avoiding obesity are things that people can do themselves, Kripke noted. But, as she and other experts know, it's not easy to get people to make the lifestyle changes they should.
"The most serious lack, in terms of what we know, is what motivates people to live a healthier lifestyle," she said.
The experts call for a move toward a "culture of wellness" in the United States. This culture would embrace healthy living as a goal and promote a healthy lifestyle as a way of achieving wellness.
Despite progress in diagnosis and treatment, cancer continues to account for more than a half million deaths each year in the United States, with almost 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually. Two-thirds of these deaths, and many thousands of new cases, could be avoided through lifestyle changes, according to the report.
Tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer, but it's also responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus and bladder. In addition, it is a cause of kidney, pancreatic, cervical and stomach cancer, along with acute myeloid leukemia. "We really need to get rid of tobacco," Kripke said.
Obesity has been linked to a variety of cancers, including colon, breast, kidney, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. "There are very definitive studies showing that moderate exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer," Kripke said.
In addition, living a healthy lifestyle lowers a person's risk of cancer recurrence and improves outcomes after cancer, Kripke said.
The causes of the obesity epidemic in the United States are complex, Kripke said. The epidemic started in the 1970s about the time that food makers started using high fructose corn syrup as an additive. In addition, portion sizes in restaurants increased as schools cut back on exercise programs.
The obesity problem has grown steadily over the past 30 years. "I don't think there is going to be a quick fix," she said.
One recommendation the panel made in the report is to have subsidies for corn farmers curtailed. "There doesn't seem to be coordination between agricultural subsidies and public health policy for diet and nutrition," Kripke said.
"Subsidies for corn make corn syrup very cheap and it's not nutritionally what you want in all of your foods," Kripke said. "It might make more sense to make agricultural subsidies for fruits and vegetables that would be more healthy for the population."
Although the White House doesn't usually comment on the report, Kripke hopes that it will spur government officials to develop programs that help people make necessary lifestyle changes.
One expert agreed that societal changes are to blame for ever-heavier Americans.
"Obesity has been brought about by changes in our environment, not by any increase in the number of susceptible people," said Eugenia Calle, director of Analytic Epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.
Calle argues that while once fats and sugars were relatively expensive, they are now cheap. "It used to be impossible to buy a great deal of calories for $2.99, and now it is possible to buy one day's allotment of calories for less than $10," she said. "So now calorie-dense foods are cheap."
In contrast, fruits and vegetables are more expensive than they used to be, Calle said. "So, it becomes economically more difficult to make good food choices, especially if you don't have a lot of income," she said. In addition, people have become more sedentary, she added.
"The best idea in the report is implementing a culture of wellness in the U.S., so that the social and cultural norm is one of health," Calle said.
More information
For more information on cancer and lifestyle, visit the American Cancer Society.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Dementia Gene Mutation Identified
(HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered a new gene mutation linked to frontotemporal dementia, a disease that affects language abilities and socially appropriate behavior in the people who have it.
Frontotemporal dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.
After a decade of work on the question, researchers at the Regional Neurogenetic Centre in Lamezia Terme, Italy, and the Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto identified the mutation in a gene named progranulin by studying the genealogy of 15 generations of an extended Italian family. Thirty-six members of the family have had frontotemporal dementia. Researchers conducted DNA tests on 70 family members, including 13 with the disease.
The mutation is in a gene on chromosome 17, which leads to a loss of progranulin, a protein growth factor that helps brain cells survive. The mutation limits production of the protein to half the normal amount, because only one copy of the gene is active. While reduced production of progranulin is related to dementia, an excess has been tied to cancer.
The researchers reported finding the mutation in nine of the family members with the disease and in 10 people who were too young to have the disease. They noted that four people who have the disease did not have the mutation, but were descendants of a line of the family in which three generations had frontotemporal dementia, indicating a second possible genetic link.
They also noted that the age at which people with the mutation began to see symptoms of frontotemporal dementia varied between 35 and 78 years old.
The findings are published in the July 10 issue of Neurology.
More information
To learn about frontotemporal dementia, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Frontotemporal dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.
After a decade of work on the question, researchers at the Regional Neurogenetic Centre in Lamezia Terme, Italy, and the Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto identified the mutation in a gene named progranulin by studying the genealogy of 15 generations of an extended Italian family. Thirty-six members of the family have had frontotemporal dementia. Researchers conducted DNA tests on 70 family members, including 13 with the disease.
The mutation is in a gene on chromosome 17, which leads to a loss of progranulin, a protein growth factor that helps brain cells survive. The mutation limits production of the protein to half the normal amount, because only one copy of the gene is active. While reduced production of progranulin is related to dementia, an excess has been tied to cancer.
The researchers reported finding the mutation in nine of the family members with the disease and in 10 people who were too young to have the disease. They noted that four people who have the disease did not have the mutation, but were descendants of a line of the family in which three generations had frontotemporal dementia, indicating a second possible genetic link.
They also noted that the age at which people with the mutation began to see symptoms of frontotemporal dementia varied between 35 and 78 years old.
The findings are published in the July 10 issue of Neurology.
More information
To learn about frontotemporal dementia, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Indoor Smoking Bans Kick Carcinogens to the Curb
(HealthDay News) -- Bar and restaurant smoking bans are forcing more and more smokers to head for the exit, only to create noxious "smoke zones" on the sidewalk, new research shows.
"In the past few years, we've effectively banned smoking in most public places in many parts of the country, and one unintended result are these 'smoke zones' in front of restaurants and bars," noted study author L.P. Naeher, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia College of Public Health in Athens.
"This is a relatively new phenomenon," he added. "So, we wanted to study it, to see what the smoking exposure is for nonsmoking patrons and for the workers. And what we found is that the level of secondhand smoke in front of restaurants and bars was several times higher than the safety standards established by the EPA's Clean Air Act."
The findings were presented Monday at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in San Francisco.
Signed into law in 1963, and most recently updated in 1990 and in 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Clean Air Act" sets national air quality regulations and air pollution standards.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), the EPA classifies secondhand smoke as a carcinogen containing hundreds of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, ammonia and cyanide.
ALA estimates suggest that in the United States about 3,400 lung cancer deaths and upwards of almost 70,000 heart disease deaths occur each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke. And last year, a U.S. Surgeon General report revealed that nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are routinely exposed to secondhand smoke.
In their study, Naeher's group measured the level of pollutants in the air outside several drinking and eating establishments in and around Athens, Ga.
Athens is a college town with more than 100 bars and restaurants, all of which began implementing a full smoking ban in 2005. The team tested air near two bars and two restaurants, plus one location away from restaurants and smokers.
On two consecutive Friday and Saturday afternoons, air sample readings were taken directly outside each locale every 30 seconds. Each of the four establishments had a designated smokers area with or without seating, either outside the main entrance or in an internal courtyard.
The researchers sampled levels of smoking-linked carbon monoxide levels and fine particle matter. The latter, called PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lung.
The result: the more smokers present in the smoking zones, the greater the amount of carbon monoxide and PM2.5.
Smoking areas outside bars had the highest substance readings, followed by those outside restaurants. Compared with the location away from any of the four establishments, PM2.5 readings were nearly three times as high outside bars and twice as high outside the restaurants.
Naeher stressed that the study readings seemed to correlate exclusively with smokers, not nearby car traffic.
It's tough to asses the exact health hazard posed by the observed curbside pollution levels, Naeher said. But his group is conducting follow-up research that tries to measure that impact, based on urine and saliva samples from people loitering in smoking zones.
In the meantime, one longtime anti-smoking advocate said moves to ban indoor smoking in restaurants and bars are still important.
"The fact is that you're better off having it outside than inside," said Stanton A. Glantz, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. With bans on indoor smoking in place, "the only choice smokers have is to go outdoors," he said. "And while that could cause a problem for people who choose to go to those areas, presumably people who don't smoke are not going to hang out there."
He pointed out that some states, such as California, have also tackled concerns about outside smoking zones by making it illegal to light up within a certain distance of a public facility.
"But even where this isn't regulated, the smoke will get blown away," added Glantz. "And there's good literature that shows that when you make a workplace smoke-free people cut down cigarette consumption overall. So, this is a far better way to go than what we had before."
Naeher agreed.
"It's not illegal to smoke, and when you have smokers, you're going to have secondhand smoke," he acknowledged. "There's no way to get around that. But the real question is, are these levels high enough to pose a danger to health? We don't have a clear answer to that. So, it certainly warrants further investigation."
In related research, a team at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that nonsmokers living and working in a completely smoke-free environment are two and a half times more likely to say they are in better health than those living without such bans. The findings, which are published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Urban Health, were based on surveys conducted among almost 1,500 Chinese Americans living in New York City.
More information
For more on secondhand smoke, visit the American Lung Association.
"In the past few years, we've effectively banned smoking in most public places in many parts of the country, and one unintended result are these 'smoke zones' in front of restaurants and bars," noted study author L.P. Naeher, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia College of Public Health in Athens.
