Rather Be Healthy

Analysis Finds Monsanto’s GE Corn Nutritionally Inferior and High in Toxins

By Dr. Mercola

I’ve warned you of the potential dangers of genetically engineered (GE) foods for many years now, pointing out that such crops might have wholly unforeseen consequences. In recent years, such suspicions have increasingly proven correct.

One of the latest pieces of evidence supporting the suspicion that GE crops are in no way, shape or form comparable to their natural counterparts is a nutritional analysis that shows just how different they really are.

Inherent differences are essentially implied by the fact that GE crop seeds can be patented in the first place. And in many ways, I believe Monsanto is slowly but surely inching its way toward patenting nature itself, in the same way others are fighting to maintain patent rights for human DNA.1

These companies are trying to patent “life,” and they likely will unless they’re stopped by the courts. But it’s quite clear that humans cannot outsmart nature.

The latest nutritional analysis of GE corn couldn’t be more relevant as the recently passed Agricultural Appropriations Bill (HR9332) included a hotly detested provision (Section 735) that places Monsanto above the law. As noted by the featured article:3

“With the recent passing of the Monsanto Protection Act, there is no question that mega corporations like Monsanto are able to wield enough power to even surpass that of the United States government.

The new legislation provides Monsanto with a legal safeguard against federal courts striking down any pending review of dangerous genetically modified crops. It is ironic to see the passing of such a bill in the face of continuous releases of GMO dangers.”

At present, the only way to avoid GMOs is to ditch processed foods from your grocery list, and revert back to whole foods grown according to organic standards.

Analysis Finds Monsanto’s GE Corn Nutritionally Inferior and High in Toxins

A report given to MomsAcrossAmerica4 by an employee of De Dell Seed Company (Canada’s only non-GMO corn seed company) offers a stunning picture of the nutritional differences between genetically engineered (GE) and non-GE corn. Clearly, the former is NOT equivalent to the latter, which is the very premise by which genetically engineered crops were approved in the first place.

Here’s a small sampling of the nutritional differences found in this 2012 nutritional analysis:
•Calcium: GMO corn = 14 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 6,130 ppm (437 times more)
•Magnesium: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 113 ppm (56 times more)
•Manganese: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 14 ppm (7 times more)

GMO corn was also found to contain 13 ppm of glyphosate, compared to zero in non-GMO corn. This is quite significant and well worth remembering.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “safe” level for glyphosate in American water supplies is 0.7 ppm. In Europe, the maximum allowable level in water is 0.2 ppm. Organ damage in animals has occurred at levels as low as 0.1 ppm… At 13 ppm, GMO corn contains more than 18 times the “safe” level of glyphosate set by the EPA.

This is truly disturbing when you consider the fact that in countries like Argentina, glyphosate is blamed for the dramatic increase in devastating birth defects as well as cancer. Sterility and miscarriages are also increasing. This may be due to its similarity to DDT, which is well-known to cause reproductive problems, among other things.

Another health hazard associated with glyphosate is its effect on gut bacteria. Not only does it promote the growth of more virulent pathogens, it also kills off beneficial bacteria that might keep such pathogens in check—both in the soil, and in the gut of animals or humans that ingest the contaminated crop.

It’s important to understand that the glyphosate actually becomes systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. It’s inside the plant. And once you eat it, it ends up in your gut where it can wreak total havoc with your health, considering the fact that 80 percent of your immune system resides there and is dependent on a healthy ratio of good and bad bacteria.

An additional disturbing piece of information is that GMO corn contained extremely high levels of formaldehyde. According to Dr. Huber, at least one study found that 0.97 ppm of ingested formaldehyde was toxic to animals. GMO corn contains a staggering 200 times that amount! Perhaps it’s no wonder that animals, when given a choice, avoid genetically engineered feed.

Next Up: Genetically Engineered Apples, Using New GE Technique

Besides so-called Roundup Ready crops, genetically engineered to resist otherwise lethal doses of glyphosate, there are other types of GE food crops. Another equally troublesome one is Bt crops, engineered in such a way as to contain a toxic protein within the plant itself. These were created by inserting a foreign gene into the plant in question.

Now we’re looking at yet another type of genetic engineering technology: RNA interference (RNAi), also known as post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS).

According to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA),5 apples modified using this technique are slated for approval by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sometime this year. The apple will not require approval by the FDA, which is responsible for human food and animal feed. It only needs approval by the USDA, which is responsible for protecting agriculture from pests and plant diseases.

The new GMO Arctic® Apple does not turn brown when sliced or bitten into. For the cosmetic “advantage” of these genetically engineered apples, you get to be a test subject for yet another untested genetic modification technology. How’s that for a bargain?

According to OCA, non-organic apples are already among the most pesticide-laden foods sold. In the Pesticide Action Network’s analysis of the most recent USDA data, apples tested positive for 42 different pesticides, including two endocrine disrupting pesticides (organophosphate and pyrethroid). The additional risk of untested tinkering with the RNA is not a step in the right direction if we want safer, healthier foods. The OCA writes:6

“[U]nlike the case with GMO corn or salmon, scientists aren’t injecting pesticides or genes from foreign plants or animals into the genes of apples to create the Frankenapple. While most existing genetically engineered plants are designed to make new proteins, the Arctic Apple is engineered to produce a form of genetic information called double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The new dsRNA alters the way genes are expressed. The result, in the Arctic Apple’s case, is a new double strand of RNA that genetically ‘silences’ the apple’s ability to produce polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that causes the apple to turn brown when it’s exposed to oxygen.

Harmless? The biotech industry, OSF and some scientists say yes. But others, including Professor Jack Heinemann (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), Sarah Agapito-Tenfen (from Santa Catarina University in Brazil) and Judy Carman (Flinders University in South Australia), say that dsRNA manipulation is untested, and therefore inherently risky.

Recent research has shown that dsRNAs can transfer from plants to humans and other animals through food. The biotech industry has always claimed that genetically engineered DNA or RNA is destroyed by human digestion, eliminating the danger of these mutant organisms damaging human genes or human health. But many biotech scientists say otherwise. They point to evidence that the manipulated RNA finds its way into our digestive systems and bloodstreams, potentially damaging or silencing vital human genes.”

OCA also points out the indirect health consequences. The chemical compound used in the RNA manipulation process is one that also combats plant pests. So what might conceivably happen when you compromise the fruit’s ability to fend off insects? As noted by OCA, most likely, growers will have to start using more pesticides—on a fruit that’s already among the most heavily sprayed. In the end, all those pesticides end up in your body and, certainly, avoiding toxic exposures is important if you want to protect your health.

Despite What You Are Told GE Crops Are NOT the ‘Most Tested’ Product in the World

It’s important to realize that genetically engineered (GE) foods have never been proven safe for human consumption over a lifetime, let alone over generations. Monsanto and its advocates claim genetically engineered crops are “the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen.” What they don’t tell you is that:
a.Industry-funded research predictably affects the outcome of the trial. This has been verified by dozens of scientific reviews comparing funding with the findings of the study. When industry funds the research, it’s virtually guaranteed to be positive. Therefore, independent studies must be done to replicate and thus verify results
b.The longest industry-funded animal feeding study was 90 days, which recent research has confirmed is FAR too short. In the world’s first independently funded lifetime feeding study, massive health problems set in during and after the 13th month, including organ damage and cancer
c.Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta rarely if ever allow independent researchers access to their patented seeds, citing the legal protection these seeds have under patent laws. Hence, independent research is extremely difficult or nearly impossible to conduct. If these scientists get seeds from a farmer, they sue them into oblivion as one of their favorite tactics is to use the legal system to their advantage. Additionally, virtually all academic agricultural research is controlled by Monsanto as they are the primary supporters of these departments and none will risk losing their funding from them
d.There is no safety monitoring. Meaning, once the GE item in question has been approved, not a single country on earth is actively monitoring and tracking reports of potential health effects

Middle School Student’s Brilliant Experiment

Speaking of research; while there’s no research to support the long-term safety of GMOs, studies do show that organic foods are safer than their conventional counterparts in terms of toxic exposure, and likely far more nutritious as well.

Three years ago, middle school student Ria Chhabra created a science fair project to help settle a debate between her parents, revolving around whether or not organic foods have merit. Now 16 and a sophomore at Clark High School in Plano, Texas, Ria’s continued research into the effect of organic food on fruit flies has earned her top honors in a national science competition, and her work was recently published in the respected scientific journal, PloS One.7 As reported by the New York Times:8

“The research, titled Organically Grown Food Provides Health Benefits to Drosophila Melanogaster, tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce.

While the results can’t be directly extrapolated to human health, the research nonetheless paves the way for additional studies on the relative health benefits of organic versus conventionally grown food…

The difference in outcomes among the flies fed different diets could be due to the effects of pesticide and fungicide residue from conventionally raised foods. Or it could be that the organic-fed flies thrived because of a higher level of nutrients in the organic produce. One intriguing idea raises the question of whether organically raised plants produce more natural compounds to ward off pests and fungi, and whether those compounds offer additional health benefits to flies, animals and humans who consume organic foods.”

While the scientific merit of organic food continues to be studied and debated among scientists and laypeople alike, the issue has been settled in the Chhabra household. According to Ria, all the fresh produce the family buys is now organic.

Keep Fighting for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

While California Prop. 37 failed to pass last November, by a very narrow margin, the fight for GMO labeling is far from over. The field-of-play has now moved to the state of Washington, where the people’s initiative 522, “The People’s Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” will require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. As stated on LabelitWA.org:

“Calorie and nutritional information were not always required on food labels. But since 1990 it has been required and most consumers use this information every day. Country-of-origin labeling wasn’t required until 2002. The trans fat content of foods didn’t have to be labeled until 2006. Now, all of these labeling requirements are accepted as important for consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says we must know with labeling if our orange juice is from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate.

Doesn’t it make sense that genetically engineered foods containing experimental viral, bacterial, insect, plant or animal genes should be labeled, too? Genetically engineered foods do not have to be tested for safety before entering the market. No long-term human feeding studies have been done. The research we have is raising serious questions about the impact to human health and the environment.

I-522 provides the transparency people deserve. I-522 will not raise costs to consumers or food producers. It simply would add more information to food labels, which manufacturers change routinely anyway, all the time. I-522 does not impose any significant cost on our state. It does not require the state to conduct label surveillance, or to initiate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a policy choice, but I-522 was written to avoid raising costs to the state or consumers.”

Remember, as with CA Prop. 37, they need support of people like YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 failed with a very narrow margin simply because we didn’t have the funds to counter the massive ad campaigns created by the No on 37 camp, led by Monsanto and other major food companies. Let’s not allow Monsanto and its allies to confuse and mislead the people of Washington and Vermont as they did in California. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in.
•No matter where you live in the United States, please donate money to these labeling efforts through the Organic Consumers Fund.
•If you live in Washington State, please sign the I-522 petition. You can also volunteer to help gather signatures across the state.
•For timely updates on issues relating to these and other labeling initiatives, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
•Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the Washington initiative

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

More than 7,000 runners who recently raced in a half-marathon in London were under the influence of a powerful performance-enhancing stimulant — pop music.

The music at London’s “Run to the Beat” race was selected on the basis of the research and consultation of sport psychologist Costas Karageorghis. He has learned how to devise soundtracks that are just as powerful, if not more so, as some of the less legal substances that athletes commonly take to excel.

The link between music and athletic performance is just one example of the inroads scientists and doctors are making into understanding the amazing power that music has over your mind and body. Science has shown that music really can kill pain, reduce stress, better your brain and basically change how you experience life.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Listening to music is a great way to make exercising more enjoyable. MP3 players are an excellent way to do this. But as science is now beginning to document, music may have a much greater impact on your health than previously imagined.

Exercising to Music Can Boost Your Verbal Skills

For example, while studies have shown that exercising alone has the capability to improve your mood and increase the speed of your decision-making process, listening to music while exercising has been shown to improve verbal fluency as well.

A 2003 study published in the journal Heart Lung found that listening to music while exercising boosted cognitive levels and verbal fluency skills in people diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease has been linked to a decline in cognitive abilities. In this study, signs of improvement in the verbal fluency areas more than doubled after listening to music compared to that of the non-music session.

Music Reduces Stress and Improves Healing

Music is a great mood regulator, whether it’s used in conjunction with exercise or not. Loud, upbeat music generally has a stimulating effect, whereas slow music can act as a sedative.

It’s very encouraging that more and more health professionals are beginning to realize the value of simple techniques such as music, using it as an adjunct to promote healing even in more conventional medical settings. As pediatrician Linda Fisher stated in the article above, it’s the music’s rhythm, melody and tonal quality that puts the patient in that “special place of peace” where healing can be achieved faster.

For example, harp music might be particularly helpful for people who have heart trouble. Harvard researchers have shown that the rhythms of healthy hearts may be similar to those found in classical music, and that certain rhythms, such as that of harp music can cause your heart to beat more normally.

Other studies from the early 1990s concluded that music significantly lowered the heart rates and calmed and regulated the blood pressures and respiration rates of patients who had undergone surgery.

Music therapy has also been shown to:
•
Improve motor skills in patients recovering from strokes

•
Boost your immune system

•
Improve mental focus

•
Help control pain

•
Create a feeling of well-being

•
Reduce anxiety

One study published in the October issue of The Journal of Clinical Nursing found that pregnant women listening to soothing music showed significant reductions in stress, anxiety and depression.

The researchers concluded that,

“The findings can be used to encourage pregnant women to use this cost-effective method of music in their daily life to reduce their stress, anxiety and depression.”

Just more evidence that some of the simplest things in the world can benefit your health in profound ways.

Since depression, general stress and anxiety are very common issues facing many pregnant women, this is excellent advice, especially in light of the ever increasing use of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy. Although some studies claim that using antidepressants during pregnancy does not raise your risk of having a baby with birth defects, others have shown that they can cause severe rebound effects in your baby.

Clearly drugs are rarely the best choice for pregnant women who are depressed. There are so many better options – music being one of them.

In addition to various types of music, like classical, nature sounds such as birds, rainstorms, frogs or ocean waves are also often used as a stress-relief tool. The sounds have a calming effect and can help patients relax while undergoing medical procedures.

Another exceptional, and more scientific, tool to help you dramatically reduce the stress that is a prime contributor to all forms of disease, while maximizing your awareness and potential for growth, is the Insight audio CD. Many of the patients at my clinic have received enormous benefits from it. Layered beneath the soothing sounds of natural rain is a “binaural beat,” which can help you achieve dramatically powerful states of altered consciousness.

How Can Your Workout Benefit From Music?

As stated earlier, exercising to music has more benefits than just making your workout more fun. As sport psychologist Costas Karageorghis explained, listening to music while working out can:
1.
Reduce your perception of how hard you are working by about 10 percent during low-to-moderate intensity activity.

2.
Profoundly influence your mood; elevating the positive aspects, such as vigor, excitement and happiness, and reducing depression, tension, fatigue, anger and confusion.