"This is a relatively new phenomenon," he added. "So, we wanted to study it, to see what the smoking exposure is for nonsmoking patrons and for the workers. And what we found is that the level of secondhand smoke in front of restaurants and bars was several times higher than the safety standards established by the EPA's Clean Air Act."
The findings were presented Monday at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in San Francisco.
Signed into law in 1963, and most recently updated in 1990 and in 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Clean Air Act" sets national air quality regulations and air pollution standards.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), the EPA classifies secondhand smoke as a carcinogen containing hundreds of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, ammonia and cyanide.
ALA estimates suggest that in the United States about 3,400 lung cancer deaths and upwards of almost 70,000 heart disease deaths occur each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke. And last year, a U.S. Surgeon General report revealed that nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are routinely exposed to secondhand smoke.
In their study, Naeher's group measured the level of pollutants in the air outside several drinking and eating establishments in and around Athens, Ga.
Athens is a college town with more than 100 bars and restaurants, all of which began implementing a full smoking ban in 2005. The team tested air near two bars and two restaurants, plus one location away from restaurants and smokers.
On two consecutive Friday and Saturday afternoons, air sample readings were taken directly outside each locale every 30 seconds. Each of the four establishments had a designated smokers area with or without seating, either outside the main entrance or in an internal courtyard.
The researchers sampled levels of smoking-linked carbon monoxide levels and fine particle matter. The latter, called PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lung.
The result: the more smokers present in the smoking zones, the greater the amount of carbon monoxide and PM2.5.
Smoking areas outside bars had the highest substance readings, followed by those outside restaurants. Compared with the location away from any of the four establishments, PM2.5 readings were nearly three times as high outside bars and twice as high outside the restaurants.
Naeher stressed that the study readings seemed to correlate exclusively with smokers, not nearby car traffic.
It's tough to asses the exact health hazard posed by the observed curbside pollution levels, Naeher said. But his group is conducting follow-up research that tries to measure that impact, based on urine and saliva samples from people loitering in smoking zones.
In the meantime, one longtime anti-smoking advocate said moves to ban indoor smoking in restaurants and bars are still important.
"The fact is that you're better off having it outside than inside," said Stanton A. Glantz, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. With bans on indoor smoking in place, "the only choice smokers have is to go outdoors," he said. "And while that could cause a problem for people who choose to go to those areas, presumably people who don't smoke are not going to hang out there."
He pointed out that some states, such as California, have also tackled concerns about outside smoking zones by making it illegal to light up within a certain distance of a public facility.
"But even where this isn't regulated, the smoke will get blown away," added Glantz. "And there's good literature that shows that when you make a workplace smoke-free people cut down cigarette consumption overall. So, this is a far better way to go than what we had before."
Naeher agreed.
"It's not illegal to smoke, and when you have smokers, you're going to have secondhand smoke," he acknowledged. "There's no way to get around that. But the real question is, are these levels high enough to pose a danger to health? We don't have a clear answer to that. So, it certainly warrants further investigation."
In related research, a team at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that nonsmokers living and working in a completely smoke-free environment are two and a half times more likely to say they are in better health than those living without such bans. The findings, which are published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Urban Health, were based on surveys conducted among almost 1,500 Chinese Americans living in New York City.
More information
For more on secondhand smoke, visit the American Lung Association.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Smoking May Be Risk Factor for TB
(HealthDay News) -- Smoking may increase the risk of tuberculosis, say researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, who analyzed data from 24 previously published studies on the subject.
The meta-analysis found that, compared to nonsmokers, people who smoked were 73 percent more likely to become infected with TB and more than twice as likely to develop active TB.
Overall, smokers are 40 percent to 60 percent more likely than nonsmokers to develop TB after being infected with TB bacteria, the researchers said.
The findings were published in the Feb. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
About a third of the world's population is infected with TB bacteria, usually rendered inactive by the immune system. In 2003, active TB developed in about 8.8 million people worldwide. The disease kills about 1.7 million people a year, according to background information in the study.
There may be several reasons for the association between smoking and TB. Smoking may decrease immune response or damage the protective effect of tiny hair-like structures called cilia in the airways, resulting in increased TB risk.
"Tuberculosis control policies should in the future incorporate tobacco control as a preventive intervention," the review authors wrote.
"Potentially, smoking is one of the most modifiable of exposures. In developing countries, where life expectancy is short, highlighting smoking as a risk factor for TB may have greater resonance than advertising its risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease," they concluded.
The review authors also found that the increased risk of death from TB associated with smoking was less than the increased risk of getting TB disease. The authors said this suggests that smoking doesn't increase the risk of death in people who already have active TB.
The meta-analysis found that, compared to nonsmokers, people who smoked were 73 percent more likely to become infected with TB and more than twice as likely to develop active TB.
Overall, smokers are 40 percent to 60 percent more likely than nonsmokers to develop TB after being infected with TB bacteria, the researchers said.
The findings were published in the Feb. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
About a third of the world's population is infected with TB bacteria, usually rendered inactive by the immune system. In 2003, active TB developed in about 8.8 million people worldwide. The disease kills about 1.7 million people a year, according to background information in the study.
There may be several reasons for the association between smoking and TB. Smoking may decrease immune response or damage the protective effect of tiny hair-like structures called cilia in the airways, resulting in increased TB risk.
"Tuberculosis control policies should in the future incorporate tobacco control as a preventive intervention," the review authors wrote.
"Potentially, smoking is one of the most modifiable of exposures. In developing countries, where life expectancy is short, highlighting smoking as a risk factor for TB may have greater resonance than advertising its risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease," they concluded.
The review authors also found that the increased risk of death from TB associated with smoking was less than the increased risk of getting TB disease. The authors said this suggests that smoking doesn't increase the risk of death in people who already have active TB.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Teflon Deception
Evidence continues to mount that perfluorochemical (PFC) emissions from synthetic compounds in non-stick cookware and cleaning products produced by DuPont may cause cancer and other health problems.In particular, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which cannot be broken down by heat, light, or microbes, have been shown to cause tumors in the pancreas, liver, testicles, thyroid, or mammary glands in animal studies.
Workers involved in manufacturing PFOA were also shown to be three times as likely to die of prostate cancer as those who weren't.
PFC concentrations have been found in the blood of fish, dolphins, seals, sea lions, minks, polar bears, gulls, albatrosses, bald eagles, sea turtles, and dozens more species. PFOA is present in the blood of 90 percent to 95 percent of U.S. residents.
DuPont has never conceded that PFCs cause health or environmental problems, although they have attempted to rein in emissions.
Reference: AlterNet January 2, 2007
Here's Why So Many People are Cooking with Saladmaster...
Handle System
Storage has never been easier with our exclusive, detachable handles. Plus, they provide for convenient stove-to-table service, turning a pan into an elegant serving piece with just a click. Cleanup and storage are a breeze, too! Simply remove the handles and place in the dishwasher or cupboard. Versa Loc handles are safer and 200% stronger than industry standard. Best of all no screws means no more loose handles!
Cooking Surface
Regarding the metal, most cookware sold in stores is an 18/10 grade of steel at best. Because of the softness of this grade of metal, when heated, it expands and the food sticks to the pan. You are then forced to cook with oil and the pan becomes difficult to clean. In addition the natural acids and salts contained in our foods can create a chemical reaction with inferior cooking surfaces.
The cooking surface of Saladmaster® cookware is a 316L surgical stainless steel. It is the highest grade of steel used in the cookware industry. It is non-porous, meaning you can cook without oil and its much easier to clean than regular stainless steel. 316L is safe as it does not react with the natural salts and acids of your food.
'The kind of steel used in most stainless steel cookware is not the best metal in which to prepare foods. Most stainless steel cookware sold in stores is of such a nature as to allow chrome and nickel to bleed out into foods as water and food chemicals react with the walls of the vessels as they are heated. The chrome and nickel salts are retained when ingested. They cannot be eliminated. They build up and in time can create troublesome conditions'. - Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review -
Heat Distribution
Many consumers believe that if a pan is heavy it is good. It's not the weight that's important, it's how quickly the pan heats up, how well it holds the heat and how well it distributes the heat.
Most products on the market have multiple layers of heat conducting alloys on the bottom of the pan only. This means you have to constantly stir your food. Often people become frustrated with traditionally pots 'n pans because they stick and burn at the bottom where the heat source is. Saladmaster's cooking vessel is designed with 7-layers of steel. It is a perfect marriage of metals that distributes the heat 360 degrees. Providing completely even heat allows your food to cook faster at lower temperatures, without the need of stirring.
Temperature Control
All our stoves and fridges have a means of controlling temperature, why doesn't our cookware have one? Since the nutrition of our food can be damaged by high heat, temperature control becomes an extremely important factor to considering the cookware you want to prepare your food in.
Your vitamins and minerals break down when exposed to temperatures above 200ºF. Common cooking methods such as boiling (212ºF), steaming(232ºF) and micro waving (400ºF) can substantially reduce the vitality of your food.