3.
Be used to set an appropriate warm-up, workout, and cool-down pace.

4.
Be used to overcome fatigue, and control your emotions if you’re in a competition.

According to Karageorghis’ research, music is most effective when you are losing steam and need some motivation to keep going — not as a constant stimulus. He recommends doing two workouts with music to every one without, so the effect of the music is not dulled.

Committing yourself to a regular exercise routine is just as important as following a nutritious eating program. Taking into consideration these positive benefits from music and exercising, I would encourage those working out at their local gyms to add a little music to their workout routine.

How I Listen to Music

There are many ways you can listen to music. In my mind, the 21st century way is not to purchase music at all but merely to rent it. There are many services available but the one I use is Rhapsody. For well under $200 a year you can download as many as you want of the over 4 million songs available.

This is typically far less than you would pay to purchase them, and you can transfer them to your MP3 player to listen to them offline. You can also use the most incredible, inexpensive system to stream the music to your home stereo system with Sonos.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

If you’re a music lover, you already know that turning on the tunes can help calm your nerves, make stress disappear, pump up your energy level during a workout, bring back old memories, as well as prompt countless other emotions too varied to list.

Even if you’re not a music aficionado, per se, there are compelling reasons why you may want to become one, which were recently revealed by a series of new research.

Music Prompts Numerous Brain Changes Linked to Emotions and Abstract Decision Making

When you listen to music, much more is happening in your body than simple auditory processing. Music triggers activity in the nucleus accumbens, a part of your brain that releases the feel-good chemical dopamine and is involved in forming expectations.

At the same time, the amygdala, which is involved in processing emotion, and the prefrontal cortex, which makes possible abstract decision-making, are also activated, according to new research published in the journal Science.1

Based on the brain activity in certain regions, especially the nucleus accumbens, captured by an fMRI imager while participants listened to music, the researchers could predict how much money the listeners were willing to spend on previously unheard music. As you might suspect, songs that triggered activity in the emotional and intellectual areas of the brain demanded a higher price.

Interestingly, the study’s lead author noted that your brain learns how to predict how different pieces of music will unfold using pattern recognition and prediction, skills that may have been key to our evolutionary progress. Time reported:2

“These predictions are culture-dependent and based on experience: someone raised on rock or Western classical music won’t be able to predict the course of an Indian raga, for example, and vice versa.

But if a piece develops in a way that’s both slightly novel and still in line with our brain’s prediction, we tend to like it a lot. And that, says [lead researcher] Salimpoor, ‘is because we’ve made a kind of intellectual conquest.’

Music may, in other words, tap into a brain mechanism that was key to our evolutionary progress. The ability to recognize patterns and generalize from experience, to predict what’s likely to happen in the future — in short, the ability to imagine — is something humans do far better than any other animals. It’s what allowed us (aided by the far less glamorous opposable thumb) to take over the world.”

Why Music Makes Us Feel United

So far we’ve covered that music is involved in both emotional and intellectual centers of your brain, but music also has an, almost uncanny, ability to connect us to one another.

Separate research published this month showed one reason for why this might be. When listening to four pieces of classical music they had never heard before, study participants’ brains reacted in much the same way. Areas of the brain involved in movement planning, memory and attention all had similar activation patterns when the participants listened to the same music, which suggests we may each experience music in similar ways.

The study’s lead author noted:3

“We spend a lot of time listening to music — often in groups, and often in conjunction with synchronized movement and dance … Here, we’ve shown for the first time that despite our individual differences in musical experiences and preferences, classical music elicits a highly consistent pattern of activity across individuals in several brain structures including those involved in movement planning, memory and attention.”

Co-author Daniel Levitin, PhD, expanded:4

“It’s not our natural tendency to thrust ourselves into a crowd of 20,000 people, but for a Muse concert or a Radiohead concert we’ll do it … There’s this unifying force that comes from the music, and we don’t get that from other things.”

Music Relieves Anxiety Better Than Drugs and Benefits Premature Babies

If you want a more concrete example of music’s powers, a meta-analysis by Levitin and colleagues found some striking benefits of music after reviewing 400 studies.5 Among the data was one study that revealed listening to music resulted in less anxiety and lower cortisol levels among patients about to undergo surgery than taking anti-anxiety drugs. Other evidence showed music has an impact on antibodies linked to immunity and may lead to higher levels of bacteria-fighting immune cells.

Still more research revealed that playing music in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) improved the health of premature babies with respiratory distress or sepsis.6 When parents sang to their babies, or sounds mimicking those in the womb were played, numerous benefits occurred, including changes in heart rates, sucking behavior and parents’ stress levels. The researchers noted:

“Entrained with a premature infant’s observed vital signs, sound and lullaby may improve feeding behaviors and sucking patterns and may increase prolonged periods of quiet–alert states. Parent-preferred lullabies, sung live, can enhance bonding, thus decreasing the stress parents associate with premature infant care.”

Taken together, the latest research makes a strong case for using music as a therapeutic tool for babies and adults alike.

Why Music Should be a Part of Your Workouts, Too

Many people instinctively don a headset linked to their favorite music when hitting the gym, which makes sense since certain types of music can motivate you to run faster, or keep going even though you’re fatigued, giving you a better workout. Additionally, research has shown that listening to music while exercising boosted cognitive levels and verbal fluency skills in people diagnosed with coronary artery disease (coronary artery disease has been linked to a decline in cognitive abilities). Signs of improvement in verbal fluency areas more than doubled after listening to music compared to that of the non-music session.7

Listening to music while exercising can also improve your performance, increasing your endurance by 15 percent,8 and your movement will likely follow the tempo of the song. For instance, in one study when the music’s tempo slowed, the subjects’ exertion level reduced as well.9 And when the tempo was increased, their performance followed suit.

Your body may be simply responding to the beat on a more or less subconscious level, but the type and tempo of the music you choose while working out may also influence your conscious motivation.

What Music Is Best?

When a song gets you energized and rearing to go, you’ll know it, and these are the types of songs you probably naturally add to your workout playlist. For that matter, when a song makes you feel relaxed, eases your anxiety or pain levels, or boosts your mood, you’ll know it too, as selecting music is a highly personal – and highly intuitive – process. In other words, only you know the “best” music for you, and that will inevitably change – not only day to day with your mood but also over time with the different chapters of your life.

For now, technology has given us a simple way to harness the power of music by allowing you to create different playlists for exercising, relaxing, working and other important aspects of your day so you can instantly access the right music for your mood or activity. You can also listen to music over Internet radio using free services like Pandora, which will actually create stations for you based on your musical tastes.

However, my favorite music source is Spotify, which I believe is the new model for listening to music. Rather than purchase music in iTunes or CDs prior to that, you simply rent it. Spotify has access to over 16 million songs and most likely has well over 95% of the music you would ever listen to. For $10 a month you can play all of your favorite music on your phone, tablet, computer or home stereo system. They even have high-quality bitrates at no extra charge. I have been using them for about a year and am very pleased.

Whatever method you choose, making music part of your lifestyle is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your health and your life.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Oil pulling: A cheap, easy and effective solution to health woes? Modern research says yes

Dating back thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling may seem like an unlikely curative miracle due to its simplicity. Yet practitioners of the therapy laud its effectiveness in healing everything from AIDS to diabetes, heart disease to leukemia. Testimonials aside, scientific research has shown oil pulling can vastly improve the condition of the gums and teeth by reducing dental bacteria, viruses and fungi – which in turn fosters overall health.

Oil pulling basics
Oil pulling is a technique where a tablespoon of oil (sesame, coconut, olive or sunflower) is moved around the mouth and through the teeth with a swishing motion for 20 minutes, one to three times per day. The premise behind the therapy is that oil attracts various pathogens in the mouth which are then suspended within the liquid and subsequently spat out. The oil also seeps into hard to reach pockets below the gum line where damaging bacteria tend to thrive.

Health harming oral pathogens
Even with the best dental hygiene, germs can still get the upper hand over health. When our oral condition is in bad shape, it effects every system of the body. Take for instance cognitive decline. According to GreenMed Info, periodontal disease has been linked with stroke and cognitive impairment in numerous studies. Attikon University Hospital in Greece showed a clear correlation between periodontal disease and stroke. Likewise, the University of Alabama School of Dentistry discovered in a 9,853-participant study that tooth loss was strongly connected to cognitive decline.

Furthermore, bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans multiply within the mouth and secrete toxins into the bloodstream, thereby causing inflammatory disorders like heart disease. As reported by naturopath Case Adams in Cognitive Decline Linked to Periodontal Disease:

“A late 2011 study from the School of Dentistry at Italy’s University of Cagliari studied forty men between 20 years old and 40 years old. Half of the men had periodontal disease and the other half did not. The researchers tested the subjects for parameters indicating developing cardiovascular disease among both groups.

The research found that the periodontal disease patients had higher levels of inflammation-associated IL-2. This suggested to the researchers, “the existence of an early endothelial dysfunction in young adults with atypical periodontitis.”‘

Oil pulling has been scientifically shown to substantially reduce problematic Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Global Healing Center states:

“Another study [published in the African Journal of Microbiology Research], conducted in 2008 found a “remarkable reduction in the total count of bacteria” in the mouth, and an overall marked reduction in susceptibility dental cavities. The antibacterial activity of sesame oil was also studied and found to have an effect on the Streptococcus mutans in the mouth. In fact, these studies showed an overall reduction of bacteria from 10 to 33.4 percent in participants, and after 40 days of oil-pulling, participants were found to show 20 percent in average reduction in oral bacteria.”

Additional benefits
Not only does oil pulling boost oral, cognitive and cardiovascular health, but it also heals a host of other conditions. Mike Barrett of Natural Society reports:

“… Dr. F. Karsch, M.D., presented a paper to the All-Ukrainian Association outlining rather incredible possibilities oil pulling is capable of. Going by Dr. Karsch, oil pulling benefits can help with almost any illness or chronic condition, including:

Mouth and gum disease; stiff joints; allergies; asthma; high blood sugar; constipation; migraines; bronchitis; eczema; heart, kidney, lung diseases; leukemia; arthritis; meningitis; insomnia; menopause (hormonal issues); cancer; AIDS; chronic infections; varicose veins; high blood pressure; diabetes; cracked heels; acne, arthritis; bronchitis; dermatitis; sinusitis; and many more.”

Sources for this article include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://naturalsociety.com

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/oil-pulling/#3

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article%20oil%20pulling.htm

http://www.jonbarron.org/article/oil-pulling-detoxing

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html

http://academicjournals.org/AJMR/PDF/Pdf2008/Mar/Anand%20et%20al.pdf

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision.

Follow on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Thrive_Living

At Facebook, follow here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrive-Living/499578863433146

For Pinterest fans, connect here: www.pinterest.com/thriveliving/natural-news/

Read her other articles on Natural News here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Students from the University of Karachi explored the numerous health benefits of papaya and discovered a few interesting details about it. In their research, Marian Naseem as well as Muhammad Karam Nasir, students Agriculture and Agribusiness Department at Karachi University, found out that the fruit as well as its seeds have numerous benefits to the human body. According to them, the different nutrients in the fruit and its seed can boost health. Their research even cited how some countries across the globe use papaya to cure diseases and strengthen their immunity.

Eating papaya has a lot of benefits
Nasir said that papaya contained a huge amount of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium, potassium, iron as well as thiamin and magnesium. He also added that papaya contains the enzyme papain that can give relief to those suffering from gastric problems and indigestion. Likewise, he noted that the chemical integrate carpain can help in curing certain kinds of diseases.

He also noted that papaya can be very effective in combating several diseases such as diabetes and even cancer. He said that papaya can help control and stop diabetes. He further noted that eating papaya daily can help in combating and even eradicating cancer as papaya contains chemical integrates like lycopene.

Aside from helping combat serious health illnesses, Nasir also identified the other benefits of eating papaya. He added that eating papaya every day can help reduce weight. He also noted that papaya can help reduce the chances of heart attack. As such, he suggests that patients who have hypertension problems include papaya in their daily meals.

Nasir also cited that papaya is a natural body cleaner because it helps in the maintenance of the internal body system. He also added that papaya can help improve a person’s eyesight as it contains vitamin A. For both men and women, he said that papaya can boost their fertility.

Nasir also noted how papaya helps stop blood clotting in people’s feet, especially those who have sedentary jobs. He also said that papaya helps address acne problems as it contains magnesium.

The researchers also added that papaya can help eliminate constipation as well as nausea. It may also help in preventing the formation of emphysema for those who smoke. But aside from the fruit, its seeds have a number of health benefits as well.

Amazing seeds
Naseem, Nasir’s co-researcher, said that the juice of papaya seeds can prevent the kidney from becoming dysfunctional as it contains flavonoids, which can prevent germs from causing diseases.

She also noted that papaya seeds can protect people from several infections and that they can even rid the body of intestine insects. According to Naseem, around 76.7 percent of Nigerian children got rid of intestine insects by simply drinking papaya seed juice for seven days.

She also cited that the Japanese believed that taking in a teaspoon of papaya seeds can protect their liver from some diseases. Likewise, she said that papaya seeds contain a special compound that helps stop the formation of tumors. She also added that such seeds can cure hemorrhoid kind of diseases and that papaya seeds can be used alongside milk to prevent typhoid disease.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.dnaindia.com

http://www.cereforce.com

Aaj Ki Khabar

About the author:
Sandeep is an avid rock climber, Mountaineer, runner, and fitness coach. He shares his tips for staying in shape and eating healthy on several fitness sites.

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

By Christopher Masterjohn

The “K” in “vitamin K” stands for “koagulation,” the German word for blood clotting. From its discovery in the 1930s through the late 1970s, we knew of no other roles for the vitamin.

The 1990s had come and nearly gone by the time awareness of its role in bone metabolism broke out of the confines of the vitamin K research community, and only in the twenty-first century has its role in preventing calcification of the blood vessels and other soft tissues become clear.

Vitamin K2, found in animal fats and fermented foods, is present in much smaller quantities in most diets when compared to vitamin K1, found in leafy greens.

Since researchers throughout the twentieth century saw the two forms of the vitamin as interchangeable, they ignored vitamin K2 as though its scarcity made it irrelevant.

The realization that vitamin K is not just for “koagulation,” however, led us to discover that vitamins K1 and K2 are not interchangeable after all: vitamin K1 more effectively supports blood clotting, while vitamin K2 more effectively ensures that calcium winds up in the bones and teeth where it supports health rather than in the soft tissues where it contributes to disease.