Saladmasters patented Vapo Valve activates below boiling and below steaming. Because it cooks quickly at low heat it preserves the majority of nutrition in your foods.
more information:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/integrated_med.htm
Chemical & Heavy Metal Cleanse Starter Kit$149.85  The Chemical & Heavy Metal Starter Kit was designed by Dr. Group for individuals that are new to the cleansing process, or are simply looking for an easy-to-perform, cost effective cleanse program. The Heavy Metal Starter Kit is comprised of LIFE Detox Foot Patches™, NDF Plus™, and Quantum Zeolite™. |
Saturday, January 13, 2007
A Comprehensive Review of Heavy Metal Detoxification and Clinical Pearls from 30 years of Medical Practice by Dietrich Klinghardt, MD.,Ph.D
A. Introduction:Heavy Metals appear in the mammalian system because they have become part of our environment.
We are in a constant exchange with our environment which is goverened by the laws of osmosis.
If mercury is in the fish we eat, over time we have mercury in our system. We cannot keep our system pristine and clean, because we are seperated from our toxic environment only by semi-permeable membranes: skin and mucosal surfaces.
Maintaining relative cleanliness requires a number of inherentdetox systems to work overtime against the osmotic pressure of the incoming toxins. As the toxixity of our environment increases so does the osmotic pressure, pushing the often man- made poisons into our body.
Toxins almost never come alone. They come in synergistically acting package-deals. Mercury alone is toxic. Together with zinc it is many times more toxic, add in a little copper and silver, as in dental amalgam fillings and the detrimental effect to the body increases manyfold.
Together with mercaptan and thioether (dental toxins) the toxic amalgam effects grow exponentially.
Add in a little PCB and dioxin, as in fish, and the illness causing effect of the methyl mercury in fish increases manyfold. Toxicology is to a large degree the study of synergistic effects.
In synergy 1 plus 1 = 100. Heavy metals are primarily neurotoxins. There is a synergistic effect between all neurotoxins which is responsible for the illness producing effect.
Making the neurotoxin elimination a major part of my practice has been an amazing experience.
Many illnesses considered intractable respond when the related issues are successfully resolved.
What are Neurotoxins?
Neurotoxins are substances attracted to the mammalian nervous system. They are absorbed by nerve endings and travel inside the neuron to the cell body. On their way they distrupt vital functions of the nerve cell, such as axonal transport of nutrients, mitochondrial respiration and proper DNA transcription. The body is constantly trying to eliminate neurotoxins via the available exit routes: the liver, kidney, skin and exhaled air.
Detox mechanisms include acetylation, sulfation, glucuronidation, oxidation and others. The liver is most important in these processes. Here most elimination products are expelled with the bile into the small intestine and should leave the body via the digestive tract. However, because of the lipophilic/neurotropic nature of the neurotoxins, most are reabsorbed by the abundant nerve endings of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in the intestinal wall. The ENS has more neurons than the spinal chord. From the moment of mucosal uptake the toxins can potentially take 4 different paths:
1. Neuronal uptake and via axonal transport to the spinal chord (sympathetic neurons) or brainstem (parasympathetics) – from here back to the brain.
2. Venous uptake and via the portal vein back to the liver
3. Lymphatic uptake and via the thoracic duct to the subclavian vein
4. Uptake by bowel bacteria and tissues of the intestinal tract
i) Heavy metals:
mercury, lead, cadmium, iron, manganese and aluminum (are the most common).Common Sources: metallic mercury vapor escapes from dental amalgam fillings (they contain about 50% mercury, the rest is zinc, silver copper, tin and trace metals). Cadmium: car fumes, cigarette smoke , pigment in oil paint Lead: outasing from-paint, residues in earth and food chain from time when lead was used in gasoline, contaminated drinking water Aluminum: cookware, drinking water
ii) Biotoxins:
such as tetanus toxin, botulinum toxin (botox), ascaridin (from intestinal parasites), unspecified toxins from streptococci, staphylococci, lyme disease, clamydia, tuberculosis, fungal toxins and toxins produced by viruses. Biotoxins are minute molecules (200-1000 kilodaltons) containing nitrogen and sulfur. They belong to a group of chemical messengers which microorganisms use to control the host´s immune system, host behaviour and the host´s eating habits.
iii) Xenobiotics (man-made environmental toxins):
such as dioxin, formaldehyde, insecticides, wood preservatives, PCBs etc.
iv) Food Preservatives, excitotoxins and cosmetics:
aspartame (diet sweeteners), MSG, many spices, food colourings, fluoride, methyl-andpropyl -paraben, etc.
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Metals can exist in the body with different kinds of chemical bonds and as different molecules. Mercury appears to be the king-pin in the cascade of events in which metals become pathogenic. Mercury can be present as metallic mercury (HgO), as mercury salt (e.g. mercury chloride – HG+), or as methyl mercury (HG++). Methyl mercury is 50 times more toxic than metallic mercury. Methyl-Hg is so firmly bound to the body that it has to be first reduced to HG+ before it can be removed from the cell. This is achieved with reducing agents (“antioxidants”) e.g. intravenous vitamin C and reduced glutathione.
To remove Hg-Salts or metallic Hg from the outside of the cell, other agents are useful Mercury belongs to a group of metals that oxidize in the presence of sulfur and form compounds with sulfur (sulfhydryl affinitive metals). Methyl mercury is already oxidized to its maximum and bound firmly to sulfur in the different proteins of the body. The following metals belong to the sulfhydryl affinitive group and respond to similar detoxification methods: Copper, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury. Aluminum and iron for example would not respond a sulfur compound. Some detox agents have multiple mechanisms by which they bind to metals. The algal organism chlorella has over 20 known such mechanisms.
Other metals oxidize with oxygen. Iron turns to rust when oxidized. Rust is nontoxic to the body, whereas iron is. Iron overdose responds to a chemical called desferoximin (desferal). Aluminum responds to the same detoxification agent. A recent Japanese study showed that Chinese parsley, cilantro, is a powerful elimination agent for aluminum stored in bone and the brain.
Other facts:
· Some metals are extremely toxic, even in the most minute dose, whereas others have very low toxicity, even in high doses. However, dependent on the dose, all metals can become toxic to the body. Iron can cause severe oxidative damage, copper may compromise liver function and visual acuity, selenium and arsenic have been known to be used to murder people and so on.
· Most metals serve a functional role in the body. For example, selenium is needed in the enzyme that restores oxidized glutathione back to its functional form as reduced glutathione. Another important function of selenium is its role as a powerful antioxidant in preventing cancer.
· Some metals have a narrow physiological range. That means the difference between a therapeutic dose and toxic overdose is very small. Selenium is an example of this. Magnesium on the other hand has a wide physiological range and thus is more difficult to overdose.
· Some metals have no physiological function. Mercury, lead, aluminum are in this group. Even the smallest amounts have negative physiological-effects.
· biochemical individuality: some people may react more or less than others to the presence of heavy metals in the tissues. Some people may develop a severe chronic illness after exposure of a few molecules of mercury, whereas others may be more resistant to it. Genetic deficiencies in the enzymes responsible for the formation of the metallothioneins and glutathione production and reduction are examples.
Possible side-effects during heavy metal detox:
Every patient can be affected by metals in two ways:
1. Through their non-specific toxic effects
2. Through the system´s allergic reactions to the neurotoxins
Often these two distinctive types of symptoms cannot be easily distinguished. During a detox program, the patient may also temporarily become allergic to the various substances that help to carry out the toxins. This is based on a physiological mechanism called ‘operant conditioning’.
Every time the detoxifying substance is given, mercury emerges from its hiding places into the more superficial tissues of the body, where mercury can now be detected by the immune system. The immune system however is fooled into thinking that the detoxifying substance itself is the enemy. The immune system now starts to react to the detoxifying substance as if it was the mercury itself. This reaction typically resolves spontaneously after six weeks of not using the detox agent in question. This type of conditioned reflex can also be easily treated with simple techniques e.g. NAET, PK (APN), or by giving the detox substance in a homeopathic dilution for a few days. Often the basal membranes in the kidney will swell as a sign of the allergic reaction, causing low back pain, anuria or inability to concentrate urine.
Neuraltherapy or microcurrent stimulation of the kidneys quickly resolves the issue. Muscle aches indicate the redistribution of toxins into the connective tissue and an insufficient program. Depression, headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, seizures, increased pain levels indicate redistribution of metals into the CNS and an inappropriate detox program. Eye problems and tinnitus that occurs during detox indicates redistribution of metals into these organs and requires selective mobilization from these locations before the program is continued. I use a specific type of microcurrent for this purpose
Some recently published findings related to the metal issue:
Iron/mangnese: A recent paper on Parkinsons disease (Neurology June 10, 2003;60:1761-1766)revealedthat just by eating iron and manganese containing foods such as spinach or taking supplements containing Mn or Fe - the risk of developing PD increased almost 2 fold. This demonstrates that even dietary supplements or organically grown foods are amongst the possilbe culprits in metal toxixity.