It was thus only in 2006 that the United States Department of Agriculture determined the vitamin K2 contents of common foods for the first time.1

Vitamins A, D, and K

While vitamin K2 languished in obscurity, vitamins A and D continually traded places with one another as the favored vitamin du jour. The pendulum initially swung in favor of vitamin D because rickets was common in the early twentieth century while eye diseases resulting from vitamin A deficiency were rare. It then swung in favor of vitamin A when that vitamin became known as the “anti-infective” vitamin.2

After World War II, the medical establishment had easy access to antibiotics and thus lost interest in battling infections with vitamin A.3 Vitamin D fared far worse, taking the blame for a British epidemic of infant hypercalcemia and eventually earning a reputation as “the most toxic of all the vitamins.”4 These days, the pendulum has swung full force in the opposite direction: we blame an epidemic of osteoporosis on vitamin A, and see vitamin D as the new panacea.5

Though a paradigm of synergy never took hold, it was not for want of opportunity. When Mellanby and Green first demonstrated in the 1920s that vitamin A prevented infections, they concluded that vitamin D could not be “safely substituted for cod-liver oil in medical treatment,” and that “if a substitute for cod-liver oil is given it ought to be at least as powerful as this oil in its content of both vitamins A and D.”

Consistent with this point of view, clinical trials in the 1930s showed that cod liver oil could reduce the incidence of colds by a third and cut hours missed from work in half.6 Cod liver oil also caused dramatic reductions in mortality from less common but more severe infections. The medical establishment, for example, had been successfully using it to treat tuberculosis since the mid-nineteenth century.7

Studies in the 1930s expanded this to the treatment of measles.8 These findings made the popularity of cod liver oil soar (Figure 1).9

The idea that vitamin A alone was “antiinfective,” however, led to similar trials with halibut liver oil, which is rich in vitamin A but poor in vitamin D. These trials often failed to show any benefit. I.G. Spiesman of the University of Illinois College of Medicine proposed a simple solution to this paradox: vitamins A and D worked together to prevent infection, he suggested, and both vitamins are needed to prevent the common cold.

He published his own clinical trial in 1941, showing that massive doses of each vitamin alone provided no benefit and often proved toxic. Massive doses of both vitamins together, however, caused no toxicity and offered powerful protection against the common cold.10 Nevertheless, as antibiotics grew in popularity after World War II, interest in the fat-soluble vitamins waned and cod liver oil use began its steady decline (Figure 1).

The emergence of molecular biology in the late twentieth century provided new evidence for synergy. Vitamins A and D both make independent contributions to immune function by binding to their respective receptors and thereby directing cellular processes in favor of healthful immune responses, but studies in isolated cells suggest that vitamin D may only be able to activate its receptor with the direct cooperation of vitamin A.11, 12

We now know that vitamins A and D also cooperate together to regulate the production of certain vitamin K-dependent proteins. Once vitamin K activates these proteins, they help mineralize bones and teeth, support adequate growth, and protect arteries and other soft tissues from abnormal calcification, and protect against cell death.

As described below, the synergistic action of the fat-soluble trio depends on support from other nutrients like magnesium, zinc, fat and carbohydrate, as well as important metabolic factors such as carbon dioxide and thyroid hormone.

FIGURE 1:
Cod liver oil imports to the U.S., 1912-1965. Adapted from the data in reference 9.

Magnesium and the Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Magnesium contributes to more than three hundred specific chemical reactions that occur within our bodies, including every reaction that depends on ATP, the universal energy currency of our cells.13 Magnesium also activates the enzyme that makes copies of DNA, as well as the enzyme that makes RNA, which is responsible for translating the codes contained within our genes into the production of every protein within our body. This process of translating the DNA code in order to produce proteins is called “gene expression.”

Vitamins A and D carry out most of their functions by regulating gene expression, which means they rely directly on magnesium to carry out these functions. They also rely indirectly on magnesium because our cells can only produce their receptors and all the proteins with which they interact with the assistance of this critical mineral.

The well-studied interaction of magnesium with vitamin D and calcium provides an illustrative example. Magnesium is required for both steps in the activation of vitamin D to calcitriol, the form of vitamin D that regulates gene expression and stimulates calcium absorption. Even fully activated vitamin D (calcitriol), however, is useless in the absence of magnesium. Humans who are deficient in magnesium have low blood levels of both calcitriol and calcium, but treating them with calcitriol does nothing to restore calcium levels to normal. The only way to normalize calcium levels in these subjects is to provide them with sufficient magnesium. Magnesium also supports the cellular pumps that keep most calcium out of our soft tissue cells and make it available for the extracellular matrix of bones and teeth.

Altogether, these findings suggest that vitamins A and D can only fulfill their functions in the presence of adequate magnesium. As can be seen in Table 1, magnesium is abundant in many whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables, some fruit, and some seafood. It is less abundant in meat, by contrast, and almost entirely absent from refined grains and sugar.14 Thus, we would expect a well-rounded diet devoid of “the displacing foods of modern commerce” to be rich in magnesium and thereby support the synergistic action of the fat-soluble vitamins.

Zinc and the Fat-Soluble Vitamins

As with magnesium, the fat-soluble trio can only support health if our diets contain adequate zinc. The interaction between vitamin A and zinc is particularly well studied.15 Vitamin A supports the intestinal absorption of zinc, possibly by increasing the production of a binding protein in the intestines. Zinc, in turn, supports the formation of vesicles involved in transporting vitamin A and the other the fat-soluble vitamins across the intestinal wall.

Zinc is an essential structural component of many vitamin A-related proteins, including the primary protein that transports vitamin A through the blood, the enzyme that carries out the first step in the activation of vitamin A to retinoic acid, and the nuclear receptor that binds to retinoic acid and allows it to regulate gene expression.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the interaction between zinc and vitamin A in humans. For example, in humans with marginal zinc status, zinc supplementation supports vitamin A’s role in visual function16 and eye development (Figure 2).17

Although less well studied, zinc also interacts with vitamin D. Vitamin D and zinc most likely promote each other’s intestinal absorption.18 In rats, dietary zinc supports the production of the vitamin D receptor.19 Once the receptor is formed, zinc provides it with essential structural support. Although in the absence of this structural support the receptor still binds to vitamin D, the structural support is needed to allow this vitamin-receptor complex to bind to DNA.20 Studies with isolated cells illustrate the importance of this interaction: adding zinc to these cells increases the rate at which vitamin D activates the expression of genes.21

Altogether, these results suggest that vitamins A and D can only fulfill their functions in the presence of adequate zinc. As can be seen in Table 2, zinc is found most abundantly in oysters, beef, and cheese.22 Chicken and eggs have considerably less zinc than beef, while milk and most plant foods contain very little. We absorb zinc about five times more effectively from animal products than from plant products. Thus, we should expect a diet that contains liberal quantities of zinc-rich animal products to support the synergistic action of the fat-soluble vitamins.

Figure 2

Thirty-three Thai children ages six to thirteen with marginal zinc and vitamin A status were randomized in double-blind fashion to receive a placebo, 25 mg/day zinc, 1300 international units/day vitamin A, or a combination of the two supplements for six months. The figure shows the proportion of children with abnormalities in the conjunctiva of the eye, a characteristic sign of vitamin A deficiency. The synergistic interaction between zinc and vitamin A is statistically significant (P<0.02). The development of the surface of the eye and many other tissues is regulated by retinoic acid, the fully activated form of vitamin A. These results show that zinc supports the role of vitamin A in tissue development, probably by supporting the activity of enzymes involved in activating vitamin A to retinoic acid and by allowing the nuclear receptors for retinoic acid to bind to DNA and regulate gene expression. Adapted from reference 17. Fat, Carbs, Thyroid and Carbon Dioxide In order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins from our food, we need to eat fat. Human studies show that both the amount and type of fat are important. For example, one study showed that absorption of beta-carotene from a salad with no added fat was close to zero. The addition of a lowfat dressing made from canola oil increased absorption, but a high-fat dressing was much more effective.23 Canola oil, however, is far from ideal. Studies in rats show that absorption of carotenoids is much higher with olive oil than with corn oil.24 Similarly, studies in humans show that consuming beta-carotene with beef tallow rather than sunflower oil increases the amount we absorb from 11 to 17 percent. The reason for this is unknown, but it may be that oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids promote the oxidative destruction of fat-soluble vitamins in the intestines before we are able to absorb them. Thus, the more fat we eat, and the lower those fats are in polyunsaturated fatty acids, the more fat-soluble vitamins we absorb. While dietary fat is clearly important, there may be a role for dietary carbohydrate as well. Once vitamins A and D stimulate the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, vitamin K activates those proteins by adding carbon dioxide to them. Once added to a protein, carbon dioxide carries a negative charge and allows the protein to interact with calcium, which carries a positive charge. The greater the supply of carbon dioxide, the better vitamin K can do its job.25 Carbohydrates are rich in carbon and oxygen, and when we break them down for energy we release these elements in our breath as carbon dioxide. Because carbohydrates are richer in oxygen, burning them generates about 30 percent more carbon dioxide per calorie than burning fat, and low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to lower blood levels of carbon dioxide (Figure 3).26 Ideally, we should study this further by determining whether dietary carbohydrate affects the amount of activated vitamin K-dependent proteins in humans. We also produce more carbon dioxide when we burn more calories, regardless of whether we are burning carbohydrate or fat. Intense exercise more than doubles the amount of carbon dioxide we produce compared to what we produce when at rest.27 Even working at a standing desk rather than a sitting desk increases both calories burned and carbon dioxide generated by about a third (Figure 4).28 Future studies should directly investigate whether exercise increases the activation of vitamin K-dependent proteins, but it seems reasonable to suggest that part of the reason exercise promotes cardiovascular health may be because it ensures a more abundant supply of carbon dioxide, which vitamin K uses to activate proteins that protect our heart valves and blood vessels from calcification. Thyroid hormone is a key regulator of the metabolic rate and may thus be a major determinant of the carbon dioxide available for activating vitamin K-dependent proteins. Theoretically, thyroid hormone should increase the rate of metabolism and a greater rate of metabolism should produce a proportionally greater supply of carbon dioxide. Thyroid hormone directly increases the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins and protects blood vessels from calcification in rats.29 The reason for this relationship is unclear. We could speculate, however, that our bodies in their infinite wisdom use thyroid hormone to tie the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins to the production the carbon dioxide needed to activate them. Figure 3: Low-Carbohydrate Diets Reduce Blood Levels of Carbon Dioxide Investigators fed twenty adult patients requiring artificial ventilation a standard or low-carb, high-fat diet through a feeding pump. The purpose of the study was to determine whether a low-carbohydrate diet could be used to reduce the need for a ventilator. Carbohydrates generate more carbon dioxide than fat, and we eliminate excess carbon dioxide by breathing faster. The study showed that patients on a low-carbohydrate diet generated less carbon dioxide, breathed more slowly, and required less time on a ventilator. Nevertheless, for healthy individuals who do not require artificial ventilation, dietary carbohydrates may support the activity of vitamin K, which activates certain proteins by adding carbon dioxide to them. Adapted from reference 26. Figure 4: Twenty healthy young adult men and women performed crossword puzzles and word finds for forty-five minutes either at a traditional sitting desk or at a standing desk. Adapted from reference 28 The Big Picture It is clearly time to move beyond viewing each vitamin in isolation. The fat-soluble vitamins not only synergize with each other, but cooperate with many other nutrients and metabolic factors such as magnesium, zinc, fat, carbohydrate, carbon dioxide and thyroid hormone. This paradigm has two important implications. At the level of scientific research, a study about one vitamin can easily come to false conclusions unless it takes into account its interactions with all the others. We should reverently and humbly bow before the complexity of these interactions, realizing how little we know and recognizing that we are always learning. At the level of personal health, these interactions emphasize the need to consume a well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet. Supplementation with an individual vitamin runs the risk of throwing it out of balance with its synergistic partners. The fat-soluble vitamins work most safely and effectively when we obtain them from natural foods within the context of a diet rich in all their synergistic partners. Zinc and the Dark Adaptation Test for Vitamin A Deficiency The role of vitamin A in vision is unusual. This vitamin carries out most of its known actions by regulating the expression of specific sets of genes. Vitamin A regulates gene expression only after being activated in a two-step process from retinol to retinal, and finally to retinoic acid. Vitamin A supports vision, however, in its semi-activated form as retinal. Retinal binds to a protein known as opsin, forming a vitamin-protein complex known as rhodopsin. Each photon of light that enters our eye and collides with rhodopsin causes the retinal to change shape and release itself from the complex. This event then translates into an electrical impulse that our optic nerve transmits to our brain. The brain synthesizes myriad such electrical impulses at every moment and interprets them as vision.30 While the function of opsin is to help generate visual images by binding and releasing vitamin A, opsin can only maintain its proper shape and function when it is bound to zinc. In addition, zinc supports the conversion of retinol to retinal, the form of vitamin A that binds to opsin. We could predict, then, that vitamin A would only be able to support vision in the presence of adequate zinc. This can be studied by determining dark adaptation thresholds, which determine the dimmest spots of light we are able to see after having spent a period of time in the dark to maximize our visual sensitivity. When vitamin A is insufficient, we lose the ability to see the dimmer spots of light. Robert Russell of Tufts University studied ten patients with deficient blood levels of vitamin A who also failed the dark-adaptation test. Eight of them achieved normal dark-adaptation thresholds after supplementing with 10,000 international units of vitamin A for two to four weeks. Two of them, however, had deficient blood levels of zinc. Vitamin A supplementation alone failed to normalize their visual function, but adding 220 milligrams per day of zinc to the regimen for two weeks brought it back to normal.16 These results show that vitamin A can only support healthy vision with the direct assistance of zinc. About the Author Chris Masterjohn has a PhD in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut, and has published five peer-reviewed papers on vitamins and supplementation. He researches fat-soluble supplements – A, D, and K – at the University of Illinois. He also maintains a blog, The Daily Lipid, and his website, Cholesterol-And-Health.com, which are dedicated to the issue of cholesterol. He's also active with the Weston A. Price Foundation. If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Vitamin D Might Be Able to Slash Your Breast Cancer Risk by 90 Percent

Carole Baggerly is the founder director of GrassrootsHealth. Her organization’s mission is to increase awareness about vitamin D and the crucial role it plays in many aspects of your health.

Carole is on the cutting edge of vitamin D research, with her finger on the pulse of some of the world’s leading vitamin D scientists.

Prior to this focus, Carole’s educational background included physics and mathematics, and she owned and managed an aerospace business. However, her passion for vitamin D arose from a more personal experience. She is a breast cancer survivor and attributes a large portion of her healing to vitamin D.

Her particular combination of managerial and executive skills, education in the sciences and personal health battles make her uniquely qualified to get this critical information into the hands of the public.

I first interviewed Carole in 2011. In this second interview, Carole discusses what the latest science says about how vitamin D prevents and slows multiple forms of cancer, and why it’s so important to have your serum levels tested on a regular basis.

In fact, optimizing your vitamin D levels may help you prevent more than 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and skin cancers.

Modest Vitamin D Levels May Decrease Your Risk of ALL Cancer by 77 Percent

Vitamin D has shown preventative benefits for many diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, and can even reduce chronic pain1. But when it comes to cancer, vitamin D is its worst enemy! Theories linking vitamin D deficiency to cancer have been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and understanding of its physiological basis stems from more than 2,500 laboratory studies.

One particularly noteworthy study was completed by Joan Lappe and Robert Heaney in 20072. A group of menopausal women were given enough vitamin D to raise their serum levels to 40 ng/ml.