Methylmercury:
There are two major sources:
1. mercury escaped from dental amalgam fillings is converted by oral and intestinal bacteria to methylmercury, which then is bound firmly to proteins and other molecules. Methyl mercury crosses the blodd brain barrier and the placental barrier leading to massive prenatal exposure. Earlier studies determined that over 90% of the common body burdon of Hg is from dental fillings. Recent studies show that eating fish is starting to compete with amalgam fillings for the leading position as a risk factor.
2.Seafood
A recent study (JAMA, April 2, 2003;289(13):1667-1674) revealed the following It is estimated that nearly 60,000 children each year are born at risk for neurological problems due to methylmercury exposure in the womb. One in 12 U.S. women of childbearing age have potentially hazardous levels of mercury in their blood as a result of consuming fish, according to government scientists. The U.S.FDA recommends that pregnant women and those who may become pregnant avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tile fish known to contain elevated levels of methylmercury, an organic form of mercury. Nearly all fish contain some amount of methylmercury. Mercury accumulates in the system, so larger, longer-lived fish like shark or swordfish contain the highest amounts of mercury and pose the largest threat if eaten regularly.
The National Center for Policy Research for Women & Families published in May 2003, that the following fish are lowest in methyl mercury:
· Catfish (farmed)
· Blue Crab (mid-Atlantic)
· Croaker
· Fish Sticks
· Flounder (summer)
· Haddock
· Trout (farmed)
· Shrimp
The FDA also recommends these fish as safe to eat:
haddock, tilapia, wild alaskan salmon,and sole
Ethylmercury:
A recent quote from Boyd Haley, PhD: “our latest research clearly points to the ethylmercury exposureas being causal in autism. The tremendous enhancement of thimerosal toxicity by testosterone and the reduction of toxicity by estrogen explains the fact that 4 boys to 1 girl getting the disease and the fact thatthe bulk of severe autistics are boys. Most importantly, this autistic situation clearly shows that exposureto levels of mercury that many "experts" considered safe was capable of causing an epidemic of a neurological disease”.
B. Symptoms
Other authors have tried to specify typical symptoms for each metal. Because of the synergistic effects and simultaneous occurence of several toxins at the same time. The best source of literature on the effects of specific metals on the system are the old homeopathic textbooks ‘materia medica’ (Kent, Boericke).
I prefer to look at a client in a systemic way, not focussing on single issues . A manganese typical symptom (ie violent behaviour) may be a lot more worrysome in a given patient then their particular mercury related symptom (ie insomnia). However, the practical focus of detox should be almost always on the mercury first. If mercury is adressed appropriately, the manganese often leaves the body as a side effect of mercury detox. The opposite is not true.
Any illness can be caused by, or contributed to, or exagerated by neurotoxins. Here is a short list:
· Neurological problems: Fatigue, depression, insomnia, memory loss, blunting of the senses, chronic intractable pain (migraine, sciatica, CTS etc.), burning pain, paresthesia, strange intracranial sensations and sounds, numbness. Autism. Seizure disorder. Hyperactivity syndromes. Premature ejaculation and inorgasmia
· Emotional problems: inappropriate fits of anger and rage, timidness, passivity, bipolar disorder, frequent infatuation, addictions, depression, dark mood, obsession, psychotic behaviour, deviant behaviour, psychic attacks, inability to connect with god, etc.
· Mental problems: memory loss, thinking disorder, messy syndrome (cluttering), loss of intelligence, AD, premature aging
· GI problems: candida, food allergy, leaky gut syndrome, parasites, inflammatory bowel disease
· Orthopedic problems: joint arthritis, persisiting musculo-skeletal pain, fibromyalgia, TMD,recurrent osteopathic lesions
· Immunological disorders (autoimmune diseases, hypothyroid disorders, MS, ALS, Sjogen´s Syndrome, CFIDS, MCS etc.)
· Cardiovascular disorders ( vascular disease, arrythmias, angina, increased heartbeat)
· Cancer –mercury, arsenic, copper etc. can be a trigger
· ENT disorders: chronic sinusitis, tinnitus, glandular swelling,
· Eye problems: macular degeneration (dry and wet), optic neuritis, iritis, deteriorating eye sight, etc.)
· Internal medicine problems: kidney disease, hypertension, hypercholesterinemia, syndrome X
· OB/gyn: difficulties of pregnancy, impotence, uterine fibroids, infertility, etc.
C. Diagnosis:
· History of Exposure: (Did you ever have any amalgam fillings? How much fish do you eat and what kind? A tick bite? etc)
· Symptoms: (How is your short term memory? Do you have areas of numbness, strange sensations,etc)- A complete neurotoxin questionaire is available from AANT@425 462 1777
· Laboratory Testing: direct tests for metals: hair, stool, serum, whole blood, urine analysis,breath analysis
· Xenobiotics: fatty tissue biopsy, urine, breath analysis
· Indirect tests: cholesterol (increased while body is dealing with Hg), increased insulin sensitivity, creatinine clearance, serum mineral levels (distorted, while Hg is an unresolved issue), Apolipoprotein E 2/4, urine dip stick test: low specific gravity (reflects inability of kidneys to concentrate urine), persistently low urine ph (metals only go into solution in acidic environments - which supports detoxing), urine porphyrins
· Autonomic Response Testing: (Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt M.D., Ph.D.)
· BioEnergetic Testing (EAV, kinesiology etc.)
· Response to Therapeutic Trial
· Functional Acuity Contrast Test (measure of Retinal Blood Flow)
· Non-specific neurological tests: upper motor neuron signs (clonus, Babinski, hyperreflexia), abnormal nerve conduction studies, EMG etc . non-specific MRI/CT findings: brain atrophy as in AD, demyelination
· Several ‘challenge tests’ are used today. They generally involve measuring the urine metal content,then administering an oral or iv. mobilizing agent and re-mesuring the metal content in the urine after a few hours. Most well known is the DMPS challenge test: However, there is agreement amongst most researchers, that the urine Hg content does not reflect total body burdon – only the currently mobilizable portion of Hg in the endothelium and kidneys. If nothing comes out, there can still be detrimental but non-responsive amounts of Hg in the CNS, connective tissue and elsewhere.
· I have developed a simple approach that works well. I use autonomic response testing (muscle biofeedback) to determine what metal is stored where and what detox agents would be most suitable for this individual. I obtain a hair sample and have it analyzed. It may or may not show any toxic metals. Metals reach the root of the hair via the blood stream. Hair only can show those metals, that have been in the blood in the last 6 weeks. That means, hair only reflects acute toxicity or recently mobilized metals but not the true body burdon. Then we embark on the detox and mobilizing program. In 6 weeks another hair samle is send to the lab and analyzed. If for example manganese is now high, mercury starting to rise (mostly it is methyl Hg, that is reflected in hair), aluminum is at the same value as before, it means, that this program is starting to mobilize Mn ad Hg, but not Al.
Through minor adjustments and following the client closely, we observe as the levels in the hair may rise for months or years before returning to low or absent levels. That is the end point. At that time biochemical challenges with Ca EDTA, DMPS or DMSA can be valuabe to see if there are still hidden pockets of metals somewhere in the system that have been ovrlooked with the other methods. In general, the hair-mineral analysis is often overinterpreted. Hair minerals are a reflection of the toxic-metal induced distortion in mineral metabolism.
D. Treatment:
Why would we want to treat anyone at all? Is it really needed? Can the body not eliminate these toxins naturally on its own?
First we need to consider a multitude of risk factors, which influence later decisions:
Here is a short list of independent risk factors which can either cause accumulation of metals in an otherwise healthy body - or slow down, or inhibit the bodys own elimination processes.
· Genetics – Several genes are involved in coding for the production of inherent detox mechanisms. Example: ApoE being the major repair protein in neuronal damage and responsible for removing mercury from the intracellular environment.
There are 4 different subtypes, one of them making the individual prone to accumulating Hg: (Danik, M. and Poirier, J. Apolipoprotein E and lipid mobilizatin in neuronal membrane remodeling and its relevance to Alzheimer's disease. In: Brain Lipidsand Disorders in Biological Psychiatry, edited by Skinner, E.R.
Amsterdam:
Elsevier Science, 2002,p.53-66). Also well known and studied are the individual genetic differences in glutathione availability. Several companies in the Integrative Medicine Field are offering genetic testing today. So far my clinical results were not impressive when I based my detox program on genetic testing only.
· prior illnesses (i.e. kidney infections, hepatitis, tonsillitis etc.)