These women experienced a 77 percent reduction in the incidence of all cancers, across the board, after just four years3. The remarkable thing is, 40 ng/ml is a relatively modest level. The latest information suggests the serum level “sweet spot” for vitamin D is 50 to 70 ng/ml. To have such stunning findings at just 40 ng/ml underscores just how powerful and important vitamin D is to your body’s optimal functioning.

Could Breast Cancer Be 90 Percent Preventable, Just with Vitamin D?

Vitamin D has powerful effects when it comes to breast cancer, to the degree that breast cancer is being described as a “vitamin D deficiency syndrome.” Of course, other lifestyle factors are also important in preventing cancer, such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, and managing stress. However, vitamin D’s critical importance seems to grow with every emerging study.

Carole believes that 90 percent of ordinary breast cancer is related to vitamin D deficiency — which is 100 percent preventable!

This is absolutely a profoundly important statement. As breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, this has massive implications for women’s health. For more information about breast cancer, I invite you to watch my informational video on the subject. Please be aware though that she is referring to more common types of breast cancer as opposed to inflammatory breast cancer and some of the other unique forms.

Vitamin D Can Make Breast Cancer Cells Fall Apart

The recently deceased Dr. Frank Garland4 was the epidemiologist who connected the dots between vitamin D deficiency and cancer. According to Garland, in nearly all forms of breast cancer, vitamin D affects the structure of your epithelial cells. These cells are held together by a glue-like substance called E-cadherin, which provides structure to the cell. E-cadherin is made up of mostly vitamin D and calcium.

If you don’t have adequate vitamin D, that structure comes apart and those cells do what they are programmed to do in order to survive — they go forth and multiply. If this growth process (cell proliferation) gets out of control, you may end up with cancer.

If you have breast cancer in progress, the addition of vitamin D can help stop cancer cells in their tracks by replenishing E-cadherin. Once cancer growth is slowed, your immune system can begin to get ahead of the cancer cells, because it doesn’t have to deal with gazillions of them. It’s just disposing of the “leftovers.” The theory above is Dr. Garland’s DINOMIT theory and has been substantiated by subsequent studies by other researchers.

Optimizing Vitamin D Reduces Your Risk of Preterm Birth by HALF

In addition to being a strong cancer preventive, if you are a pregnant woman, vitamin D has some important benefits for you and your baby. Unfortunately, an astounding 80 percent of pregnant women are vitamin D deficient, and you definitely do not want to be one of them.

Carol Wagner and Bruce Hollis studied the effects of vitamin D levels on pregnant women, with phenomenal results. The researchers gave 4,000 IUs of vitamin D to a group of pregnant women, lowering their incidence of preterm deliveries by a whopping 50 percent. These stellar results gave rise to a new prenatal program at GrassrootsHealth, called Protect Our Children Now, which you can learn about on their website.

Vitamin D is also known to improve a number of different problems of pregnancy, including reducing your risk of having a low birth weight baby and lowering your chances of C-section. If you’re pregnant and have good D3 levels, you are passing on important health protection to your newborn baby that will continue well after birth.

It’s ALL About Your Vitamin D Blood Level

The most important factor is your vitamin D serum level. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend in the sun, or how much vitamin D3 you take: if your serum level is low, then you’re at risk, plain and simple. And the only way to know your serum level is to test it. As of the present time, we don’t understand why people differ so widely in their serum responses to vitamin D supplementation. Until science figures this out, the only way to determine your serum level is by testing your blood on a regular basis.

Fortunately, all of the major labs have updated their vitamin D testing protocols, so it no longer matters which lab you use. It’s recommended you check your level every three to six months, because it takes at least three months for it to stabilize after a change in sun exposure or supplement dose.

The window you’re shooting for is 50 to 70ng/ml. More studies are needed to tease out the benefits of getting your serum level above 50, and 60, and 70 — in terms of what specific benefits occur at each increment. Above 20, you’re safe from rickets. Above 30, your gums will be healthy. Above 40, you receive great cancer benefits. But there may very well be reasons to push your level even higher — we just don’t have this information available yet. Science progresses slowly, and researchers are very cautious. For an interesting chart that shows disease prevention by serum vitamin D level, based on the research to date, visit this page on the GrassrootsHealth site.

It is Actually Difficult to Get Toxic

The best way to optimize your vitamin D level is through sun exposure or a safe tanning bed as that virtually eliminates any risk of overdose. As a very general guide, you need to expose about 40 percent of your entire body to the sun for approximately 20 minutes between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is at its zenith. There appears to be no risk of vitamin D toxicity from ultraviolet B exposure.

If you’re using an oral supplement, recent studies suggest adults need about 8,000 IU’s of oral vitamin D3 per day in order to get serum levels above 40 ng/ml. However, remember that if you take oral vitamin D, you also need to boost your vitamin K2, either through your food choices or a supplement. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. In general, however, taking vitamin D3 is very safe. Even the conservative Institute of Medicine has concluded that taking up to 10,000 IU per day poses no risk for adverse effects.

The ideal or optimal ratio between vitamin D and vitamin K2 has yet to be elucidated, so there’s little to go on in this regard. Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests 150-200 micrograms of K2 per day will meet the vitamin K2 needs of the “average” healthy person, if you’re not taking a vitamin D supplement. Keep in mind that some of that can come from your diet, such as fermented vegetables. If you take a vitamin D supplement, you may need to increase your vitamin K2 some more.

Your health insurance may very well pay for vitamin D testing. If not, there is a wonderful program you can participate in through the mail, developed by GrassrootsHealth, called D*Action Project. For more information on how to participate, read on.

How Vitamin D Performance Testing Can Help Optimize Your Health

Additionally, a robust and growing body of research clearly shows that vitamin D is absolutely critical for good health and disease prevention. Vitamin D affects your DNA through vitamin D receptors (VDRs), which bind to specific locations of the human genome. Scientists have identified nearly 3,000 genes that are influenced by vitamin D levels, and vitamin D receptors have been found throughout the human body.

Is it any wonder then that no matter what disease or condition is investigated, vitamin D appears to play a crucial role? This is why I am so excited about the D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth. It is showing how you can take action today on known science with a consensus of experts without waiting for institutional lethargy. It has shown how by combining the science of measurement (of vitamin D levels) with the personal choice of taking action and, the value of education about individual measures that one can truly be in charge of their own health.

In order to spread this health movement to more communities, the project needs your involvement. This is an ongoing campaign during the month of February, and will become an annual event.

To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. (Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.)

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five year program, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee every 6 months for your sponsorship of the project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you “it’s time for your next test and health survey.”

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Europe bans bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides: When will America take action?

A major victory for the world’s bee populations has been achieved in Europe, where a majority of European Union (EU) member states voted recently to ban the use of bee-harming neonicotinoid pesticides across the entire continent for at least two years. In an overwhelming vote of 15 to 8, these member states decided that, based on a plethora of scientific evidence, the use of thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid on crops is destroying bee populations, and thus must end.

The decision comes after months of deliberation over the safety of neonicotinoids, which have repeatedly been shown to be a significant, if not the primary, factor causing the global phenomenon of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is characterized by worker bees leaving to forage and never returning, or simply dropping dead in large groups for no apparent reason. Another common characteristic of CCD is excess deaths among queen bees, which acts as a type of mother to the rest of the bees.

As we reported recently, the European Food Safety Commission (EFSA) determined back in January that neonicotinoid pesticides pose an “unacceptable” risk to bees, concluding that the scientific evidence currently on the books does not point to these pervasive chemicals being at all safe for bees. This, combined with several other studies published in 2012 that revealed neonicotinoids to be a major cause of insect loss and habitat decline, are what prompted a cohort of EU member states not dominated by chemical industry interests to outlaw the poisons.