· surgical operations (scars often restrict the detoxifying abilities of whole body sections, such as the tonsillectomy scar with it´s effect on the superior cervical ganglion - restricting lymph drainage and blood flow from the entire cranium)
· medication or ´recreational´ drug use (overwhelming the innate detox mechanisms)
· emotional trauma, especially in early childhood. This issue is huge and almost never appropriately adressed
· social status (poor people may still drink contaminated water)
· high carbohydrate intake combined with protein malnutrition (especially in vegetarians)
· use of homeopathic mercury (may redistribute Hg into deeper tissues)
· food allergies (may block the kidneys, colon etc.)
· the patients electromagnetic environment (mobile phone use, home close to power lines etc.Omura showed that heavy metals in the brain act as micro antennae concentrating damaging electro smog in the brain)
· constipation
· compromise of head/neck lymphatic drainage (sinusitis, tonsil ectomy scars, poor dental occusion)
· number of dental amalgam fillings over the patients life-time, number of the patients mothers amalgam fillings
Detox Methods
There are many considerations in choosing detox agents. After choosing the appropriate agent for the individual client and particular metal and exact chemical form of it, we have to consider the body compartment where the metal is stored.
For example, the algae chlorella is ideal for removing virtually all toxic metals from the gut but has too little effect on mercury stored in the brain. Intravenous glutathione may reach the intracellular environment, even in the brain, but is fairly ineffective in removing mercury from the gut.
Each agent has a primary place of action, which determines when, how much and for how long it is used. Agents that have multiple effects on compounds of different metals in the various body compartments are the basis for our detox program. Most specific agents are used for special situations only.
High protein, mineral, fatty acid and fluid intake
Rationale:
· proteins provide the important precursors to the endogenous metal detox and shuttle agents, such as coeruloplasmin, metallothioneine, glutathione and others. The branched-chain amino acids in cow and goat whey have valuable independent detox effects. Amino acid supplements, especially with a concentrate of brached chain amino acids are valuable.
· Metals attach themselves only in places that are programmed for attachment of metal ions.
Mineral deficiency provides the opportunity for toxic metals to attach themselves to vacant binding sites.
A healthy mineral base is a prerequisite for all metal detox attempts (selenium, zinc, manganese, germanium, molybdenum etc.). Substituting minerals can detoxify the body by itself. Just as important are electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium), which help to transport toxic waste across the extracellular space towards the lymphatic and venous vessels.
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Chemical & Heavy Metal Cleanse Starter Kit$149.85 The Chemical & Heavy Metal Starter Kit was designed by Dr. Group for individuals that are new to the cleansing process, or are simply looking for an easy-to-perform, cost effective cleanse program. The Heavy Metal Starter Kit is comprised of LIFE Detox Foot Patches™, NDF Plus™, and Quantum Zeolite™. |
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Doctor, Am I really Toxic?
May I wish you and your family a prosperous, joyous and healthy New Year! As practitioners, no doubt you often talk about toxicity to your patients. The usual question that I am often asked is: "but how do you know that I am toxic doctor?" Well, unless you have run complex tests on blood, urine and faeces using ICP-MS and GC-MS technology, this is really quite a hard one to answer.WE ARE ALL TOXIC!
One of the most convincing ways that I have found is to simply say, "but we are all toxic – let me prove it to you!" I then summarize scientific studies that have shown that even newborn babies are toxic with a wide variety of toxins.
Please read the interesting .pdf file entitled BodyBurden: The Pollution in Newborns <http://www.detoxmetals.com/mailing/link.php?id=886e884027> written by the Environmental Working Group in July 2005 - I cetainly found it fascinating and very enlightening.
I have a copy in my waiting room which patients can freely read. In summary, it is a detailed analysis of how blood taken from newborn umbilical cords was shown to contain an average of 287 toxins. Of the 287 chemicals detected, 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
There are other similar studies that have shown that even blood taken from newborns in Greenland from the Inuit Eskimos are showing levels of mercury, lead, cadmium and even DDT - we all think that the North Pole is squeaky clean, but apparently not!
It is not difficult to extrapolate that if newborn babies just entering this world are so toxic, then certainly we as adults MUST be a lot more toxic. It would not be wrong to say for the majority of people that the longer we are on this planet, the more toxic we will be.
SOLUTION?
So what can we do about it doctor?
Well, first we must develop a "detox consciousness" where we simply accept that we cannot escape from these toxins, whereever we may be on this planet.
Therefore, we need to detoxify in much the same way as we take antixodiants and nutritional supplements to protect us against developing chronic disease.
I usually get most of my patients to follow the "Alkaline Detoxification Diet" <http://www.detoxmetals.com/mailing/link.php?id=886e884024> which is a good, all-body cleanse.
This is usually followed by the Gall Bladder Cleanse <http://www.detoxmetals.com/mailing/link.php?id=886e884026> which is a powerful way of cleaning the liver and toxic bile.
there are two choices – one is to use a synthetic chelator such as DMSA, DMPS or EDTA – I think everyone agrees that these synthetic chelators are quite aggressive and can certainly cause side effects, particularly in children and adults with neurological problems, not to mention the elimination of essential minerals too. So what’s the alternative?
NATURAL CHELATORS?
I would like to bring your attention to a natural heavy metal chelator that is very "gentle" in its action with no side effects. This was a synergistic compound of three natural ingredients, namely Chlorella Growth Factor, Coriandrum sativum and a homaccord of Chlorella vulgaris. None of these individual components worked by themselves when tested in double-blind, placebo controlled trials.
However, when combined, there was a "magic" synergy which showed that this compound could chelate aluminium, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, thalium and uranium.
I have attached the double blind, placebo controlled study with 350 people that was conducted on this synergistic formula which is now available to all practitioners who are interested in using natural chelators in their practice. The product is called HMD™ and can certainly be combined with synthetic chelators if one wishes.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS?
Apart from chelating heavy metals, the HMD™ provides many additional benefits due to its individual components such as a hepato-protective effect, immune modulation, can lower blood sugar, detoxifies other xenobiotics, combats damaging free radicals, enhances production of interferon, accelerates and enhances the re-growth of damaged tissue even when ulcerated, burnt and resistant to other healing modalities, it activates cellular functions and increases metabolism, it normalizes the metabolism of fats, activates protein synthesis and promotes rapid healthy growth in children without adverse side effects.
It also helps to resist the effects of premature aging and encourages the rejuvenation of the body’s own DNA/RNA, thus strengthening and improving hair, skin, and nails.
WHO CAN USE IT?
Basically everyone - even young children with ADHD, autism and other neurological problems that may have been caused by heavy metals. HMD™ can also be used in pre-conceptual care by women considering a child – it can be taken 3-4 months before conception to help reduce the toxic load of the mother. It can be used preventatively for all the family, as well as in cases of known heavy metal toxicity. Basically, everyone should be taking a course as part of their detoxification program at least 3-4 months of each year.
more information's at: chelation
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Chemical & Heavy Metal Cleanse Starter Kit$149.85 The Chemical & Heavy Metal Starter Kit was designed by Dr. Group for individuals that are new to the cleansing process, or are simply looking for an easy-to-perform, cost effective cleanse program. The Heavy Metal Starter Kit is comprised of LIFE Detox Foot Patches™, NDF Plus™, and Quantum Zeolite™. |
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
What is EDTA chelation therapy and what is it used for?
What is EDTA chelation therapy and what is it used for?Chelation (pronounced key-lay-shun) is the process by which a metal or mineral (such as lead, mercury, iron, arsenic, aluminum, etc.) is bonded to another substance-in this case an amino acid called EDTA, Ethylene-Diamine-Tetra-Acetic acid.
It is a natural process, basic to life itself. During EDTA chelation therapy, the EDTA infusion bonds with unwanted metals in the body and quickly carries them away in the urine.
Chelation therapy is a safe, effective alternative to drugs and surgeries and is used to treat many illnesses now known to be linked to the presence of toxic heavy metals.
Illnesses such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, circulatory disorders, neuropathies, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and adverse reactions to many environmental pollutants.
Traditional chelation therapy uses an intravenous drip, and is administered in the outpatient setting. The number of treatments vary based on each person's individual condition and/or goals of treatment. The average therapy is given one to three times a week for twenty to thirty treatments.
How long has EDTA chelation therapy been in use? Why don't more people use it?
EDTA chelation therapy for the detoxification for heavy metals has been in continuous use since the 1940s when it was introduced specifically for the treatment of lead poisoning.
It was very quickly observed that as the metals were eliminated, not only did the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning abate, but problems related to the circulatory system like heart attacks, angina, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease also improved.
For the past 50 years, well over one million people have received the intravenous form of EDTA chelation. As beneficial and life saving as this therapy has become, it is very expensive and very time-consuming, making it out of reach for most people.
Why is Ca-EDTA, Calcium Disodium EDTA, so much better than other types of chelation therapy?According to Dr. Bruce Halstead, "The chemistry of all chelators is such that a change of pH can dramatically effect the process of chemical binding needed to chelate a mineral or metal. When you use a less effective chelator, such as Magnesium EDTA, you lose all chelating ability of the two most essential heavy metals: lead and mercury.
Magnesium di-Potassium EDTA has a dramatically lower chelating effectiveness than Calcium EDTA because both magnesium and potassium dramatically decrease the pH in the blood environment to which it is introduced. Any factor decreasing pH renders EDTA less effective. Once the pH is lowered more than 7.38, it's no longer chemically conducive to any bonding or chelating." (Dr. Halstead is well known as the 'Father of Chelation Therapy'.)
Dr. Morton Walker Speaks on Detoxamin - Toxic Metals Induce Degenerative Diseases; Rectal Chelation Therapy Overcomes Them.
Environmentalists warn us repeatedly that we live on a poisoned planet. Toxins from mercury, lead, aluminum, cadmium, iron, nickel, and about 20 more metallic minerals permeate the Earth's milieu. Heavy and light metals poison us by combining to create deleterious signs and symptoms often referred to collectively as Toxic Metal Syndrome.
This syndrome, an indicator of serious systemic pathology, results in degenerative diseases which affect no less than 92% of the populations of Western industrialized nations, in particular, those people living in apartment high-rises and other polluted city dwellings.
What happens to them? These poisoned people eventually come down with manifestations of degenerative illnesses such as heart and/or blood vessel deteriorations; pancreatitis; gout, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis; the syndromes of yeast, chronic fatigue, and/or irritable bowel; Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, and many more which may be deadly-cancer for instance.
Although a poisoned person's bones remain toxic for life, excellent self-treatment exists to reduce or reverse most symptoms of illness in other body parts.
First, get tested for the extent of toxicity, then neutralize metallic poisoning with a chelating agent such as Detoxamin. By applying the highly efficacious Detoxamin suppository containing EDTA, you remove toxic metal from cells all over the body.
The self-administration is performed rectally before retiring so that as you sleep you are taking chelation therapy with EDTA. There's no need for intravenous infusions or quantities of nutritional supplements.
Rectal chelation therapy does the job of detoxifying in a low-cost, convenient manner; it's an effective way to effuse EDTA through the bowel's walls and into your blood stream to clean toxic metals from all body cells.
Do I need Ca-EDTA chelation therapy?
We find ourselves existing in a far more toxic and hostile environment than our bodies were designed to handle.
Experts have shown that almost every health problem-from learning disorders to cancer and heart disease-is aggravated by the approximate 1,000% increase in lead levels in our bones. In 1999, it was reliably reported that hearts with some form of disease have 20,000 times more toxic heavy metals than healthy hearts.
"Human exposure to heavy metals has risen dramatically in the last 50 years as a result of an exponential increase in the use of heavy metals in industrial processes and products." says Maile Pouls, Ph.D (Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, July 1999).
A recently concluded "Body Burden" study by New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Environmental Working Group was reviewed by University of Oregon Professor Joseph Thornton: "It shows the universality of chemical contamination of people's bodies," Thornton said.
All the studies "confirm the general message that everybody in our society has these chemicals building up. Some people have it worse than others, but everyone has it. No one is clean anymore." (From Being Careful Can't Keep Chemicals Out of Your Body, Miami Herald, February 1, 2003.)
Today we know that about one out of every 2.5 Americans will get cancer. Ninety eight percent of cancer is caused by toxic chemicals.
When 50% of all men and 33% of all women living now will die of cancer, something is terribly wrong. (Mortality from cancer was reduced by 90% during an 18-year study of 59 patients treated with Calcium-EDTA. This and over 40 other studies prove the efficacy of Ca-EDTA, Calcium Disodium EDTA chelation therapy and Detoxamin.
We will all function better and live longer if we lower the overall burden of toxic metals within ourselves. If you eat or breathe, you will probably benefit greatly from chelation therapy.
Is Detoxamin safe for children?
Yes. In fact, Detoxamin case studies were conducted on lead poisoning in children. The study showed no significant increase in BUN or creatinine levels even in very young children.
Due to our lower dosage and time release formulation, no renal toxicity was encountered.
BEHAVIORAL, STRUCTURAL, FUNCTIONAL ABNORMALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS HEAVY METAL TOXINS.
Reference: Published in the August issue of Alternative & Complimentary Therapies (a magazine for doctors) and Published in Townsend Letter for Doctor's and Patients
Psychiatric Disturbances:
Social Deficits, Social withdrawal
Mercury
Repetitive, perseverative, stereotyped behaviors; OCD-typical behaviors
Mercury
Depression, mood swings, flat affect; impaired facial recognition
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury
Schizoid tendencies; hallucinations; delirium
Mercury
Irritability, aggressive behaviors, temper tantrums
Lead, Mercury
Suicidal Behaviors
Copper, Mercury
Sleep difficulties / disturbances
Lead, Mercury, Thallium
Chronic fatigue (CFS); weakness, malaise
Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium
Anorexia; symptoms reflecting eating disorders, loss of appetite/weight
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury
Anxiety; nervous tendencies
Thallium
Attentional problems (ADHD), lacks eye contact, impaired visual fixation
Lead, Mercury
Speech and Language Deficits:
Speech disorders
Aluminum, Mercury
Loss of speech, developmental problems with language
Mercury
Speech comprehension deficits
Mercury
Dysarthria; articulation problems; slurred speech, unintelligible speech
Mercury
Cognitive Impairments:
Mental retardation, borderline intelligence
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury
Uneven performance on IQ scores, low IQ scores
Copper, Lead
Poor concentration, attention deficits (ADHD, response inhibition
Aluminum, Lead
Poor memory (short term, verbal, and auditory)
Aluminum, Lead
Difficulties understanding abstract ideas; difficulty carrying out complex commands
X metals
Dementia; pre-senile and senile dementia
Aluminum
Stupor
Aluminum, Arsenic
Impaired reaction time; lower performance on timed tests
Lead
Sensory Abnormalities:
Abnormal Sensations in the mouth and extremities
Arsenic
Hearing loss, difficulty hearingArsenic, Lead, Mercury
Abnormal touch sensations; diminished touch sensations, aversion to touch
Arsenic
Blurred vision; sensitivity to light
Arsenic, Mercury
Motor Disorders:
Choreiform movements, myoclonal jerks, unusualpostures
Copper, Mercury
Difficulty walking, swallowing, talking
Copper, Mercury
Flapping, circling, rocking, toe walkingMercury
Problems with intentional movements or imitation
Mercury
Abnormal, gait/posture; incoordination, loss of balance; problems sitting, lying, crawling and walking
Mercury
Decreased locomotor activity
Aluminum, Arsenic
Convulsion; seizure
Aluminum, Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium
Physiological Impairment, Brain and Central Nervous System:
Neurofibrillary tangles
Aluminum
Neuritis, retrobulbar neuritis; neuropathy
Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium
Encephalopathy
Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Thallium
Cerebrovascular disease
X metals
Alterations in nerve conduction velocityLead
Alterations in the spinal cord
Thallium
Accumulates in CNS structures
Aluminum, Mercury
Abnormal EEGs
Arsenic, Lead
Autonomic disturbances
Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium
Peripheral Nervous System:
Peripheral neuropathy
Arsenic, Mercury
Alterations in peripheral nerves
Arsenic
Loss of feeling/ numbness in the extremities; paresthesia
Arsenic, Mercury, Thallium
Gastrointestinal Tract:
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; loss of appetite
Arsenic, Mercury
Abdominal pain, stomach cramps; burning of the throat of the mouth
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Thallium
Esophagitis; gastroenteritis; colitis
Arsenic, Mercury, Thallium Cancers (colon, pancreatic, stomach, or rectal) Arsenic
Renal and Hepatic Impairment:
Hepatotoxicity; Liver dysfunction, damage
Arsenic, Copper, Thallium
Cirrhosis of the liver; hepatitis
Copper
Kidney disease; kidney failure
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury
Renal toxicity; tubular proteinosis
Arsenic, Copper, Lead
Kidney Damage, histological alterations
Arsenic, Lead
Cardiovascular System:
Blood vessel damage
Arsenic
Anemia; decreased red blood cell count
Arsenic, Copper
Hypertension; increased heart rate (tachycardia)
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Thallium
Electrocardiac disorders, Peripheral vascular disease; cardiovascular disease, vascular collapse
Arsenic, Lead
Respiratory System:
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Aluminum, Arsenic
Pulmonary edema
X metals
Pneumonia, laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis
Aluminum, Arsenic, Mercury
Restrictive airway disorders, asthmatic conditions, pneumoconiosis
Arsenic, Aluminum
Nasal ulcers, perforation of the nasal septum
X metals
Immune System:
Increased incidences of Asthma, autoimmune-like symptoms, & allergies
X metals
Inhibition of lymphocytes, T-cells, monocytes X metals
Immunosuppression
Lead
Decreased white blood cell countArsenic, Thallium
Reproductive System:
Genital abnormalities
Aluminum, Thallium
Disturbances in menstrual cycle; menstrual pains
Copper, Mercury
Birth defects; premature births; Spontaneous abortion
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury
Reproductive dysfunction
Arsenic, Aluminum
Other Physical Disturbances:
Hypotonia or hypertonia; decreased muscular strength
X metal
Rashes, contact dermatitis; eczema, itchy/irritating skin
Aluminum, Arsenic, Copper, Mercury
Muscle pain; headache; acrodynia; colic
Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Thallium
Alopecia (hair loss)
Thallium
Reference: Published in the August issue of Alternative & Complimentary Therapies (a magazine for doctors) and Published in Townsend Letter for Doctor's and Patients.