“This decision is a significant victory for common sense and our beleaguered bee populations,” stated Andrew Pendleton, Head of Campaigns for the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Earth (FoE), to The Guardian. “Restricting the use of these pesticides could be an historic milestone on the road to recovery for these crucial pollinators.”

Prior approval for neonicotinoids was based on flawed studies that failed to evaluate the effects the chemicals have on wild bee populations, which are said to comprise 90 percent of the pollinators that frequent flowering food crops. These same studies also failed to consider the long-term effects of the pesticides, as well as their synergistic effects when used in combination with each other, which is what actually happens in real life.

“The ban is excellent news for pollinators,” says Professor Simon Potts, a bee expert at the University of Reading, as quoted by The Guardian. “The weight of evidence from researchers clearly points to the need to have a phased ban of neonicotinoids. There are several alternatives to using neonicotinoids and farmers will benefit from healthy pollinator populations as they provide substantial economic benefits to crop pollination.”

United Kingdom, Italy among traitorous countries that voted to continue killing off bees
As far as those countries that voted against the ban, many watchdog groups and others are hoping their corruption will be exposed far and wide. The U.K., for instance, which abstained in an earlier vote on the matter, changed its vote at the last minute in support of continuing the neonicotinoid-driven bee holocaust.

“By not supporting the ban, environmental secretary Owen Paterson has exposed the U.K. government as being in the pocket of big chemical companies and the industrial farming lobby,” Doug Parr, Chief Scientists at Greenpeace, is quoted as saying. MP Joan Walley, who chairs the U.K.’s parliamentary green watchdog, is also calling for a “full Commons debate” to hold all the voting ministers accountable.

Other EU countries that voted against the ban include the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria and Portugal. Ireland, Lithuania, Finland and Greece abstained in the vote. And those brave countries that voted to protect bees by banning neonicotinoid pesticides include Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, Cyprus, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.naturalnews.com

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to stop selling drugged meats

There is a very real public health crisis looming on the horizon, and its origins stem from the common food industry practice of force-feeding antibiotic drugs to cattle in order to bulk them up and rush their meat to market as quickly as possible. And a major consumer advocacy group is calling on the popular grocery chain Trader Joe’s to step up and stop selling meat and poultry derived from animals raised in this manner, which is causing widespread health problems and antibiotic resistance.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, recently ran a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times (LAT) petitioning Trader Joe’s to be an industry leader on this important issue. Since Trader Joe’s has already forged the way in taking a stand on other important health and food safety issues in the past, Consumers Union hopes Trader Joe’s will once again do the right thing and nix conventional meat from its product lineup.

You can view Consumer Union’s full-page ad here:
http://notinmyfood.org

“Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used by the meat and poultry industries so factory farm animals can grow faster and tolerate crowded and unsanitary conditions,” reads the Consumers Union announcement. “As a progressive retailer that has already demonstrated care for their customers’ health by saying no to GMOs, artificial colors, and trans fats, Trader Joe’s should take the obvious next step by helping move the livestock industry in the right direction – towards healthy animals raised without drugs.”

Sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to stop selling drugged meats
Though Trader Joe’s admittedly sells a variety of organic, grass-fed, and antibiotic-free meat and poultry products, some of its food offerings still contain conventional varieties of these same meats from animals raised in typical CAFO conditions – CAFO stands for concentrated animal feeding operation, and represents the typical format in place at most factory farms. With an increasing number of informed Americans interested in safe, antibiotic-free meat and poultry, it only makes sense for Trader Joe’s to take action now and lead the way towards improved meat production standards.

“It’s critical that we do everything possible to curb the growing public health crisis of antibiotic resistance,” says Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union. “Virtually every respected medical and public health organization agrees that we must reduce the use of antibiotics in healthy livestock in order to preserve the effectiveness of these drugs to treat disease.”

According to a recent press release, Consumers Union launched a campaign last year called Meat Without Drugs that aims to convince all grocery stores to scrap antibiotic-raised meats, starting with Trader Joe’s. You can learn more about this vital campaign, and sign the petition urging Trader Joe’s to be the first to take this important action, by visiting:

Meat Without Drugs

“Continuing to sell meat from animals that are routinely fed antibiotics contributes to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance,” adds Halloran. “As a company that has taken socially responsible stands on other issues, Trader Joe’s could make an important contribution to improving public health by carrying only meat and poultry raised without antibiotics.”

To learn more, visit:

Meat Without Drugs

Sources for this article include:

http://www.consumersunion.org

http://www.latimes.com

http://notinmyfood.org

Meat Without Drugs

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.

Mike Geary Vail, Colorado, United States

My dad has always been in pretty good shape most of his life right into his 60’s. He’s always been a hard worker (he built our house that I grew up in with his own 2 hands) and very active with outdoor activities most of his life.

And he’s also always eaten a pretty healthy diet with a lot of wild game meats, wild caught fish (he’s a super fisherman), and lots of home grown produce that he grew himself in his huge garden. But in addition to those super healthy foods, he’s also had a lifelong addiction to cereals, breads, pasta, and ice cream (we’ll talk more in an upcoming newsletter about what we found out about what all these grains have been doing to his health over the years)

About a year ago, my pops and I were talking about one of my clients that had great results and had lost a good amount of fat. So he asked me,

“Mike, I’ve always been in good shape, but I’ve had these love handles my entire adult life for at least 40-50 years now” (he’s 66 currently)

My response to him was something like this,

“Dad, you eat healthier than 90% of the population because of all of your wild game, fish, and garden produce, but I honestly think that you eat far too many grain-based foods with your daily bowl of cereal for breakfast, the bread you have during lunch, and the pasta or noodles you have several times a week at dinner… oh, and all that sugar from the ice cream every night for dessert. I think if you reduce the grains and sugars, you’ll have no problem getting rid of those love handles that you’ve had your entire life”

My pops nodded and stored the advice away, but didn’t change his daily eating habits yet at this point. Fast forward another 6 months or so, and I gave him a copy of the book Wheat Belly, which talks not only about the effects of wheat in your body on blood sugar and body fat, but also the numerous health effects of eating too much wheat. It was some of those health effects of eating too much wheat, such as the increased risk of heart disease, that finally got my pops to drastically reduce his wheat intake.

He went from eating cereal 7 mornings a week, bread 7 days a week, and pasta 2-3 days a week, to basically only having 1 day a week now that he eats these types of wheat based foods.

Fast forward another 6 months, and we just went back to visit my parents for the holidays last week. After 6 months of dramatically reducing his wheat intake (and replacing those calories with healthy fats from more nuts, avocados, grass-fed dairy, etc), he looked noticeably slimmer…

In his own words, “Mike, I took your advice and cut down my cereals and breads to only 1 day a week, and those love handles I’ve had for 50 years… GONE… completely GONE!”

Not only that, but he also told me this surprising side benefit, “Surprisingly, once I stopped eating so much wheat, all the joint pain I’ve had for years is almost 100% GONE!”

Pretty cool huh! This doesn’t surprise me, and I’ve heard similar results with other clients of mine that have dramatically reduced their grain foods.

I’m not saying reducing grains is the miraculous cure for everything under the sun, but as you’ll see in this article, there are at least 11 reasons why too much wheat in your diet can be harming your body.

I think my dads results with reducing wheat in his diet prove some pretty powerful benefits to his body! He didn’t even fully eliminate wheat… he just drastically reduced his intake from 7 days a week to 1 day a week. And his love handles and joint pain he’s had for as long as he can remember are completely GONE!

If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.