Detoxamin Usage Instructions: Detoxamin EDTA Suppositories are solid, bullet-shaped preparations designed for easy insertion into the anus (back passage).
Detoxamin is manufactured in a cocoa-butter base, a time-release agent (fatty acid base), and 750 mg of Calcium-Disodium EDTA. Detoxamin will dissolve at body temperature and will gradually spread over the lining of the lower bowel (rectum), where it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Detoxamin is designed to release 750 mg Calcium Disodium EDTA slowly, over an 80-minute period.
A. Detoxamin Protocol for More Severe Cases:
1. Take one suppository at night, prior to bedtime.
2. Take every night for up to 90 days. This will provide the medical equivalence of 30 IV Chelation treatments.
3. Take proper mineral/trace mineral/vitamin replacement every day.
4. Take all other suplementaion every day.
B. Detoxamin Protocol for Less Severe Cases/Anti-Aging/Prevention:
1. Take Detoxamin every OTHER night, prior to bedtime.
2. Take Detoxamin every other night for 180 days (90 suppositories). This will provide the medical equivalence of 30 IV chelation treatments.
3. Take proper mineral/trace mineral/vitamin replacement every day.
4. Take all other supplementation every day.
Detoxamin Protocol AFTER A or B is completed:
Your bones are toxic for life. Lead and other heavy metals are stored in the bones and get re-distributed into the bloodstream. Therefore, it is highly recommended to continue maintenance with Detoxamin, this provides the ultimate in Anti-aging benefits.
1. Take 5 Detoxamin suppositories over a 30-day period. This porvides medically equal to about 2 EDTA IV treatments.
2. Take porper mineral/trace mineral/vitamin replacement every day.
Note: Detoxamin is designed to be taken at night, however some patients and physicians prefer taking a suppository in the morning after evacuation. (Optional)
How to Use Detoxamin:
Insert Detoxamin suppositories at night, prior to bedtime.
Eat early in the evening, about 4 hours prior to bedtime. (Reduces any discomfort).
1. Go to the toilet and empty your bowels if necessary.
2. Wash your hands.
3. Remove the plastic wrapping from Detoxamin.
4. Either squat or lie on your side with one leg bent and the other staight.
5. Gently but firmly push the suppository into the rectum, FLAT end first until past the sphincter muscle. By inserting the flat end first opposed to the pointed end, the suppository will travel higher up in the rectum more easily. If necessarey moisten the suppository with a little water. Push it in far enough so it doesn't slip out.
6. Close your legs and sit or lay still for a few minutes.
7. Wash your hands again.
8. Try not to empty your bowels for at least 80 minutes.
9. It is optional to take Detoxamin in the morning, after evacuation.
STORAGE: Store Detoxamin in a cool dark place, but not in the fridge.
If Detoxamin suppository gets warm it may melt, put the fridge for a few minutes, this will return the suppository to its original state so it may be inserted.
Shelf Life: 2 Years
Chemical & Heavy Metal Cleanse Starter Kit$149.85 The Chemical & Heavy Metal Starter Kit was designed by Dr. Group for individuals that are new to the cleansing process, or are simply looking for an easy-to-perform, cost effective cleanse program. The Heavy Metal Starter Kit is comprised of LIFE Detox Foot Patches™, NDF Plus™, and Quantum Zeolite™. |
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Chose not to vaccinate our children?
When my 19 year old son Kevin was born, we decided not to vaccinate. We saw a Naturopath at that time who supported our convictions. As my son weaned from nursing he became progressively ill due to what I now know as overacidity.We had a horrible time trying to figure out what was wrong with his digestion...(it was not his digestion at all that was the problem, it was the foods not fit for his delicate body that created his sickness, i.e. dairy, fermented foods).
Anyway, this progressive dis-order led us to conventional medicine and soon at the age of 3-1/2 he was diagnosed with type I diabetes. We later did hair analysis and tissue analysis and found high levels of mercury bound to tissue protein thoughout his body...systemic mercury poisoning... from where???
My amalgam fillings. I too had mercury off the charts. I immediately had the mercury amalgam fillings removed and in 4 years my mercury levels were almost non-detectable.
Kevin was clean of mercury in 2-1/2 years. After Kevin was diagnosed with Type I diabetes (and practicing conventional treatment of 5 injections of a cocktail of insulin a day and up to 8 pricks for blood sugar testing a day) every visit to the Joslin Diabetes Center began with "are Kevins vaccinations up to date"? and then my answer as usual was "no, we have chosen not to vaccinate". I would get the usual lecture and scare of the dangers of not vaccinating and then the cold shoulder accompanied by a very short visit.
After about the third visit, I decided to investigate more about vaccines.
Right there in the Vaccine Manufacturers contra-indications in plain english was stated this...now I am recalling this from memory... "The Manufacturer of this vaccine is not liable for injury and does not recommend to vaccinate if you or immediate relative have or have had any condition related to auto-immune disorders or immune deficiency".
I carried that vaccine insert with me for about 3 years. When prompted, I pulled it out;
every physician clammed up and had no comment (not one was even aware of it). We know that conventionally labelled auto immune dis-orders [i.e. diabetes, MS, Guillain Barre, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, alpecia, Crohns, Sjogren, Rheumatoid Arthritis and the list goes on...] are truly just conditions related directly to the destruction of the presentation of overacidity.
It is obvious that the vaccine manufacturers had some indication of the progressive damage that vaccines are capable of and were compelled to cover themselves for liability. The conventional protocal for cancer after-care (after chemo/radiation/surgery) is to set up a series of vaccinations to "build the immune system" ...it is like adding insult to injury!
There is so much more information available today regarding the harmful effects of vaccines than we had 20 years ago. Although I was not aware of acid/alkaline balance and terrain toxicity theories, I am so grateful that I chose not to vaccinate my 4 children and what information was coming out decades ago made sense...vaccines are highly toxic and destroy life;
there are severe consequences to injecting viral, bacterial and acidic waste substances into the body and the thing about it is there is always a damaging negative reaction, it can be very subtle or sever, it can be immediate or take months or even years to manifest. One can not possibly maintain good health consuming acidic poisons in any form. Hey, What came first?... the vaccine or the egg white. Sparkles, Jeri
Friday, October 27, 2006
I would be less than appreciative if I neglected to tell you that you are a lifesaver to me.
I would be less than appreciative if I neglected to tell you that you are a lifesaver to me. About a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the way they phrased it the aggressive kind. It was present in fourteen separate biopsy samples. They vacillated about whether chemotherapy would be apropos, but I made it easy for them to decide. I refused chemo. By the time more tests were run and conferences were held it metastasized to the right hip joint and I needed crutches to walk. I could not get up out of a chair without help.Then, to further complicate matters I developed cancer in another location, totally unrelated, but glaringly obvious. This new location was the peritoneum; again the diagnostics and conferences began and finally they gave up and told me they could find nothing, and could do nothing more for me. I suggested exploratory but they didn't want to do that.
This brings us to April 2002, when I was visiting with a stockholder in your company, whom I have known for many yeas past and have a high regard for him. But when he told me he could pull me out of this quagmire in six to eight weeks, I was understandably skeptical. Being considered terminal isn't all that alarming, but the turn around has been wonderful.
I began the Detoxamin treatment on a Tuesday, April 16, last, and by Saturday I could notice a slight betterment. I went off all my pain medication immediately, because I want to know the truth. Within a ten-day period the pain had subsided and has not recurred. The peritoneal distention is markedly receding and I am looking forward to my standard waist size of 34 instead of the high point I reached in mid April of 48 inches. (and they couldn't find the problem!!)
I have already recommended this treatment to several of my friends and will be more than happy to answer any inquiries from anyone interested. Incidentally, I am not squeamish at the thought of addressing a group of people either; whatever I can do to promote this outstanding treatment, I stand ready to do it.
P. L. (Pat) MillawayCorinne, UT
Detoxamin Testimonals I
My hat goes off to [the manufacturers of Detoxamin] for researching and making chelation available, affordable, non-prescription, and practical for a greater number of people... for as you have learned, heavy metal toxicity is at the root of many incurable conditions, and it is not going to go away. Detoxamin will revolutionize medicine.
Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD
I have referred several patients to use Detoxamin and several have had great results — but this one is amazing. An adult male, 84 years old, had a heart attack; he was told he had 1 completely blocked artery and 3 others that were about 75% blocked. The doctors sent him home basically to die, telling him that they could not help him. I put him on an enzyme and Detoxamin, and the results have been miraculous. Within a few weeks he was alert and moving around again. Within 1 month his automatic pacemaker no longer went off and was not needed. His blood pressure normalized, and after a few more months his facial droop began to go away. He is now active and alert and doing amazingly well. Jed Adamson, NDTwin Falls, ID
I have 10 patients on Detoxamin and it is working great. Personally, I have been taking 40 milligrams of blood pressure medication to try and control my high blood pressure but it has not been working. My blood pressure has been in the range of 165/100, but after using Detoxamin for only 2 months, my blood pressure has dropped significantly to about 130/75. Ray Pearson, DCHarrison, AR
I have had numbing and tingling in my toes for the past 3-4 years and after using one container of Detoxamin I am seeing great improvement. I expect the numbing and tingling to completely go away with the use of Detoxamin. Also I don't know if it is related but my PSA in the same time frame has gone from a 3.8 to 1.3.
Dr. David Hendrickson Ogden, UT
I have completed a three month treatment of Detoxamin chelation suppositories and I know they are working. I started using Detoxamin to see if it really works before I recommend it to my patients. I have more energy, my thought processes are clearer and I no longer have panic attacks.
Dr. Tom Eyrich Indianapolis, IN
Results from Detoxamin chelation suppositories have been great. Patients are experiencing greater energy from using Detoxamin. Also several men have had their prostate problems cleared up after using Detoxamin.
Dr. Robert Moody Utah
I had a 12-year-old girl that went from a straight-A student to a D student in 2 years. We tested her and she was found to have very high mercury content. She was also diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a mild form of Autism. After using one container of Detoxamin chelation suppositories, her mercury content decreased and her grades went back up to straight A's.
Dr. Robert Schwartz The Dalles, OR
My clients have been thrilled with the results of the Detoxamin chelation suppositories. Many of my clients have been interested in chelation therapy but found the cost and the time to be prohibitive. Detoxamin has made these concerns non-issues.
Most of my clients have a noticeable increase in energy. Many no longer have the afternoon slump or no longer need naps. Of particular significance have been the positive effects experienced by my older male clients with prostate issues.
One 62-year-old man was literally getting up every hour at night to urinate. It was so bad that he was considering surgery. After just one dose of Detoxamin, he would awaken at 4AM to urinate and go back to sleep until his normal waking time.
I feel that the benefits Detoxamin has to offer improves my clients' health at a deep cellular level, and that they will continue to benefit from it for the rest of their lives. No other product can do that for them.
Judyth Shamosh Doctor of Natural Health Medical Herbalist
I have been diagnosed with the early stages of prostate cancer and have been experiencing difficulties urinating, and waking up repeatedly during the night. After the 6th suppository, I noticed that it was getting easier to urinate and I was sleeping thru the night. Now after 15 suppositories, it no longer hurts to urinate and I produce a full stream instead of a trickle.
John Wagner La Mesa, CA
I have been using Detoxamin chelation suppositories for about two weeks now and feel that it is working great. The lethargy that I normally have has gone away, I am sleeping more soundly than ever before, and a persistent fungus on my toes has been subdued.
Herman Christian Chicago, IL
It has been quite some time since I have been in contact so I wanted to give you an update.
I previously related to you the improvement I had experienced in my pressure readings related to my glaucoma and just wanted to let you know that I have now been off the Xalatan eye drops for nine months. As of my appointment last week, my readings were actually better than they were six months ago. My ophthalmologist does not want to see me again for one year. As I told you before he doesn't know if this is strictly related to chelation because he has never had a patient with glaucoma who has also had chelation...but...it seems to me this might be something that would be worth your research. As you know I am now on Detoxamin maintenance. Since I had been on prescription eye drops for the glaucoma beginning in the early 80s, this seems to be almost a miracle!!
Virginia M. "Monte" Akin Texas
The results that I have experienced from using one container of Detoxamin chelation suppositories are great. I am a construction worker and have had ongoing respiratory problems. But since I started taking the suppositories, my sensitivity to things like paint have decreased a lot. I am now able to breathe easier.
Jim Todaro Point Pleasant, NJ
I have taken IV EDTA for three years and the results from just my first two containers of Detoxamin are the same as from the long term IV treatment.
Gary Ramshur Bastrop, LA
I have a patient who has been on Detoxamin for about 6 months and wants to stay on it longer because, in that time he has dropped down 4 holes on his belt and wants to keep the weight off.
Dr. Cretti Santa Barbara, CA
I'll have to admit that when I was approached to conduct a clinical trial on Detoxamin chelation suppositories I was both curious and skeptical. I forewarned the patients about all of the possible side effects and complications in their consent form, but did not mention the benefits. Surprisingly, a few weeks into the study, I started getting unsolicited phone calls and e-mails from study participants commenting on improvements in vitality, mental clarity, strength, hair texture, skin elasticity, coordination to name a few.
One of my patients, a Catholic priest, had had problems with abnormal platelets, which no practitioner, including our Living Longer clinic, had been able to correct. Approximately one month after starting the Detoxamin he called me with great delight stating that for the first time in over a decade his platelets had normalized and continue to be normal after several months!
I'm not sure that I understand the mechanism but I surely am pleased with the results. I feel that Detoxamin can definitely be a useful tool in the removal of heavy metals.
Maureen Pelletier, M.D., C.C.N.
Has prostate cancer and has been on chemotherapy for a few years and his veins are getting calcified. After one month on Detoxamin his veins are now pliable and nurses have no trouble finding veins for injections. His intermittant claudication is improving dramatically.
Michael Baum New York, NY
A 71-year-old patient after one month on Detoxamin no longer has to take nitroglycerin for angina.
Dr. Robert Meliodon Huntington Valley, PA
I had had 80% blockage of my carotid arteries before using Detoxamin. After using just 60 suppositories, my blockage is down to 40% in each artery according to my doctor-administered ultrasound.
John Scheuerman Boxford, MA
After using 15 Detoxamin chelation suppositories, the mercury in my hair sample before and after tests went from “off the charts” to almost zero. I am very pleased with the benefits of Detoxamin.
Charles Scott, DC Odessa, TX
I just wanted to thank you for your product. I am finishing up my second month and I feel great. I have struggled with chronic fatigue for several years and have tried everything and I mean everything. Detoxamin is the first thing that has worked. I have much more energy and have been able to work out again, which is of course improving my health even more. I started to see results within the first week. Thank you so much for making a worthwhile therapy affordable!!
BJ
After two weeks on Detoxamin chelation suppositories, my blood pressure decreased to the point where I could stop taking my blood pressure medication. Also before and after hair tests, my mercury, lead and nickel all dropped down significantly to well below the preference range.
Charles Peterson Escondido, CA
I have 87-year-old patient who has 85% blockage in two coronary arteries. Doctors would not operate due to the high risk of his medical condition. He couldn't walk out to mailbox without suffering symptoms of angina. After a few months on Detoxamin chelation suppositories, he can now mow the lawn without any symptoms of angina or numbness in his arms.
Another patient has high mercury and lead content in his body. After one month on Detoxamin chelation suppositories, his levels were reduced by 50%. This was confirmed by independent lab tests.
Dr. James Bentz Anacortes, WA
Prior to starting chelation, I had critical stenosis [narrowing] approaching 99% in the right common carotid artery extending into the internal carotid artery. Following Detoxamin chelation suppository therapy, there is no stenosis of the right internal carotid artery. In addition my ophthalmologist has taken me off my Xalatan drops, which I had been using for glaucoma for several years.
V. Akin Texas
I have just finished my first month of Detoxamin chelation suppositories and my angina is down by about 90%. The tension headaches that I had from high blood pressure are gone. My once poor circulation had caused the soles of my feet to become bruised (black and blue), and the soles are now pink. Plus, my angina symptoms have disappeared. Detoxamin really seems to be helping.
Barry Honeycutt Texas
I have a patient who's blood pressure dropped 18 points after using Detoxamin for only one week.
Dr. James Toole Seattle, WA
I was scheduled for surgery for intermittent claudication in both of my legs but I told the doctor I wanted to try Detoxamin chelation suppositories first. Boy am I glad I did! There is no more pain in my legs; Detoxamin is working great!
Dawn Stair Harahan, LA
The Detoxamin product is truly effective, modestly priced and very safe to use and as such, stands alone in the alternative health care arena. Thank you for putting this wonderful product within the grasp of many people who otherwise would never have had chelation therapy available to them as an option.
Dr. Robert L. MeliodonHuntingdon Valley, PA
I began the Detoxamin treatment on a Tuesday, April 16, last, and by Saturday I could notice a slight betterment. I went off all my pain medication immediately, because I want to know the truth. Within a ten-day period the pain had subsided and has not recurred. The peritoneal distention is markedly receding and I am looking forward to my standard waist size of 34 instead of the high point I reached in mid April of 48 inches. (and they couldn't find the problem!!)
P. L. (Pat) MillawayCorinne, UT
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